Four Powerless Language Phrases to Avoid.

Most speakers know that certain words and styles of speech are powerful. They convey our message with strength and clarity.
The opposite of this is powerless speech, a way of speaking that undermines and weakens our communication.

Here are 4 areas to avoid.
*Self-critical: when you begin by telling everyone, you are weak in that area. “Let me start by saying, I am terrible at stats, but…”
*Hedges: when you add words to soften your commitment to your message. “It is sort of close to 90%. This is kind of important…  I guess it’ll be ready on Tuesday.”  
*Disclaimers: when you wash your hands of responsibility. “This is not my field of expertise…  I’ll make it clear; I am no expert in…”
*Tag questions: when you add an unnecessary question at the end. “It’s critical to the project—isn’t it? We should look to next month—shouldn’t we?” 

The best way to remove these powerless phrases from your speech is to slow down and form your sentence before you start speaking. By taking a breath or a pause, you will give yourself time to talk with conviction. Practice eliminating them from your everyday speech, and then when you are under pressure, you will not fall back on them. I guarantee you will see and feel the difference.