A heavy dose of recession makes clients and customers more cynical than usual. MSNBC has a list of ten advertising words to avoid in 2009, including “free,” “guarantee,” and “synergy.” According to the article, consumers don’t have time for anything more than “straightforward, honest advertising messages.” Hyped-up, sales-y language not only makes consumers suspicious, but seldom survives a decent spam filter. 

Avoiding certain words isn’t going to magically fix your writing. But if you keep your eye out for jargon, inflated language, and the passive voice, you’ll have a much better chance at communicating effectively. For more tips on effective business writing, check out Write It Well’s selection of books.