What NOT to include in your script: A brief guide to overused phrases in corporate videos.

Being a voice-over actor keeps me surprisingly informed about the zeitgeist. A decade ago, droves of authors began writing novels about those elusive, magical sea creatures known as sirens – did you know that?  I certainly did, because I narrated tons of books about them. Then just as suddenly, sirens became passé, and I was narrating books about vampires instead.  Because vampires never get old (groan).

A similar pattern has emerged in corporate communications. Not too long ago, 99% of my scripts contained the words “Big Data.” Everyone was so pumped about Big Data! It was Big!  It was Data!  I mean, what’s not to love?  Around the same time, a lot of people were really, really excited about “The Cloud.”  Companies were offering access to The Cloud, shifting your business to The Cloud, and showering adulation upon The Cloud.  Nowadays, that stuff is old news.  We’re on to bigger and better things.  Artificial Intelligence! Quantum computing! Digital twins!

So you’ve got a story to tell, a product to sell, an exciting new enterprise that you want everyone to know about. That’s great!  But how do you engage your audience in a fresh and unique way?  Well I’m not a script writer so I don’t know.  I mean, I just used the hackneyed phrase “fresh and unique” so I’m obviously not going to help much.  Sorry bye.  Oh...but wait!  I DO know what everyone else says. So maybe that can help? In four easy steps, here’s what NOT to say if you want to stand out from the competition:

Siren novels were all the rage

Big Data was a Big Deal

Don’t begin with:
In today’s [choose your adjective] world...

If you start your script something like: “In today’s ever-changing digital landscape,” then it sounds exactly like five kazillion other videos produced this year. There has to be a more original way to get people’s attention. 

​Don’t include:
Anytime, anywhere, on any device

If I had a dollar for every time I have recorded those exact words in that exact sequence, I could retire tomorrow on my own private island. It is both important and impressive that your product is cloud-based and mobile-compatible. But as soon as you tell people they can access it anytime, anywhere, on any device, I can almost guarantee that their eyes will glaze over.

...On Any Device

​Don’t focus on:
The People

Companies care about money. A new product launch is designed to make money. You are composing a script to a video because you want people to see it...and give you money. So don’t insult my intelligence by trying to convince me that you’re all about your “People.” The CEO might be the loveliest person on the planet. Your benefits packages might be replete with perks. You might genuinely care about every member of your team. But if you try to tell me that “The People” are your motivation for marketing to me, I simply won’t believe you.  Also, 7,000 other videos already told me that.  NEXT!

The People!

​Don’t confuse biology with business:
[Adjective] is in our DNA

This is one of the phrases I hear most often, and it always feels jarringly fallacious. Deoxyribonucleic acid is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms (yes of course I Googled that). DNA is not present in a company, corporation, or startup.  You can’t say “Trust is in our DNA” or “Success. It’s in our DNA,” because it’s simply not true. It’s like saying “if I hear [adjective] is in our DNA one more time my head will literally explode.”  It won’t. That’s not real. So please don’t say things that don’t make sense. Your viewers will thank you for it.

As I said at the onset, I’m no scriptwriter. My expertise is bringing life to the words on the page. Imbuing them with meaning and passion. Richly layering emotional subtext beneath even the shortest phrases. So if I’m not a scriptwriter, then why (you may ask) am I telling you how to write your corporate video?
Well I’m not, really.  
Or am I?

Click HERE to return to the top of the page.

*NOT* inside a company

---