The term “public speaking” conjures images of packed auditoriums and and spot lit podiums. But, in reality, we are public speaking all the time. Experiences like presenting in a meeting or pitching your boss on a new idea require you to exercise effective communication skills.
To get your point across in a succinct, impactful way, there are a few phrases you should avoid, according to Matt Abrahams, a Stanford University lecturer and communication expert.
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Here are 3 phrases you should avoid while public speaking.
1. “I always get so nervous when I speak.”
“A lot of people have this notion that saying ‘I’m so nervous when I’m speaking’ will extract sympathy or empathy, but all you’re doing is signaling people to your nervousness,” Abrahams says.
If you don’t reveal that you have trouble public speaking, people might not notice.
2. “I often feel … “
You want to use inclusive language when addressing large groups, and “I” statements can feel exclusive.
Instead of saying “I find this scenario challenging” you can say “All of us know this scenario can be challenging.”
3. Acronyms and jargon.
“We want to avoid any words that are confusing, technical, scientific or financial,” Abrahams says. “One of the ways we exclude people is using language they don’t understand.”
For example, if you’re talking about universal basic income, don’t say “UBI.” Even if you feel like it’s common knowledge what the acronym stands for, you might lose some of your audience who doesn’t know.
Many of us suffer from the cognitive bias known as “the curse of knowledge,” or the assumption that other have information available to them as we do, or have a similar background.
“When we suffer from the curse of knowledge it’s hard for us to pull ourselves out,” Abrahams says. “The only way to cure the curse of passion is through empathy.”
Understanding that the person or people in front of you might not have all the knowledge you do can make you a more skillful communicator and lead to you being truly heard.
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