Power words get right down to the nitty-gritty. For example, rather than writing "Friendliness is the salesman's best asset," replace "friendliness" with "a smile". The new sentence with the power word would read, "A smile is a salesman's best asset." Friendliness conveys a series of things, including generosity, perhaps a twinkle in the salesman's eye or a free gift. But, a smile is a smile is a smile.

Because power words are perceived as dominant and commanding, it is important to understand when to use them effectively. Overkill – the use of a particular power word on several occasions (perhaps even in the same paragraph) – might be perceived as too aggressive. A caution to readers: there is a danger in using these types of words because a businessperson could be perceived as undiplomatic, aggressive or simply redundant if they are used excessively.

Power words are active words

A final point

Article sections:

Introduction
Power words are plain
Power words are active words
Power words are accurate
A final point