We’ve all seen this many times. A perfectly good word gets noticed by a group of people, who grab it and seemingly hold on for dear life.

The poor word. It has so many hangers-on that its coattails start to fray. It becomes overburdened. Overused. It keeps creeping up on you.

It becomes a vapid cliche.

We all have examples. But right now, the word I’m referring to is: conversation.

Thanks in part to the convergence (another example) of marketing and social media, conversation is as sought after as the latest tabloid teen star.

Everyone wants to have a piece of one. Are you having one? If not, you should be. I just started one. How many have you had lately? Was it good? You wouldn’t believe how many of them I’ve had today. I just started another one. I don’t know what I did without them.

Now, I’m not saying words shouldn’t evolve. They should. Language is ever-changing and that’s what makes it a beautifully flawed living organism.

I’m also not advocating a vow of silence (as opposed to the Cone of Silence which I always like).

However, when I hear a word used in business 10 times a day or more, it starts to lose its meaning and context; its sense of self.

So what’s the solution (yet another word that lost its way when it became synonymous with products and services)?

I think we should embrace the concept, not the cliche. Keep the lines of communication open. That’s one of the best aspects of social media. But maybe we should stop boasting about all the so-called conversations we claim we’re having.

Or to borrow a page from Joan Rivers, I’d like to ask you, ‘Can we talk?’.

About Martin Waxman


Martin Waxman, MCM, is a digital communications strategist. He conducts AI research, leads digital and social media training workshops and speaks at events across North America. He's co-founder of two PR agencies, president of a consultancy and has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years. Martin is a LinkedIn Learning instructor, teaches digital strategy and social media at McMaster University, the Schulich School of Business, University of Toronto SCS and Seneca College. He's a member of the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Research Center and a past-chair of PRSA Counselors Academy. He has a Master of Communications Management (MCM) from McMaster-Syracuse Universities.