In-neutral / Caution url
Investing a lot of money in a startup
- I think there’s danger lurking ahead.
- Something about the whole situation smells.
- I’m going to proceed with caution with all deliberate speed.
- I’m going to get to the bottom of it.
- It’s too early to tell.
- The stakes are high.
- I’m going to try to be patient.
- Everything’s up in the air.
- Is the potential reward worth the risk?
- It might be too good to be true.
- It might be like reaching for the moon.
- It might take a while before the truth comes out.
- I can’t have it both ways.
- I shouldn’t count my chickens before they’re hatched.
- I might be making a big mistake.
- Don’t get too comfortable, because the situation is fluid and unpredictable, and could change at any moment.
- Let's give it time, and see how it plays out, because there could be a considerable upside potential.
Investing a lot of money in a startup
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
I’m trying to see your viewpoint-1
- What are you trying to say?
- I’ll think about it.
- I’m open to your suggestions.
- I’m trying to see it through your eyes.
- I’m willing to learn.
- I’ll think about it and let you know.
- You’re entitled to your opinion.
- Just what do you mean by that?
- I’ll try to keep it in mind.
- You want to run that by me again?
- Can you tell me the difference?
I’m trying to see your viewpoint-1
In-negative / Explaining url
Coming home drunk
- I couldn’t help myself.
- I guess things got to me.
- I did it on the spur of the moment.
- My head is spinning.
- I’m about to drop.
- Unfortunately it’s become my security blanket.
- It’s been a rough night.
- I feel like a worn out dish rag.
- With a little bit of luck things will soon get back to normal.
- The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
- I could use some moral support.
- I hate to admit it, but it was beyond my control.
- I’ve never had any problems in that area before.
- There’s a first time for everything.
- You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
- I'm going through a rough time.
Coming home drunk
In-positive / Confidence url
Handing in a task to boss ahead of schedule
- I’m on a roll.
- I’ve been as busy as a bee.
- I’ve gotten the hang of it.
- You ain’t seen nothing yet.
- In order to get this to happen, I had to jump through hoops.
- Sign, sealed and delivered.
- Well that takes care of that.
- What did I tell you?
Handing in a task to boss ahead of schedule
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Let’s work things out-3
- It’s easy to have 20-20 vision about things that happened in the past.
- We both have to admit that neither one of us saw it coming.
- There are no guarantees.
- Let’s get it out in the open.
- So what’s the bottom line?
- Now let’s get things out in the open.
- We both want the same thing.
- Let’s have the whole story out in the open.
- I’ll be glad to answer any questions you might have.
- Take all the time in the world.
- It doesn’t have to be that way.
- If that’s all right with you.
- Does it really matter?
- I’ll give it a try.
Let’s work things out-3
In-neutral / Caution url
Telling someone a secret
- The less said about it the better.
- Don’t breathe a word of it.
- I was sworn to secrecy.
- Mum’s the word.
- This could be something that I might come to regret.
- This might be against my better judgement.
- I have to ask myself, why am I doing this?
Telling someone a secret
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a friend who just scored the winning shot of a basketball game
- I think you’ve been doing your homework.
- You’ve done it again.
- You saved the day.
- I’ve really got to hand it to you.
- That’s my man.
- You’ve got the magic touch.
- It’s your lucky day.
- Your timing was perfect.
- The opportunity landed in your lap, and you made the most of it.
- Way to go!
- Attaboy!
To a friend who just scored the winning shot of a basketball game
In-positive / Determination url
General during battle
- We’ll see what we can do to rectify the situation.
- Never, never, never give up.
- I’m a stubborn man.
- You’ve got to be tough as leather.
- Don’t give up the ship.
- That’s an order.
- Might makes right.
- I have no choice but to take matters in my own hands.
- If the enemy breaches our last line of defense, will we have to defend our position with all we've got.
- I’ve just begun to fight.
- I’ll take my chances.
- I’ll guard it with my life.
- I’m determined to go through with the plan.
- This is the moment of truth that will test our mettle, to see what stuff we are really made of.
- It’s now or never.
- It’s above and beyond the call of duty.
- We shall overcome.
- We’ve crossed the point of no return.
General during battle
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Try to see my viewpoint-1
- Look at it through my eyes.
- Just think about it.
- Listen to reason.
- Let me put it another way.
- Look at it from my point of view.
- I hope that’s not too much to ask.
- See how you like it.
- That just about covers it.
- I want something to show for it.
- I’d be lying if I said otherwise.
- What’s fair is fair.
Try to see my viewpoint-1
Out-neutral / Advice url
Caution-3
- We’ve got to lay low for a while until the whole things blows over.
- Play your cards close to your vest.
- It’ll come back to haunt you.
- My advice is to keep your eye on it.
- You might regret it for the rest of your life.
- You’re fighting a loosing battle.
- Take everything they say with a grain of salt.
- Your life may depend on it.
- I have a feeling that you might be starting off on the wrong foot.
- Handle it with kid gloves.
- The bigger they are the harder they fall.
- You really have to watch out for things like that.
- Steer clear of it.
- You’re skating on thin ice.
- Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.
- The odds are against you.
- There are no guarantees.
- It will get you when you least expect it.
- He’s not playing with a full deck.
- That defeats the whole purpose.
- It's unpredictable, and it’s a close call, going down to the wire, and we might not have a clear indication of where it's heading until the last minute - and then it might be too late to change course to salvage the situation.
Caution-3
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a fellow worker who was scolded for being late too often
- Between you and me, I think you got off pretty easy this time.
- You put up a good front.
- You and I know that you can do better than that.
- That’s to be expected.
- I’d say you got off easy.
- It’s not earth shattering.
- What did you expect?
- You need to stand up for yourself.
- It happens to the best of us.
- You and I know that you can do better than that.
To a fellow worker who was scolded for being late too often
In-negative / Explaining url
After investing in worthless land
- I fell for it hook, line and sinker.
- I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
- I should have known.
- It seemed like the right to do thing at the time.
- It took me totally by surprise.
- I was talked into it.
- The thought that this would be such a bad decision never crossed my mind.
- There’s not a whole lot I can do about it at this point.
- That never would have dawned on me.
- I didn’t see it coming.
- In theory that was how it was supposed to play out, but in actuality that’s not what happened.
- How was I supposed to know that?
- It beats me how that could have happened.
- It was an honest mistake.
- It could happen to anyone.
- I’m sorry that things didn’t work out the way I expected them to.
- I found out the hard way.
- The thought never even crossed my mind.
- That was something I wasn’t even aware of.
- Frankly, it’s just not something I could have anticipated.
- That’s something I just didn’t count on.
- They really took me to the cleaners.
- I must admit, from the beginning the whole thing wasn’t clear to me, and went way over my head.
- I was a sitting duck.
- I was being penny wise and pound foolish.
After investing in worthless land