11. Meaningful Words

Words That Inspire Confidence

In the previous chapter, I recommended that you eliminate meaningless words that are condescending, insulting, or self-deprecating; but there is another group of meaningless words that require replacement. The list begins with:

• Believe

• Think

• Feel

Attorneys have long cautioned officers and employees of corporations to avoid forward-looking statements. The financial scandals of the past decade have made those attorneys even more diligent about language. As a result, corporate presenters now fill their pitches with sentences formed in the conditional mood. Phrases containing “we believe...” “we think...” and “we feel...” pervade presentation narratives to such a degree that they spill over into sentences where caution is unnecessary. More to the point, the spillage weakens what should otherwise be assertive language, as in the following sentence:

With this large opportunity and our superior technology, I think you’ll see that our company is well-positioned for growth.

The words “I think” introduce doubt, even if only subliminally, in the minds of your audience. As a presenter attempting to persuade an audience, your job is to provide them with as much certainty as you can. The way to get from doubt to certainty is to switch from the conditional to the declarative mood by eliminating the offending words:

With this large opportunity and our superior technology, you’ll see that our company is well-positioned for growth.

This simple nip and tuck strengthens the impact of the entire sentence.

This is not to say that, when the outcome is uncertain, you should make forward-looking statements or forecasts. That’s risky business. In such cases, you must use the conditional mood, but instead of the weak words “think,” “believe,” and “feel,” replace them with these stronger options:

• We’re confident...

• We’re convinced...

• We’re optimistic...

• We expect...

Hear the difference? Now look at the earlier sentence made stronger:

With this large opportunity and our superior technology, you’ll see that our company is well-positioned for growth, and we’re confident that growth will translate into significant revenues.

From the sublime of persuasive words to the banal of airline travel, think of the announcement you typically hear on the public address system when your flight touches down at your destination:

I’d like to be the first to welcome you to San Francisco.

Sound familiar? It’s boilerplate; not just in airline travel, but also in political speeches, college lectures, church sermons, award ceremonies, acceptance speeches, wedding toasts—the list is endless. In business presentations the sentence sounds vague and indefinite.

Besides, if you’d like to do it, why not just go ahead and do it?

Welcome to San Francisco!

Meaningful words stated assertively in the declarative mood, are more likely to beget meaningful actions.