The 40 tells · Words · No. 20
Why "streamline and solutions" makes writing sound machine-made
Flagged "Streamline and solutions"
"End-to-end solutions", "streamlined workflows", "a holistic ecosystem". This is the vocabulary of slide decks. The words are so general that the reader can't tell what is being sold.
"Solution" is the worst offender. Name the product. If it is software that sends invoices, say it sends invoices.
Before
We offer holistic, end-to-end solutions that streamline your operations.
After
Invoices go out automatically when a job is marked done, and late ones get a reminder after seven days.
The fix
Swap it for the concrete thing. What does it do, in words a buyer can check?
Write this instead
- name the product
- the task it removes
- what happens automatically
What the checker matches
Any of these, in any case:
- streamline
- streamlines
- streamlined
- solution
- solutions
- synergy
- synergies
- ecosystem
- holistic