Self-Sabotage Words - ASAP

Self-Sabotage Words - ASAP

This week I was reminded by an email of how easily the wrong word can sabotage your message. Say the wrong word and people shut down. You've lost them and they won't hear your explanation that follows.

In this case a prospect sent me an email asking for information. Unfortunately she used the term "ASAP" early in her message.

To me that is a land mine term. I've seen it too many times in my corporate career days and it always puzzled me. Because it doesn't mean anything. If you want something ASAP - as soon as possible - that could mean yesterday or never.

During my corporate management days I trained my staff to expunge this term from their vocabulary. As an entrepreneur I an incensed to read or hear this term. So when I started reading the email, I stopped reading when my eyes crossed the term ASAP. I missed the actual date later in the paragraph. My mistake and the writer's mistake. Bottom line I missed her message. She annoyed me and I might have annoyed her with my request for a date.

Another word that triggers my gag response is "anyways". What does that mean and what purpose does it serve in a conversation or presentation? Best as I can figure "anyways" means "please ignore the rubbish I just spouted and listen to the next part because I hope that these words will be more coherent."

It annoys me and I shut down. How about you?

George Torok
Business Speaker
Motivational Speaker
Executive Speech Coach