The document provides tips for eliminating filler words like "um" and "ah" from speeches. It notes the average speaker uses 5 filler words per minute. Filler words dilute the impact of statements, mess up the delivery of information, and get in the way of the emotional high points of stories. The document recommends pausing if a filler word is coming to allow thoughts to catch up, practicing speeches beforehand to avoid lagging thoughts, and recording oneself to identify filler words for elimination.

1. HOW TO KEEP FILLER
WORDS FROM BLEEDING
YOUR SPEECH DRY
These simple tips will help you keep pointless ‘ums,’
‘ahs’ and ‘so’s’ in check in the heat of public speaking
Michael Barris, Transformational Speaking Coach
michael@michaelbarris.com

2. The average speaker uses 5 filler words
per minute. That’s 1 every 12 seconds!
AH … UM … SO … Y’KNOW …
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206

3. Riddle: How are filler words like vampire
bats, mosquitoes, leeches, lamprey and
bedbugs?
Answer: They are all
bloodsuckers
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206

4. How filler words cripple speeches
They dilute the
impact of statements
 ‘So, we had a great second
quarter. Net income was up 30
percent.’
Being placed at the front of the
sentence, ‘so’ gets in the way of
the big news.
Better to just say, “We had a great
second quarter ….’
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206

5. How ‘so’ gets to the front of the line
 It takes confidence to start a
sentence with a strong word
 Choosing ‘so’ as the first word
is a way for the speaker to
slide in to his remarks without
making a commitment
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206

6. More filler word speech mayhem
They mess up the
delivery of information
 ‘A meteorologist in Antarctica lost
his wallet in 1968. Imagine how,
uh, surprised he was to get it back
after 53 years.’
We’re sure he was surprised. But
by letting that ‘uh’ slip into the
mix, the filler word got in the way
of the story’s emotional high point.
If only it had come out as: ‘Imagine
how surprised he was to get it back
…’
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206

7. How to eliminate filler words: pause
 Pause if you feel a filler word
coming on
 Wait for your thoughts to catch up to
your mouth and then say what you
mean to say
 Pauses are relatively minor speaking
events and unlikely to be noticed by
the audience
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206

8. How to eliminate filler words: practice
 Practice your speech beforehand
 The better you know your speech,
the more likely you are to avoid a
lag in your thoughts that will lead
to your uttering a filler word
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206

9. How to eliminate filler words: record
 Record yourself as you practice
and listen for filler words. Then
do it again, consciously trying not
to use them
 Just making yourself aware of the
need to not use them will
automatically start making that
happen
Michael Barris - michael@michaelbarris.com - 732-319-1206