Definitions matter.

Currently, the words we use are identified more through how we use them and the surrounding words than the word itself, like love. 

I LOVE the Green Bay Packers. I also love my wife.

Same word, very different meanings.

That’s why definitions matter; the more we understand the words we use, the clearer we are (in speech and writing).

Below I share three key reasons (benefits) why understanding definitions should matter to you:

Excellent writing is clear, concise, and impactful. 

The best way to achieve that is to use unique words that stir deep emotions. And one way to do that is to understand the definitions of many words and pick the one that best fits.

Maybe instead of loving the Packers, I could say I worship them (I mean, people do skip church just to watch the game…).

And I could say I admire and cherish my wife rather than simply loving her.

While you could just use love for both sentences, I believe the granularity in your word choice adds flavor to the meaning you convey. And this makes your writing clear and convincing.

Let’s say I want to “love” my wife more. How do I go about that?

Well, I could look at others and steal/copy what they are doing. Or I could understand what love means and what it’s for and build from there. 

Only if you understand what a word or concept means can you reason from it. If I do not understand what a derivative is (in math), I cannot use it to think about a problem.

When you understand what a word like love or marketing means, you can build your thoughts from that root definition and construct a more logical solution or argument.

Why are humans able to form groups, yet other animals cannot?

While there are numerous factors, I chalk it up to a shared language with words. Words that we attach shared meaning to. Without that shared meaning, how would we effectively communicate?

If you and your work partner have a similar shared definition for ABM, then you can quickly have a conversation about the same thing, rather than having slightly different meanings for the same word.

By being able to skip defining every word we use together, we can work faster and better together.

It’s one of the reasons I created my marketing podcast. I wanted to gain a better definition of marketing.

That’s why I ask each guest what their definition of marketing is.

So, let me ask you:

What is your definition of marketing?

🧠 + ❤️ // JO