I was just wondering, if maybe you’d like to learn a simple way that, in my opinion, could possibly help you come across a tad more confident when you communicate?

Did that sound confident? Trustworthy?

How about this instead: I know a way that you can come across as more confident when you communicate.

Even better: There’s a simple trick you need to know to communicate with confidence.

See the difference? The first paragraph is full of weasel words. Words that sound hesitant, less forthright, less confident. Weasel words soften our sentences and make us appear less confident about what we’re saying.

In sales, you’re already fighting an up-hill battle to gain trust. So don’t undermine your own credibility with words that aren’t even necessary.

Words like:

“Just”

“Possibly”

“In my opinion”

“Hopefully”

“Perhaps”

“I’d like to”

The list goes on. In order to sound more confident, you need to wipe out weasel words. Here’s how:

Delete….Delete….Delete:  Practice first on e-mails. Write what you want to say and then see if there are any words you can delete with the sentence still holding true. I’m constantly deleting the words “just” and “that.” Two words that you can take out of a sentence and the meaning stays the same.

Look at these two sentences:

“I’m just circling back to see if you got my e-mail”

“The main point is that the words you choose affect credibility”

In both cases, the words ‘just” or “that” are completely unnecessary. By deleting unnecessary words you can start to streamline your sentences, stay concise and sound more assertive.

2. Take Yourself Out:  Instead of saying “I think”, or “In my opinion” … make a more specific statement. When you put in your own “feelings”, you take out firm assertion. Using “I think” or “In my opinion” makes your statement sound wishy washy. As if you’re not quite sure. Instead of, “In my opinion this is the best course of action.” Try, “This is the best course of action, here’s why.” 
    
3. Don’t like use the word like, like all the time: Nothing can make you sound less confident than using the word “like” as a crutch. It’s verbal graffiti, words that just add clutter and distraction. Since repetition leads to recognition … do you really want the word “like” to be what your audience walks away remembering? Using “like” too much is a habit that can be broken by first becoming aware of the repetition. You can also cut down on “likes” by knowing your headline before you speak. When you know where you want the conversation to go, there’s less of a chance you’ll be searching for your words.

Weasel Close:

So maybe you’ll hopefully take this advice and perhaps it might help you sound a little more confident.

Confident Close:

Follow these rules to speak with confidence!