Avoid these words to sound more confident

While body language and appearance are incredibly important in face-to-face communication, you also have to speak with conviction. Whether we know it or not, we all judge people on their choice of words. Here are a few phrases you should avoid to sound more confident when you’re speaking to your boss or clients.

“Just” ­– This is a diminutive word that minimises the importance of what you’re saying (remember how you’re not “just” a PA?). Avoid using it when speaking or sending an email, as it secretly means you think you’re taking up somebody’s time or bothering them (“I’m ‘just’ checking in”).

“I’m not sure, but…” – Take ownership of your ideas and never play them down by using a negative qualifier such as this. It doesn’t matter if you’re not an expert, only that you’re confident enough to give your opinion.

“I can’t” – “Can’t” is a passive word, while “won’t” is active, so don’t say you can’t do something if it’s a task you aren’t willing to do. “Can’t” implies you don’t have the skill to do it, while “won’t” tells others you’re setting boundaries.

“What if we…?” – Never add doubt to a plan you want to try by turning it into a question. Doing so makes others think you’re asking for their opinion on the matter. Simply say: “Let’s do this.”

“That is like, so great!” – It goes without saying that you should speak at a higher level at work than you do with friends. Don’t slip into slang or “Valley girl” talk, and try to avoid upspeak (where you make every statement sound like a question – also called vocal fry). It creates a lack of trust and makes people question your conviction.

Exclamations and emojis – These have no place in business communication. Adding extra emotion into a thought makes it seem as if you’re desperate to come across as personable and enthusiastic. It’s unprofessional and inappropriate.

“Does that make sense?” – Don’t invite your audience to question whether you’re properly explaining something. It implies you think you’re an impostor or under qualified. If your colleagues are confused about something, let them ask questions.

Read the original article from Forbes at bit.ly/28Q0vWG