Who said “The art of persuasion depends on credible Euphemism.”
?
I don’t know. I have
just made it up.
I apologise if some great guru actually did or has said this but
my quick search on Google has rendered a blank so I am claiming it as original for the moment.
The polite expression where words or phrases that might
otherwise be considered rather harsh or
unpleasant for the customer to hear is
known as Euphemisms.
We use them a lot in
front line selling and customer care to break the bad news or to play down
disadvantages of an offer and emphasise the benefits on offere to the customer.
What causes uproar is their use in a ham-fisted way. Certainly
the recent press release from HSBC using
the word ‘demise’ has got people much exercised.
“… The integration of
advisers means the role of financial advisers will be demised. The proposals also require the role of HSBC’s Premier relationship
managers to be diploma qualified. As a consequence the bank will be demising the roles of 914 relationship
managers who do not give financial advice…….”
It does of course take courage to say a ‘job cut ‘in straight
forward English.
One doubts Lord Alan Sugar would beat around the bush, firing
someone in the Apprentice TV show or in his real business using the D-word. Back on our screens Starting May7th Series 9 The Apprentice
Having your
job cut or being warned of redundancy is
a nasty message to both give or receive but it is definitely worsened by clumsy
management speak and jargon.
In additon condescending reminders that one is now free to
"pursue other interests" and "spend more time with the family
etc". places a positive spin more for the benefit of the sack-er than the
sack-ee.
The banks are currently working hard to build back trust
through both their actions and words
It seems hard to distance oneself from corporate jargon it
:-
For example Antony Jenkins, the bank’s chief executive of
Barclays
“I want to de-layer
the organisation – creating a closer day-to-day relationship and clearer line
of sight for myself into the business. We will organise our activity into more
clearly delineated client-focused product sets.”
Banks are facing a struggle to regain trust. But the world
at large is hardly going to believe that banks mean what they say if it's
impossible to understand what banks mean when they say it.
Yet of course mankind has been sugar coating its language from
earliest times because it is found to be effective if well done.
I remember once listening to a sales presentation from a
food flavouring company where the speaker used the description ‘nature identical’
food flavouring . It was all so convincing. It was not until some time
later that I realised he was talking about artificial flavourings - isomers of
the natural occurring compounds!
Similarly I remember passing a stand at the Farnborough Air
show where the Exocet missile was described in the blurb as ‘ field tested’ which
of course meant used to kill in a real war.
What makes a euphemism
acceptable is a rather subjective matter. So I guess it is easier to describe
what a cheesy euphemism sounds or reads like.
It tries too hard , is unsubtle and sounds inauthentic.
Effective euphemism is a craft we all need to develop and keep up to date.
Since
yesterday’s subtle euphemism becomes tomorrow’s corny cliché resulting in selling’s
demise.
Further reading and Links
From my bookshelf recommend :-
Francis Wheen’s “How mumbo-jumbo conquered the world” – ISBN
0-00-714097-5 2004
Don Watson’s “Gobbledygook” – ISBN 1-84354-359-1 2004
Unspeak™ by Steven Poole –ISBN 0-316-73100-5 2006
Words that work Frank Luntz Hyperion ISBN 1-4013-0308-0
It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear 2007 
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