Do you start sentences with the same words?

Often, this is a frustration of my clients! My clients work on accent modification, business communication and presentation skills. Frequently, people start most of their sentences with “so” and “and.” Consequently, their message is less effective.

Incredibly, our attention span has dropped to that of a goldfish! Hence, speakers need to constantly reengage listeners. One way to catch your listener’s attention is to use “sentence starters” or “signal words.” These words and phrases alert the listener to the information that is coming next.

The figure below presents sequential sentence starters. For example, using the simple order words of first, second, third and last, organizes the information for your listener and keeps you organized too!

Now consider the following sentence starters. Causal relations between information are important to listeners. The following words will make your listener “perk up” to hear the important relationship that you are sharing with them.

Mastering the use of sentence starters and transitions words take conscious effort. Consequently, it will be helpful to have a list of words that you can easily consult. Let me encourage you to copy these figures and keep them handy to help you advance your communication.

I offer free strategy sessions. During these sessions we will talk about your communication needs and professional goals. I will outline one or more methods that will help you meet your needs. Schedule your free session today!