People in B2B organizations are all too familiar with overused buzzwords (not to be confused with portmanteaus), jargon and marketing speak that prolong conference calls, fill up PPT slides and echo throughout the cubicle walls of businesses throughout the world. And with the rise of social media comes a tidal wave of new buzzwords for everyone to learn.

Using and understanding buzzwords seem to be a right of passage in business. Your buzzword vocabulary grows along with your years of experience. And, if you want to appear truly sophisticated, you can even make up new ones!

It’s disheartening when I see people attempt to prove expertise by buzzword intimidation. Shouldn’t we seek to collaborate, rather than alienate potential colleagues, prospects and customers? The best B2B marketers seek to distill down concepts to be as simple and straight-forward as possible when helping their clients implement programs that engage audiences and convert customers. The steps are simple:

1. Define what you sell

2. Determine how it is different

3. Explain why people should care

4. Understand the best way to communicate that information

To be fair, a lot of hard work surrounds these steps, but it gets even harder when you have to trudge knee-deep through the buzzword jungle.

Do you think it’s time to declare a National Day Without Buzzwords? What marketing buzzwords to you think are overused?