Would you like to be a better writer?
Would you like to be a more effective public speaker?
Would you like to engage donors in conversations that are more meaningful?
I have some good news for you. Being a more successful communicator is easier than you think. Here is just one simple thing you can do immediately:
Stop using the word “very.”
A few weeks ago, Greta Vaitkeviciute, Advertising Manager at Altechna, shared the following terrific graphic on LinkedIn:
Reviewing the graphic reminded me of a conversation I had with my editor when I was writing my book, Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing.
I confess that I was a frequent user of the word very. My editor called me on my lazy writing habit, and pointed out that very is a modifier that does not truly enhance the text. She went on to strike virtually all uses of the word from my draft manuscript. With some effort, I began to make the necessary edits. Soon, dropping very became second nature, much to the relief of my editor. I still included very in my book a number of times for tone and style. However, I used the modifier far less than I would have otherwise. As a result, my writing was much stronger, and I was able to communicate more effectively with my readers.
Having benefitted from scaling back my own usage of very, I can confidently recommend that you also weed out very from your communications.
Vaitkeviciute provided two-dozen great words you can use instead of very. The list could have been much longer. For example, never use the phrase “very unique.” Something is either unique or it is not; there are not various shades of uniqueness. Instead, you can say, “exceedingly rare,” “most unusual,” “one-of-a-kind,” or any number of more descriptive, appropriate phrases.
Here is an important tip to keep in mind:
Whenever you feel the urge to use very, take a moment to consider if there is a better way to express yourself. If you do, you will instantly be a better communicator.
What additional replacements for very can you think of? What other words do you wish people would stop using?
That’s what Michael Rosen says… What do you say?
Michael Rosen Says... 