Communication Skills   8 Clichés to Cut From Your Conversations  by Dianna Booher
Channel: Dianna Booher - Communication Strategist & Author
Date: 13/06/2013

http://www.booherresearch.com  1-817-283-2333
Executive Communication Expert Dianna Booher 

Communication Skills:   8 Clichés to Cut From Your Conversations
Now and then, almost everyone falls into lazy language.  Imprecise words, weak verbs, unimaginative descriptions.  But sounding like a parrot who's been watching a TV sitcom with a cast of teenagers will not impress executives at a networking event or prospective employers during a job interview.
Upgrade your conversational skills by deleting these well-worn phrases.  

1) Like.  
"Have we as a team, like, ever considered exhibiting at a, like, tradeshow?  I mean, like, we could purchase a booth for the XDEC show for, like, under $4000 and not incur any travel expenses because it's, like, right here in our own city."
2) Amazing!  
Commonly applied to everything from buttered toast to band practice to burning bridges, this cliché has become as meaningful as "interesting."
3) Seriously.
Depending on the facial expression and tone,  this cliché can take on opposite meanings.  With no attitude, it can mean "amen, agreed, I hear you."  With a sarcastic twist and accompanying body language, it can turn into "Are you crazy?"
4) Really.
This affirmation is the teen's substitute for "I understand" or "I agree."  Followed by a question mark or said with uprising voice, it means the opposite:  "I totally disagree.  What are you smoking?"
5) Absolutely!
Formerly an enthusiastic yes, this cliché has lost such clout that it now substitutes for any old ordinary yes.
6) Do you think?  (As in "duh")
Interpret this question to mean, "Pinhead, are you not thinking here?"
7) Innovative/Innovation
This label now gets automatically linked to everything new.
8) Thought leader
This epithet becomes attached to almost anyone who writes, speaks, trains, delivers a webinar, serves on a panel, advises a group, or serves as a mentor.  In fact, if you hold rank higher than mailroom clerk, you qualify today as a thought leader in your field.

Just like filler in your food bulks up the meal without adding nutrition, at best these words clutter up conversation without adding meaning.  And also like fillers in your food, at worst these clichés can cause serious listener reactions.