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Use Empowering Words and
Get Powerful Results!
by Allan Kaufman and Allan Misch
Choose your words wisely. The words you use will impact how you
feel about yourself, how you're perceived, and how you affect others.
Simply by changing your vocabulary—the words you use to describe
your experiences and emotions and the emotions that you want your
audience to experience—you can rapidly influence how you and
your audience will think, feel, and act.
If someone calls you a genius, how does that make you feel? How
about an angel? How about an S.O.B.? What's the difference between
being furious, annoyed, and a bit-peeved? What about excited, exhilarated,
thrilled, and energized?
The words you use define the intensity of an emotion you're experiencing.
By saying, "I'm destroyed," you're implying that something
so terrible has happened to you that you're through, finished, devastated,
kaput—there's no recovering.
If you get a bad performance rating or you just didn't get the
date you wanted, instead of saying, "I'm destroyed." you'd
be much better to say, "I'm set back. I've got some things
to turn around." "Destroyed" is way too intense!
Instead of "I'm afraid," use "I'm uncomfortable."
Instead of "I'm anxious," use "I'm expectant."
Instead of "I'm depressed," use "I'm on the road
to a turnaround." Instead of "I'm disappointed,"
use "I'm under-whelmed." Instead of "I'm exhausted,"
use "I'm recharging." Instead of "I'm hurt,"
use "I'm bothered." Instead of "I hate this,"
use "I prefer that."
Instead of "I'm energized, use "I'm turbocharged."
Instead of "I'm excited," use "I'm ecstatic."
Instead of "I'm fast," use "I'm ballistic."
Instead of "I'm motivated," use "I'm compelled."
Instead of saying, "I'm really upset" or "I'm really
worried about this," say "I'm a little bit concerned about
something."
You're walking down the hall when Fred walks by and asks, "How
are you?" You answer, "Fine." Does he really even
hear you? How about answering, "Fantastic and getting better
everyday." or "Great and getting better." or "Outstanding
and improving." or "Super and succeeding." or "Terrific,
thanks for asking." Watch his reaction!
You say to your audience, "By the end of this program, you'll
learn five techniques to grow your business." What expectation
do you create? The expected result is abstract and lukewarm at best.
Instead you could say, "By the end of this program, you're
going to be excited and chomping at the bit, because you're going
to leave here with five powerful, field-tested techniques that will
rocket your profits."
What a difference! The way you word the second statement creates
an empowering emotional reaction. It makes your audience feel excited,
curious, and motivated to pay attention. These words create an expectation
that is HOT, not lukewarm.
Words are powerful. James Bryant Conant, former Harvard University
president and ambassador to Germany, said, "Some of mankind's
most terrible misdeeds have been committed under the spell of certain
magic words or phrases." Choose your words carefully and wisely.
Use empowering words and you'll get powerful results.
© Allan Misch and Allan Kaufman,
Allan and Allan, Inc., 2002. All rights reserved.
Allan Kaufman and Allan Misch http://www.nosweatspeaking.com
specialize in rapidly reducing public speaking fear and offer 2
valuable, bonus reports and public speaking tips in their complimentary
monthly No Sweat Speaking™ Ezine.
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