How did I develop the habit of saying 'um' and 'er' in the first place?
In normal conversations, we have a rough idea of what to say before we start speaking. We're relaxed. We speak because we want to. We know the idea that we want to express. We have selected the most appropriate words to convey the thought. We speak confidently.
It is when we want to continue speaking that problems can arise. We are now thinking on our feet. We have to decide what else to say. We have to choose a suitable follow-up sentence, select the appropriate words and quickly judge if we are making sense to the listener. This only takes a moment but the silence while it happens can make us anxious. We want to say something more, and we want the listener to keep listening, so we indicate this with sounds, usually 'um' or 'er'. We call these 'filler words'.
When we are prepared and can handle silence when pausing, we will reduce our filler words.
Why should I stop saying 'um' 'er', 'you know' during a presentation?
When you eliminate filler words, there are benefits for both you and the audience. You sound:
More prepared
More confident
More credible
The benefits for you as the speaker, when you prepare and practise your speech, is that you know what to say. Those awkward silences of "What shall I say next?" are gone. This gives you a feeling of confidence. You have something to say, you know what it is, and you deliver with conviction.
The benefits for the audience, when they hear a speaker who is prepared and confident, is that they can relax and concentrate on the message. They realise the speaker knows their subject and can trust what they say. However, when the speaker is nervous or hesitates, this anxiety transfers to the audience and they become more aware of the speaker than the message.
How can I stop using filler words in my presentation?
We tend to use filler words when we need time to think about what we will say next. We want to think and also continue speaking. This results in those meaningless sounds like 'um' and 'er'. When we get comfortable with short silences, we benefit ourselves and also our audience.
Pauses benefits us because we have time to organise the next thought we want to convey. Also, we can use a pause to create a dramatic effect by emphasising the word after the pause. Pauses benefit the audience because they have time to reflect on what has just been said.
Conclusion
I hope this session on avoiding filler words has been useful. You have seen how preparation and pausing can increase your confidence and credibility. Audiences need time to process what you have said and the pause gives them this opportunity. Wishing you every success.
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