Clean starts and finishes
Drop the fillers, land every sentence, and stop when you are done. Lesson 31 of 70: Articulation, every level.
Fillers and hedges
- “Um”, “uh”, “like”, “you know”, “basically”, “sort of”: a few are natural; a stream of them makes a speaker sound unsure and buries the message. Hedges do the same to opinions: “I just kind of think maybe we could possibly…” Replace a filler with a short silence, and a hedge with one honest softener (“I think”, “I’d suggest”).
- I think we should wait. (Not “I just kind of think maybe…”)
- Let me think about that. (Instead of “umm…”)
Land every sentence
- Start cleanly: no “So, um, basically” before the first real word. Finish cleanly: drop your pitch at the full stop, then stop. Do not trail off (“…so, yeah”), do not tag “right?” on every statement, and do not let statements rise like questions — that makes certainty sound like doubt.
- That’s my recommendation. (Falls, then stops)
- We can deliver by Friday. (Not “by Friday?”)
- Tip: Record one minute of yourself talking about your day and count the fillers. Just counting cuts them by half next time.
Lines to have ready
- Let me think about that for a second. (Instead of a filler)
- My recommendation is simple. (A clean start)
- That’s all from me. (A clean finish)
- I’d suggest we wait. (One softener, not five)
Your turn to speak
- Record yourself answering, without notes: “What did you do last weekend?” and “What would you change about your work?” Count your fillers, then answer again, replacing every filler with a short silence.
- I counted my fillers on the first take
- My second take had far fewer
- Every statement fell at the end
Watch your video back for
- Eye contact: on the camera, not the screen or the floor
- Posture: upright and still, shoulders down
- Hands: visible and open, moving with the words
- Face: it shows what you mean, and smiles where it should
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