by Rick Baker
On Mar 18, 2010
The communication expert Dr. Frank Luntz recommends 21 Words for the 21st Century.
To be accurate, he recommends a few more than 21 words and some of his recommendations are short phrases.
Frank spends most of his time consulting to businesses; however, he is well-recognized for helping politicians.
Most of his 21 Words for the 21st Century apply to both politics and business.
A listing of the words, as I am doing below, does not come close to doing justice to the thought Dr. Luntz has given to these words. Not just the thought...but also the research and the intense testing through surveys.
The 21 Words for the 21st Century are:
- Imagine
- Hassle-free
- Lifestyle
- We Deliver (Accountability)
- Results and the Can Do Spirit
- Innovation
- Re-words: renew, revitalize, rejuvenate, restore, rekindle, reinvent
- Efficient and Efficiency
- The Right to...
- Patient-centered (medical)
- Investment
- Casual Elegance (travel)
- Independent (no conflicts)
- Peace of Mind
- Certified
- All-American [in our case…All-Canadian]
- Prosperity
- Spirituality
- Financial Security
- A Balanced Approach
- A Culture Of...
Throughout his book, ‘Words That Work - It's not what you say, It’s what people hear’, Dr Luntz stresses 'being positive' over 'being critical'.
He also stresses simplicity….keep your messages simple, easy to read, and easy to understand.
What impresses me most about Dr Luntz’s approach is he is a champion for targeting messages to meet the audience…putting yourself in the audience’s shoes, doing what you can to understand their views, doing your best to understand how they hear things, etc.
That approach to communication is perhaps the most-important thing in 21st Century business.
More on communication in future blogs…
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Marketing