To Sound Professional & Confident, Avoid Speaking Like This. | 7 Tips

Summary

This video script offers valuable advice on improving English communication skills for a professional and confident image. It highlights seven common bad habits to avoid, such as unnecessary apologies, upspeak, self-criticism, overuse of qualifiers, speaking too fast, mumbling, and excessive use of word fillers. The speaker suggests practical tips like using 'excuse me' instead of 'sorry,' ensuring a lowering intonation in statements, and recording oneself to identify areas for improvement. The goal is to enhance one's speech to convey confidence and clarity.

Takeaways

• 🙅‍♂️ Avoid unnecessary apologies to project confidence; save apologies for when they are truly needed.
• 🗣️ Practice polite but assertive alternatives to apologies, such as 'Excuse me' or 'If this is a good time, I'd like to share an idea'.
• ↗️ Eliminate upspeak, the rising intonation at the end of sentences, to avoid sounding uncertain or turning statements into questions.
• 📉 Use a lowering intonation for statements to convey confidence and certainty.
• 🚫 Refrain from self-deprecation; instead of expressing limitations, frame them as areas of improvement or learning.
• 🔍 Minimize the use of qualifiers like 'kind of' or 'probably' that can undermine confidence in your abilities.
• 🔽 Speak slower to appear more composed and to ensure clarity of communication, especially in professional settings.
• 👄 Open your mouth wider to avoid mumbling, which can make you seem nervous and less confident.
• 💬 Reduce the use of word fillers like 'um' and 'uh' to improve the fluency and impact of your speech.
• 🎥 Record yourself speaking to identify areas for improvement and track your progress over time.
• 📚 Expand your vocabulary to support confident communication and enhance the quality of your ideas when shared.

Q & A

What are the seven bad habits mentioned in the script that can make someone sound unprofessional and not confident in English?

The seven bad habits are: 1) Apologizing unnecessarily, 2) Using upspeak, 3) Self-criticizing, 4) Keeping qualifiers to a minimum, 5) Speaking too fast, 6) Mumbling, and 7) Using too many word fillers.

Why should one avoid apologizing before asking a question or sharing an idea in a professional setting?

Apologizing in such contexts can indicate a lack of confidence in one's ideas or oneself, suggesting that the person is unsure if they deserve the time or attention they are seeking.

What is a polite alternative to saying 'Sorry, I just have one question.'?

A polite and confident alternative is to say 'Excuse me, but I have a question.' or 'If this is a good time, I'd like to share an idea.'

What is upspeak and why should it be avoided in statements?

Upspeak is the rising intonation at the end of a sentence, making it sound like a question. It should be avoided in statements because it can make the speaker sound unsure or not confident in what they are saying.

How can one add confidence to their statements?

To add confidence, one should use a lowering intonation when making a statement, ensuring the tone and volume come down at the end of the sentence.

Why should self-criticizing statements be avoided in professional situations?

Self-criticizing statements can undermine one's credibility and confidence, and if the speaker lacks confidence in their abilities, it can affect how others perceive them.

What is a qualifier and how can it affect the perception of confidence?

A qualifier is a word like 'kind of', 'sort of', 'probably', or 'maybe' that adds doubt to a statement. Using qualifiers can make the speaker seem less confident in their abilities.

Why might speaking too fast be a sign of nervousness, even if the speaker is not nervous?

Speaking too fast can be a natural tendency when nervous, and even if the speaker is not nervous, it can be perceived as such, making it difficult for others to understand them and potentially undermining their message.

What is mumbling and how can it affect the clarity and confidence of speech?

Mumbling is speaking without fully opening the mouth, which results in quieter and less clear sound production. It can make the speaker difficult to understand and can be perceived as a sign of nervousness or lack of confidence.

What are word fillers and why should they be reduced in professional speech?

Word fillers are words like 'well', 'but', 'so', 'you know' that are added while forming thoughts. They can disrupt the flow of speech and make the speaker seem less prepared or confident.

What is the best advice given in the script for improving one's speech habits?

The best advice is to record oneself speaking to identify areas for improvement, such as speaking too quickly, mumbling, using too many word fillers, or upspeak, and then focus on improving one area at a time.