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Overcome the “umm” habit?

by Tom j Dolan

RSA a British Organization similar to TED in the US.
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Richard Thaler, a University of Chicago Professor must Overcome the “umm” habit. The “umm” habit distracts from his message. Here he speaks at an RSA event. Watch his Presentation and you’ll see what I mean. For students of Speaking….

verbal place holders like umm & ahh are space fillers. Although they’re frequently heard in Speeches & Presentations, they are avoidable. They will annoy some of your audience. They will drive some of your audience to disconnect from your message and discourage attentive, Active listening. In fact if the “umm” habit is very prevalent in your Presentations you may drive some listeners to their cell phones. So, the bottom line of this Speaking advice is to encourage you to take action to Overcome the “umm” habit:

1st, I encourage you to recognize that you actually have this “umm” habit. Next, seek out a  secure Learning environment where you can take risks. The solution is simple really. Unfortunately many people think it’s difficult and so they continue to avoid the un-learning, re-learning experience. This is a good moment to become friends with your cell phone video as your re-training partner. Speak, record, view. Repeat several times: Record, watch, review. Do this several times a week. You can overcome the “umm” habit and you’ll be better off for it. So will your Presentations.

2nd, Combine your new habit with the renewed Confidence you’ve developed and Present them at every opportunity. You might not begin by giving a Keynote address at a major Event. But, begin small and work-out & work-up. See my show on Volunteer activity which serves many good purposes. It’s a perfect place to begin, and you will be a Welcomed individual.

The Solution: Planning, Preparation, & Practice will help You resolve this Distracting issue. The Result: Attracting and keeping the attention & involvement of Your Audience.

~Want more Solutions for this issue? see Show# 24.

Being aware of Your distracting Speaking Habits,
is a 1st step to Your Professional improvement.

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Filed Under: Performance of Speaking Tagged With: Coaching, embarrassment, ESL, Fear of Speaking, PoS, PresentationTips, StageFright, Trust

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Speaking Coach, Actor, Global VoiceOver, and the Developer of 2 Successful English Speaker Trainings: "Performance of Speaking" and the "Read2Speak" Workshops. I can Speak for your Organization and I can Teach you the Speaking Skills you need to Speak with Confidence. >>Learn More: click Tom's photo.

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>How to Avoid Feeling Foolish when Speaking.
>Overcome the Fear of Speaking?
>Gain Self-Confidence through Speaking.

Words that Inspire

~~~ If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. ~~ Lewis Carroll ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Today is only one day in all the days that exist, But all future days could depend on what You do Today." ~~Hemingway" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Your Presentation is always about Solving a Problem for your Audience." ~~TjD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Walking in the footsteps of another is easy, but you may soon discover you’re walking in a Rut.” ~~TjD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." ~~Samuel Beckett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Always finish Speaking before your Audience has finished Listening.” ~~Dorothy Sarnoff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "If you're not prepared to be wrong, You'll never come up with anything original." ~~Sir Ken Robinson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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