If you want to be a better speaker, whether it’s on camera or during face-to-face discussions with your clients, you need to remove the filler words.

Most people are shocked when they hear a recording of themselves and discover how often they use filler words like “um”, “like” and “you know”. 

There are two main reasons we use these filler words:

  • To give ourselves time to think
  • To signal to the other party we haven’t finished talking

If you want time to think, replace the filler words with a silent pause.

If you want to let the other party know you still want to talk, communicate this message with your face and your body. 

The moment you remove filler words from your speech, you’ll seem more confident and authoritative.