WHAT'S IN A WORD?

The estimates of how many actual words there are in the english language vary greatly, but let's say there are anywhere from 250K to 750K words available to us at any given moment. On average, in speech, we use between 6000 to 10000 words every day, the lower side of that range being gender specific, men use less words than women do, but of course, women have been accused of talking more than men :)

So have you ever thought about how many of these thousands of words you use daily are actually delivering the message you want them to convey? The inadvertent use of a word, a phrase or a sentence could either commit you to something you didn't expect or result in the fragmenting of a relationship -- either personally or in business. Words can be used as weapons or as entreaties. 

Words are powerful!

When you are about to present a "pitch"  or negotiate with a potential client, how carefully do you choose your words? Perhaps you ensure that all the words with which you wish to convey your message are written down, but when presenting and negotiating most of the communication is verbal. 

So let me just provide a few examples of words which you may want to avoid when trying to put forward a confident, competent option to your potential client.

• Never lead with a negative . Ok, so I did here, but I chose it specifically for effect. When you say "no, never, not, can't...." people tend to shut down. They hear very little after the negative, because, well, why should they? You've just indicated that things are a "no-go". This is when people start either challenging the comment or just shut-down and  checking their watches.

• "We hope that..." Well, there is a big difference between hoping and knowing. If you are presenting to a client or negotiating, these are words which signal lack of confidence. Because hope is not a strategy and I prefer to deal with people saying "We're sure that...." Whether I am or not, at least you've conveyed you're convinced you did your job!

• "This should..." Will it or won't it? Should is from my perspective one of the most wishy-washy words on the planet. But think of how many times a day you probably use this word. For me it is a signal that there is something I need to probe deeper on, because "should" is a big red flag for me.

• There are words that make people lean in and take notice and surprise, surprise, these are powerful, positive words such as success, goals, will, sure, can, together well you get the idea. 

Maya Angelou said "At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel."

Your words, can either make someone feel positive and pumped and thus people who have heard you will feel good. And we all prefer to be around people and companies who are capable of this!

So when you are using your 6000 to 10000 words today, stop for a moment and consider what it is you are actually saying -- the result might surprise you!