How would you lead your team to discard words like 'leverage, empower' etc - our marketing crutches and write plainly?

Isn’t it the worst when marketing messages sound too … well … marketing-y? When we rely on words like leverage, empower, and innovate without grounding them in anything real, we lose clarity—and worse, we sound like every other company out there. The best messaging is simple, clear, and authentic. It should feel natural, not forced, and stay true to how your customers would say it.

To break the habit, I set a few key principles for my team:

1. Say it in fewer, simpler words. If you can explain it in plain English, you should. I constantly ask, "Can we say this in half the words?" or "Would a customer actually talk like this?" If not, we rewrite.

2. Describe it like you would to a friend. Your word choice and tone immediately changes, you simplify it and make it easy to understand.

3. Get an AI assist. This is one of my favorite ways to ditch the jargon. Paste into an AI tool and prompt: "Rewrite this in plain English." More often than not, it strips the fluff and gets to the point.

4. Build a “banned words” list. I keep a running doc of overused, empty words and encourage the team to flag and replace them with stronger, more specific alternatives.

5. Test it aloud. If it sounds robotic or something no one would naturally say, then don’t say it. Great messaging should feel like something you’d actually say to a customer.

6. Push for specificity – Instead of leverage AI, say use AI to automate manual workflows. Instead of empower teams, say help teams collaborate faster.

At the end of the day, clear messaging sticks. It's not just easier to read—it’s more persuasive. The best way to stand out isn’t with big words, but with real, compelling ideas and an authentic voice.