Using “discuss” in an opening statement invites attendees to contribute to the discussion. It indicates this won’t be a casual conversation but a discussion usually about a specific topic. When “meeting” is added to the opening, it demonstrates the tone the conversation will take. By using this word in the opening of a meeting or when introducing each new speaker, you trigger subconscious excitement over being awarded something valuable. Similarly, the word “give” focuses everyone’s attention on the speaker. At the end of the meeting, “yeah” may establish your desire for the meeting to end.īy throwing the word “start” into your opening statements, you grab attendees’ attention it lets everyone know the time for waiting and chitchat is over and indicates they should begin actively listening, as the business of the moment is about to proceed. If you use “yeah” at a change of topic, however, others may see it as concurrence with the need to move on or as a dismissal of the previous topic. When used in the opening of a business meeting, it can demonstrate your commitment to the topic as well as the need for the meeting. In this part of the meeting, these words grab attendees’ attention and focus.įor example, the word “yeah” indicates agreement or acceptance. The opening of the meeting is a perfect time to begin using these five words.

Check out this summary to discover the most powerful time to use certain words and communication tactics. The study outlined the effect of each word during various parts of a meeting. To use these words effectively, you need to know how and when to sprinkle them into the conversation. “Or, it might help managers be more efficient if they could be automatically alerted to join a meeting when a decision is about to be made.” When should you use power words? “This would be useful when listening to a previously recorded meeting and you want to fast-forward to the key decision,” Rudin said.

They determined that employees expect a decision when they offer suggestions or requests for information. The researchers also studied words that signal an imminent decision, to reveal insight into the decision-making process. The study discovered that compliments used to offset negative comments in a meeting were often viewed as disingenuous. The researchers also found that compliments given at meetings did not always have the intended effect. The word “yeah,” for example, shows acceptance of, or agreement with, a point of view. There are several reasons why these five words hold so much sway at business meetings. What should you say at a business meeting? Using hypothesis tests and predictive modeling, they created a list five words that demonstrated high persuasiveness and often led to a desired response. However, it’s not a new field of academic research.īut Rudin and Kim’s approach was unique because it was one of the first studies to use a data-driven approach to meeting analysis. The study of meetings is complex, as it’s challenging to understand social signals and complex interpersonal dynamics. More than 11 million business meetings take place daily around the world, so learning which words affect the productivity and outcome of those meetings can help companies change the course of their success, Rudin and Kim said. Furthermore, those words often result in proposals being accepted more often than others.įor the research, MIT professor Cynthia Rudin and MIT student Been Kim examined data from several business meetings and pinpointed specific words that appeared to have a big impact. Research shows that the words “yeah,” “give,” “start,” “meeting” and “discuss” have a bigger impact than other words.

Closing a meeting with positive words prompts a positive response.įorget about presentations, handshakes and power suits the secret to succeeding in a business meeting is what you say.

Refocus attention in business meetings with essential words that help change the topic of discussion.

Using power words in the opening of a meeting grabs the attention and focus of attendees.

These words need to be used in the right way and at the right time.

A data-driven approach to meeting analysis produced this list of five power words.

Using these words effectively can result in success.

Research from MIT found that the words “yeah,” “give,” “start,” “meeting” and “discuss” have a larger impact than others.

Meeting analysis shows specific words breed increased success in business meetings.

Work session synonym