| What is a cliché, anyway? It’s something — words, images, sounds — used to avoid original thinking. As in, people who say, “Think outside the box,” are doing the opposite. The word cliché is frequently used as a cheap, easy criticism with no connection to the subject under discussion, which makes cliché itself a cliché. Many value propositions are no more than buzzwords (clichés) companies hope will get a buyer’s attention. As Eric Dates points out, there’s no value to a value proposition that sounds like everyone else’s. Read his six-step program to test and fix that. Also today: Microsoft accelerated its deadline for rejecting bulk email from non-compliant senders. Starting May 5, 2025, that email was supposed to be sent to the junk folder. Instead, it’s being rejected entirely. Constantine von Hoffman
Managing Editor | 