How to, like, stop using filler words, and erm, speak with credibility.

Filler-words are a natural part of human communication.

They help conversations between people to flow more effortlessly.

But when speaking professionally, they transform from conversation virtue, into communication vice!

Because if you're delivering a presentation, speaking from stage, or simply trying to express something important - too many filler words becomes an annoying distraction that dis-engages your audience.

We have plenty of favourites in English:

"uhm, so, kind of, you know…"

All the classics.

But filler-words actually show up in languages all around the world.

• In Arabic, they use “ya’ani” (I mean to say…)
• In Japanese they say “eeto” (Umm…)
• & in Hindi it’s common to use “jaanate ho” (You know…

While I was travelling through Italy performing in a theatre tour, I was amused to learn the word “Alora” was the Italian filler-word of choice. Once I learned what it meant, I started to hear it used everywhere.

Therein lies the first step to overcoming filler words: awareness. 

Step 1: Develop awareness of your filler-word habits.

If you’ve ever heard a presenter unconsciously start each sentence with “kind of”, and end each sentence with “so”, you’ll understand why uncontrolled filler-words are a deadly sin of public speaking.

It’s what we lovingly call a “credibility killer”.

If you want your credibility to avoid meeting this fate, you need to develop greater self-awareness when speaking.

It’s only when you become acutely aware of the filler words you’re using, that you gain the power to stop them. 

You’ll know this is happening when you start catching yourself mid-sentence every time a “like” pops up.

Once you’re suitably frustrated with yourself (and others) for overusing filler-words, you’re ready for step two.

Step 2: Practise replacing your filler-words with pauses.

Filler words are a verbal habit, and like any bad habit, it’s much easier to replace it with something better, than trying to simply eliminate it. Fortunately, we have just the thing...

Pausing.

Pauses are to filler-words, what fresh fruit smoothies are to a quitting smoker. 

(a dodgy analogy but let’s go with it…)

At first, it’s difficult to make the transition. But eventually you feel (and sound) much better.

Pausing is one of the most powerful yet unappreciated tools in our communication arsenal. By replacing your fillers words with pauses, you benefit from a double-whammy of added authority:

1. Less fillers: means you sound more articulate, intelligent and professional.
2. More pauses: means you sound more authoritative, confident and engaging.

But what if those pesky fillers just wont stop creeping into your communications?

Here’s where the final step comes in.

Step 3: Slow your speaking pace to maintain control.

Speaking too quickly adds jet-fuel to your filler-word engine.

You may want to get through that presentation as quickly as humanly possible, but by doing so your FPM (fillers-per-minute) will sky-rocket.

It’s impossible to replace your filler-words with meaningful pauses while speaking at break-neck speed. 

So the final step in this process is to considerably slow down your normal speaking pace. 

This is sometimes easier said than done. Most of us are used to fast-talking conversations and meetings, where slowing down risks being interrupted and losing the attention of the room.

But if you’re addressing an audience, guess what - no one's going to interrupt you! It’s safe to slow down, and more than that - it’s necessary. 

Because by slowing the pace, we give our brain time to fetch our next thoughts. It allows pauses to happen naturally, helps the audience to keep-up, and makes filler-words obsolete. 

TLDR:

So here’s your simple three step formula for banishing filler-words one and for all: 

1. Develop awareness of your filler-words and speaking habits.
2. Practise replacing your filler-words with pauses.
3. Slow your pace to maintain control.

Each of these steps will drastically improve your public speaking on their own, but combine them together, and you’ll quickly be the most articulate person in the room.

Start practising this today: in your next conversation, try to speak without using a single  filler-word, and pay attention to what happens. 

Ready to speak with authentic charisma? Visit my site:

Public Speaking for Professionals with Project Charisma

Article originally posted here.