The next time you buy a new product or meet someone for the first time think about how you came to form your opinion about that product or person. Chances are high that your opinions were formed by what you’ve heard about them, and the words that were used to describe them. If you hear that you have to watch your back around someone you have just met your guard immediately goes up when you are around them, even if what you heard about them is not true, they have to ‘prove themselves’ before you deem them trustworthy. Conversely if someone was described to you as helpful you will think of them that way, whether or not they are actually helpful, you are more likely to make excuses for them such as ‘Maybe he’s just having a bad day’.

Dr. John R. Schaffer, PhD says ‘Words cannot change reality, but they can change how people perceive reality. Words create filters through which people view the world around them’.  In other words the way we say things at work determines what customers think of us and therefore our company. As you read these examples at the bottom of the page, see how changing the way you say something completely changes the way it makes you feel.

Monitor your words for a day I think you will be surprised at how many things you say not only to others, but about yourself are negative. Stop to think about the effect these words have on customers as well as the way you feel about yourself. How can you tweak the words you use to change their impact?