©Marion Grobb Finkelstein 2005

How we speak and the words we use build or rob us of credibility.

Have you ever met someone who ends all his or her sentences in “up-talk”? That is, everything they say sounds like a question, sort of like the “valley girls”. Not only is this speech pattern incredibly distracting, it robs you of credibility.

To communicate with confidence, end your sentences firmly on a down note. Try it. Say, “I have a red car?” (up-talk). It’s tentative, questioning, and in it’s most extreme use, speaking like this can make you sound a little (how to say this?) light in the attic (read: flighty, dipsy, uncertain).  Now try the very same sentence ending on a down note. It’s strong, affirmative, powerful. Which impression would you prefer to give?

A fabulous exercise is to tape yourself chatting with a friend, on the phone, or in a meeting. It only takes a few minutes to determine if up-talking is something you do. And if it is, now you now what to do about it.