Practice | The Ideal Communicator

Aug 24

“How do I get rid of the “um’s” and “uh’s” in my speeches?

Question: “I’ve been told that I say the words “um” and ”uh” throughout my presentation. Most of the time I don’t even notice that I say them. How do I get rid of this habit?” - Josh, Montreal QC

Answer: I’ve got good news for you – the very fact that you’re aware that you’re using these “filler words” will get you that much closer to stopping it. Here are a few things to try to eliminate – or at the very least, reduce – these words from your speaking vocabulary:

1. Practice! When you are using the “um” “ah” “like” or any other filler word, it’s typically because you are thinking “on the spot”. A well-rehearsed speech, knowing your material well, and practicing out loud will help you avoid having to do your thinking during delivery.

2. Record yourself while practicing so you can hear where you tend to “um” and “ah” the most. Then you’ll know when they’re most likely to occur so that you can address them before they happen.

3. Instead of a using filler word, pause. As soon as you think you’re about to say one, simply pause, let the filler word pass in silence, and then continue your speech. The added bonus of pausing is that it helps a speaker emphasize a point, and can add impact to a speech.

Fretting over one or two “um’s” in a longer presentation is not anything to worry about. The time to get concerned is when your audience is so distracted by your “um’s” that they stop paying attention to your message. So fix what you can, give yourself a break, and keep on speaking!

Jul 27

“How can I be confident when English is my 2nd/3rd language?”

Question: “English is not my first language, so I really want to make sure that my audience understands me. As a result, I often read my whole presentation from my notes so that my grammar and vocabulary is precise. However, this means that I’m not making eye contact with the audience, and I know that’s important as well. What should I focus on more — making sure that my content is grammatically correct, or looking at the audience?”
- Ling, Montreal, QC

Answer: It’s far more important for you to make eye contact with your audience. Technically, if you’re simply reading your content word for word, you’ve gone from being a ’speaker’ to being a ‘reader.’ It’s the easier way out, and you’ll be assured that your grammar is correct, but there’s a much greater chance that you’ll lose your audience’s attention this way.

Try this exercise — imagine yourself in an audience where the speaker reads their full speech and doesn’t look up once to make eye contact with you (the “reader”). Then imagine yourself listening to a speaker who makes the occasional grammatical error or takes an extra second to search for the right words — but they are making the effort and really trying to connect with you (the “speaker”). Which one is more engaging? Which one would you rather listen to? Most people would choose the speaker, even if they have to put up with some errors. The truth is, audiences don’t expect a speaker to be perfect. But faced with a speaker who has put in some obvious preparation time and is clearly making an effort, versus a reader who hides behind their notes… I’d bet on the speaker every time.

That being said, you may have to put more time into speech preparation — and practice — to ensure that you’re comfortable with what you want to say and how you want to say it. But you’ll make a better impression every time.

May 11

Public speaking question — “How often should I practice?”

Question: “What’s the rule-of-thumb for how often I should practice my presentation? I want to be very familiar with my content, but don’t want it to look too memorized.” – James, Calgary

Answer: There is no magic number that dictates how often you should practice prior to your presentation. However, you probably want to practice however often it takes for you to become comfortable enough with your content so that you won’t have to rely on notes or PowerPoint slides to get you through it. At the same time, practice with an eye on your delivery style. Do you fidget? Do you smile and look around the room? Do you sway from side-to-side? Give your presentation in front of a mirror, a video camera, or some friends or colleagues who will give you honest feedback. This way, you’ll monitor both what you say, and how you say it, so that you can master the content AND delivery of your presentation.

Congratulations on building in some practice time into your preparations, and not ‘winging it.’ You’ll be more in control, feel less nervous, and look like a real professional.

Do you have a question about public speaking? Email your questions to info@idealcommunications.ca and I’ll answer it in a future blog post.

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