Expressions That Can Ruin Your Credibility

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'It's just my opinion', 'I'm not sure' or 'I might be wrong' are some of the phrases that can undermine the credibility of any speech and should be eliminated, according to Fast Company.

7 Expressions That Can Ruin Your Credibility
Photo: Strategy and Business
2021-11-29
According to Business Insider,

experts explain that in order to communicate an opinion in a safe and WhatsApp Number List confident manner, certain expressions that can give the opposite impression should be banished from the conversation. The same media outlet points out that these combinations are called 'warnings' and are phrases that are included in the speech to qualify what is being said, that is, they downplay or reduce the statements made.
Below are 7 of these expressions that you should try to avoid in order to make your presentations as powerful as possible.

1. 'It's just my opinion'
One of the expressions that can weaken what is being said is 'Just my opinion', which can also appear as 'In my humble opinion'. Combining one of these phrases with a speech weakens the statement, as it suggests that a personal bias is included rather than a reasoned argument.
The same source recommends replacing it with other expressions such as 'I believe' or, directly, doing without it and supporting the position based on the reasons.

2. 'I'm not sure'
Despite being convinced of their opinions, there are many people who choose to accompany them with expressions that take away firmness in order to appear more humble, for example, 'I'm not sure'. These types of fillers invalidate everything said afterward, since they give the impression that they really have no knowledge on the subject.
3. 'Maybe I'm wrong'
Just like the previous one, adding the expression 'I may be wrong', either at the beginning or at the end of a presentation, projects weakness on the arguments or the statement that accompanies it. Experts explain that its use causes the person who says it to be ruled out as knowledgeable about the subject matter.



4. 'Maybe this is a stupid question'
According to the same media, making this statement before expressing a doubt is 'betraying yourself'. 'If your question is valid, ask it, if not, don't ask it, but don't call it stupid,' they recommend.
5. 'If you don't mind...'
'If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a question' or 'If you'd like, I'd like to know how you managed to do that' are ways of communicating that imply that the person being asked does not have an expert knowledge of the field they are asking about.
Experts explain that this combination gives the impression that what follows is something that may upset the other person or that, simply, is rude.

6. 'Honestly' or 'Being sincere/honest'
This is one of the most common expressions in any speech. The same source points out that its use can have the opposite effect, implying to the audience that everything that has been said previously may be false.
7. 'You may already know this, but...'
Finally, there are people who tend to accompany their statements with the expression 'You may already know this, but...' to give the impression of humility. However, according to experts, this can cause the speaker's attention to be diluted because the interlocutors think that what they are about to say is redundant.