Forget about presentations, handshakes, and power suits; the secret to succeeding in a business meeting is what you say.
Effective words will determine your success.
Research shows that the effective words “yeah,” “give,” “start,” “meeting” and “discuss” have a bigger impact than other words. Furthermore, those words often result in proposals being accepted more often than others.
For the research, MIT professor Cynthia Rudin and MIT student Been Kim examined data from several business meetings and pinpointed specific words that appeared to have a big impact.
More than 11 million business meetings take place daily around the world, so learning which words affect the productivity and outcome of those meetings can help companies change the course of their success, Rudin and Kim said.
What should you say at a business meeting?
There are several reasons why these five words hold so much sway at business meetings. The word “yeah,” for example, shows acceptance of, or agreement with, a point of view. ”
Compliments aren’t always positive
The researchers also found that compliments given at meetings did not always have the intended effect. The study discovered that compliments used to offset negative comments in a meeting were often viewed as disingenuous.
When should you use power words?
To use these words effectively, you need to know how and when to sprinkle them into the conversation. The study outlined the effect of each word during various parts of a meeting.
Opening the meeting
The opening of the meeting is a perfect time to begin using these five words. In this part of the meeting, these words grab attendees’ attention and focus.
For example, the word “yeah” indicates agreement or acceptance. When used in the opening of a business meeting, it can demonstrate your commitment to the topic as well as the need for the meeting. If you use “yeah” at a change of topic, however, others may see it as concurrence with the need to move on or as a dismissal of the previous topic. At the end of the meeting, “yeah” may establish your desire for the meeting to end.
By throwing the word “start” into your opening statements, you grab attendees’ attention;
Similarly, the word “give” focuses everyone’s attention on the speaker. By using this word in the opening of a meeting or when introducing each new speaker, you trigger subconscious excitement over being awarded something valuable.
When “meeting” is added to the opening, it demonstrates the tone the conversation will take. It indicates this won’t be a casual conversation but a productive work session.
Using “discuss” in an opening statement invites attendees to contribute to the discussion. People pay more attention when they feel they are included.
Changing the subject
When it’s time to transition to the next topic, it can sometimes be difficult to get others to change gears. By using these five words, you can help ease people through that transition.
The word “yeah” can help you segue. Agreeing with what is being said about the previous topic captures attention. You can then use that agreement to move on to the next topic. For example, “Yeah, that’s a great point. It reminds me of the issue we’re having with … ”
“Start” is also a great word for changing the subject. It literally tells listeners that something new is beginning.
Closing the meeting
At the end of the meeting, using the right words can ensure you receive a warm reception of – and, ultimately, approval of – your proposals. The study found that using the five essential words at this stage usually resulted in the approval of a proposal.
Using these five highly effective words in a business meeting may not ensure success, but it makes success much more likely.