02/ 04/ 2007
by Emily McMackin
Five quick ways to sharpen you vocabulary--and boost your business
Have you ever struggled to articulate yourself to a customer or a sales prospect or found yourself grasping for the right words during a crucial conversation with a client? Believe it or not, your vocabulary can influence your bottom line.
Knowing how to express yourself eloquently can boost your standing inside and outside your business and improve your chances of success. After all, who wants to listen to a CEO's dry speeches or a company president's redundant sales pitch?
"The better your vocabulary, the more respect you'll get because people will assume you know what you're talking about," says Renee Mazer, a vocabulary guru and founder of High Score, an Albertson, N.Y.-based test prep company. "If they think you're smart, they'll pay closer attention to what you have to say. And if you're in the business of giving advice, they'll be more likely to listen to you."
Sharpening your vocabulary also gives you another edge as a business owner. "You'll get more out of the Wall Street Journal--and anything else that you read," Mazer says.
But a word of warning: Showing off your vocabulary can backfire if you misuse or mispronounce words, or if they don't flow naturally into your conversation. "If you use big words, it's important to do it without sounding like you're trying to impress," Mazer says.
You don't need an Ivy League education to enhance your vocabulary; all it takes is exposing yourself to new words and creating a context for them. Try these tips:
- Keep a dictionary in your pocket or briefcase and look up every unfamiliar word that you come across in print or conversation. Come up with a memory device--a rhyme, a catchy tune or a word association--to help you remember the word and its definition.
- Play a game of Scrabble against an opponent with a good vocabulary. Try a few practice rounds first, using the dictionary for more inventive word choices.
- Start reading Greek and Roman mythology. You can pick up great words like "narcissism" and "stentorian" from these stories. Knowing the origin behind the words and the characters they describe also makes them stick in your mind.
- Read a funny book or article or watch a comedy show. Research shows that humor helps you retain memory because it engages your attention. "Comedy wakes up your brain and makes it receptive to new information," Mazer says.
- Take the monthly Reader's Digest word quizzes.
