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Now, we’re no fan of the huge tender documents that companies have to complete when bidding for public sector contracts. But we do like it when tenderers (or tenderees?) turn to us to help them write the darn things.

Clients we’ve worked with writing and editing tenders, bids and proposals include two of the country’s largest construction and infrastructure companies and several major law firms.

And we’re delighted to be able to add to that list, having just picked up a commission from a major European security firm to help them complete a government tender. It’s not the most interesting work, granted, but it’s a writing challenge – and we love writing challenges.

Working in a copywriting agency and dealing with words from a variety of sources every day means you soon spot emerging (or fully emerged) trends in vocabulary and word use.

A couple of years ago it was ‘raft’, as in ‘a raft of changes’ or ‘a raft of measures’. You couldn’t turn on the news or open the paper without a politician or some sort of consultant (both are invariably among the prime culprits for this sort of thing) talking about ‘a raft’ of steps being taken, or ‘a raft’ of proposals being considered. What’s the matter with ’a series’ or ‘a number’ or just ‘various’? And how did ’a raft’ became a synonym for ‘a series’ anyway?

But that’s not the reason for this post.  No. The thing that has had us quietly bristling in the office is another example of one of these verbal trends – ‘unmet needs’. As in, ‘a number of new services are being planned to respond to the unmet needs of local patients’. Or, ‘we are proactively seeking to address the unmet needs of our customers.’

But surely, by definition all needs are unmet? That is precisely what need means. If the needs had been met, they would no longer be needs. There is absolutely no need to qualify the word need with the word unmet. It doesn’t make it sound more serious or more important. So please don’t do it.

Another new legal client to welcome aboard the Wordsworks clear communication express – Devereux Chambers, one of the country’s leading civil sets of barristers chambers.

We’re working with London design agency Soukias Jones to produce a new pupillage (trainee) brochure for Devereux Chambers, plus a range of other marketing material.

Devereux Chambers is one of a number of legal clientswe’re proud to have worked with, including Baker & McKenzie, Addleshaw Goddard, Ince & Co, College of Law, TLT Solicitors, Cobbetts, Bevan Brittan and Henderson Chambers.

The New Year has got off to a good start with another client win from the legal services sector.

We’re working with barristers’ set Henderson Chambers to write a new suite of practice brochures. We were recommended to Hendersons by London design agency Soukias Jones Design, who we’ve worked with on a number of previous professional services  projects, including work for Baker & McKenzie, Ince & Co and JP Morgan.

They obviously like what we do – and so do Hendersons. So thanks again guys!

photo credit: Steve Punter