I have wanted to write about three specific words for a while now. I hear them a lot. Often times, these words have unintended consequences that the person speaking them may not be aware of. When I hear one of them, it frames the entire message and forces it into a specific context.

In my opinion, each one of these words becomes an asterisk on the whole statement. The spotlight of emphasis shines on that word. Do you want that spotlight? Here they are:

1) “STILL”

“Are your vendors still using that CRM?”

“Are you guys still together?”

“Is your friend still with that bank?”

To me, in a business context, when I hear this word it implies: stagnant, stuck, laggard, and behind-the-times. It rarely has a positive connotation. In many cases, this is used in a social setting to imply judgement on a situation. It’s definitely something to pay attention to.

2) “ACTUALLY”

“Actually, we’re doing great.”

“I’m actually going to finish!”

“Actually, we have 10 customers.”

This one is powerful. It creates suspicion and makes one question whether the speaker thinks that what they are saying is true or even worthy of the statement. It plants doubt. If you are in sales, you should eliminate this word from your vocabulary. Rarely does someone use it with confidence.

3) “JUST”

“Just a thousand dollars?”

“If you could just finish that, we’d be great”

“I’m just a part of the way there”

Although not as toxic as the first two, this filler word creates the notion that whatever comes after it simply isn’t enough. On the flip side of “actually,” this is a word you will hear in sales to create emphasis on the seller side. You may have even heard it in an infomercial before, but is it something that you are using with intent?

So what’s the takeaway, Dean?

You can remove any of these words from the statements above and they stand on their own without it! Be conscious when you use them, and when you utter them, make sure to only use them with intent.