I found a list of phrases that supposedly make you sound unprofessional at work. As the list went on, I thought, "Uh oh, I use ALL of these."
Luckily, there are also suggestions for what to say instead. See if you're guilty of saying any of these . . .
1. "Does that make sense?" What to say instead: "What are your thoughts?" or "I'd like your input on this."
2. "Maybe we should try..." Instead say: "Let's try..." or "It's a good idea to try..."
3. "I'm not positive, but..." or "I'm not sure, but..." What to say instead: Whatever you were going to say after the "but."
4. "Sorry to bother you." Say "Excuse me" instead.
5. "Needless to say"... "In my opinion"... "For what it's worth".... "If you know what I mean." What to say instead: Nothing. It's all unnecessary filler.
(CNBC)
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