Slaying the Dreaded Umm Word
Speak No Umm, Hear No Umm, See No Umm
Do you have a case of the Umm's?
Those tiny words that sneak their way into your presentation. It might be an “Umm”, an “Ahh “or even a “So” (which is my filler word of choice).
Do you really need to be sweating them though? Do filler words completely undermine your credibility? Do they hurt your presentation? Are you losing clients or sales because of them?
My friend, Gavin McMahon, at Make a Powerful Point asked me and 3 other speech coaches about what to do about filler words.
The Umm Word
Our answers are diverse, and each contains some great tips for slaying the dreaded Umm word. Plus, you get to see me as a cartoon! Sweet!
Do you have a great trick for minimizing your filler words? Let me know in the comment section below.
Hi, Michelle — I recently shared this article defending the occasional um, er or ah. Interesting stuff, pointing toward evidence that verbal stumbles and pauses actually increase understanding and credibility:
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_good_word/2011/07/an_uh_er_um_essay.html
Hi Rob! I’ve seen that article before. I agree. My view is that filler-words happen. It’s only an issue if they are distracting. For example, I had a Sociology professor who loved the phrase “mmm…kay.” In a 50 minute class, he said it 45 times – almost once per minute! That’s distracting (clearly because I remember the count but not the class). The occasional umm is not a bad thing at all especially if increases comprehension.
That totally makes sense! Everything in moderation …
Pausing. Often times I find myself wanting to say um….er…ah… when I am going too fast or am excited. Taking that moment to pause and collect my thoughts eliminates the filler word.
Bonus… If I AM speaking too quickly or it is a natural break in a thought/sentence, it allows my listener to catch up.
Yes! Matthew, you’re a man after my filler-word heart. Pausing and being comfortable with the silence is key to eliminating the filler words. It does let the audience catch up. Plus, pauses always seem longer to the speaker than to the audience.