Word has it that words are powerful. Like a double edged sword words can cut both ways, they can build up and they can also destroy. Gary Chapman in his book “Love as a Way of Life” describes words as bullets or seeds, depending on how we use them.
Both Martin Luther King Jr and Adolf Hitler used words to inspire their followers; the former positively, the latter negatively. Till this day their results speak for themselves.
Sir Winston Churchill was another gifted orator who like other leaders of his time inspired men to lay their lives down in defense of fellow men.
Most entrepreneurs, business owners and marketers know how difficult it is to persuade people to part with their hard earned money let alone their lives. Yet, with the right combination of words and emotion, men have convinced fellow men to part with their precious lives.
Indeed words are powerful.
Words have started and sustained some of the deadliest wars and conflicts in human history. From the Cold War to the World Wars, war of words have played major roles.
Thankfully, wars and hostilities have also ceased because words were rightly used to broker ceasefires and peace meetings.
Aren’t words so powerful!
Scientific Evidences Proving the Power of Words
Myth has it that curses/spells have been used to fell stubborn trees in parts of Solomon Islands. These curses or harsh words are spoken over the trees to weaken and eventually kill them.
Away from myths, science has shown that indeed words are powerful.
Case 1: The Plant Experiment
Plants are placed in three different rooms.
- Plant 1 in Room 1 receives only kind words.
- Plant 2 in Room 2 receives very harsh, bitter words
- Plant 3 in Room 3 is control, receives no words whatsoever.
After some days Plant 1 was found to be the healthiest followed by Plant 3. Plant 2 was found to be the worst off, nearly dying.
Case 2:
Dr. Masaru Emoto was a Japanese scientist and water researcher who has conducted series of studies on water.
Using high speed photography of water crystals and MRA, he has been able to establish that words and vibrations affect the molecular structure of water.
Kind words like Mother Theresa’s produced a beautiful molecular structure, harsh words like Hitler’s produced a terribly distorted structure.
Words at Work
In the following examples we see some more instances of the power of words in action.
PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE
Boxers and wrestlers do this often. They use verbal and non-verbal threats to intimidate their opponents and psychologically defeat them before ever the fight starts.
DATES TO HATE
Some first dates have gone horribly wrong because the wrong words were said unintentionally or as a joke, triggering all kinds of emotions and negative reactions.
PITCHING
Some entrepreneurs happen to have bright startup ideas but lack the skills to effectively communicate and convince investors to buy in. In fact, some unintentionally sabotage their business ideas by using the wrong words.
MARKETING
Good marketers are able to clearly communicate and convey the benefits of their goods or services to customers and cause them to purchase. This skill is even more critical for digital marketers who have zero to little in-person contact with clients.
ADVERTS
Throughout history, advertisers have used words (alone or in combination with other media) to create craving and drive demand. From radio, through TV to the internet, advertisers know how to coin and use words to land a sale.
CALLS-TO-ACTION
A powerful, convincing piece of writing or presentation could fail to convert if there’s no definite call to action. A good call to action ensures this and this depends on the choice of words used.
TedEx, Goal Cast etc, are two popular platforms where accomplished speakers are invited to share their knowledge, expertise and experiences. These serve to educate, inform and above all motivate their listeners.
Words and Entrepreneurs: The Connection
Books like Think and Grow Rich, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Richest Man in Babylon etc, have inspired me to start businesses.
The following Twitter profile is an interesting, simple and powerful way to motivate and inspire entrepreneurship.
Words like this inspire the entrepreneur within each of us, encouraging us to try new things, reach new goals and above all become better people.
Little wonder entrepreneurs are some of the most respected motivational speakers and thought leaders.
Ways in Which Words Can Affect Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship isn’t always bread and butter. Some entrepreneurs invest sweat, blood, tears and years to build a solid business.
Some other entrepreneurs battle stress on a daily or constant basis. If harsh words can affect plants and water, then they can also do damage to entrepreneurs, in some cases, lasting damage.
Just like some have started businesses due to words of encouragement, others have quit business due to words of discouragement, some have even committed suicide as a result.
4 Reasons for Entrepreneurs to Stay Motivated
- The Unknown Mentee
There’s possibly someone somewhere who is being inspired and motivated simply by watching the way you do business. Don’t let them down.
- Your Staff
Your staff are looking up to you as the leader for inspiration, motivation and direction. Having constant bad moods can affect the workplace environment. Workers want to leave and customers don’t want to stay.
- Your Business Partners
Happy smiling business men are fun to be around and do business with. Nobody wants to do business with a grumpy, whiny, entrepreneurs.
- You
Being in the right frame of mind helps entrepreneurs face the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and achieve more in any given day, which will bring a sense of fulfilment which is key for achieving more.
Receiving constant dose of motivation inspires entrepreneurs and helps them create conducive and harmonious workplace when they in turn motivate and inspire their staff.
Conclusion
You can get words of motivation from
- Books
- Friends
- Family
- Fellow Entrepreneurs
- Staff
- Customers
- Quotes
- Faith/Religion
- Television
- Reading
