The way you use your language makes an impression, among fans, prospects, followers, and connections.

However, we are bombarded with poor grammar, and diverse usage in our go-go -never-stop-for-a-breath social media world.

George Carlin cataloged the 7 forbidden words in 1972, (in the golden age of TV and radio media) and “sucks” was not one of them, so I will add that to the list and think George would have agreed it was not allowed, back then.

But now?

This weekend, driving home from a family visit, I saw the word “sucks” on a bank billboard on the side of an interstate highway, about how their mortgage process does not.

It is a regional bank, and I was dumbfounded. More than a few managers had to approve it, right?

Does it bring in additional deposits or generate more loans?

I wonder…

Note: If you use “sucks” in your regular vocab, no matter what I say, you will keep using it, assuming you think it works for you.

And you can agree or disagree with me on this topic.

And as I watch TV commercials, or read advertisements, I recoil at the improper use of English and hear so many words and phrases I personally do not choose to use. Some of the time I do not even know what they are advertising…so goes the language of business, and so back to the topic.

Perhaps sucks is an ingredient in mixing up your special salty sailor self-branding sauce.

Sucks is not universally accepted, so caveat curser. You speak to a global audience on LinkedIn.

Further, throwing caution to the electronic wind, you may use your own personal word selection, so as it is said, to each their own.

Thus I will repeat the title question this time in a more positive manner: to gain the respect of prospects and the repeat business of clients: other than expletives, do you think carefully about using the right language in your marketing: syntax, diction, grammar, spelling, logical conclusions, and unified formats in your presentations, proposals, and branding?

I wrote this as a draft knowing it may be controversial, let it “cool” and came back to it. I rewrote this post several times with increasingly improved wording.

To me, the point I want to make is one more way your mother would prefer to see you, or read you, or brag about your success, and then kiss you back, even if you are somewhat salty.

Just make Mom proud enough to show your work off to her contemporaries.