The healing magic of cliché

So 2014 is nearly over and the internet is awash with platitudes and John Lennon lyrics. I have a choice, either say nothing or go with it. While you have a think about which way I’m going to go, have a look at the bad picture of my dog with some tinsel.

Cliché is a brilliant short cut from a communications point of view. You can agonise for hours over the right thing to say, but equally you can use a cliché to say what you need to say quickly and move on to the next thing. It’s the end of the year, publishing an opinion piece about the future of the press release, no matter how incisive, is just going to get drowned out in a wash of links to Spike Milligan walking backwards for some reason or other (turns out it’s a publicity stunt), and articles entitled Seven things successful people always do before December 23 (item two, sucessful people don’t take up time reading articles entitled Seven things successful people always do before December 23). You can’t beat them, so you might as well…

That's right, it's just a clip show

I’ve learned a lot this year. I have learned that there are communications lessons to be taken from falling under a tube train, that no matter how bad things look an excellent tie can inspire, offices can be scary no matter what time of year and that obscure jokes about 40 year old technology don’t always work.

Cliché is one of those things, like business English, which is not only unavoidable, used sparingly in the right context it’s simply very useful. Just know when to use it and don’t make a habit of it.

Magnus Allan is a freelance communications consultant who has worked across a variety of industries. He is going to have to get a lot more treats for the dog if she is ever going to work with him again.

Twitter: @Zatag1234