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Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear

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Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear

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“Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way.”1 —GEORGE ORWELL (1946)

You can have the best message in the world, but the person on the receiving end will always understand it through the prism of his or her own emotions, preconceptions, prejudices, and preexisting beliefs.

Words that work, whether fiction or reality, not only explain but also motivate. They cause you to think as well as act. They trigger emotion as well as understanding.

“Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.” —WINSTON CHURCHILL

“When we disregard the rules altogether we get anarchy or, worse yet, Enron.” —POLITICAL HUMORIST BILL MAHER

but unless you speak the language of your intended audience, you won’t be heard by the people you want to reach.

The most effective language clarifies rather than obscures. It makes ideas clear rather than clouding them. The more simply and plainly an idea is presented, the more understandable it is—and therefore the more credible it will

Rule Two Brevity: Use Short Sentences

“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” —Mark Twain

Be as brief as possible. Never use a sentence when a phrase will do, and never use four words when three can say just as much.

Sometimes two or three words are worth more than a thousand.

So when it comes to effective communication, small beats large, short beats long, and plain beats complex. And sometimes a visual beats them all.

Rule Three Credibility Is As Important As Philosophy

People have to believe it to buy it.

If your words lack sincerity, if they contradict accepted facts, circumstances, or perceptions, they will lack impact.

The words you use become you—and you become the words you use.

The combination of broken promises and blown expectations is always a fatal concoction.

Credibility is established very simply. Tell people who you are or what you do. Then be that person and do what you have said you would do. And finally, remind people that you are what in fact you say you are. In a simple sentence: Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Good language is like the Energizer Bunny. It keeps going … and going … and going.

Message consistency builds customer loyalty.

Finding a good message and then sticking with it takes extraordinary discipline, but it pays off tenfold in the end. Remember, you may be making yourself sick by saying the same exact same thing for the umpteenth time, but many in your audience will be hearing it for the first time. The overwhelming majority of your customers or constituents aren’t paying as much attention as you are.

Rule Five Novelty: Offer Something New In plain English, words that work often involve a new definition of an old idea.

So from a business perspective, you should tell consumers something that gives them a brand-new take on an old idea (and then, in accordance with rule number four, tell them again and again). The combination of surprise and intrigue creates a compelling message. Although often executed with humor, what matters most is that the message brings a sense of discovery, a sort of “Wow, I never thought about it that way” reaction.

There’s a simple test to determine whether or not your message has met this rule. If it generates an “I didn’t know that” response, you have succeeded.

The sounds and texture of language should be just as memorable as the words themselves. A string of words that have the same first letter, the same sound, or the same syllabic cadence is more memorable than a random collection of sounds. The first five rules in this chapter do just that: simplicity, brevity, credibility, consistency, and novelty stand out because they all end with the same sound.

The sound of music has magical powers that transcend the language it is meant to augment.

Rule Seven Speak Aspirationally Messages need to say what people want to hear.

people will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel. If the listener can apply the language to a general situation or human condition, you have achieved humanization. But if the listener can relate that language to his or her own life experiences, that’s personalization.

Aspirational advertising language doesn’t sell the product as a mere tool or as an item that serves a specific, limited purpose. Instead it sells the you—the you that you will be when you use the product … a smarter, sexier, sunnier you. It’s not about creating false expectations, for that would diminish credibility. It’s about encouraging the message recipient to want something better—and then delivering it.

In the same way, aspirational advertising language taps into people’s idealized self-image, showing them a picture of the other, better life that they wish they had, the life that feels like it’s just out of reach right now … but that your product may finally help them grasp.

And good advertisements, in a much more minor way, accomplish much the same thing. They make idealists of us all.

Rule Eight Visualize

But visualizing has as much to do with words as it does with pictures, and there is one word in the English language that automatically triggers the process of visualization by its mere mention, simply because it has 300 million unique, individual, personal manifestations to match the 300 million Americans. That word: imagine. Whether it’s the car of your dreams or the candidate of your choice, the word imagine is perhaps the single most powerful communication tool because it allows individuals to picture whatever personal vision is in their hearts and minds.

Rule Nine Ask a Question

A statement, when put in the form of a rhetorical question, can have much greater impact than a plain assertion.

The question-rule has day-to-day implications as well. A customer complaining to the store manager that her meat has too much fat in it is less effective than if she asked: “Does this look lean to you?” Similarly, asking “What would you do if you were in my shoes?” puts direct pressure on the recipient of your complaint to see things your way.

But making the same statement in the form of a rhetorical question makes the reaction personal—and personalized communication is the best communication.

Context is so important that it serves not only as the last and most important rule of effective communication, but also as its own chapter. You have to give people the “why” of a message before you tell them the “therefore” and the “so that.”

In corporate advertising, as in politics, the order in which you present information determines context, and it can be as important as the substance of the information itself. The “so that” of a message is your solution, but solutions are meaningless unless and until they are attached to an identifiable problem. Finding the right “why” to address is thus just as important as the “how” you offer. Products and services alike must all respond to a felt need on the part of the public.

Context is only half of the framing effort. The other half—relevance—is focused on the individual and personal component of a communication effort. Put most simply, if it doesn’t matter to the intended audience, it won’t be heard.

Relevance is one reason market research is so crucial. Until you know what drives and determines a consumer’s or a voter’s decision-making process, any attempt to influence him or her is really just a shot in the dark. It’s relying on luck to hit its target. But once market research has identified the key factors on which a decision turns, then your message can be tailored specifically to those relevant points.

By the same token, most buyers of Hebrew National don’t want to see how those hot dogs are made, and the average buyer of a home computer doesn’t give much thought to how a semiconductor works. Don’t get so caught up in your own insider’s perspective that you lose sight of what the man or woman on the street really cares about. Hassle-free technology is a lot more important to a lot more people than the brand of chip in Dell’s laptop computer.

These, then, are the ten rules of effective communication, all summarized in single words: simplicity, brevity, credibility, consistency, novelty, sound, aspiration, visualization, questioning, and context. If your tagline, slogan, or message meets most of these criteria, chances are it will meet with success. If it meets all ten, it has a shot at being a home run.

Words aren’t everything, of course. If there were a rule eleven, it would address the importance of visual symbols.

Never lose sight of whom you are talking to—and who is listening. Remember that the meaning of your words is constantly in flux, rather than being fixed. How your words are understood is strongly influenced by the experiences and biases of the listener—and you take things for granted about those experiences and biases at your own peril.

Too often, corporate chieftains have used language as a weapon to obscure and exclude rather than as a tool to inform and enlighten.

The order in which words are presented also affects how we perceive them.

Achieving the desired effect requires the presentation of the right information in the right order.

The sequential arrangement of information often creates the very meaning of that information, building a whole whose significance is different from and greater than its constituent parts.

The mind takes the information it receives and synthesizes it to create a third idea, a new whole.

The language lesson: A+B+C does not necessarily equal C+B+A. The order of presentation determines the reaction. The right order equals the right context.

The more personal the context, the greater the interest. By and large, we’re concerned about the realm of our jobs and our families, not the larger unfolding of History with a capital H.

And the most effective, least divisive language for both men and women is the language of everyday life.

There are definitely differences in outlook and perspective between men and women that require a higher level of communication sophistication. For example, women generally respond better to stories, anecdotes, and metaphors, while men are more fact-oriented and statistical. Men appreciate a colder, more scientific, almost mathematical approach; women’s sensibilities tend to be more personal, human, and literary.

When you articulate what you are for or about, you reveal something of yourself.

And above all, listen. Listen more than you ask questions, and ask questions more than you “talk.”

Positioning an idea linguistically so that it affirms and confirms an audience’s context can often mean the difference between that idea’s success and failure.

Several years ago I asked Americans whether they would be willing to pay higher taxes for “further law enforcement,” and 51 percent agreed. But when I asked them if they would pay higher taxes “to halt the rising crime rate,” 68 percent answered in the affirmative. The difference? Law enforcement is the process, and therefore less popular, while reducing crime is the desirable result. The language lesson: Focus on results, not process.

Once again, the context determines the public reaction.

As we’ll see, the meaning of words doesn’t stay the same over time. It’s constantly changing, in ways that will surprise and amuse you.

“A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” —GEORGE ORWELL “POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Modern English … is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step toward political regeneration.

What is above all needed is to let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way around… . I have not here been considering the literary use of language, but merely language as an instrument for expressing and not for concealing or preventing thought.3

But good communication requires conviction and authenticity; being a walking dictionary is optional.

i. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. ii. Never use a long word where a short one will do. iii. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. iv. Never use the passive where you can use the active. v. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. vi. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.4

  • Reglas Orwell

We have put our words on steroids and amped the language up so high that unless we communicate in overdrive and hyperbole, we believe—perhaps correctly—that nobody will hear us.

Making assumptions about the extent of your audience’s vocabulary is not only stupid—it can cost you your career.

It’s one thing to insist on proper usage in a piece of formal writing, but if you’re speaking or communicating informally—whether to your customers or your constituents—it’s really more important to be understood than to be heard. This is not to say that you should knowingly misuse the language; instead, just find a simpler, more readily understandable way to convey what you have to say.

Feelings and emotions are what generate words that work.

Arriving at the best language isn’t enough in and of itself. The majority of human communication is nonverbal. It involves not only symbolism and imagery but also attitude and atmosphere.

Just as it is true that you are what you eat, it is also true that you become what you say.

But the most powerful messages will fall on deaf ears if they aren’t spoken by credible messengers. Effective language is more than just the words themselves. There is a style that goes hand-in-hand with the substance. Whether running for higher office or running for a closing elevator, how you speak determines how you are perceived and received. But credibility and authenticity don’t just happen. They are earned.

“People forget what you say, but they remember how you made them feel.”

A superstar creates a persona in the public mind by conveying certain essential characteristics about himself or herself. Successful leaders establish this persona not by describing their attributes and values to us, but by simply living them.

Tell someone “two plus two,” but let him put them together himself and say “four”—and he is transformed from a passive observer to an active participant.4

The fact is, candid, genuine expressions of passion and commitment are worth ten times the value of a canned, rehearsed publicity stunt.

Unless and until you say something to break the rhythm of a negative story, it will continue. A graphic profanity would have broken the rhythm, changed the focus,

Messengers who are their own best message are always true to themselves.

The importance of authenticity cannot be overstated. Whether your arena is business or politics, you simply must be yourself. Few things in this world are more painful—more fingernails-on-the-chalkboard grating—than a politician or a CEO trying to act cool.

By all means, show don’t tell … reveal your personality … be the message rather than narrating it, but above all, be authentic.

Of course, being yourself doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put your best foot forward or should be content with being boring or out of touch. It’s important to be your best self.

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”13 The incredibly powerful and personal “GE, we bring good things to life”

The company persona is the sum of the corporate leadership, the corporate ethos, the products and services offered, interaction with the customer, and, most importantly, the language that ties it all together.

Language is never the sole determinant in creating a company persona, but you’ll find words that work associated with all companies that have one.

When products, services, and language are aligned, they gain another essential attribute: authenticity. In my own market research for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, I have found that the best way to communicate authenticity is to trigger personalization: Do audience members see themselves in the slogan … and therefore in the product? Unfortunately, achieving personalization is by no means easy.

That’s one of the definitions of words that work: We remember even when we’re not trying. Not that we seek to ignore them.

As we’ve seen in this chapter, the power of poignant language is immense, but the destructive power of an ill-thought sound bite is unending and unforgiving. Successful, effective messages—words and language that have been presented in the proper context—all have something in common. They stick in our brains and never leave, like riding a bicycle or tying our shoelaces. Not only do they communicate and educate, not only do they allow us to share ideas—they also move people to action. Words that work are catalysts. They spur us to get up off the couch, to leave the house, to do something. When communicators pay attention to what people hear rather than to what they are trying to say, they manage not merely to catch people’s attention, but to hold it.

“My language was meant to be transparent and clear. If there was a theme, it was always to simplify, simplify, simplify, to make them feel it in their blood, get it into their skin. You have to reach people in their soul so that they internalize your message. Too many messages are just internal gobbledygook.”1 —JACK WELCH

“I used my words to give our people a more outward focus on the customer so that they would always try to satisfy that customer,” he told me emphatically. “That’s why I said again and again: ‘Companies don’t give job security. Only satisfied customers do.’”

“I used to have coffee with the assistants and the staff once a month when we were restructuring the company, and they would ask me whether they’d still have a job after we were done downsizing staff functions. I’d tell them to look at their phone logs. If they were primarily filled with calls coming from the field with customers wanting to buy something, that’s a good sign of job security. But if the calls were coming from the corporate office to the field just to get data for me, their days may be numbered. The message I was sending was clear: their job was not to kiss our fannies. Their job is to make things, sell things and do things. I communicated quite plainly that you’d have job security if you were customer focused, and you wouldn’t if you weren’t.”

Regardless of the facts, even if it’s unfair to do so, it’s only human nature for audiences to regard silence as a tacit admission of wrongdoing. Every attack that is not met with a clear and immediate response will be assumed to be true.

Whether in the midst of an employee strike, corporate scandal, or just a bad quarterly financial report, a company’s communication with the public must be proactive, consistent, and ongoing. Whether a difficult event is about to take place—or a crisis has just landed in your lap—the rules are the same. The key word is more: more conversation with the affected community rather than less, more information rather than less, and more details rather than fewer. If the words are right, there is no such thing as overkill.

While the best language has a musical sound to it much like an opera or orchestra, for words to have a real impact, the public, at an absolute minimum, has to know what they mean—and how to say them and repeat them. If they don’t, or can’t, it is hardly the recipe for success.

For example, in a poll I took for the pharmaceutical profession (notice I didn’t call it an “industry”) by a two to one ratio, Americans would rather receive their health care from a free market system than a private system. Just a simple shift in a single phrase can and does account for a huge shift in public perception.

Again, for corporations in the midst of controversy, silence = guilt.

A third language lesson is to exceed expectations. Message timing is important. Few things are worse for employee morale than being left in the dark with regard to job-related turmoil. Management should aim for a twenty-four-hour turnaround on personal, one-on-one questions from employees and a forty-eight-hour turnaround to produce written responses to written union communications.

Employing the words-that-work principles, corporations need to communicate with employees in concrete, objective, back-to-basics terms.

To win over your employees, emphasize the need for more information, more facts, and a more honest approach.

If the forces of change have descended on your doorstep and you find yourself having to defend the status quo, the phrase that pays is “do no harm.”

Those are just a small sample of the corporate case studies where words that work were applied to reshape products, companies, and even public policy. They all have one thing in common: usage of the essential communication rules and a clear focus on the target audience—the customer. It is incredible just how a simple change of words, phrases, positioning, or context can alleviate public pressure, restore consumer confidence, and refresh a product or brand.

This was a direct attack at the credibility of the tax—why would anyone want to tax success?

If your sentence has more than two commas, you have too many.

Audiences may look very different on the outside, but they will respond to the same hopes and fears internally and emotionally.

Those older than fifty will inevitably watch the actual performance, even if the actors are somewhat far away and partially obscured by television cameras or lighting. But those younger than forty will watch the performance through the television monitors, even when the monitors are high above them and the actors nearby. Why? Because for younger audiences, it’s what comes through the television itself, not the performance, that defines the meaning of live. You can see this at sporting events as well. Younger fans watch the action on the “jumbotron” monitor rather than focusing on the game itself.

If you want to propose an old idea, don’t acknowledge that you’re stealing from the past. Present it as something fresh: renewing a concept and revitalizing it.

“Big enough to deliver; small enough to care” created for a cell phone provider in 2005. (Note to CEOs: The slogan is still available, and I guarantee it will work for you if you can deliver the promise.) Attentive and personal customer service is paramount in today’s highly sought-after “hassle-free” lifestyle. There is a definite competitive advantage not just to owning customer service but also being large enough to deliver it.

If, as I’ve been arguing, it’s not what you say that matters, but what they hear, then understanding the nature of your audience becomes vitally important. You can’t anticipate what an audience is going to hear if you don’t know who they are. And, unfortunately, many communicators don’t.

“Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for something they don’t need.” —WILL ROGERS

Words change our emotions, whether we know it or not, so I teach people what I call transformational vocabulary—the words you use to change your emotions. I don’t mean looking in the mirror and saying “I am good enough, I am strong enough, and by golly people love me.” I’m not talking about that crap. I am talking about a one word change. If I say to you, “We are going to have a break and we are going to have some nutritious food, nutritious snacks …” look at your faces [the participants shake their heads, frowning], but if I say they are delicious … [laughter] … a very different reaction. Or if you come to me and say, “Hey Tony, you know a lot of people. I’m single and I’m looking for someone, and I say to you I know this person and they are … ‘nice.’” [Group responds in unison: “Nooooo.”]

Words not only can determine how we feel. They can also determine what we achieve. And what we hear often defines exactly what we want.

Words that work are powerful because they connect ideas, emotions, hopes, and (unfortunately) fears.

Thoughts or feelings are random, inconsequential, and often not particularly important or relevant. But principles, much like values, represent deeply held convictions—they don’t change overnight, or sometimes ever.

Principles are rigorous, examined, serious. They have weight. If your principles match their values, the details won’t matter.

Therefore, the more convincingly you can present your company as personal, relatable, down-to-earth, and in touch—the virtues of a small business—the better you will weather large-scale growth. “Big enough to deliver; small enough to care” is the best bridge for consumers who despise the impersonal nature of mega-giant corporations while simultaneously relishing all the innovations in speed, service, and capabilities they provide.

Here’s a sampling of wisdom on the subject from some historical giants who knew of what they spoke: • Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” • Winston Churchill: “I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use to be anything else.”3 • Harry Truman: “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.” • Dwight Eisenhower: “Pessimism never won any battle.” • Robert Kennedy: “All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don’t. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.” • Ronald Reagan: “There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” • Franklin Roosevelt: “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” • John McCain: “We are taught to understand, correctly, that courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears.” • Margaret Thatcher: “I am in politics because of the struggle between good and evil. I believe that in the end good will triumph.”

The linguistic key to communicating respect is to talk about “value:” • The value of serving and satisfying customers; • The value of a good day’s pay for a good day’s work; • The value of a simple “thank you” for a job well done.

“Respect” can certainly be articulated, but not by using the word itself. You need to use language to show it rather than say it.

The difference between selling “services” and selling “solutions” is substantial because the desired experiences of the two are at different levels. In today’s world, everyone has a problem. A “service” helps you live with the problem. A “solution” alleviates the problem.

“Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.” LILY TOMLIN1

“Imagine if …” are the two most effective words you can use in this situation. “Imagine if I hadn’t been here to work on Project X.” “Imagine if Contract Y hadn’t been hammered out last week.” By merely inviting your boss to do a little thought experiment, you prompt a subtle but clear vision of you being out of the picture if more money isn’t in your future. And if you achieve the “imagine if” visualization by demonstrating your future value, chances are you’ll end up getting that raise, bonus, or promotion. Some bosses use raises to reward past efforts. For those that don’t, imagine if is the best elixir.

Here’s how to construct a letter that works: First, start with a single authoritative statement. The best opening paragraph is just a single sentence. Whether verbal or in writing, your first words are by far the most important. Over time, we have become increasingly sophisticated linguistically, able to immediately decipher situations and figure out what’s going on. You only have a few seconds—and a few words—to catch people’s attention … and a few more to make your case. Every second after you begin speaking, the clock is ticking. You don’t have the luxury of leisurely pacing or deliberative arguments; the reader could tune out at any moment. As the old expression goes, “Grab them by the throat and don’t let go!” So seize your audience from the start. Remember, everything you need to say should be up front. All that you want to say can come later. In my research into the effectiveness of direct mail, the single most-read portion after the opening paragraph is the postscript. The reason is easy to understand: The average reader looks to the P.S. to determine whether or not it is in fact a personal letter, and whether that letter has any relevance to his or her life. If it isn’t, and if it doesn’t, the average person won’t read anything else. So make the postscript as human and emotional as possible. Third, use enumeration and text that is bold and italicized. This is not a personal letter to a friend or family member; it’s designed to get some stranger to do something that they might not necessarily want to do. Therefore, think of it as a jury trial; you are the accused and the reader is the judge. It needs to be organized in argument form, with each statement enumerated and each opening sentence bolded and underlined. The reason? We don’t read straight from top to bottom. The eye darts about, fixing on whatever catches its fancy—and it moves on if nothing stands out. The enumeration and different-looking type will definitely catch the eye, and therefore the attention, of the reader. Fourth, the shorter the paragraphs, the more likely they are to be read, and the more likely we are to absorb the material. We simply don’t have the patience to read something long. The eye skips ahead and jumps around, whether its owner wills it to or not. Sure, we still read more or less from left to right … but the shorter the paragraphs, the more likely they are to be read, and the more likely we are to absorb the material. Your sentences have to be short and sweet, not meandering, labyrinthine, baroque, or adjective-clotted (such as this one). Again, many short sentences are preferable to a few long ones.

“I hope our leaders don’t feel like they have to talk to us in monosyllables or break it down to easy-to-understand things. You know, we get smarter by people treating us smarter… . You want to be lifted up and told to lead.” —AARON SORKIN

“Imagine” is one of the most powerful words in the English language. It evokes something different to each person that hears it.

The point is that “imagine” leads to 300 million different, personal definitions—and that’s just in the United States alone.

The word “imagine” is an open, nonrestrictive command—almost an invitation. Its power is derived from the simple fact that it can conjure up anything in the mind of the one doing the imagining. What can be imagined is therefore endlessly personal and targeted in a way that no canned marketing campaign could ever hope to be. When a potential consumer imagines, she’s the one doing the most important work, investing her own mental energies to create something new where before there was nothing. You don’t have to tell people what to imagine, just encourage them to do so.

If you ask people to imagine the best, you had better deliver the best.

When a company asks its employees to “imagine,” it’s asking them to forget, at least for a moment, about bureaucratic organizational charts, stodgy bosses, departmental budgets, the established way of doing things, and all the other everyday restrictions that infringe on their work. Asking your employees to “imagine” is asking them to contribute a piece of themselves to the enterprise. It can do wonders for morale, of course—but it can also lead to some incredibly innovative ideas.

Imagination, passion, even a touch of poetry—these are the qualities that speed the pulse.

The use of imagination to induce imagery is particularly helpful when talking about a complex subject to a large and diverse audience.

Big dreams—or horrific nightmares—are not born from facts and figures. The real emotional impact requires a real imagination—and an appeal to use it.

The idea that we, as consumers, should not have to think about how we buy a product (quickly), use a product (immediately), or fix a product (easily) has become deeply ingrained in us. And when it comes to how we interact with products, services, and people, “hassle-free” is a top priority.

Like “imagine,” “hassle-free” is in the eyes of the consumer, but there are specific examples that transcend all populations.

be like butter under a hot knife. We don’t want to think about it. We want it to work—not now, but five minutes ago, dammit! We want the products we use to work as reliably and as instantly as the light does when we flip the switch.

A company that tells its customers that it will “hold ourselves accountable” for the products and/or services it produces is actually likely to get a horrified response from the people who hear that message. It begs the question: “Accountable for what?” It actually implies that something is going to go wrong to justify that accountability. The most subtle suggestion of a need for accountability scares us off. People may demand that companies take responsibility, but they don’t want the companies themselves talking about it. By doing so, a company has already conceded too much … and has begun to confirm the public’s worst fears. Instead, if you want to profess your “accountability” as a company, try a simple, declarative, strong alternative such as “We deliver.” It says you provide what you promise, and it does not allude to the times when you don’t.

As in corporate communications, political messages should emphasize bottom-line “results,” not process.

We Americans are interested in serving no theory, advancing no agenda—we just want our leaders to do what works, we want them to get it done—and we know they can succeed if they put in the effort.

“Innovation” immediately calls to mind pictures of the future. It’s the corporate technology version of “imagine,” evoking 300 million different, individual definitions. “Innovation” leads to products that are smaller or lighter or faster or cheaper … or bigger, more resilient, stronger, longer lasting.

Describing your company and products as “innovative” is far better than saying they’re “new and improved.” “Innovative,” on the other hand, is bold and forward-looking, progressive (in a nonpolitical sense), confident, and energetic.

In our language work for the manufacturing industry, the only other word that is as valued by the American people as “innovation” is “technology.” And with everything becoming more technological, the awareness of technology itself will eventually disappear even as our acceptance and appreciation for what it does in our lives increases—including, among many other outcomes, fostering innovation itself.

Instead, take the old and make it new again by putting a fresh spin on it with one or multiple “re” words. To “renew” is to take an important product or corporate commitment and reassert it. To “revitalize” is to take something that is deteriorating and inject new life into it. To “rejuvenate” is to take something old and bring it up-to-date with a more youthful feel. To “restore” is to take something old and return it to its original luster. To “rekindle” is to inject emotion or passion into something tired and staid.

smoother skin and younger-looking eyes. So mix and match the words and definitions. Apply them liberally. The “re” words imply action, movement, progress, and improvement—all essential attributes in the twenty-first-century economy.

THE “RE” WORDS THAT DEFINE RESPONSIBILITY RENEW our commitment to hardworking American taxpayers; REDESIGN and REFORM government programs and services; REVITALIZE the economy; REBUILD confidence in local solutions; RESTORE American faith in the values and principles of accountability, responsibility, and common sense.

But “efficiency” is more about innovation and technology—a twenty-first-century approach to twenty-first-century challenges.

When an elected official tells you that you have the “right” to health care, rather than just that you should have it, he or she is adding intensity to the message. When something is a “right,” it’s not just nice or reasonable or beneficial—it becomes essential.

Companies that invest in technology, invest in their community, invest in job training, or invest in the future will earn a higher level of appreciation. Whether in brand-name pharmaceutical medications or consumer electronics, emerging technologies or online retailers, products and services that promote the significant investments of time or money in their creation can command a price premium. Even on a personal level, “investing in your future” is one of the strongest motivations for making long-term purchases. Buying is for now. Investing is forever.

Being “independent” is more of a corporate communication effort than a product pitch. It means having no constricting ties, no conflicts of interest, nothing to hide. A company that presents itself as “independent” is seen as honest, candid, and responsive to the people it serves.

“Security” suggests fences, barbed wire, electronic surveillance, burglar alarms, neighborhood watch programs, and long lines at airport screening. “Security” demands from us vigilance in order to prevent something bad. “Peace of mind,” by contrast, accentuates the positive. It dwells on a favorable result rather than the disturbing struggle to get there. “Peace of mind” is a destination, like the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown; “security” is the six-hour car ride you have to endure to get there.

“Certification” is an official (usually written) guarantee that what you see is in fact what you get, and that it upholds a higher level of quality and/or reliability. “Certification” also implies a specific process of review was followed by a trained professional.

In the end, how these words are used and delivered is almost as important as the words themselves. This may pain academics, journalists, and some readers, but the fact is, style is almost as important as substance.

For most people, language is functional rather than being an end in itself. For me, it’s the people that are the end; language is just a tool to reach them, a means to an end. But it’s not enough to simply stand there and marvel at the tool’s beauty … you must realize that it’s like fire, and the outcome depends on how it is used … to light the way … or to destroy.

When you trash the opposition, you simultaneously demean yourself. The best warrior is a happy warrior. Accentuate the positive … eliminate the negative. Negative definitely works, but a solid positive message will triumph over negativity.

Know your audience. Challenge them but don’t offend them.

If you take away only one lesson from this book, let it be the subtitle, these eleven words: “It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.”

It isn’t enough to have the correct stance on an issue or the correct positioning for a product or a service; you must also offer it up in such a way that the listener or the consumer can relate to, understand, and appreciate it.

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