Public speaking is a powerful way for a freelancer or small business owner to market their business. This is the presentation of teleseminars. But what happens when you get stuck saying too many ums and ahs? Should you stop talking in favor of other marketing methods? Here is an actual panic message I received from a client followed by my response:

“Help! I just heard myself speak on a recording and had to stop it in a minute. The Ummmss and Ahhhss were horrible, 4-5 within that time frame! I plan on doing a lot of teleseminars and public speaking and this just has to stop now”.

Here are the 5 most effective ways to overcome ums so your message gets through loud and clear:

1. Practice out loud

If you have a tendency to say um and uh, the reason is usually that you have an idea of ​​what you want to say next, but you’re not entirely sure. So he inserts a verbal filler to fill the gap while he figures out the next word. Practicing out loud will get you to the point where you’re completely comfortable with what you’re saying, and therefore won’t have the need to um or uh (or at least greatly reduce it). If you plan to deliver the same material multiple times, you will need to practice less frequently as you gain more experience. If you can, record yourself practicing so you can hear where you tend to um and uh the most.

2. Work from detailed notes, not a script

You’d think a word-for-word script would make it easier to stop the ums… and it can. But only if you have experience making a script sound natural. Otherwise, it will sound like you are reading. That’s the opposite extreme of um and uh and it sounds just as bad.

3. Be aware

This is important. Many people have no idea that they are relying on verbal pauses or slurred speech until they hear themselves on a recording. The first step in overcoming any addiction is acknowledging and acknowledging that you have one. And truly, people who say um and uh too much are addicted to their crutch words. Just knowing you made this mistake will take you that much closer to stopping it.

4. Pay attention

Listen to yourself as you present your speech or teleseminar. Do not think about anything other than what you say, how you say it and your audience: IN THAT MOMENT. People will um and uh when they get distracted from their planned comments. For example, during a teleseminar, turn off your email and other IM features so they don’t interrupt you visually (sometimes just the sound of those things can be distracting enough to trigger an um). task while conducting a call or doing any type of presentation.

5. Connect with your audience

Here’s a fun test to do the next time you’re practicing with a friend: Try saying um while making direct eye contact. It’s almost impossible. Because? Because you’re having a conversation and um is not a word. Um it doesn’t fit and it doesn’t make sense. While having a 1:1 conversation, you are likely to avoid um and uh. Make your introductions much more conversational and your um and uh will disappear.

Is it crucial to get rid of all the ums and uhs? Experts disagree, but in my decades of experience as a speaker, audience member, and instructor, I haven’t thought less of a speaker who had outstanding content with the occasional um or uh. He doesn’t have to delete every um and uh when the rest of his message is solid. The time to worry is when your audience is listening to your next um instead of paying attention to your message. So he fixes what you can, give yourself a break and continue speaking in public.