Use the Power of the Pause to Raise Credibility

When you speak, the ability to pause, at the right moment, is a powerful tool. Why? Because when you pause and gather your thoughts quickly, you engage audiences with your meaningful words, vivid stories and messages that resonate. Suddenly, audiences including journalists, analysts, investors, customers, employees and other important stakeholders want to listen and they wait on your every word.

However, if your brain is "moving" too quickly, you are not fully present, and you are multi-tasking, then you lose the Power of the Pause. What happens? Less clear, and meaningless words enter into your communication and clutter your storytelling and messaging.

You may be familiar with the over-used meaningless words, whih I call the "Annoying Filler Words." They include the following: Um, Ahhh, Yeah, Ya Know, Hmmm, Like, So, and Uhh.

It’s time to become aware of any annoying words you are using and to eliminate these words from your discussions and presentations. The best way to get rid of the annoying and overused filler words is to:

1. Set your level to CALM / be present and self-aware.
2. Identify and become aware of your “favorite" overused words.
3. Slow down and breathe when you speak.
4. Pause / take a moment / stop speaking.
5. Close your mouth instead of using an annoying filler word.
6. Practice speaking (recorded on video or audio only) to hear how many times you say your favorite word(s).
7. Enlist an “Accountability Buddy” to help or pinch/tap yourself when you hear your annoying filler word.

When you practice being CALM you are also aware and able to consciously pause instead of using the same meaningless word repeatedly.

However, this may not happen overnight. If you're unable to pause in between thoughts or sentences, then there are more “acceptable” filler words to be used in context and which can be appropriately placed in conversations.

You've heard these words too. They include “for instance, and, basically, certainly, clearly, overall, well, ” to name a few. Although not as annoying, they are still filler words. You can place them accurately into storytelling, and use them, with ease, as you speak. They can be a substitute for any of the over-used annoying filler words that clutter your sentences, if they are rotated appropriately.

CAUTION: Don’t let any of these filler words become your new, over-used annoying filler words.

If you want to learn more about removing annoying filler words and why it's important to eliminate them from your stories and conversations, then watch my video below:

Do you have any annoying filler words and what are you doing to eliminate them??