Proverbs 16:24 says that pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. In business and in all of life, the words that we use can often be the determining factor between success and failure.

It is amazing how much power and authority we hold in this little instrument called our mouth. It’s true, just as the Bible says, “There is power of life and death in our tongue.” In our personal life for example, when dealing with our spouse, our children, or our friends, we can fill them with so much self-respect and confidence if we choose to continuously build them up with words of encouragement. Or we can destroy how they feel about themselves by bombarding them with negative and degrading comments.

The same holds true in business. Because at the end of the day, business is about people and our relationships with them. The words we use can make all the difference as to whether or not we win the deal or get the promotion. It’s critical to not only choose the right words to use, but to deliver them in the right way.

So as we deal with our employees, vendors, and customers, it’s important that we focus on leveraging words that build them up, and cause them to want to do business with us. I want to encourage you to be a person who offers pleasant words to everyone in your life, both at home and at work. You will not only experience inner peace on a personal level, but your business relationships will thrive as well. When you do this, you will be applying the truth at work.