For those getting a start in franchising or well-entrenched in business, ‘talking the talk’ often seems more important than ‘walking than walk’. While it might be important to convince your peers and associates that you understand the psychological aspects of business, relying too much on jargon can alienate your staff.
Forbes has done entrepreneurs a small service by hilariously profiling some of the most annoying business jargon out there today. They take a light-hearted look at the rise of jargon, but it does have a more serious point.
"People use jargon because they want to sound smart and credible when in fact they sound profoundly dim-witted and typically can't be understood, which defeats the purpose of speaking in the first place," says Karen Friedman, author of Shut Up and Say Something: Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners.
There's a fine line between sounding intellingent and stupid when you talk business. When you meet with lenders and associates to discuss your business, it’s quite easy to slip into jargon. It's impossible not to, really. Beneath the Forbes story’s lighter tone there is a genuine point. You communicate your understanding of your business through the language you use. If you speak with honesty and emotion, it will give your associates a far better grasp of who you are as an entrepreneur. If you drown your language in jargon, you run the risk of losing the interest of your associates right away.