Do you ever notice the words and phrases people use that have no meaning? They struggle to find something to say and throw in things that take up space but mean nothing. Words such as:
- Obviously
- Let me begin by saying
- Clearly
- Honestly
- As you can see
- Really
- Well
- Um
- Ah
- In fact
- As ‘so and so’ just said
- In addition
- Let me say that
- So anyway
- Before we begin
- As you already know
- Actually
- Right
These phrases are like filler in a hot dog – they offer nothing more than bulk. There is no nutritional value or meaning. They do take up space though.
These words seem silly when read in a list, but listen for them as people around you speak. A few of these words or phrases sprinkled in a conversation may have little effect and in some cases, they may be appropriate. Most of the time, they convey a single message: The speaker does not know what to say. This hurts your credibility.
A confident demeanor demonstrates you are an expert in your field. It shows that you know what you are doing and, have the experience required to make a wise statement.
If you find yourself feeling nervous or unsure what to say, use a pause to buy you time to think. Silence is a powerful and loud tool that demonstrates you are thoughtful and credible. It buys you time to think while building your credibility.
Listen to others speak: are they using filler? If they do, how do you react when they use it? What is the impression you get when you hear them? Watch other audience members to see their reactions as well. Look at the speaker and see if you can ascertain their emotions while they do this. Do you sense confidence or panic?
It is good to speak when you have something to say. If you have nothing to say, rather than use filler, just say nothing.
(if you have a word you like to add to the list, post it under comments. I will compile them a post the updated list)
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