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Hello Reader,
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I hope you've had a fantastic end of year, and you're looking forward to 2026 with renewed energy!
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Welcome to the first edition of the new year where I talk about "weasel words."
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Think of the last time you visited a B2B website. Does this copy sound familiar?
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"We empower organizations to unlock value and accelerate digital transformation through our next-generation platform that enables seamless collaboration. Our methodology is proven to facilitate better decision-making, and numerous case studies indicate that forward-thinking leaders are increasingly adopting similar frameworks.
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It's widely recognized that companies should prioritize agility in today's fast-paced environment, and our flexible solutions can potentially reduce costs by as much as 40% or more. Top-performing teams often report enhanced engagement levels, and preliminary data suggests that users may experience improved outcomes across multiple touchpoints."

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Let's identify the worst offenders.
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• Vague quantifiers: numerous, increasingly, often
• Unattributed claims: numerous case studies indicate, it's widely recognized, preliminary data suggests
• Hedge words: can, potentially, may, as much as, or more

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Overall, zero specifics, no named clients, no actual numbers, and no verifiable claims.

What are Weasel Words?

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B2B copy tends to use a lot of "weasel words" or words that deliberately dodge specifics or make claims impossible to verify.

I first heard of weasel words in Ryan Law's excellent course "How to Edit," although he says that we use such phrases to hide gaps in our knowledge.

Since then, I've edited copy more closely to catch the usual offenders, such as "business outcomes," "analyzing data," "best-in-class," "up to," "experts believe" and "It's generally believed..."

I've always been a flagbearer for citing your sources and interpreting data correctly. So, removing/rewriting weasel words and phrases is a natural extension of this philosophy.
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Now, if you thought weasel words constituted harmless subterfuge, think again. Some companies learned an expensive lesson for using deceptive language:

Let's go back to the example I shared in the beginning. How would I rewrite it to make it specific and meaningful?
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​"Our collaboration software connects remote teams through video conferencing, shared document editing, and project dashboards. In a 6-month pilot with 12 mid-size companies (500-2000 employees), participants cut meeting time by 27% and reduced email volume by 31%, according to our internal analysis conducted in Q3 2024.

The software costs $15 per user per month and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. In post-implementation surveys, 34 of 45 team leads (76%) said they completed projects on or ahead of schedule, compared to 18 of 45 (40%) in the quarter before implementation."

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What fixes did I make?

• Named features instead of "next-generation platform that enables seamless collaboration"
• Specific pilot details (12 companies, 500-2000 employees, 6 months) instead of "numerous case studies"
• Measurable results (27% meeting reduction, 31% less email) instead of "better decision-making"
• Actual pricing ($15/user/month) instead of "potentially reduce costs by as much as 40% or more"
• Attributed data (our internal analysis, Q3 2024) instead of "preliminary data suggests"
• Concrete comparisons (76% vs 40% on-time completion) instead of "enhanced engagement" and "improved outcomes"
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Note that weasel words are different from corporate jargon or buzzwords.
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While weasel words evade the truth, buzzwords are more like empty calories in writing - empty, vague, often meaningless - but not necessarily deceptive.

For example, "leverage," "paradigm shift," and "synergy" sound impressive but do not convey any specific meaning.

Weasel phrase: "Our platform may improve efficiency by up to 60% or more"

This is a triple weasel combo - may, up to, or more

• "May" means it might work or might not—no guarantee of any result at all.
• "Up to" hides the typical result by quoting the best-case outlier (one customer hit 60%, but the average might be 5%).
• "Or more" creates false hope of unlimited gains while being logically absurd (if it's "up to 60%" it can't be more than 60%)

What the sentence is actually saying: "In the best possible scenario that we've ever seen, one customer once experienced a 60% improvement, but you might see zero improvement, and we're not responsible either way."
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Buzzwords: "We leverage cutting-edge AI to drive synergistic outcomes."

The sentence sounds important and means nothing, but isn't actively misleading.
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Know that both weaken B2B writing, but weasel words are legally and ethically more problematic because they can mislead. Buzzwords just make you sound like any other B2B company.

Weasel words hold legal or regulatory risk, whereas buzzwords hold credibility risk since they're plain boring.

Categories of Weasel Words

You may be thinking, "That's all good, but how do I identify weasel words in my writing?"
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It comes with practice, especially since we're used to writing in a certain manner. But I'll make it easier for you by categorizing them into five buckets:

And here are some examples of how you can fix such instances of weasel words/phrases:

Now, if you've noticed, most of the examples of weasel phrases sound just like the ad copy we see every day.

So, how do you fix such copy to be specific and truthful? I'm glad you asked.

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Seven Techniques to Fix Your Weasel-y Ad Copy

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1. Lead with specific numbers

Weasel version: "Many companies see significant improvements in productivity."

Punchy version: "42 companies. 18,000 hours saved. In 90 days."

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Staccato rhythm with real numbers cuts through noise. No fluff means no wasted words.

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2. Use strong verbs and do not use modifiers​
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​Weasel version: "Our innovative solution helps organizations dramatically improve efficiency."

Punchy version: "Cut meeting time by 6 hours per week"
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"Cut" is stronger and more visual than "improve." One concrete benefit beats vague promises about "efficiency."

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3. Name names (if permitted)

Weasel version: "Trusted by leading Fortune 500 companies"

Punchy version: "IBM, Salesforce, and Adobe trust us with 2.4 million customer records"
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Logos create instant credibility. A specific data point (2.4 million records) proves scale.
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4. Compare to something real

Weasel version: "Industry-leading security protocols"

Punchy version: "Bank-grade encryption. Same security as Chase and Wells Fargo."
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"Bank-grade" is tangible and instantly understood. Comparison to known entities (Chase, Wells Fargo) creates immediate trust.

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5. Show the before/after​
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​Weasel version: "Significantly reduce customer churn"

Punchy version: "Churn dropped from 8.2% to 3.1% in Q3"
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Concrete starting point plus concrete endpoint equals believable transformation. Numbers don't (always) lie.
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6. Use constraints as selling points

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Weasel version: "Flexible solutions that can adapt to various business needs"

Punchy version: "Built for SaaS companies with 50-500 employees. Period."
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Specificity attracts the right customers and repels the wrong ones. "Period" adds confident finality that weasel words lack.

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7. Stack specifics

Weasel version: "Comprehensive analytics platform with robust reporting capabilities"

Punchy version: "200+ pre-built reports. 15-second load time. Zero SQL required."

Three concrete, verifiable benefits in short sentences. Each claim can be tested, making it credible.

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Roll up your sleeves now!
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It's time to flex your editing muscles!

Write to me with your revised version to make them more specific and meaningful.

(Feel free to make up numbers for this exercise.)

1. SaaS Product Marketing

"Our comprehensive analytics platform helps businesses gain actionable insights and make data-driven decisions that improve performance. Leading companies are increasingly turning to AI-powered tools to stay competitive in today's dynamic marketplace. Research indicates that organizations leveraging advanced analytics can see improvements of up to 60% in key metrics. Our user-friendly interface empowers teams to work smarter, and many customers have reported significant time savings. Industry analysts believe that companies should invest in next-generation solutions to future-proof their operations."
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​2. HR/Talent Management

"We're revolutionizing the way companies attract and retain top talent through our innovative recruitment suite. Our holistic approach enables HR teams to streamline hiring processes and enhance candidate experiences at scale. Studies show that modern recruitment tools can potentially reduce time-to-hire by as much as 50% or more. Various Fortune 500 companies have experienced transformative results, and preliminary feedback suggests that hiring managers may see better quality candidates. Experts agree that forward-thinking organizations need to prioritize diversity and optimize their talent pipelines."

​3. Cybersecurity Services

"Our robust security framework protects organizations from evolving threats through cutting-edge technology and best-in-class protocols. We leverage proprietary algorithms to detect anomalies and mitigate risks before they impact your business. Recent data indicates that companies using advanced security solutions often experience fewer breaches, with some seeing reductions of up to 70% in certain attack vectors. Numerous case studies demonstrate that proactive security measures can help prevent costly incidents. Security professionals widely recognize that businesses should adopt a zero-trust architecture to safeguard their digital assets."


I hope you have fun reworking these texts. Looking forward to your responses!
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All my best,
Satabdi