In my mind, power talkers are highly articulate, skilled wordsmiths. They are considered strong, dynamic, confident and convincing. I did some research on this for my personal learning, and thought of compiling their characteristics as a blog post.
1. Power talkers speak assertively.
Assertiveness is defined as “confidently expressing what you think, feel and believe—standing up for your rights while respecting the rights of others.”When I initially read that, I thought it was overly simplistic! Keeping that in mind, I tried using the “assertive” approach in my daily conversation. I must admit, it’s a lot of work! When you are caught up in the moment, none of these come to mind!
In an effort to remember it more thoroughly, I found out that assertive communication can be characterized by a basic four-part message:
1. Nonjudgmental description of the behavior to be changed.
2. Disclosure of the assertors’ feelings.
3. Clarification of the concrete and tangible effect of the other person’s behavior on the assertor.
4. Description of the behavior that would be more satisfactory.
Example:
Instead of saying, "You're always interrupting my ideas!"
They say, "I'd like to be able to tell my ideas without interruption."
2. Power talkers use affirmative language.
They talk positively. When they want something, they use words that communicate precisely what they expect to happen.Example:
Instead of saying, "If you finish the report tonight, we'll all celebrate by going out for a drink."
They say, "When you finish your report tonight, we'll all celebrate by going out for a drink."
3. Power talkers speak decisively.
They get straight to the point and say exactly what they mean. Decisive speakers project credibility and confidence.Example:
Instead of saying, "I think this will probably solve your needs. Hopefully, this will give you what you are looking for."
They say, "This is going to fit your needs exactly. I know this will give you exactly what you want."
4. Power talkers avoid fillers.
I have written a previous post on using fillers such as uh, umm, and well.. etc (Please read this post, if you haven’t already). Fillers communicate uncertainty and a lack of confidence. Indeed, it is a hard habit to break. You have to pay special attention to identify these words in your speech. I would know! I am struggling with this myself!5. Power talkers avoid irritators.
Irritators are phrases that annoy the listener while conveying vagueness, uncertainty, and incompetence.Example:
"I know I'm not communicating this clearly, but you know what I mean,''
