Fast Company: Avoid These 6 Phrases to Sound More Confident
Fast Company offers guidance on how to eliminate verbal cues of insecurity. Certain phrases undermine a speaker's credibility and negatively impact message reception.
Business publication Fast Company has released guidance advising professionals on how to avoid specific expressions to enhance their speaking confidence.
The report suggests that the attention-grabbing exclamation "Look!" can signal insecurity and an attempt to command an audience. Instead, clearer and more convincing phrases like "I believe that..." or "I am convinced that..." are recommended to emphasize the speaker's conviction.
Similarly, the command "Listen!" can also reveal a speaker's uncertainty. Fast Company advises against such directives, recommending instead that the message be presented in a way that naturally draws the audience's attention. Phrases such as "I am convinced that..." offer a stronger alternative.
Expressions like "What I mean is" or "I'm thinking that" imply that the speaker has not articulated their point clearly or is still formulating their thoughts. It is better to present the information directly and concisely. Speakers should aim to deliver results rather than the thought process.
Furthermore, phrases such as "I'll be honest" and "You know" can undermine credibility by suggesting a lack of honesty elsewhere or serving as filler. Fast Company emphasizes the importance of using pauses effectively to gather thoughts and eliminating filler words for clearer, more confident communication.