Well, if you found this video, you probably use some vocal fillers when you
present, like um, uh, you know, and a whole long list of other ones. We're going to look
at four tips to get rid of them coming up.
Hello again, friends. I'm Alex Lyon and
this channel, Communication Coach, is here to help you increase your impact so you
can lead the teams around you to higher levels of excellence. It's going to be
very hard to inspire people if you're using lots of vocal fillers when you
present. I used to use kinda and sorta quite a bit but maybe it's and, so, you
know, like, and again the list is endless. These can be a big distraction and if
you can get rid of these, then people can focus on your message and not count how
many ums or uhs you use. So let's look at four tips to get rid of them that I
have personally used. And I've seen these tips work for many people over the years.
The first tip is a mindset tip and that is you have to get comfortable with
silence. A lot of the times we fill in the silence, what could be pauses, with ums and uhs
and you knows, because we feel like, oh if we're silent it sounds like
we lost our place or we don't know what we're talking about. I think really the
opposite is true. I think those little beats of silence, those pauses help
listeners consider our last idea, let it sink in, and then they're ready for the
next one. When you don't have any pauses and it's all one long sound, you never give
that moment for people to reflect and accept your message. So, get comfortable
with pauses. Step number two. You have to develop a new habit to replace the old
one. A lot of times, we don't even realize we're saying um and uh unless someone
brings it to our attention. So one of the ways you can realize you're doing it is
by practicing in private a little bit louder than you normally would. And when you
practice louder, your um and uhs come out a little louder and you can
hear them. And once you're aware of them you can get rid of them.
Step number three.
Instead of saying an um or an uh, or whatever your favorite filler is, replace it with
the word "period" or "pause." And I literally want you to practice this out loud.
That's what I recommend. So today we're going to change the brakes on our car.
Period. When you say it out loud, it really starts to emphasize the idea that,
yeah, I should be ending my sentence there and giving a
nice pause. And then after you practice a few times out loud like that all the way
through a presentation, then begin just to say the word "period" or "pause" in your
head. And it sounds like. This today we're going to learn how to change the brakes
in your car (period). And it sounds very confident very composed like you meant it to be
there and gives your idea a chance to sink into your listeners' mind. And then
the fourth tip is to breathe. Again, instead of saying an um or an uh or whatever
your filler is, if you take a nice breath, it gives a nice pause to your listeners
ears. But it also helps you relax and helps you come across as much more
composed. So those are my four tips. But enough about what I think. What are your
vocal fillers and what do you recommend you do and other people do to get rid of
them? I would love to hear your feedback in
that section below. So thanks. God bless. And I will see you in the next video.