Anne Miller

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“Torn from the headlines,” as they say. If you didn’t think “Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!,” check out this article written by Arick Wierson, an Emmy Award-winning television producer and current political advisor, about the language being used in the impeachment hearings (you can skip the video). My point has always been that, when talking to buyers, bosses, colleagues–or to the public–the outcomes we realize are frequently, and, sometimes profoundly, determined by the meanings and associations in the words we choose to use.

Choose Carefully

You may recall a famous study that was done years ago which asked college students how fast a car was going when it “smashed,” collided,” or “ran into” another vehicle. Depending on the verb used, the answers were consistently higher with the “smashed” word choice. Different meanings, different associations, different responses.

A second example: When you are in a restaurant, if you want a steak, which are you more inclined to order: “filet mignon” or a “slab of dead cow meat?” In both cases, you are getting the same dish,