Nobody wants to sound weak. We all have a desire to be heard and taken seriously when we speak in meetings and other situations. But so many people pack their prose with words that discourage people from taking them seriously. Avoid the following words if you want to come across as a strong, convincing speaker.
1) JUST
This word is an attention killer! Yet it is used all the time by speakers.
For example “I just want to say,” or “It’s just a thought,” or “Let me just add that….” In all these instances the word “just” reduces the speaker by suggesting that what follows is of little value. A throwaway gift to the audience.
By removing “just” from your speaking you will give more weight to your ideas. And you’ll find when you do this, removing the word “just” leads you to remove the weak words that surround it. So “It’s just a thought” might become ‘It is something I have thought a lot about.”
2) Only
This word minimizes what you are saying, and reduces your impact. Examples of this are “I only said that because,” or “I only meant,” or “It’s only a thought.”
These expressions diminish the speaker by creating an apologetic tone, thereby making the speaker sound unsure.
3) SORRY
“I’m sorry” comes out of the mouth of a speaker when he or she has slipped up in some way. It might be when the speaker has missed a slide or bungled some aspect of a presentation. But calling attention to that, rather than simply moving on, undercuts the speaker. Suppose you are giving a presentation and you realize you have missed a slide. Well, don’t apologize . . . say “there was actually a slide that came before this one.” Then show it. Be positive, even when you have messed up.
