\n
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
This word is an attention killer! Yet it\u00a0 is used all the time by speakers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
For example \u201cI just want to say,\u201d or \u201cIt\u2019s just a thought,\u201d or \u201cLet me\u00a0 just add that\u2026.\u201d In all these instances the word \u201cjust\u201d reduces the speaker by suggesting that what follows is of little value. A throwaway gift to the audience.<\/p>\n
By removing \u201cjust\u201d from your speaking you will give more weight to your ideas. And you\u2019ll find when you do this, removing the word \u201cjust\u201d leads you to remove the weak words that surround it. So \u201cIt\u2019s just a thought\u201d might become \u2018It is something I have thought a lot about.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
This word minimizes what you are saying, and\u00a0 reduces your impact.\u00a0 Examples of this are \u201cI only said that because,\u201d or \u201cI only meant,\u201d or \u201cIt\u2019s only a thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
These expressions diminish the speaker by creating an apologetic tone, thereby making the speaker sound unsure.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sorry\u201d 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\u2019t apologize . . . say \u201cthere was actually a slide that came before this one.\u201d Then show it. Be positive, even when you have messed up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n