How to Speak Like a Smart Northeastern Professional

Last week I met with a well-heeled trio of cheerfully determined strategy consultants. They came prepared to convince me that their proprietary knowledge of strategic business model frameworks would lead my company to growth and success. 

Following the obligatory small talk, the designated leader took charge and launched the meeting. He began his presentation with this: 

“So.”

Just like that, his entire delivery hinging on that little word, “So.” 

Maybe I shouldn’t care so much, but I am noticing this more and more in my professional minglings, especially among those who are inclined towards the consulting and investment banking fields. Any serious conversation one might have these days now starts with this seemingly harmless, but powerful little word: 

“So.” 

I’m not sure if it started with the Wall Street firms, or in the Pharma industry, or from some crappy Northeastern business school, but everywhere I go I hear lawyers, bankers, executives and consultants using this same little conjunction as the starting point for their conversations. 

The strategy consultant in my office continued with his presentation. 

“So.” He said. “Most companies are using commoditized business models that offer no competitive advantage, right?” 

Is it just me, or is this way of speaking catching on like corporate jargon wildfire throughout the New York Tri-State Metro region? This tiny word used to be a transitional throwaway – an afterthought – a grammatical conjunction to be used in linking two independent ideas together, offering the listener a level-headed logic and reasoning to the speaker’s conclusion. 

But now, these confident brokers of urgent knowledge don’t even bother with the preliminaries. Not important. They’ve switched the order, and now begin with a presumptive summary. It is assumed that you don’t have much time, that you are just as smart as the speaker, and that you are already quite familiar with all the details required to reach the brilliant conclusion they are about to present. 

So. The other thing I have noticed in these same conversations among elite business circles is that everyone ends their sentences with, “Right?” Right? Like you are part of the club, at the same intellectual level so that you can quickly validate the speaker’s point. 

So. You know exactly what I’m talking about, right? 

Are you noticing any jargonized business lingo happening at your place of work? 

Why do you think we have this compelling need to mimic each other?