Whether you’re in sales, operations, marketing or another key organizational function, there’s most likely a time when you’ve had to give a presentation to peers or customers. When you begin your presentation, how do you capture the audience’s attention? Those first five seconds are the most critical seconds of your entire presentation.

Communications consultant and author Bill McGowan points out five deadly words that many of us use to start business presentations. He says these words that cause more damage than any other because they only serve to sap the presenter’s conviction, undermine their authority and apologize for taking up the audience’s time.

If you are preparing for an upcoming presentation, be sure you don’t begin with “So… I just thought I’d kind of quickly walk you through…”

We explain why in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

So: The word “so” is the ultimate in empty calories. It serves absolutely no purpose, and yet many of us fall into the bad habit of starting virtually every sentence with it. The only thing worse than “so” is when the speaker elongates the “so” to “sooooo” or when “so” is accompanied by its trusty companion “um,” as in “So, um …”

Just: This implies you’re about to give the audience a half-hearted effort, as in, “I’m just going to give this a quick glance.” By using this word, you’re already setting limitations on what you are presenting and signaling to the listener that he or she shouldn’t expect too much.

Thought: I “thought” or “I think” has wormed its way into our hearts and communication styles. It’s another lazy word that implies “just good enough.” It doesn’t show conviction; instead it implies “unless I can think of something better …”

Kind of: Are you going to “kind of” give the audience your report or are you really going to give it to them? “This is kind of where we’re going with this year’s strategy” also implies lack of strategic intention.

Quickly: Here’s the deadly apology word. Telling your audience you’re going to be quick implies that you don’t deserve to have the floor. It’s saying to your audience, “I know you’re likely to be bored by what I’m saying, so if I do this really quickly, you’ll be bored for less time.” Remember, it’s often the speakers who take their time with the material and feel comfortable pausing who project the most confidence and authority.

What could be a simple alternative to the deadliest of opening lines? Try, “This morning I want to share with you our strategy for the rest of the year.” It’s a simple fix that helps you project more gravitas and boosts your executive presence, and in business, that is of vital importance.

Source: Bill McGowan is CEO of Clarity Media Group Inc. Communications Consulting and author of Pitch Perfect: How to Say it Right the First Time. He is also is a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who has reported more than 700 nationally televised stories.