Tip Thursday - Communication

Clean the 'filler' words out of your speech to sound more knowledgeable and professional. Those Ums, Uhs, Likes and You Knows will make you sound nervous and uncomfortable.  An additional one to watch for is the use of the word 'So' at the beginning of sentences.  Using a filler word once or twice in a meeting are not an issue, however the greater the frequency the greater the issue.  Repetitive use can damage your credibility.  The first step in eliminating them from your speech is using audiotape to learn to hear the fillers.  You can't change 'em if you can't hear 'em. Making eye contact with your audience is also helpful.  Most people's fillers occur when they are not looking at their audience.  Greater eye contact should translate out to fewer fillers.  Additionally, spend time on pre-planning your transitions from one topic to another.  This is usually a hotspot for the appearance of fillers.  A little pre-planning can go a long way to helping you reduce the fillers that might creep in as you struggle to shift your focus.