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We are in the communications business. And yet, not a week goes by that I don't see evidence of our failure to communicate either with our co-workers or our clients. Communicating clearly is an art. It takes time, effort and training.
Much of our communication is non-verbal. In fact about 93% is non-verbal. This includes body language, facial expressions and tone of voice. Specifically, 7% is verbal and 38% is tone of voice.
Today I want to focus on the "verbal". It would be a good idea to take lessons from our on-air compatriots. They paint images with their words. They have mastered the art of the "dramatic pause". They understand that a bit of silence can be golden.
When coaching salespeople, I pay attention to the clarity with which they speak. Sometimes their sentences are full of what my college speech teacher used to call "word whiskers". These words attach to our sentences and may be used to fill silence. When speaking with a client or a group of people, these "word whiskers" can be maddening.
Here are some of the culprits I hear most often:
"We're JUST going to 'THROW IN' these 10 free spots per week."
Notice how the use of "just" and "throw in" diminish the importance of what we are giving our clients? "Throw in" implies little thought and less value. Plus, there is no such thing as a "free" spot. (Spot is what happens to your clothes to send you to the cleaners. Use "message" or "commercial" instead.)
Another set of word whiskers I hear is "This page is KIND OF..." It is or it isn't. "Kind of" weakens our message.
I also hear "LIKE". This is the new catch phrase for young people. "It's like, the best way to communicate, like, you know, a good way to say it."
Like, like, like. I DON'T like like! Try translating some of our sentences into a foreign language. You can't . Too many nonsensical word whiskers.
"But", "yea", "Uh", "So", "Sort of", "Um". Do these sound familiar?
There is nothing wrong with a few seconds of silence instead of using these fillers.
One of the best ways to know if you use these word whiskers is to record yourself before you present to your clients. Zoom provides an easy way to record your virtual conversations. Play them back and listen to how you say what you say. Tiny words can sabotage our message and drive our clients to distraction.
The more clearly and powerfully we deliver our message, the better our communications will be.
Happy selling and happy communicating!
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