Finding The Right Words
As a child, I was told to greet people with a smile. However, a smile did not truly convey how I felt. It was merely a dry fabricated expression that had no words or meaning about what I wanted to say. My voice was always silenced by the controlling thoughts around me. I am sure we can all relate to that poker face experience and living out the motions.
The same is when we send a card to a friend for a certain occasion. We keep our poker face on and hope our greeting is well received, but sometimes we never hear feedback or simply get a response or even a thank you. We might even wonder if our kind gesture was appreciated or taken for granted.
We understand that finding the right words to say in a greeting can be difficult. Sometimes our hearts talk loudly, but our words fall short of great expectation.
Here are four tips to help one find the right words in a greeting:
1. Make the Connection
Highlight the memory that made an impression on you and your friend. Make sure there is a mutual connection that both of you can reflect on.
2. Remove “I”
When sending someone a greeting, put the focus on THEM. We have all seen the grandma who likes to publicly tell everyone who has a listening ear what she has done for someone. Make the greeting about them and forget about yourself. There is an expression that goes like this: Pretend you died yesterday.
3. Don’t Wear Out The Words
We all have had that one boss who told us “thank you” or “ you’re awesome” and did not mean what he or she said. Eventually, it is like water running off a duck’s back and the words seem to wear out.
4. Get To The Point
Leave out talking about your dog, how the sun came up, and your daily routine. Save those for the saddest country song that will play over and over again. You know that song that gets stuck in your head. Mean what you say and say what you mean. Leave it that and make the point clear, concise, and easy to understand.
In Conclusion
When it comes to expressing yourself in a greeting, you do not have to have a poker face. You can plan out what to say and clearly convey how you feel by finding the right words for the right occasion.
***
We’d love to hear from you and know what you think. Respond to this post below, or follow us on twitter @memakemistake
