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 youโre speaking to your boss or clients.
โJustโ ยญโ This is a diminutive word that minimises the importance of what youโre saying (remember how youโre not โjustโ a PA?). Avoid using it when speaking or sending an email, as it secretly means you think youโre taking up somebodyโs time or bothering them (โIโm โjustโ checking inโ).
โIโm not sure, butโฆโ โ Take ownership of your ideas and never play them down by using a negative qualifier such as this. It doesnโt matter if youโre not an expert, only that youโre confident enough to give your opinion.
โI canโtโ โ โCanโtโ is a passive word, while โwonโtโ is active, so donโt say you canโt do something if itโs a task you arenโt willing to do. โCanโtโ implies you donโt have the skill to do it, while โwonโtโ tells others youโre setting boundaries.
โWhat if weโฆ?โ โ Never add doubt to a plan you want to try by turning it into a question. Doing so makes others think youโre asking for their opinion on the matter. Simply say: โLetโs do this.โ
โThat is like, so great!โ โ It goes without saying that you should speak at a higher level at work than you do with friends. Donโt slip into slang or โValley girlโ talk, and try to avoid upspeak (where you make every statement sound like a question โ also called vocal fry). It creates a lack of trust and makes people question your conviction.
Exclamations and emojis โ These have no place in business communication. Adding extra emotion into a thought makes it seem as if youโre desperate to come across as personable and enthusiastic. Itโs unprofessional and inappropriate.
โDoes that make sense?โ โ Donโt invite your audience to question whether youโre properly explaining something. It implies you think youโre 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
