Why you should be much more than competent

Competent is one of Scandinavia’s favorite English words. But unfortunately, it doesn’t have the same meaning in Scandinavia as it does in the rest of the world. As a result, many Scandinavian companies claim to be ‘only just good enough’ instead of profiling themselves as experts.

Competent means ‘adequate, but not exceptional’, ‘legally capable’ or ‘having sufficient skill to do something.’ It does not mean that you can do something particularly well – only that you can do it.

This is not necessarily a great description for a company that’s trying to persuade customers to choose its services over a competitors’. But still many Scandinavian companies are keen to talk about their ‘competent staff’ or ‘raising their competences’.

What can you say instead?
There’s a very simple answer: use the word skilled. Askoxford.com describes skill as ‘the ability to do something well’, ‘expertise or dexterity’, or ‘a particular ability’.

The key word is well. A competent person can do something. A skilled person can do it well – and that’s a much stronger message to send to your customers. 

Still not convinced?
Think about football. Pretty much any player in the Danish Superliga can be described as competent – but only a few can be described as highly skilled. Or to put it another way, Ronnie Schwarz is probably competent, Cristiano Ronaldo is highly skilled. Would you rather your company was a Schwarz or a Ronaldo?

So next time you think of writing a sentence like this, “Our consultants are competent in all aspects of business development”, think again!

You can read more about the misuse of the word competent on our blog.

Make sure you get the right message across
As Denmark’s leading international communications agency, filled with native-English speaking writers and designers, Eye for Image is uniquely placed to understand what Scandinavian companies want to say – and help them say it right. Contact us to find out how we can help with your next communications project.