Have you ever gotten into trouble because of the words you’ve chosen?  I certainly have.  Recently while presenting to a dental study club in which I had only 45 minutes to speak, I accidentally used the words “fee schedule two.”  All of a sudden, the entire atmosphere of the room changed; lots of looks were exchanged, hands went up, people started talking, etc.  That’s when I knew I had “stepped in it.”

I came out of that meeting beating myself up because I used a phrase that I in no way had time to fully explain.  “I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all,” I thought to myself.

Then this weekend at the I Can Do It conference, I heard a speaker say, “Words are tricky because people use them to mean different things, and different words mean the same thing to different people.”  So it made me feel a little better to realize that others struggle with this problem as well.  It also caused me to start reflecting on the situation to see if I could somehow find a way to avoid this in future lectures.  Here is what I came up with.

First, make a list of super-charged words and phrases for your industry (or life).  If there are certain topics you wish to stay away from, whether it’s during a presentation, or just during happy hour, write them down.  Creating a list makes your subconscious more aware of them.

Second, decide now on a simple way out in case you mess up.  When I am writing a blog post, I try to just sit down and write like I talk.  When I mention something off-topic, I’ll write, (you’ve probably noticed), “but that’s another post.”  So a good way to get around dropping a super-charged phrase like “fee schedule 2” would be, “but that’s another lecture!”  I have used that before when getting off-topic during a presentation and people seem to understand quite nicely, or they will come to me afterward to discuss it.

Third, define your reasoning for staying away from this particular topic.  This will help you remain steadfast in your decision and give you something to tout back if someone challenges you.  For example, if you want to stay away from politics during social hours, you might say, “I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

Finally, be prepared to “walk away” from the subject.  In a casual setting, you probably can physically walk away.  When giving a presentation, you’ll have to be more creative since literally walking away would be a little weird, not to mention, career ending!  So something like, “It could take me all night to fully explain that concept, for now let’s move on, and I’ll come back to that if we have time left at the end.”  Then move on to your next point.  I personally always go in to a lecture with more material than time to cover it because I believe in the concept of “always leave them wanting more.”  That philosophy has worked for me for many years and I now just naturally rely on it for repeat business.

Words are tricky.  If you find yourself in sticky situations often, do yourself a favor and take the time to reflect on the key words and phrases that trip you up.  You’ll be glad you did; you will feel in control, be prepared, and look polished.

Until next time, live joyfully!

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