- Create an awareness that you say ‘um’, ‘ah’ and other filler words. Have a colleague be your own personal Ah Counter, record yourself, etc.
- Know your topic inside and out and know what you want to say inside and out. That way, the information comes out of your mouth with ease and confidence; no searching for what to say next.
- Keep your mouth closed. When you are thinking of what to say next, make an effort to keep your mouth closed. When we open our mouths when we are thinking, we tend to utter sounds like ‘um’, ‘ah’ or other filler words.
- Choreograph how you will move from idea to idea, slide to slide. That means knowing what comes next, and next, and next in your presentation. You don’t have to memorize a script, but you should know the flow of your presentation by heart. (After all, what would you do if you had no slides??)
- Work on your confidence speaking in front of a room. You might even consider joining Toastmasters.
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