Speak More Effectively
Say "I'll be glad to..." instead of "I'll have to..."
Don't use "integrity busters," like "I'll be honest with you," "I'll level with you," "to tell you the truth," "to be perfectly frank," etc. They imply that you haven't been completely honest or frank to that point.
Don't use "self-belittlers," either. Phrases like "I'm just..." or "I'm only..." hurt your image as a professional.
Begin with "I understand...and here's another point of view to consider" rather than "I disagree..."
Turn "I'll try to..." statements into "I will..." statements.
Finally, try very hard to lose "I" in your statements. "We" not only conveys that you speak for an organization, and that something is behind you, but "I", unless of course it is taking responsibility for a mistake, turns people off.
Consider how much of what must happen to support a sale is really your effort. Isn't it really "We" who are going to make a customer happy, "We" who make a business work, "We" who make a successful company possible. "I" really do very little by myself.
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