The A-Z of Generalised B2B Speak

Generalised B2B Speak is a blend of jargon, clichés and generalisations used to deliver self-serving and essentially meaningless messages. For the full horror of the B2B Speak experience, see our article The Worst B2B Copy Ever. Below is our list of the worst offenders – please let us know your nominations!

B2B Speak

A

  • “Advanced”
    • Why to Avoid: Vague and meaningless.
    • Alternative: Highlight the specific feature (e.g., “predicts market trends with 95% accuracy”).

B

  • “Breadth and depth”
    • Why to Avoid: Self-serving cliché.
    • Alternative: Describe specific features or expertise. 

C

  • “Comprehensive”
    • Why to Avoid: Generic and fails to differentiate.
    • Alternative: Detail what makes it comprehensive (e.g., “covers all stages of the procurement process”).
  • “Cutting-edge”
    • Why to Avoid: Clichéd and largely meaningless.
    • Alternative: Explain what is innovative and why it matters. 

D

  • “Dramatically”
    • Why to Avoid: Used to describe things that are anything but, so it often sounds unnatural.
    • Alternative: Avoid it entirely or state the specific degree of change (e.g., “reduced time to market by 30%”).
  • “Disruptive”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and almost always unwarranted.
    • Alternative: Specify the actual impact (e.g., “reduces customer churn by 20%”).

E

  • “Efficient and effective”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and unmeasurable.
    • Alternative: Provide a specific claim (e.g., “reduced processing time by 50%”).
  • “Enable”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and rather cold and mechanical.
    • Alternative: Use “Allow” or “Make easy.”
  • “Ensure”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused in B2B marketing and often fails to communicate a clear or distinctive benefit.
    • Alternative: Use direct and specific statements: Replace “Ensure seamless integration” with “Achieves seamless integration with all platforms.” Replace “Ensure data security at every level” with “Provides multi-layered data protection.” 
  • “Exponential”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and often misused in B2B contexts to exaggerate growth, impact, or scalability. Moreover, “exponential” has a precise mathematical meaning, and its misuse is very likely to alienate those who understand it.  
    • Alternative: Use precise statements: Replace “Exponential growth in user engagement” with “Achieved a 200% increase in user engagement over six months.”

F

  • “Flexible”
    • Why to Avoid: Commonplace and often meaningless.
    • Alternative: Describe what is flexible and why it matters.

G

  • “Game-changing”
    • Why to Avoid: Overhyped and rarely true.
    • Alternative: Highlight the measurable impact (e.g., “increased customer acquisition by 40%”).
  • “Groundbreaking”
    • Why to Avoid: Reserved for monumental innovations, which most products are not.
    • Alternative: Use “Better” or “Improved.”

H

  • “High performance”
    • Why to Avoid: Vague and usually unsubstantiated.
    • Alternative: Provide specific performance metrics (e.g., “achieves 99.9% uptime”).

I

  • “Innovative”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and lacks value explanation.
    • Alternative: Specify what is better or improved (e.g., “reduces downtime by 50%”).

L

  • “Leader/Leading”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and self-serving.
    • Alternative: Use specific proof points.
  • “Leverage”
    • Why to Avoid: Sounds artificial and overly formal.
    • Alternative: Use natural alternatives like “Apply,” “Use,” or “Improve.”

M

  • “Maximise/Maximize”
    • Why to Avoid: Unrealistic and often exaggerated. Avoid these kinds of words altogether.
    • Alternative: Use simpler terms like “Increase” or “Improve.”

N

  • “Next-generation”
    • Why to Avoid: Clichéd and vague.
    • Alternative: Explain what’s improved or better

O

  • “Only [Company Name] Can”
    • Why to Avoid: Arrogant and often unsubstantiated.
    • Alternative: Articulate a unique differentiator clearly (e.g., “the first to integrate AI-driven sentiment analysis”).
  • “Optimise/Optimize”
    • Why to Avoid: Unrealistic and often exaggerated. Avoid these kinds of words altogether.
    • Alternative: Use simpler terms like “Increase” or “Improve.”
  •  

P

  • “Proven”
    • Why to Avoid: Meaningless unless supported by evidence – which is seldom!
    • Alternative: Provide a specific example or proof (e.g., “adopted by 3,000 clients with 98% satisfaction rates”).

R

  • “Realise/Realize”
    • Why to Avoid: Unnatural and formal; avoid these kinds of words (Optimse/realise, etc).
    • Alternative: Use more conversational terms like “Get” or “Achieve.”
  • “Revolutionary”
  • Why to Avoid: Overused and rarely true; most products or services do not fundamentally change an industry or market. 
  • Alternative: Highlight the specific improvement or unique aspect of your offering 
  • “Robust”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and non-specific.
    • Alternative: Specify what makes it robust (e.g., “handles 1 million transactions per second”).

S

  • “Scalable”
    • Why to Avoid: Vague and overused 
    • Alternative: Be precise (e.g., “supports up to 10,000 users with no performance lag”).
  • “Seamless”
    • Why to Avoid: Overused and implies perfection, which is rarely true.
    • Alternative: Use “Simple” or “Easy.”
  • “Solution”
    • Why to Avoid: Generic and horribly overused in B2B.  
    • Alternative: Describe the specific problem it solves (e.g., “analyzes inventory to reduce waste by 30%”).
  • “Superior”
    • Why to Avoid: Subjective, arrogant sounding and usually unsubstantiated.
    • Alternative: Demonstrate superiority with specifics (e.g., “delivers results 30% faster than competitors”).
  • “Synergy”
    • Why to Avoid: It’s a horrible word that makes most people cringe.
    • Alternative: Skip it entirely.

U

  • Unique
  • Why to Avoid: Overused in marketing to the point of being meaningless. If every product or service claims to be unique, the term loses its power and fails to communicate real differentiation.
  • Alternative: Describe what sets your offering apart in tangible, measurable terms. If you truly have a one-of-a-kind feature or approach, highlight that with precise language.
  • “User-friendly”
    • Why to Avoid: Dated and lacks specificity.
    • Alternative: Highlight ease of use with examples (e.g., “implemented in under an hour with no training required”).
  • “Utilise/Utilize”
    • Why to Avoid: Overly formal; “use” is more natural. 
    • Alternative: Use “Use.”

W

  • “World-class”
    • Why to Avoid: Clichéd and unverifiable.
    • Alternative: Provide measurable proof (e.g., “used in 50 countries by top-tier manufacturers”).