I just wanted…

Have you ever received this email or LinkedIn message; "I just wanted to let you know about some service or product I have…", or "I saw your profile and just wanted to blah blah blah….". Even worse, a co-worker or manager working on a project begins a note with, "I just wanted to update you on"? 

I "just" shut down. I know immediately that I'm about to hear a weak, unfocused update or request, and my head will hurt. 

Words matter. 

Powerful words have an impact, and so do weak words.

(c) Geran de Klerk gerandeklerk.com

A weak sentence looks like this: "I'd like to request some additional funding for our Cleveland project."  

A powerful statement looks like this: "Our project in Cleveland needs $125,000 in additional funding for infrastructure to be on time and spec. I'm going to take five minutes to give you an overview of what has changed and what we are doing about it."  

In the second case, you have clearly stated what you want and your intention to explain the situation and action plan. You will consistently get better engagement with this strategy, even if you don't always get what you want.  

Go forth with power.

Footnote: One of my favorite "Power of Words" article is a Fast Company story from over 20 years ago (https://www.fastcompany.com/36313/power-words). It is a bit over the top, but you will get the point.