This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:
- How to Get Rid of Filler Words and Sounds
- Book Recommendation: The Soundtrack of Your Life Shapes Who You Are
How to Get Rid of Filler Words and Sounds
When I launched my podcast “Speak Like a CEO” 7 years ago, I was shocked by how often I said “you know”.
The reason was simple: I filled the void to give myself time to think.
Many leaders do it. We don’t want to say a wrong word and often have to break down complex material so it’s natural to fall back on fillers.
Plus: many of us aren’t native speakers and therefore sometimes have to search for the right words. You may do it without noticing (I know I did).
But it’s a problem. Because leaders who use filler sounds, words and sentences sound like they are deeply insecure about what they talk about.
They come across as less credible, likeable and authoritative.
In my CEO coachings, I help leaders to reduce verbal tics and fillers with these 7 tactics:
1/ Record Yourself
You may not know if and how often you do it. Recording yourself is hard on the ego, but gives you an edge.
2/ The “Silly Word” Substitution Technique
To break the habit of using “like”, Tim Ferriss forced himself to say a ridiculous, out-of-place word (for example, “bananas” or “effing”) every time he caught himself saying “like.” Try it – it is super effective.
3/ Take Time to Pause
Give yourself the emotional license to pause and think for a second instead of filling the void. You will immediately sound more likeable and authoritative.
4/ Tighten Your Transitions
When you prep for a presentation or speech, work on your transitions. Use a killer beginning and ending – these 3 account for a lot of waffling.
5/ Slow Down
Too many fillers can mean you talk too fast. Slow down and practice pausing, then add speed again if you want.
6/ Replace Crutch Phrases
These fillers feel comfortable but can be left out or replaced by something more confident..
“Good morning. Thank you for being here today” → “Good morning.”
“Thank you for your attention” → “Thank you.”
“The next thing I want to talk about is” → “Let’s look at …”
“To be honest” → “The issue is...”
7/ Edit Your Own Videos
As a podcaster or creator, this brings home the harsh reality. Do it yourself and you’ll definitely remember it in your next recording.
To be clear: The goal isn't to get rid of all filler words, but to reduce them so you sound like the intelligent and competent person you are.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The Soundtrack of Your Life Shapes Who You Are
Sound is the first sense we develop. Yet most of us pay scant attention to the sounds around us and lose contact with the essential skill of listening.
Julian Treasure is a world-renowned expert on speaking and listening and a bestselling author. His 5 TED talks have amassed over 150 million views worldwide. (Check out my episode with him: “Speak so people want to listen.”)
His new book Sound Affects show how sounds impact every aspect of our human experience. They fundamentally alter our quality of life for better or worse.
My key take-aways:
- If you reclaim the sounds in your life, you make your life better.
- Organizations devote four times as many resources to outbound communication as they were to listening. Yet:
- Listening is profitable. Organizations ranked as better listeners had better staff and customer retention, high morale and productivity, and better reputations.
- While text-based communication is efficient, it can reduce communication to an exchange of information and often removes the human joy of the act of communicating. So, good on Gen Z for sending voice notes instead of text messages.
What sounds do you want to listen to this weekend? Birds in the forest, a vinyl record that’s special to you, your friend’s voice? Whatever it is, make it intentional.
Have an inspired weekend,
Oliver
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