2. Characteristics of the well-spoken
• Creating well-formed sentences
• Being articulate
• Having a large and diverse vocabulary
• Speaking clearly (not mumbling)
• Having a good pace, tone, and intonation (not too loud,
fast, or monotone)
• Being fluent – words come easily to you
• Being able to explain things easily
• Being straightforward and meaning what you say
• Being thoughtful and courteous to the needs of the listener
• Using little filler and empty language
2
10. 10
Try this
1. Slow down
2. Breathe in and relax your shoulders
3. Pause. Think. Answer.
4. Gesture
5. Tell a story
6. Drink beer
7. Don’t stress; it is natural (just not every
3rd
word)
How we speak is a huge component of the impression we make on others, and thus our potential influence on them. People will form judgments about our education, intelligence, background, and personality simply based on the sound of our voice and the language we use to express ourselves.
Creating well-formed sentences
Being articulate
Having a large and diverse vocabulary
Speaking clearly (not mumbling)
Having a good pace, tone, and intonation (not too loud, fast, or monotone)
Being fluent – words come easily to you
Being able to explain things easily
Being straightforward and meaning what you say
Being thoughtful and courteous to the needs of the listener
Using little filler and empty language
Socially accepted in casual conversation with friends
Not so much in business presentations, speeches, job interviews, etc.
In a study done with college students, the students were first asked about their perception of people who frequently say “um” and “uh.” Not surprisingly given the cultural bias against ummm-ing, the students rated um-ers as “uncomfortable, inarticulate, uninteresting, ill-prepared, nervous, diffluent, unattractive, monotonous, unsophisticated, and lacking in confidence.” Ouch!
Listen to yourself
Admit you have a problem
Commit to change
Recruit an advocate (sponsor)
Pause (but not a pregnant pause)
Practice
4. Studies have found that when your arms and hands are constrained, the amount of filler you use goes up, because you’re unable to gesticulate and thus are less confident your message is getting across.
If you need help lowering your inhibitions, researchers have found that after 19 beers, the average person stops saying “um” and “uh.” They also stop saying many other words that are comprehensible, of course.
7. Fillers naturally vanish once you get involved in telling a story. And as a bonus, stories are some of the most persuasive and memorable rhetorical tools you can employ.