Um to Yum; A Speaking Tip You Can Begin Using Right Away!

Today’s tip is short and sweet!

Go from ummm to yummm!!

You know that little word that gets inserted into most talks.  It seems to get more stage time then the main bullet point of your speech.  The infamous “UMM”

My challenge for you today is to become a bit of a time traveler. See the future and every time you think you are going to say “um” pause and let there be silence instead. Give yourself a moment to come up with your next potent word.  Don’t waste your breath and voice on “um”.

Silence is yummy!   Silence can get people cued in for what is coming next. It can also give the listener some time to digest the content you just spoke of. Usually we are talking faster then we think.  So a silent pause  can be refreshing to the listener.

Using silence instead of “Um” will take a bit of slowing down and some mindfulness, But in the long run it will give you an added potency to your talk.

Have fun practicing!