Phrases to Sound More Confident at Work

Posted May 22, 2021

Your words can be influential and the words you choose and the way you communicate can possibly further or hinder your ability to succeed at work. Someone who conveys confidence with their speech will likely have more successful job interviews, stronger presentations, and more deals at work. There are many everyday phrases we say without thinking of the underlying tone they could be implying. Here are ways to reword those phrases to sound more confident and authoritative.

1. Instead of saying, “I’m so sorry I’m late” replace with “Thank you so much for waiting for me.”
2. Instead of saying, “I’ll try” replace with “I’ll see what I can do.”
3. Instead of saying, “Does that make sense?” replace with “Let me know if you have any questions.”
4. Instead of saying, “I am so sorry to bug you with this” replace with “Thank you in advance for your time/help with this.”
5. Instead of saying, “I’m so sorry for making that mistake!” replace with “Thank you for catching that. I will get it taken care of ASAP.”
6. Instead of saying, “I don’t know” replace with “Let me look into that and get back to you.”

For all of the above phrases, although each has the same meaning, the wording used in the replacement phrase conveys intention and purpose, making you sound more sure of yourself. In addition to replacing common phrases like the above, there are other words you may be saying that undermine your power. These words include:

• Just
• Maybe
• Try
• Think

For example, you might find yourself saying, “I will try and get that done today” which conveys that you’re not confident in your ability to execute said task. A better way to phrase that would be, “I will get that taken care of. I have a lot on my plate today so will need a day or two to complete and will circle back once done.”

In conclusion, watch what you say and how you present yourself. By switching out some words and common phrases you’ll begin to exude confidence and further your career.