How many times have you heard someone stumble during a presentation or a conversation because they were trying to recount an insignificant detail?
Cutting these moments out of our speech is a strong way to sound smarter and more confident right away.
Rather than say, “Back in 1997, well, actually, maybe it was 98′. Well, I’m not sure.”
Say “About 20 years ago…” then tell the story.
This goes for most little details. Odds are, the person listening doesn’t care if you started your job in February or March, or what day of the week it was that you got an exciting email, or that it was the seventh time you went hiking that year.
These exact numbers aren’t important to the story. Give broad estimates like “in the spring” or “one day” and “a handful” to keep your words moving.
You’ll sound smarter, more confident and your stories won’t bore people with meaningless details.