Swap Fillers for a Short Pause
Replace um, basically, actually and you know with one second of silence.
Fillers are a normal part of speech and some studies find small effects on credibility; heavy use clearly hurts, an occasional um does not.
Why it works
A few fillers are natural and listeners barely notice them. A filler in every sentence makes you sound unsure and wastes the listener's attention. A short pause gives the same thinking time and sounds calm.
How to do it
- Record two minutes of yourself explaining your work.
- Count fillers and note your top two words.
- Practise stopping silently when you feel the filler coming.
- Aim for fewer, not zero. Don't freeze up chasing perfection.
What to say
We fill field roles for agri companies. [pause] Usually in three weeks.
The fee is fixed. [pause] And it includes a replacement if someone leaves early.
Avoid
Trying to remove every um. You will sound robotic and lose your flow.
Example
Sanjay noticed he said basically eleven times in a five-minute client call. He wrote PAUSE on a sticky note on his laptop. Two weeks later his calls ran shorter and clients asked fewer clarifying questions.
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