How You Can Become a Very, Very, Very Good Communicator

Members of my career mentoring site know that I am a big believer in the power of communication and precision in language.  You ability to communicate well, in conversation, writing and presentations is an important key to your life and career success.

This article make a small point, but one that I think can help you brand yourself as a great communicator.  It explains why the word “very” is seldom a good word to be used.  As the article points out, using very as a modifier often means that you haven’t taken the time to find the exact right word to communicate the point you want to make.

Check it out…

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1xuHX5/:1zbAZ-VJ@:1W0DYJ79/writerswrite.co.za/45-ways-to-avoid-using-the-word-very

I particularly liked the quote from Mark Twain.  Unfortunately, most of us don’t have editors to help us with our writing, so his advice isn’t as helpful as it might be.

I loved some of the suggestions in the matrix.  From now on, I’ll never say, “I’m very happy.”  I’m going to say that “I’m jubilant.”  Also, I’m going to stop telling people that they are “very bright”.  I’m going to tell them that they are “dazzling.”  I remember when one of my student colleagues at Harvard had a famous professor that his work was dazzling.  He was jubilant about that.

Finally, the next time I meet a “very beautiful” woman, I’m going to tell her that she is “exquisite.”  We’ll see how that goes.

You may or may not agree with all of the substitutions suggested on the matrix.  That’s OK.  The important point here is to be precise in your language — and that the word “very” often implies a lack of precision.

Your career mentor,

Bud

PS: I write this blog to help people create the life and career success they want and deserve. Now I’m going one step further. I’ve created a membership site in which I’ve pulled together my best thoughts on success. And, as a reader of this blog, you can become a member for free. Just go to https://budbilanich.com/join to claim your free membership. You’ll be joining a vibrant and growing community of success minded professionals. I hope to see you there.

 

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