In my view, it is easier to start speaking, start a presentation, start a mission – than to stop speaking, stop a presentation, stop a mission. Are you guilty of finishing an episode of speaking with “Yeah”? Or when you’re speaking and suddenly run out of ideas, do you say “Yeah’?

Finishing a speaking turn with “Yeah” – does not project certainty.

Here are ways to stop “Yeah” endings:

• Use an ‘Open – Middle – Close’ speaking structure. Have the ‘Close’* in mind before you start speaking. (*or landing pad as a client of mine puts it).
• End your speaking turn with phrases such as, “That’s my view, Those are my thoughts, That’s the point I want to make”.
• If you are responding to a question – for example in a Q&A session – you can end by restating the question or part of the question.

For example, if you asked me: ‘Michael, what do you clients like about you most? I could answer this way: OPEN Sure . . . happy to tell you. MIDDLE Number one, they like the honest feedback couched in sensitivity. Number two, they like the long-term follow-up. Number three, they like the continual research into more powerful techniques to help them improve more quickly. CLOSE That’s what they like.

Own the Conversation

Here’s what I suggest you do: Over the next seven days: #1 Start tallying the number of times you finish speaking with “Yeah”. #2 On just one occasion aim to catch yourself about to say “Yeah” and replace it with, for example, “That’s my view’, ‘Those are my thoughts, That’s the point I want to make”. +++ p.s. Here is the podcast with Drew Houston I mentioned in last week’s post. I thank John Baird linkedin.com/in/johnfbaird for letting me know of the podcast. p.p.s. Next week on 20 October I am delivering a lunch time keynote presentation* in Sydney CBD, for Flexible Workspace Australia. The presentation title is: Own the conversation. Engage your customer by being an extraordinary communicator Here is the link for  In person attendance Here is the link for Attendance by Zoom I’d love to see you at the event. *I thank Jim Groves linkedin.com/in/jim-groves of Rubberdesk for the Invitation to speak.