Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Sounding “professional” used to be a compliment and a hallmark of a high performer. In today’s world, however, we recognize that white supremacy is a huge contributing factor to the term “professional” in the workplace. There are better ways to be a good communicator without focusing on sounding professional.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Language and speech have historically been used to maintain power and control over marginalized groups. White slave owners would often require their slaves to learn English and speak “properly” as a way to reinforce their power and control. In many other contexts, speaking with a “proper” or “professional” accent has been used as a way to signal education, intelligence, and social status, often to the disadvantage of those who don’t conform to these norms.

Professional communication has additional problems aside from colonist history. Often, people trying to sound professional come across as overly formal, stoic, insincere, arrogant, and possibly intimidating. Many people use complex language, technical terms, or buzzwords and jargon that seem disingenuous when you’re trying to have a conversation.

There are ways to be a good communicator and build better connections without worrying about sounding “professional”.

Clear and concise language is a great starting point. Years ago, I heard a term that stuck with me: word conservation. The point is to use as few words as necessary to convey your message. This boils down to being clear and concise. When you can achieve this, you’ve already won the communication game!

Confidence is also a huge factor to consider when communicating. This does not mean you need to be an extrovert. It simply means believing in what you’re saying and the value you are bringing to the conversation. You know what you’re talking about, and by projecting confidence, others will believe that as well!

Those who exude their own personality usually have an easier time making authentic connections with others. We all like people we can relate to. Just remember, not everyone will resonate with you…and that’s OK! You want to find your community, where everyone can be themselves – not a professional network built on the surface level.

If you want to be more concise with your networking pitch, or more confident when speaking with others, hit me up. I can help!

~April

april@semiconventional.com

https://www.instagram.com/semi.conventional/

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