I noticed while flying on Frontier Airlines to Boston, every time our airline hostess spoke on the intercom, she would announce and preface everything with, “I’ve got great news” or she would say things like “Guess what, I have something fantastic to tell you”. What she was announcing was standard, the basic safety prompts that are required, like “We are about to take-off so turn off your cellphone” or things like “We are serving drinks now.” But it was amazing to me, just observing the power when she used a simple, positive phrase first …how much of a difference it made. It got my attention.
So it got me to thinking.
I sit in a lot of meetings and situations that required me to present ideas or plans. Within the past year, I made a deliberate effort to remove from my vocabulary and phrases of uncertainty like “I’m not sure if you’ll think this is a good idea…” or “you might not like this idea but…”
…there’s something to be said about giving yourself a chance, by first giving yourself a chance.
Take those same phrases and replace them with ones like, “I have this great idea to tell you” or “I have this great story to tell you.” Or more subtle, “I have something you should consider.”
…see the difference?
Give yourself a chance. Don’t sell yourself short. If you’re leading the conversation with uncertainty, you may think you’re coming across as being humble, but you’re more than likely doing yourself a disservice. Speak with confidence when you are telling a story or presenting an idea. If the way you present your thoughts are uncertain, why should anyone rally behind your idea? In short speak with conviction and enthusiasm, it makes all the difference.
(btw, i couldn’t stop laughing at the Jack Donaghy photo when I found it- i felt it was appropriate for the blog post)