Page 78 - Effective communication Skills by Dale King

make the next sentence more poignant or uncomfortable. The power here is

that great speakers know the way to use it advantageously.

Get Rid of “Uhm” and “Uhh” and Replace it with “Now,” “You
See,” or “Well.”

People also like to fill the silence and stutter when they don’t understand
what they are saying, uncomfortable, or nervous.

Everybody learned this during middle school. The easiest way for your
teacher to think you didn’t do your work was standing there stuttering while

shoving your hands deep into your pockets.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you are talking about or if you are
terribly nervous is beside the point. It is what you make your audience
believe that matters. You can easily conceal this by using words such as
“now,” “you see,” and “well.” Rather than saying something like: “Uhm, I
thought…” you would say: “Well, I thought…” These sound completely
different, don’t they? Little words like “now” is a great filler word that could

help you make the silence longer if you need some time to think. You could
take some time to pause by saying: “Now,” pausing and moving on with what
you were saying. That can give you two seconds for you to get your thoughts
together.

Watch Your Speed

If you aren’t sure that you are talking too slow or too fast? Try this little
exercise: Find a passage that is 160 words long. Read this out loud while you

record yourself. How long did it take? It should have taken you about one
minute. You should be able to speak between 155 and 175 words a minute for
a normal conversation. If you are summarizing or reciting information, you
can talk a bit faster. If you are trying to explain something technical, slow
down the speed.

Emphasize the Last Sounds

Try not to trail off or mumble by making an effort to pronounce every
syllable. Pay attention to the last word in each sentence and the “Ts” in
contractions.