Jargon. Shop talk. Buzzwords. Clichés. Whatever you call it, we all overuse it. Jargon refers to any set of words or phrases that are usually used by a specific group of people. And jargon is like B.O.: it's usually easy to notice coming from other people, but it's less noticeable when you're the source.

Jargon is useful every now and then, especially when no other words will clearly convey your intended message. But it's something that needs to be used less. Here's why:

1. Most people don't know what you're talking about.

Outside of your small circle of colleagues, very few people understand what you are saying when you stat using jargon.

For example, if a client asks you for some work and you say that you're "out of bandwith," chances are they will think your cable modem is overworked, not that you're short on time and personnel.

You shouldn't talk to everyone like they are idiots, but you should not expect them to understand your unique language.

2. People will zone you out.

Remember last year's Super Bowl? It was one of the most exciting championship games in NFL history. Do you remember what the winning team's head coach said in his post game press conference? No? Do you know why you don't remember it? Because it was the same speech that the winning coach of the first preseason game of the 1986 season gave.

People in the world of sports are widely known as jargon-heads:

"We just played our game."
"You've got to take it one play at a time."
"I guess we just wanted it more."

The result? No one really cares much about what the athletes and coaches say, they just want to see what they do in games.

When you use too much jargon, people will eventually stop listening to you.

3. Jargon becomes a crutch.

Filling your meeting notes with jargon keeps you from having to develop any real content. You just peck away at the keys for half an hour and, presto, you have a sideshow full of words that business people use. That should be a good meeting, right?

Wrong.

If you're consistent jargon user, commit yourself to going without it for a week or so. When you remove those options from your vocabulary, you have to find some creative (and usually more effective) ways to get your point across. Or, save everyone some time and just come out and say what you need to say.

Bad: To utilize top-to-bottom communication, be sure to ping your immediate superior to touch base and settle any disputes that may arise.
Good: E-mail me if you have any questions.

Use pictures. Write a poem. Try interpretive dance. But stop leaning on jargon.

4. Jargon becomes a cover for ignorance, and getting called out will burn.

People often use jargon as a way to look smart. Say you're not too computer savvy but you're trying to impress the web team. So you start throwing around terms that you've read or heard about to look like a web pro, when you don't actually know the difference between the internet and the intranet.

But what happens if you use a phrase to cover for your lack of knowledge and someone asks for an explanation?

People can tell when you're weaseling out of a sticky situation. It' best to not get into those situations in the first place. If you don't know the first thing about a topic, don't pretend to understand it by throwing out buzzwords. When someone busts you, you lose any and all credibility you had.

People appreciate when you have the guts to say "I don't know." You might not look as good for a short time, but you'll come out with the respect of your audience, and a chance to come back to the next meeting with the answers that you didn't have before.

5. When jargons collide, communication dies.

Imagine a meeting between your company's marketing team and the guys from IT. If one or both sides use their respective jargon, there's a good chance that everyone will walk away from that meeting confused, frustrated and lost. But if both sides use plain language, you might net some results.

The worst is when two different sets of people use the same word to describe two very different ideas. A marketing blitz is a much different than a military blitz; "brand" means one thing to a graphic designer and another to a rancher. Your best bet is to save the jargon for later.

Conclusion

Talking to people like they're regular people makes you look less impressive, but it makes you a whole lot easier to understand.

What jargon have you heard too much lately?