When you speak too directly, you may lead to a conflict and the person you are negotiating with may feel offended or the reality you show may seem too unbearable. That’s why is better to use qualifiers.
The qualifiers help us to soften a direct statement to make it bearable.
Here are some of them:
- a bit
Example: Don’t say: That equipment is too expensive for us.
Say: That equipment is a bit too expensive for us.
- a little
Example:
Don’t say: This equipment is expensive.
Say: ’This equipment is a little expensive.’
- a little bit
Example:
We are a little bit behind schedule but we’ll catch up soon.
- small, one or two
We may have one or two small problems with our new equipment.
Everybody will work from home, with one or two exceptions.
- short
We may have one or two short delays with the platform launching.
- slight
Taxes have increased. This is going to be a slight change in our prices.
- slightly
I am slightly busy this week, can we postpone the meeting?
