Filler words are killer words that can overshadow an otherwise great sales presentation by driving the audience to distraction.
Filler words are those verbal pauses and missteps like Um and Ah, or thrown in words such as Ya Know or Like.
For an example of the negative effects of filler words we need look no further than today’s YouTube headlines. Caroline is a serious-minded and intelligent person. Her content is strong, but, the filler words weakened her overall message. (Watch the Video)
We can see how filler words can weaken your message; what can we do to avoid them in our sales presentations and demonstrations?
Verify That You Have the Problem and Define the Scope
You may have been told by a colleague or manager, you may have even caught yourself slipping in an Um or and Ah. The first thing you need to do is get some feedback. I have found the following helpful:
Record Yourself
Record yourself doing a presentation or demo. Be sure to record yourself in various phases of the activity. Sometimes it’s the “Q and A” section that will bring out the dreaded Ums and Ahs. Sometimes it’s when you are in front of a large group.
If you are doing a software demo or slide presentation, you may want to use a great product called Camtasia to record the screen and your audio at once. This is a great way to gauge progress (by looking at recordings over time as you practice) and also to get a better idea what actions may trigger problems as you present.
Join a Local Toastmaster Group
Toastmasters is a great organization that you can join if you want to improve your speaking skills. It is a safe and nurturing environment where you can make mistakes and try new things. To help you learn to stop using filler words such as: ums and ahs, they actually have a person who will count them as you speak (Called the “Ah” Master). This helps you to be more self-aware and to reduce these filler words through real-world practice.
Enlist Others to Help You
You may also want to enlist the help of colleagues and even family members to be on the lookout for any filler words or sounds. Kids especially enjoy “catching” a parent and it can be a good learning experience for them as well.
Quantify the Problem
The key is to understand when it happens and to log how big an issue it is. Keep a rough count so that you can later assess how extreme the issue is and what to do about it.
How Can We Stop?
Once you’ve identified where and when you’re most likely to use filler words, what can you do to stop using them. (For reference, most people have trouble when answering a question, at the beginning of a thought or at a natural pause in the sentence.) Here are a couple of ideas that can help:
Learn to Catch Yourself
As you become aware of this problem you’ll begin to notice when you do it, and when others do it as well. Try to catch yourself before you make the mistake. As a side benefit, watching others will reinforce the value of reducing this behavior in you own speech patterns.
Make Sure Your Brain is Engaged Before You Open Your Mouth
If you’re answering a question, pause for a beat and think about what you want to say–keep your mouth closed as you do this. You may want to ask a clarifying question to give you a bit more detail and a bit more time to think before you answer.
Learn to Love the Power of the Pause
As you begin a thought, take a 2 second pause before you speak. This can add impact by drawing the listener in. The same applies to pauses between thoughts; this is a perfect time to use a pause to give you time to think and to give your audience time to process what you just said.
Practice Speaking in Soundbites
For most sales presentations and demos you will have plenty of time to practice. As you practice, concentrate on speaking in “sound bytes” or “chunks” In time, most of the common sales messages will become second nature to you and you will rarely make a mistake.
Update: I just read an interesting article on the psychology of why she might be using these filler words, you may want to check it out.
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Public speaking is one of the most hated thing for some, me including( but that was before). But since then, I’m not fond of using filler words, i would rather pause and compose my thoughts before saying anything. As an audience, if the the speaker or the presenter kept on using filler words, it creates an impression that he /she is not well verse with the topic.