“Like, I went to this show….”

“He was like…”

“So I told her to like go and like try to….”

“Like, you know what I mean…”

Here it is in plain english.  Stop saying the word like so much.  It makes you sound dumb.  You’re not dumb.  Why would you want to come across that way?

As someone who speaks about building a personal brand that is reflective of you, your skills, your talents and everything else you bring to the table, I want to let you know that “peppering” your conversations with the word like is, without a doubt, a knock to your credibility and intelligence.

You know who says like the most?  Young professionals.

Stop it.  You’re smarter than that.

Now, I understand that this word is engrained in our culture and yes, there are times when we all say it, but using it after every word – or every other word – is ridiculous.  I know you know it is.

Also, I do understand many people are uncomfortable in a public speaking situation.  I get it.  The word like seems to be a default that people fall back on.  My advice is to practice  (in the mirror if you can… it sounds nerdy but it works) cutting that word out of your presentation.

That’s not what I’m talking about though.  I’m talking about the everyday, conversational use of the word like.

Avoid saying:  “I like really want to like go see that {insert anything}.”

Instead, say: “I want to go see that {insert anything}”.

Can you see how the first statement makes you sound stupid? You’re not stupid.  You’re intelligent, talented and competent.  What you say is a reflection of who you are and what you’re about. Whether you like it or not, this is true.

With this in mind, my advice for you is to start being aware of when, and how often, you say the word like.  It sounds like a little thing but it makes a huge difference when presenting yourself to new clients, a recruiter, a potential partner or anyone, really.

You’re better than that.