Today we have an awesome connection episode for business.
You’ll get one key skill that will help you build connection, momentum, understanding, and respect in a conversation.
That skill is the ability to confirm when someone is speaking.
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A marriage proposal!
Also, congratulations to AEE Listener Sergio Vaca who proposed to his wife on top of the Empire State Building.
They sent us a photo back around Christmas with a sign that said thank you All Ears English.
They listened to Episode 590 to get tips on the right words to use during a proposal.
We wish Sergio and his wife all the best!
How can you confirm what someone is saying?
When someone is speaking in a business context and you want to make confirm what they are saying you could say:
- Definitely
- Absolutely
- 100%
Let’s start today with a great question:
Hey there. You have a great podcast. Thanks indeed for the content as well as your spirit and energy! I have a question to use confirmation in different situations. Popular confirmations I know are Absolutely, Exactly, Definitely, Completely, In every way, 100%, and my recent favorite one – By all means. Are these all business appropriate?
Great question! Thank you
In a business context we can definitely say:
- Absolutely- This one can feel very enthusiastic especially if you use a certain tone of voice. Unless you work in a library enthusiasm is a good thing in business.
- Exactly- This sounds straightforward.
- Definitely- This is very common and will work great in conversations.
- Completely- This is good too. It’s very emphatic especially with the right tone of voice.
- A: So I think our new strategy in 2018 should be focusing on getting more PR.
- B: Completely. I agree.
- 100%- I love this. I always use it.
- By all means- This sounds more formal, but it’s still okay.
- For sure
- No doubt
A few different ways we might use confirmation:
1- To tag onto what someone is saying, talk over them, encourage them
A: Here are a few things I like about the real estate market in NY. It’s simple to get into….it’s always high in value…
B:… Uh huh completely (nodding head)
A: And it’s a good long-term investment.
In this positioning we aren’t waiting for the person to finish.
We are talking with them to show them that we are listening.
We are encouraging them to keep going by nodding our head and using our body language.
2- The second way is more like when someone asks for confirmation or stops talking
A: I think we’ll take the big boss to Napa for the weekend while she’s in Silicon Valley. Thoughts?
B: 100%. I love that idea.
TAKEAWAY:
Our listener is on the right track with confirmations.
It does depend on your industry, but business is about people so don’t be too concerned about using more formal confirmations.
These are great inside and outside work.
Most importantly, experiment with example 1 where you talk to them while they are talking and you encourage them.
This might be an American style of speaking.
Above all, make sure you do confirm.
Don’t leave people hanging.
You build better connections when you show them that you hear what they say and whether or not you agree.
In your culture it might not be important, but I think in English it’s a total connection skill.
What questions do you have today?
Let us know below.
