'I think you're going to find this interesting...'

First, I'd like to share something about preambles. Also, 7 other things worth your time.

My wife's uncle had a successful sales career. Once, when he wanted to share a story with me, I got an insight into one of his secrets. He started by saying:

"Bill, I think you're really going to find this interesting ... "

It was a smart introduction. Just a few short words, seemingly extraneous, but they subtly put the focus on me, not him.

They suggested he'd chosen this particular story not just because he wanted to tell it, but also because he thought I'd like to hear it. I couldn't help myself; it made me want to listen.

It's funny how small things, a short preamble, can communicate so much.

But, it works both ways, positive and negative. 

Writing in The New York Times a while back, Molly Worthen, an assistant professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, called out three words she thinks people should stop using:

"I feel like ... "

The idea is that qualifying an opinion like this undercuts it. It makes it sound as if you're not even sure of what you're sayi…