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By Markus Maximus

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By Jonathan

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By R0B

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By Luke

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Positive Words Movement Positive Words Movement Nasty

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Positive Words Movement - Kids Hip Hop Music Video - Featuring Raps4U

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Hey Kids...Listen Up... CHORUS: The Positive words movement, it's the positive words movement, Here's a little song, To make you feel you great, Here are all the nice words that you can say, Yea, Fantastic, Cool, Wonderful!

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What you don't "no" can't hurt you.

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I've always considered myself a glass half full type of person. You know, Ms. Positive, with my glass half full of my favorite wine. But someone recently suggested that I was a negative Nancy. He pointed out that at times, my language was negative. I thought, "What? That's not true."

I demanded examples. He pointed out that instead of saying "yes" I sometimes use substitute words such as "sure," "OK," and "yeah."

And I thought, "Yeah, OK, so what"?

"Yes" And "Sure" Are Not the Same

He argued that those words (sure, all right, OK, and yeah) really aren't the same as "yes." He said, "Lisa, when you say 'yes' it's crystal clear that you mean yes, but when you say 'sure', or 'OK' or 'yeah' it's like you are reluctantly agreeing. It's even worse when you say 'whatever'."

I had to admit, he had a point. After listening more carefully to my word choice, I realized there is a slight, but perceptible difference. Especially when you add in a negative tone of voice, there can be a BIG difference.

Do You Have a Negative Tone When Talking?

In fact this past Monday my girls said, "Mommy, can we get Barbie Mariposa for our free movie today?" I could have responded by saying "Yes, absolutely." Instead I heard myself sigh "Okay."

I was communicating reluctance. In this case, I was thinking, "They rent this movie almost every time. I wish they would choose something else."

But, they had earned their movie privilege, so in essence I had already said yes. So it definitely would have be more rewarding and more positive for me to respond by saying, "Yes, absolutely." And I could have even said that with a smile on my face.

Unfortunately, I also heard negative language in my work conversations. My new partner, Marc, recently made a suggestion, "How about we run a contest and ask listeners to submit testimonials videos?" I heard myself saying, "Yes, we could but..."

Yes, But...

To be successful you need healthy conflict; it helps you arrive at good solutions.

Of course, "yes, but" is the equivalent of saying "no." As soon as I heard myself say "yes, but" I said "Wait, wait, wait, let me try that again." I had to remind myself to use "yes and..." instead of "yes, but."

So, here's what I said instead.

"Yes, I think having listeners submit videos is a good idea. And I think receiving video testimonials is really valuable. Perhaps, in this case, a video on a more interesting or maybe a more directly related topic would motivate more people to participate. And we can still do video testimonials another time. What do you think?"

Again, using "yes, but" just cuts people off. It's a very thinly disguised no, which discredits the other person's idea and potentially leads to unhealthy conflict. By the way, the same goes for "yes, but's" cousin, "yes, or."

"Yes we could do testimonial videos or they could submit videos on a more interesting topic." At least an alternative is suggested, but it still it negates the original idea.

Don't Be a Yes Man

However, to be clear, I'm not suggesting that you gratuitously just say "yes" either. For a business to be successful you need conflict; you need healthy conflict to arrive at good solutions. Being a "yes man," or in my case, a "yes woman," doesn't work. Agreeing just to avoid conflict is equally unproductive.

A "yes, and..." approach allows you to work through conflict in a positive manner. You can "yes" to parts of an idea and then express your concerns about the parts you disagree with. The idea is to first mention what you agree on-- to find your common ground. By talking to the commonalities first you build a strong foundation, which then opens the door for healthy discussion.

"Yes and..." sets the stage for healthier, more effective communication. It helps create an environment that encourages creative discussion of ideas. It moves us forward.

Are You a Negative Nancy?

I hadn't realized much negativity had crept into my language until I paid closer attention. I challenge you to listen to you own language this week.

Are you a negative Nancy (or negative Ned?) Before you answer, really think about it. Do you say say "yes" or do you say, "sure, OK, all right"? Do you ever say "yes, but" or "yes, or"? Or do you try to reach common ground by saying "yes, and..."

This is Lisa B. Marshall. Passionate about communication; your success is my business.

For additional resources and sneak-peaks at new stuff join the The Public Speaker Facebook Page. If you'd like to be connect with me, feel free to join my networks on ( LinkedIn and Twitter).

If you have a question, send email to publicspeaker@quickanddirtytips.com. For information about keynote speeches or workshops, visit lisabmarshall.com.

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I've always considered myself a glass half full type of person. You know, Ms. Positive, with my glass half full of my favorite wine. But someone recently suggested that I was a negative Nancy. He pointed out that at times, my language was negative. I thought, "What? That's not true."

I demanded examples. He pointed out that instead of saying "yes" I sometimes use substitute words such as "sure," "OK," and "yeah."

And I thought, "Yeah, OK, so what"?

"Yes" And "Sure" Are Not the Same

He argued that those words (sure, all right, OK, and yeah) really aren't the same as "yes." He said, "Lisa, when you say 'yes' it's crystal clear that you mean yes, but when you say 'sure', or 'OK' or 'yeah' it's like you are reluctantly agreeing. It's even worse when you say 'whatever'."

I had to admit, he had a point. After listening more carefully to my word choice, I realized there is a slight, but perceptible difference. Especially when you add in a negative tone of voice, there can be a BIG difference.

Do You Have a Negative Tone When Talking?

In fact this past Monday my girls said, "Mommy, can we get Barbie Mariposa for our free movie today?" I could have responded by saying "Yes, absolutely." Instead I heard myself sigh "Okay."

I was communicating reluctance. In this case, I was thinking, "They rent this movie almost every time. I wish they would choose something else."

But, they had earned their movie privilege, so in essence I had already said yes. So it definitely would have be more rewarding and more positive for me to respond by saying, "Yes, absolutely." And I could have even said that with a smile on my face.

Unfortunately, I also heard negative language in my work conversations. My new partner, Marc, recently made a suggestion, "How about we run a contest and ask listeners to submit testimonials videos?" I heard myself saying, "Yes, we could but..."

Yes, But...

To be successful you need healthy conflict; it helps you arrive at good solutions.

Of course, "yes, but" is the equivalent of saying "no." As soon as I heard myself say "yes, but" I said "Wait, wait, wait, let me try that again." I had to remind myself to use "yes and..." instead of "yes, but."

So, here's what I said instead.

"Yes, I think having listeners submit videos is a good idea. And I think receiving video testimonials is really valuable. Perhaps, in this case, a video on a more interesting or maybe a more directly related topic would motivate more people to participate. And we can still do video testimonials another time. What do you think?"

Again, using "yes, but" just cuts people off. It's a very thinly disguised no, which discredits the other person's idea and potentially leads to unhealthy conflict. By the way, the same goes for "yes, but's" cousin, "yes, or."

"Yes we could do testimonial videos or they could submit videos on a more interesting topic." At least an alternative is suggested, but it still it negates the original idea.

Don't Be a Yes Man

However, to be clear, I'm not suggesting that you gratuitously just say "yes" either. For a business to be successful you need conflict; you need healthy conflict to arrive at good solutions. Being a "yes man," or in my case, a "yes woman," doesn't work. Agreeing just to avoid conflict is equally unproductive.

A "yes, and..." approach allows you to work through conflict in a positive manner. You can "yes" to parts of an idea and then express your concerns about the parts you disagree with. The idea is to first mention what you agree on-- to find your common ground. By talking to the commonalities first you build a strong foundation, which then opens the door for healthy discussion.

"Yes and..." sets the stage for healthier, more effective communication. It helps create an environment that encourages creative discussion of ideas. It moves us forward.

Are You a Negative Nancy?

I hadn't realized much negativity had crept into my language until I paid closer attention. I challenge you to listen to you own language this week.

Are you a negative Nancy (or negative Ned?) Before you answer, really think about it. Do you say say "yes" or do you say, "sure, OK, all right"? Do you ever say "yes, but" or "yes, or"? Or do you try to reach common ground by saying "yes, and..."

This is Lisa B. Marshall. Passionate about communication; your success is my business.

For additional resources and sneak-peaks at new stuff join the The Public Speaker Facebook Page. If you'd like to be connect with me, feel free to join my networks on ( LinkedIn and Twitter).

If you have a question, send email to publicspeaker@quickanddirtytips.com. For information about keynote speeches or workshops, visit lisabmarshall.com.

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I've always considered myself a glass half full type of person. You know, Ms. Positive, with my glass half full of my favorite wine. But someone recently suggested that I was a negative Nancy. He pointed out that at times, my language was negative. I thought, "What? That's not true.&

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Useful Video on how to get past negative thoughts and language

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Useful Video on how to get past negative thoughts and language

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Getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck) | Alison Ledgerwood | TEDxUCDavis

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In professional and personal situations, people form lasting ideas about you based on their first interaction. Having positive language can make you seem friendly, smart and helpful.

Not having this skill might make you come across as rude or uninteresting.

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Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy | TED

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- Use a warm professional tone

- Emphasize description over personal approval

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Body language tends not to include:

the pace, pitch, and intonation, volume, variation, pauses, etc., of our voice.

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Body language includes:

how we position our bodies

our closeness to and the space between us and other people

our facial expressions

our eyes especially and how our eyes move and focus, etc

how we touch ourselves and others

how our bodies connect with other non-bodily things, for instance, pens, cigarettes, spectacles and clothing

our breathing, and other less noticeable physical effects, for example our heartbeat and perspiration

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As you observe others, you can identify some common signs and signals that give away whether they are feeling confident or not. Typical things to look for in confident people include:

Posture – standing tall with shoulders back.

Eye contact – solid with a "smiling" face.

Gestures with hands and arms – purposeful and deliberate.

Speech – slow and clear.

Tone of voice – moderate to low.

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Negative language can act as a barrier to good communication.

It can bring about poor image, defeat and confusion.

It adds a sense of blame and could result in a negative outcome.

If the receiver of the communication takes the negative language personally, they may stop listening or become defensive.

If a person is generally pessimistic, then there is very little motivation to complete a task, and if the pessimistic person is the leader, then the whole group could give up.

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Picking Up and Understanding Nonverbal Signals

Lauren sighed. She'd just received an email from her boss, Gus, saying that the product proposal she'd been working on wasn't going to be signed off after all.

It didn't make any sense. A week ago she'd been in a meeting with Gus and he'd seemed really positive about it all. Sure, he hadn't made much eye contact, and he kept looking out of the window at something. But she'd just put that down to him being busy. And, he'd said that "the project will probably get the go-ahead."

If Lauren had known a little bit more about body language, she'd have realized that Gus was trying to tell her that he wasn't "sold" on her idea. He just wasn't using words.

In this article, we'll define what is meant by body language, and how you can read and interpret it to understand people better and communicate with them more effectively.

What Is Body Language?

Put simply, body language is the unspoken element of communication that we use to reveal our true feelings and emotions. Our gestures, facial expressions and posture, for instance.

When we are able to "read" these signs, we can use it to our advantage. For example, it can help us to understand the complete message of what someone is trying to say to us, and to enhance our awareness of people's reactions to what we say and do.

We can also use it to adjust our own body language so that we appear more positive, engaging and approachable.

How to Read Negative Body Language

Being aware of negative body language in others can allow you to pick up on unspoken issues or bad feelings. So, in this section, we'll highlight some negative nonverbal signals that you should look out for.

Difficult Conversations and Defensiveness

Difficult or tense conversations are an uncomfortable fact of life at work. Perhaps you've had to deal with a difficult customer, or needed to talk to someone about his or her poor performance. Or maybe you've negotiated a major contract.

Ideally, these situations would be resolved calmly. But, often they are complicated by feelings of nervousness, stress, defensiveness, or even anger. And, though we may try to hide them, these emotions often show through in our body language.

For example, if someone is exhibiting one or more of the following behaviors, he will likely be disengaged, disinterested or unhappy (see figure 1):

Arms folded in front of the body.

Minimal or tense facial expression.

Body turned away from you.

Eyes downcast, maintaining little contact.

Figure 1.
Being aware of these signs can help you to adjust what you say and how you say it, so you can make him feel more at ease and receptive to your viewpoint (see figure 2).
Figure 2.
Avoiding Unengaged Audiences

When you need to deliver a presentation, or to collaborate in a group, you want the people around you to be 100 percent engaged.

Here are some "telltale" signs that people may be bored or disinterested in what you're saying (see figures 3-6):

Sitting slumped, with heads downcast.

Gazing at something else, or into space.

Fidgeting, picking at clothes, or fiddling with pens and phones.

Writing or doodling.

When you notice that someone is disengaged, you're in a better position to do something about it. For example, you can re-engage her by asking her a direct question, or by inviting her to contribute an idea of her own.

How to Project Positive Body Language

When you use positive body language, it can add strength to the verbal messages or ideas that you want to convey, and help you to avoid sending mixed or confusing signals.

In this section, we'll describe some basic postures that you can adopt to project self-confidence and openness.

Making a Confident First Impression

These tips can help you to adjust your body language so that you make a great first impression:

Have an open posture. Be relaxed, but don't slouch! Sit or stand upright and place your hands by your sides (see figure 7). Avoid standing with your hands on your hips, as this will make you appear larger, which can communicate aggression or a desire to dominate (see figure 8).

Use a firm handshake. But don't get carried away! You don't want it to become awkward or, worse, painful for the other person. If it does, you'll likely come across as rude or aggressive.

Maintain good eye contact. Try to hold the other person's gaze for a few seconds at a time. This will show her that you're sincere and engaged. But, avoid turning it into a staring match! (See figure 9.)

Avoid touching your face. There's a common perception that people who touch their faces while answering questions are being dishonest (see figure 10). While this isn't always true, it's best to avoid fiddling with your hair or touching your mouth or nose, particularly if your aim is to come across as trustworthy.

Public Speaking

Positive body language can also help you to engage people, to mask presentation nerves, and to project confidence when you speak in public. Here are a few tips that can help you to do this:

Have a positive posture. Sit or stand upright, with your shoulders back and your arms unfolded and at your sides or in front of you (see figure 11). Don't be tempted to put your hands in your pockets, or to slouch, as this will make you look disinterested.

Keep your head up. Your head should be upright and level (see figure 12). Leaning too far forward or backward can make you look aggressive or arrogant.

Practice and perfect your posture. You'd practice your presentation beforehand, so why not practice your body language, too? Stand in a relaxed manner, with your weight evenly distributed. Keep one foot slightly in front of the other - this will help you to maintain your posture (see figure 13).

Use open hand gestures. Spread your hands apart, in front of you, with your palms facing slightly toward your audience. This indicates a willingness to communicate and to share ideas (see figure 14). Keep your upper arms close to your body. Take care to avoid overexpression, or people may pay more attention to your hands than to what you're saying.

Tip:

If you notice that your audience's concentration is starting to slip, try to lean slightly forward while you speak. This suggests that you are taking them into your confidence and will help you to regain their attention.

Interviews, Negotiations and Reflection

Body language can also help you to stay calm in situations where emotions have the potential to run high - a negotiation, for example, or a performance review. Use the following tips to defuse tension and demonstrate openness:

Use mirroring. If you can, subtly mirror the body language of the person you're talking to. This will make him feel more at ease, and can build rapport. But don't copy every gesture that he makes, as this will likely make him feel uncomfortable, or that you're not taking him seriously.

Relax your body. It can be difficult to keep emotions at bay, particularly in nerve-wracking situations such as an interview or appraisal. But you can maintain the appearance of calm by keeping your hands still, and by avoiding fidgeting with your hair or touching your face.

Look interested. As we suggested above, touching your face or mouth can signal dishonesty. But, it can also demonstrate that you're thinking. So, if you are asked a complex question, it's OK to briefly touch your cheek or stroke your chin. This will show the other person that you're reflecting on your answer before you respond (see figure 15).

Figure 15.
Note:

While the tips covered in this article are a good general guide for intepreting body language, it's important to remember that they won't necessarily apply to everyone. This is particularly the case if someone has a different cultural background from you, for instance.

Avoid making generalized assumptions. If you're getting mixed signals, check that your interpretation of the person's body language is correct by asking him questions and getting to know him better. After all, the ability to interpret body language is a complementary skill, not a substitute for listening to and understanding people.

Key Points

Body language refers to the nonverbal signals that you use to communicate your feelings and intentions. It includes your posture, your facial expressions, and your hand gestures.

The ability to understand and to interpret body language can help you to pick up on unspoken issues, problems or negative feelings that other people might have. You can also use it in a positive way to add strength to your verbal messages.

Negative body language includes:

Folded arms.

Tense facial expression.

Body turned away from you.

Poor eye contact.

Positive body language includes:

Open body position (arms unfolded).

Upright posture.

Relaxed and open facial expression.

Arms hanging relaxed by the sides.

Regular eye contact.

Photographs in this article © Mind Tools/Gez Page.

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Body Language: Picking Up and Understanding Nonverbal Signals

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Picking Up and Understanding Nonverbal Signals Lauren sighed. She'd just received an email from her boss, Gus, saying that the product proposal she'd been working on wasn't going to be signed off after all. It didn't make any sense. A week ago she'd been in a meeting with Gus and he'd seemed really positive about it all.

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If you fail to use intonation correctly then what the true meaning of your sentence is may be missed or misinterpreted by those who you are speaking to. If your intonation is wrong then your emotions and attitudes towards the subject will seem different to your true emotions and attitudes

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This video explains some of the problems if you fail to use intonation correctly

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This video explains some of the problems if you fail to use intonation correctly

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http://www.pronunciationpro.com/youtube-free-trial/?keyword=AmericanEnglishIntonation(2of4)&adposition=body Hello again, Here's the 2nd of 4 videos I'll be posting here on Intonation. This video is just one small piece of the Intonation lesson included in the 12 week online Pronunciation Pro Training Program. We have over 20 hours worth of training included in the program and we'll continue to add more bonus lessons.

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Positive language can help you connect with the people you interact with like for example speaking clearly and directly to others instead of mumbling, speaking loudly enough to be heard but not loud enough to seem arrogant

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Intonation is when the pitch of the speaker changes for them to express their attitudes and emotions on the subject. It is often used to emphasise the difference between a question and a statement. Plus it focuses the attention on particular parts of your speech.

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course: free online self awareness training | businessballs.com

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Course: Free Online Self Awareness Training | businessballs.com

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Team Management Performance Management Building Relationships Communication Skills Strategy and Innovation Change Management Project Management Finance Self Awareness Self Management Problem Solving and Decision Making Coaching and Mentoring

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Body Language refers to various forms of nonverbal communication, where in a person may reveal clues as to some unspoken intention or feeling through their physical behavior. These behaviors include facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space.

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In a service environment, the language that we use has a huge impact on customer emotions. In a sales environment this is even more critical.

Here we have not only put together a list of the top 25 positive words to improve customer service, but we have also done the same for positive phrases and empathy statements.

The Top 25 Positive Words

Good Things DO Come in Small Packages.

These little words should win medals, as adding any one of them into a conversation has the potential to transform average customer service into great customer service.

Below is our list of 25 positive words and some example of using them in customer service.

Example Uses of These Words in Customer Service

1. I definitely will make sure that it gets sorted...
2. I absolutely agree with you...
3. I can certainly help you...
4. That is exactly right...
5. I completely agree with you...
6. I will quickly run through this with you...
7. That is a fantastic alternative...
8. Great news!
9. Marvellous choice...
10. That is an excellent suggestion...
11. I hope you enjoy your...
12. Splendid! All that is left to do now...
13. Yes, it is essential that you...
14. It is a very generous offer...
15. I can highly recommend...
16. Thanks, we aim to provide a friendly service...
17. That's certainly impressive, Mrs Smith...
18. That it is an interesting idea...
19. Brilliant! I'm glad we are on the same page...
20. Yes, it is an exciting prospect...
21. I think that it's a terrific option...
22. That is absolutely fascinating...
23. You certainly are an expert on this...
24. That is personally my favourite option...
25. It would definitely be ideal, considering your situation...

Why Do so Many of These Positive Words Have an -LY Ending?

The first six of our top 25 words all end in -LY. But why is this?

Surprisingly, if you start a sentence with a word ending in LY, then what follows is regarded as truth and is very hard to object to.
Gary May

Gary May, one of our readers, says that: "Surprisingly, if you start a sentence with a word ending in LY, then what follows is regarded as truth and is very hard to object to."
"This is a little-known persuasion secret in contact centres, but all the major corporations and their marketing agencies have worked this out."
Gary seems to have a point. Just look at some of the slogans that are being used by brands that are household names.

Exceedingly good cakes

Probably the best lager in the world

It does exactly what it says on the tin

Don't Be Afraid of Sounding Too Upbeat

Words such as "fantastic", "great", "marvellous" are very positive words and can really inject some energy into a telephone conversation. They help the advisor to sound upbeat and interested in helping the customer, says Melanie, another one of our readers.

Consider the following interaction, for example:

Was the advisor too enthusiastic? Melanie certainly does think so, stating: " Such positive words bring great energy to a call, and yes, ok, they may be over the top, but you'll never hear a customer complain about how the agent was too positive or upbeat."

Three Bonus Words - FEEL, FELT , FOUND

These three good words may not have made our top 25 words list as single options, but they work well together. They are "feel", "felt" and "found".

These words are often used together in the contact centre, as Chris Wood, a reader of ours, says: "using these words works well in sales scripts, but they can be used in a variety of ways."

For example, an advisor can put these words together like so:
"Mr Smith, I understand how you feel ... many of our happiest customers felt the same way... however, what they found is..."
Or when dealing with a difficult or angry customer, an advisor could use these positive words to turn a problem into a solution, like so:
"Mr Smith, I can see why you feel like that. Something similar has happened to me before and I felt the same way. What is found, and I hope this will be the same for you, is..."

"I completely understand how you F EEL

A couple of our customers have F ELT the same

However, what they have F OUND is..."

Together, these words work well in creating positive phrases.

Watch this video where Sandra Thompson talks about the importance of being conscious about the words you say to the customer:

The Top 25 Phrases

There are so many phrases that work well in customer service, but knowing when to use the best statements can be tricky.

So, here we give 25 positive phrases to use at specific parts of the call, with different options suggested for each.

When Greeting the Customer

In our article, " The Best Customer Service Greeting Phrases - with Examples ", our readers found the following two greeting statements to be the most effective in "kicking off" a positive customer service interaction.
1. "Welcome to [INSERT COMPANY NAME] Customer Service. My name is [INSERT NAME]. How can I help you?"
2. "Good morning/afternoon! You're through to [INSERT COMPANY NAME]. My name is [INSERT NAME]. How may I help you today?"

When More Information Is Needed

Staying upbeat when needing more information from the customer is a valuable skill. However, if an advisor struggles to do this, encourage them to ask basic questions of the customer, while scattering in some of the good words discussed earlier.

For example:

3. "So, what I understand so far is... it would be great if you could tell me a bit more about..."

4. "For me to... it would be brilliant if you could give me just of few more details on."

When Acknowledging the Customer

We have previously quizzed our readers on their favourite acknowledgement statements to improve customer-advisor interactions, in our article " The Top 12 Acknowledgement Statements for Customer Service ". The top three are highlighted below:

5. "I realise that this situation is difficult, but let's try and find a solution."

6. "I would feel the same in your situation, but we will sort this out..."

7. "I'm sorry you are having this problem. Let's see if there is anything we can do to help the situation."

When Reassuring the Customer

Once the advisor has a good understanding of the customer's problem, and has acknowledged their concerns, it is now important to reassure them.

Once the advisor has a good understanding of the customer's problem, and has acknowledged their concerns, it is now important to reassure them. Positive wordplay can be key here. Just look at the following examples.

8. "Thanks, it is great that you alerted us to this."

9. "You are absolutely correct. Let's look into this."

10. "Definitely, I will make sure that this gets resolved for you."

When Giving Instructions

When giving out over-the-phone instructions, it is an advisor's job to make the process as easy as possible. So, it is good practice to try and weave the following phrases into conversations, to help the customer get from A to B with a smile on their face.

11. "All you need to do is to just...."

12. "A simple way / method to change it will be to..."

13. "As soon as you receive..."

When Being Courteous

Courtesy and positive language go hand-in-hand, as we discussed in our article: " The Best Courtesy Words and Phrases to Use in Customer Service ". After all, old-fashioned courtesy is a must for any service or sales team. So, advisors should ideally be using statements like those below:

14. "Would you be happy for me to put you on hold for a minute or two, while I quickly retrieve your details?"

15. "I will send over the link to the email address that we have on our system and, if you would like, I can go through the rest of the process with you."

When Building Rapport

Using positive small talk - once the query is in its concluding stages or if both the advisor and customer are waiting for something to happen so that a solution can be found - is great for rapport building. Therefore, advisors could try dropping some of the following phrases into the conversation during these pivotal moments.

16. "What I'm doing for you now is..."

17. "Don't worry, I often make that mistake myself."

18. "How is the weather where you are today? Better than here, I hope!"

To find more examples like this, read our article: Best Tips, Phrases and Words to Use for Building Rapport

When Handling Angry Customers

Advisors are often told to try to stay positive when interacting with an angry customer. However, that is much easier said than done, especially if the advisor is having to deal with such a caller for a long period of time. So, the focus should instead be on getting the frustrated customer to change their mood. The positive phrases below could help to do this.

19. "We always value customers who are keen to give us their feedback. I will be sure to pass on what you have told me to our managerial team..."

20. "I recommend that you (INSERT ACTION), Mrs Smith, so that I can take further action without delay."

Other phases to use when speaking with an angry customer include: The Right Words and Phrases to Say to an Angry Customer

When Closing the Call

So, the advisor has successfully helped the customer to solve their query, given them a quick summary of the call and explained the next steps. All that is left to do is finish with a "killer" positive call-closing statement. We found some great examples of these in our article: " The Best Call-Closing Statements ", with two of them being showcased below.

21. "Thanks for calling, and if you have any additional questions, please call us."

22. "Have a nice time in [INSERT PLACE NAME] on your holiday."

When Making a Sale

While dealing with a customer complaint, it may also be part of an advisor's job to "sell-up" other areas of the business. Where we have before given tips for selling over the phone, here are some useful phrases to help you seal the deal.

23. "We have a variety of ..."

24. "It's a wonderful service where instead of..., you can..."

25. "This is the best plan/scheme for your requirements..."

Top 25 Phrases for Customer Service

When Greeting
The Customer

When Acknowledging
The Customer

When Reassuring
The Customer

When Giving
Instructions

When Being
Courteous

13. "As soon as you receive..."

When Building
Rapport

18. "How is the weather where you are today? Better than here, I hope!"

25. "This is the best plan/scheme for your requirements..."

For access to a poster with all the information that is included in this table, follow the link: Top 25 Phrases for Customer Service

Use Positive Scripting

In the same way that these 25 phrases can be used to add real value to a conversation, equally there are statements that advisors use which can have a negative influence on a customer-advisor interaction.

To ensure that advisors don't use these types of phrases, positive scripting is often used. This is the process of designing a script to ensure that advisors do not frustrate or anger customers.

While many do not believe in positive scripting, there is little harm in making sure that advisors know what not to say and giving them some positive alternatives.

For example, the positive phrases in the table below were originally derived from phrases that advisors should ideally never use.

Instead of...

Say...

"I don't know/I'm not sure"

"Let me find out for you..."

"If you check our website..."

"I can email you a link to the web page and stay on the phone, if you need further assistance."

"I'm afraid that isn't included in your policy..."

"Your policy doesn't cover that, but I can check if we can offer that to you in a different package."

"I'm sorry but that item is out of stock and won't be available for 4 weeks."

"The item is out of stock. Would you like me to pre-order it for you so it will be with you in 4 weeks?"

To find out more phrases to avoid, read our article: 15 Things a Call Centre Agent Should Never Say (But Many Do)

Positivity Comes with Tone as Well as Words

While it is all well and good to use positive phrases, Anurag Bansal, a reader of ours, stresses that: "One of the most important things to remember, while on a call, is that the person on the other side can actually see you."

Your expression while thanking, encouraging or even apologising to the customer should be the same as if talking face to face.
Anurag Bansal

While Anurag does not mean 'see' literally, she adds: "Your expression while thanking, encouraging or even apologising to the customer should be the same as if talking face to face. Your tone and expression should be genuine as fake words come out fake."

Another example of this would be when using empathy statements, as if the advisor does not sound empathetic when using them, the customer may think that they are not being listened to or, worse, ridiculed.

So, make sure tone and expression are taken into account, and you will have the perfect phrases for customer service...

The Top 25 Empathy Statements

When using the phone, empathy statements allow an advisor to establish a connection with the person that they are communicating with.

These statements create trust and mutual understanding, which can bring great benefits to customer service interactions.

While we go into more detail of what makes a great empathy statement in our article " 18 Empathy Statements That Help Improve Customer-Agent Rapport ", here are 25 great examples to try out in the contact centre.

1. "I would feel the same in your situation, but we will sort this out..."

2. "I know how frustrating it can be - let's see how I can help you..."

3. "I completely understand how frustrating it is..."

4. "I appreciate how difficult it is to..."

5. "We will work to resolve the problem. You just enjoy your (birthday/holidays/Christmas break, etc.), and I will be in touch shortly."

6. "We are keen to resolve this as much as you are..."

7. "If I were in your position, I would feel exactly the same..."

If I were in your position, I would feel exactly the same...

8. "I appreciate you bringing this to our attention..."

9. "I will contact you as soon as we have had an update."

10. "Definitely, you are making perfect sense."

11. "I can assure you that this will absolutely happen."

12. "We will help you get this issue resolved."

13. "Apologies for the wait, I appreciate your patience."

14. "Don't worry, I can see why you did that."

Don't worry, I can see why you did that.

15. "Yes, that would certainly frustrate me too."

16. "What I would do in this situation is..."

17. "How do you feel about..."

18. "I know others who have been in your situation and what we did to successfully help them was..."

19. "Just so we know what we're aiming for, what would be the best-case scenario for you."

20. "Absolutely, I can certainly fix that for you."

21. "I will quickly put this into action for you and then everything will be back to normal."

I will quickly put this into action for you and then everything will be back to normal.

22. "Just so I can clarify and help you, the problem is..."

23. "I'm afraid that we cannot offer you X, but what I can do for you is..."

24. "I am going to take care of this for you."

25. "That does sound frustrating, let's see what I can do to help."

To find other phrases like this, read our article: 18 Empathy Statements That Help Improve Customer-Agent Rapport

How are you Using our Positive Words, Phrases and Empathy Statements?

It has been great for us to see that you have been putting these words, phrases and empathy statements into practice in your contact centres.

We received a great example from a contact centre in the Philippines of how they printed our lead image on their contact centre walls, as shown below:

Closer to home, we have also seen other contact centres do this. Neopost's contact centre in Romford was one such contact centre, using some of our words on their contact centre walls, like so:
Have you discovered any other positive words and phrases that work for you?
So, to all contact centres, from around the world, who are doing this, thank you for your all of your nice messages and continued readership!

Originally published in June 2006. Updated in February 2018.

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Top 25 Positive Words, Phrases and Empathy Statements

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In a service environment, the language that we use has a huge impact on customer emotions. In a sales environment this is even more critical. Here we have not only put together a list of the top 25 positive words to improve customer service, but we have also done the same for positive phrases and empathy statements.