Stop Saying “Technology” and “Sustainability

LOS ANGELES—The terms “technology” and “sustainability” make some people in the economic developers world cringe. “Find a way to communicate that will be meaningful. Know how to use the words ‘technology’ and ‘sustainability.’ Those are used with carte blanche now, and they don’t mean anything,” said Erica Chapman, VP of global real estate and workplace productivity at Akamai Technologies, on the economic developer roundtable at the CoreNet Global Summit. Chapman spoke on the roundtable with Gray Swoope, president and CEO of VisionFirst Advisors and moderator Del Boyette, president and CEO of Boyette Strategic Advisors.

Swoope agreed that there were some terms that were off putting, like “quality of life,” and that it is always better to understand the intrinsic meaning of those terms and use examples to show rather than tell. “’Quality’ of life is most overused term. That equates to a productive workforce, so use examples of how you have created a quality workplace or life,” he said. The speakers also said to eschew mailing out flyers and brochures. “I hate to get anything in the mail,” said Chapman.