Public Speaking

I often recommend that you record yourself.  Yup.  Record yourself.  

(I’ll wait while you calm down.)

It might not be your favourite thing but it’s something that will help you immensely.  Here’s one of the things you’ll be able to examine:  your filler words.

Many of us have words we default to, especially while we’re trying to think.  

“Um” used to be widespread.  It’s been joined by:

“Ah”

“So”

“Sort of”

“Kind of”

and many more of that ilk. 

Fillers get in the way of what you want to say.  Taken to their limits, they can make a nonsense out of sentences and turn your message into a word salad that your listeners eventually turn away from.  

When they become repetitive, you’ll find yourself on a Christmas bingo card, where other people mark down every time you say your favourite.

A few don’t matter, and that’s where the recording comes in.  Listen to yourself and pick out what your fillers are.  Then ask someone else if they’re affecting how well you’re understood.

If your fillers are obscuring your message, swap them for pauses.  That takes a bit of practice but you’ve got a perfect opportunity when you speak to others over the holidays.  Good luck! 
And, an apology to finish with.  Once you hear these things in other people, you can’t unhear them.  Sorry. 😉