8 Words or Phrases to Avoid When Youre Trying to Project Confidence

8 Words or Phrases to Avoid When Youre Trying to Project Confidence8 Words or Phrases to Avoid When Youre Trying to Project Confidence Lets get straight and to the point positivs matter. A LOT. And theyre especially important in a professional context. Word choice can be the difference between getting your opinion brushed aside or having someone take your opinion seriously. If you would like it to be the latter (which you obviously should), its time for a quick check-up on your office vocab. We spoke with Joel Garfinkle, Executive Coach and Author of Getting Ahead Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level to get his opinions on what words to avoid- and what words to use- in order to project confidence and capability. Glassdoor Whats the 1 word people need to remove from their vocabulary to come across as confident and capable?Joel Garfinkle There isnt one specific word people should eliminate from their vocabulary , to appear more confident, but rather o ne set of words filler words. Filler words, including Umm, Uh and Like indicate youre not exactly sure what word youre going to say next, which makes you sound less confident.Glassdoor What do you see as the weakest words to use in a professional context?Joel Garfinkle Usually and Often are the weakest words in a professional context. It tells the listener youre not certain what youre saying is true and, in fact, are hedging your bet, just in case youre wrong.Glassdoor What phrase or words are so overused theyve lost their power?Joel Garfinkle Phrases like State of the species and Cutting-edge used to be reserved for truly groundbreaking innovation. Today, these terms are used so often in marketing copy theyve completely lost their impact.Glassdoor Whats the 1 word people should add to their vocabulary to project confidence?Joel Garfinkle If you want to project confidence , use the word Definitely. This way the person youre communicating with knows you are 100% cer tain in your statement.GlassdoorWhat other advice would you give employees looking to succeed?Joel Garfinkle The art of being a confident communicator begins with listening . Instead of thinking about what youre going to say next, truly listen to what the other person is saying, take a moment to consider their ideas and then formulate a clear and confident response. Be assertive in your actions and decisive in your decision-making. This will present you as a powerful, polished and confident person.