So, Like, Listen To Me? I’m A Professional?

Image courtesy of Moronail.net

“And he was like, you know, ‘Helloooo, what are you looking at?’ and stuff, and I’m like, you know, ‘Can I, like, pick you up?,’ and he goes, like, ‘Brrrp brrrp brrrp,’ and I’m like, you know, ‘Whoa, that is so wow!’ ” — (Courtesy of Clark Whelton).

Anyone care to take a guess what this quotation is talking referring to? Anyone? Bueller? This woman is describing a baby squirrel that was playing in her yard. Don’t worry, I had no idea either. But is this how people today actually communicate? Unfortunately, but not too surprisingly, yes. Speechwriter Clark Whelton’s blog post for City Journal titled “What Happens in Vagueness Stays in Vagueness: The decline and fall of American English, and stuff” examines how this type of language is increasingly common. He writes that beginning in the 1980s, people have been “speaking in self-quotations, sound effects, and other vocabulary substitutes, punctuating sentences with facial tics and lateral eye shifts.” Even more frighteningly, this odd and almost primitive speech pattern is just as prevalent among young, educated professionals, claims Whelton, and it’s costing them entry-level jobs.

As a public relations student and (not so distant) future practitioner, I like to consider myself a strong communicator. However, I admit that I am also guilty of soiling my conversations with interrogative inflections and “like,” my filler word of choice. My mother will actually stop me mid-story to tell me how obnoxious I sound, and the scary part is, I sometimes don’t even hear it! I usually concede that I am just a product of my generation.

That excuse simply won’t cut it anymore. If my peers and I want to be taken seriously in the professional world, we need to get over this communication handicap. Here is a list of ways to develop the skills for effective and eloquent speaking:

1. Be slow: Remind yourself to slow your speech to avoid filler words and awkward transitions. (This is my biggest oral obstacle because I have a natural habit of talking a mile a minute, and when I’m nervous, it kicks up to warp speed)

2. Be prepared: This may seem obvious, but know what you’re going to say before you say it! This will avoid losing your train of thought and making random pauses while you search for the right word.

3. Be curious: Read constantly! Google definitions! Buy a word of the day calendar! The more you expand your vocabulary, the more accurate and descriptive your speech will become, and the smarter you will sound.

These tips will strengthen the credibility of young PR practitioners and make us more confident in our communication skills. Remember, it’s not “So, Like, Listen To Me? I’m A Professional?” It’s “Listen to me. I’m a professional.”