How many times have you listened to someone speak and were distracted by repetitive ums, ahs, and ya knows? Those are all filler words, and everyone uses them at some point. But to give an effective presentation you need to keep them to a minimum … if you allow them in at all.
It is better to fill your pauses with silence than with a filler word. Also, watch for lazy or unneeded transition words such as “now” and “so.”
The above video was excerpted from two 45-minute workshops I facilitated for a group of teens and young adults. I am available to speak to your group, both in-person and virtually, on a variety of topics. For more information, visit www.carmaspence.com/speaker.