Good and Bad Speech Habits
Advert
Good and Bad Speech Habits
Speech habits are the words and phrases that you use every day, without thought. We all have speech habits.
You originally learned your speech habits from your parents, your family and your close friends. Later you acquired speech habits from school, films, books and the wider social environment.
Some speech habits are beneficial. They act to further your best interests and advance your career.
Other speech habits are liabilities. They are detrimental to your professional reputation and your earnings.
Words create and destroy.
If you use language thoughtfully, then your words will open doors for you.
If you use language thoughtlessly, then your words will bar you from progress.
If you have NOT made the progress you expected, then check your speech habits.
Could it be that the cause of your recent lack of progress, is the way you speak to people?
If in doubt, check it out.
Bad Speech Habits.
Here is a list of common bad speech habits.
1. Any form of casual swearing or profanity.
Needless, habitual swearing is the most common and easily corrected bad speech habit.
2. Catch phrases.
Some people pick up personal "catch phrases" that they repeat and don't even know they are doing it. For example:
- Like: "So I said, like, I don't want to go."
- At the end of the day: "At the end of the day, it is the customer who is king."
- Innit: "That's good, innit?
3. Badmouthing other people.
Backstabbing is a common pass time for many people, where they criticise people behind their backs, especially work colleagues.
4. Talking too much about oneself.
This is when you take everything the other says to be a trigger to talk about yourself.
Example. John says, "I'm going to book my holiday tomorrow".
Simon says, "I've already booked mine. I'm going to New York. I've been there before. I had a great time ..."
Good speech habits.
The solution to these bad speech habits is to develop good speech habits instead:
1. Use expletives that aren't swear words.
The English language is full of better alternatives.
Instead of saying, "I'm knackered!", say, "I'm exhausted".
Instead of saying, "He is a real pain in the ass", say "He is rather over-opinionated".
2. Use only good catch phrases.
Here are the two best catch phrases:
"Would you please, shut the door as you go out?", as opposed to, "Shut the door as you go out."
"Thank you very much. I appreciate it". Failure to appreciate people is a common error.
3. Refrain from needless badmouthing people.
This is self-explanatory. Don't needlessly denigrate colleagues.
It does not help anyone, least of all you.
4. Don't talk too much about yourself.
Your conversation should be shared about 50-50% between you and the other.
Or if you want to be classy, let the other person do the lion's share of the talking.
Remember that listening is a big compliment, since it implies you believe the other to be interesting and worth listening to.
And there is another benefit associated to listening more than you speak; if you are NOT talking, then you cannot put your foot in it.
Sometimes, silence is golden.
Blogs by Email
Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!
Your Comments
Further Reading in Communication - Persuasive Communication
-
Customer Service Training
The purpose of customer service training is to draw attention to how our agents speak, work, act and react in ways that will at least avoid a negative reaction, and preferably, create positive emotions in the minds of our customers.
Read Article > -
Training to Improve Your Sale Skills
Training to Improve Your Sales Skills Selling is not easy, is it? Before the sale is made, there are many component parts to the sale that have to be right. Only if all of the following conditions are met, will people buy your product. Eight reasons why people buy: They want...
Read Article > -
Communication Skills: Do you inspire other people?
Would you like to have a positive affect on other people? It is possible to improve the mood of people around you with these five steps.
Read Article > -
Communication Skills: Etiquette and Politeness
Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you. Does old fashioned etiquette have a place in modern society?
Read Article > -
How to change someone's mind
If you want to change someone's mind about their belief in something, don't challenge the idea itself, but the validity of the source of the belief.
Read Article >