These phrases can be found in the majority of sales scripts I read. I’ve read them so often I don’t believe the meaning of the words anymore and I wonder if the audience they’re intended for does, either. Article originally posted on Medium.com Asa voiceover artist, I sometimes feel like I get an inside scoop on the future of products and ideas. Often, my participation is the last piece of a promotional/informational puzzle — and the scripts I receive have been in the pipeline for months, and in some cases, even years... which makes it all the more annoying that we haven’t collectively, as a society, come up with better language to sell our products and ideas. I mean…someone call Corporate Erin. We can do better than this. “We harness the power of…..” usually followed by technology, science, or connectivity. “…driving change….” “We champion growth…” “We are architects of transformation”. “We are custodians of authenticity.” Hmm. “…transcends boundaries…” “Together, we…” if you say “are stronger”, I’m gonna barf. “…fueled by a passion for…” “We elevate…” “…relentless pursuit of…” “…break down barriers…” “…united by a passion for…” “…empowering our clients…” “…crafting products that…” Is it me, or are these all starting to sound a little too AI…? Which are your personal favorites? An even better question - how could we say all of these things differently?

Article originally posted on Medium.com Yes, we live in the age of selfies. But in all those hours of posing, we’ve learned some pretty valuable information about ourselves, including: Which side is our good side That taking pictures from low angles creates double chins That if I smile at 80% and not 120%, I look less like a horse You get the idea. So what happens if we film ourselves speaking or singing? Sure, it feels really weird at first. But eventually, we get to know the part of ourselves that everyone except us gets to experience. If there’s something we don’t like, we now have the power to change it. Here’s an example. My step-uncle Paul, a former lawyer, advised my younger sister to record herself as she practiced being interviewed. “Speed up the playback and you’ll notice patterns.” he said. For instance, you might notice when you get nervous, you reach up and move your hair behind your ear, even if it’s already there. You might use filler words like “uh” or “um” far more than you’d like. All in all, a very useful practice. So when my students ask what they can do to feel more confident speaking or singing aloud, whether it’s in a classroom for an oral presentation to performing on stage, I say this: “Record yourself and watch back. Often. As often as it takes until you accept yourself.” Here’s why I think it works. When you record yourself alone, you’re safe knowing nobody can see or hear your mistakes. You get to choose where and when you record yourself so you can feel as comfortable as possible, while also knowing you have the power to press delete afterward if you so choose. Most of us don’t want to make mistakes on a recording so the pressure of knowing a camera is on you simulates the pressure of having real eyeballs present and watching. For myself, personally, I know that when I feel confident doing something on camera (reciting a poem, giving a talk, etc.), I feel THAT much more confident in my ability to do it in front of an actual audience. So give it a try! Got a different technique? I want to hear about it! Let me know in the comments.