How to stop saying Um is one of the most common public speaking concerns. Um is a filler word. And filler words are a natural part of everyday conversation. A surprising fact, though, is that you’ll actually sound strange (or even fake) to your audience if you don’t use any filler words.
However, there is a negative impact to using too many of these vocal fillers. If um, you say um, too many um, ums in your speech, the repeated use over and over will become a distraction. This excessive use of these filler words has the potential to detract from your message.
A funny example of this was in the movie, We’re the Millers. Scottie P., the young girl’s date, keeps using the phrase, “You know what I’m sayin'” over and over. And, Jason Sudeikis’ character calls attention to each each of these verbal crutches in a very funny way.
The good news about Scottie P. is that what makes this scene really funny is that most people don’t use these filler phrases in everyday conversation. They show up more often when we are speaking in front of a group or delivering a formal presentation. If you understand why that happens, you can fix this bad habit very easily.
The best speakers in the world have trained themselves, over time, to minimize their use of fillers. (Notice that I said minimize, not eliminate.) Excessive use of um and other filer noises can frustrate the audience and makes the speaker less credible. With a bit of practice, though, you can use fewer filler words as well.
What Exactly Counts as a Filler Word?
The term ‘Filler word’ is commonly used for different kinds of additions to a speech or presentation and may include such things as the following:
- Sounds or Noise Fillers: um, uhhhm, ah, er
- Helping words: ‘probably’, ‘actually’, and ‘reasonably’
- Phrases: ‘You know,’ ‘relatively speaking,’ ‘I believe that,’ and ‘what I’m trying to say is’, ‘I’m not lying’
Using Filler Phrases Isn’t the Worst Thing… It Can Even Be Good
Keep in mind that if you say or use these terms and filler phrases every once in a while in a speech, it’s not a big deal. In fact, you will sound very natural, and that’s a good thing. Filler words are part of everyday speech and casual conversations. However, if you have a bad habit of using the same filler over and over, your audience will likely perceive you as being nervous or not in control.
So, do not — under any circumstances — try to eliminate filler words all together! The filler words that we use, on occasion, make us normal and relatable.
In 2016, Donald Trump had a series of debates with Hillary Clinton. Clinton, a practiced attorney and the current Secretary of State at the time, was also a skilled and polished debater and litigator. After each of the three debates, the pundits would talk about the performance of each candidate. The news program talking head would say, “So, who won the debate?” The consensus was clear, “Hillary Clinton,” “Hillary Clinton,” “Oh, hands down, Hillary Clinton.” Interestingly, though, when the focus groups asked the question, “Who do you best relate to?” or “Who did you like better?” the non-partisan focus group participants mostly favored Donald Trump. Clinton was polished, not a filler word in sight. But Trump seemed more, well, human.
What Causes the Urs and Ums in the First Place?
Here is the real secret to reducing the urs and the vocal fillers. These filler noises and filler phrases occur when a presenter is nervous. If you reduce your nervousness, the ‘ums’ and the ‘you knows’ will be reduced as well. Earlier, I mentioned that the ums don’t typically show up as much in everyday conversations. If that is the case with you — you only experience these verbal fillers when you stand up to present, focus on reducing your nervousness.
The fillers will go away automatically in most cases just by changing what you focus on.
If you don’t understand this process, you can actually increase your ums. This happened to me in my first presentation class in college. My grade for the semester was based on my performance in three presentations. For the first one, I spent weeks researching and practicing the presentation. I got a 94% when I gave the presentation to my class. After the presentation, though, the Teaching Assistant leading the class mentioned that she counted off a little from my grade because I said um seven times.
When I prepared for the next speech, I focused less on designing the presentation and focused more on not saying um. I said um 14 times this time and got an 84%.
Whatever you focus on you reinforce. So if you focus on NOT saying um, you’ll likely just do it more. Focus instead on delivering a great presentation.
Problems with Reinforcing a Negative — Like Not Saying Um.
A good analogy for this is when your check engine light comes on in your car. That light is a symptom of a bigger problem. You could climb under the dashboard and snip the electrical wire to the light, and the light would go off. But the original problem is still there. And that original problem will likely just get worse.
Focusing on fixing ums and word whiskers is like cutting the electrical wire. It might — and I mean might — help you stop saying um while presenting, but you’ll likely just increase your nervousness because you are focusing on the wrong thing.
So, if your um is coming from nervousness, do NOT under any circumstance do any of these things:
- Don’t Use a Video Camera or Phone to Coach Yourself. The first time you see yourself on a video recording, you’ll likely increase your nervousness. (*This is a fine-tuning technique that you can use when you are already pretty confident. But don’t try it too early.
- Don’t Get Someone to Count Your Ums When Presenting. Remember, whatever you reinforce, you get more of. So, focus on your message and your audience, not a count of your filler phrases.
- Don’t Panic When You Say a Filler Word When You Speak in Front of a Group. You’ll use these vocal fillers on occasion. When this happens, don’t panic. Remember, they are a normal part of everyday conversations.
Five Easy Ways to Stop Saying Um in a Presentation.
Instead, here are a couple of things you can do to reduce the ums when you present.
1) Use a Presentation Outline and the “Chunking Technique.”
You know how some speakers talk so fast one minute and then run out of things to say after that? Those speakers don’t practice information chunking. Chunking is organizing the ideas of your talk or speech, and then talking about them in distinguished ‘chunks’ or groups, leaving a brief pause in between each chunk.
For example, for this post, a possible chunking order would be:
- What Constitutes a Filler Word?
- Things that Cause a Speaker to Say Um More.
- Three Ways to Stop Saying Um in a Presentation.
Most people write out their speeches word-for-word and then try to memorize the speech. This is a very difficult way to give a presentation. If you forget something, your nervousness will shoot through the roof. The Word whiskers will increase exponentially at that point.
However, if I’m in front of a group and I just have a conversation with my audience about “What Constitutes a Filler Word” I can speak more freely. If I forget something I meant to cover, the audience will never know. The delivery will be more fluid.
Once I feel like I’ve explained that “chunk” well, I’d move to “Things That Cause a Speaker to Say Um.” And I’d do the same thing. This process is much, much easier than trying to memorize a speech.
By the way, “Chunking” is the technique that we use when we teach presenters how to design and deliver great speeches. You can find details about this technique in How to Design a Presentation Quickly.
2) Present in the Form of a Story.
Filler sounds and phrases minimize once you get wrapped up telling a story. Ever notice how people rarely use filler words when telling a story to their friends? The technique also works phenomenally well when delivering business presentations. Because you know the story so well, you don’t have to gather your thoughts or think hard about what to say, so the speech comes out like it’s second nature.
As an added bonus, people love listening to stories! They also make your speech much more memorable.
I often end my two-day Fearless Presentations ® classes by going over a list of the 10 Deadly Sins that Turn Off Audiences. (#9 on the list is using too many filler words.) When I go over the list, I typically ask the class, “How many of these things did we eliminate in the class?” Most often, the answer is, “Well, most if not all of them.” The interesting thing about this is that we NEVER cover how to eliminate filler words in the class. Filler words are a symptom of nervousness. We reduce those filler words by reducing nervousness. We reduce the nervousness by making stories and examples a big part of the presentations that the class members design. So, if you find yourself using a lot of filler words, the best way to reduce them is to tell more stories.
3) Prepare Your Transitions to Prevent Depending on Filler When Under Pressure.
Transition phrases or words are different from filler speech. Whereas ‘um’ makes it obvious that you don’t know what your next sentence will be, “Let’s move on to…” gives you a chance to gather your wits discreetly. Therefore, if you have your transition phrases and words prepared beforehand, you won’t be caught with the kind of uncomfortable silence that leads to using filler words.
In the Fearless Presentations® public speaking class, we coach participants to have a clear idea of just a few, most important, bullet points (versus having dozens of points and slides). So, as a result, just numbering off the next point is a natural transition. “Point number two is…” or “the next point that we’ll be covering is…” will sound very natural even during formal presentations, and they are simple ways to transition from one major point to the next without sounding repetitive.
4) Practice Your Presentation a Couple of Times with a Person Listening to You.
Next time you’re about to say ‘um,’ try to stop yourself immediately. It might feel awkward to hear the sound of silence where there would normally be filler noises, but it’ll get easier in the long run as you practice the strategies above. As your speaking habits improve, your awkward pauses and filler words will minimize until you can’t notice them yourself.
Keep in mind that the absolute best way to minimize your filler words is to reduce your fear of public speaking, and the absolute best way to eliminate the public speaking fear is to get a good coach and practice in a controlled environment. That is why thousands of people, every year, choose to participate in the Fearless Presentations® public speaking class. If you want to reduce those filler words for good, make sure and attend an upcoming class!
5) If You Need Additional Help, A Good Public Speaking Class Can Do Wonders.
Obviously, we are biased, but the Fearless Presentations ® course can really help people who have nervousness when they present, and as a result, they use a lot of filler words. The link to the class will show you the curriculum as well as a schedule of upcoming classes. Whether you go to our class or not, if you struggle giving presentations, a good class can really help!
For more information, call us toll-free at 1-800-975-6151 or complete the form below.