Have you ever listened to yourself talk and realized you said a bunch of “ums” and “likes”? I know I have and it’s pretty rough. I’ve gotten better over the years, but they still show up here and there.
“Ums” can be distracting when you talk so it’s best to avoid them.
Here are 3 tips to help you eliminate ums in your speech.
When we have “ums” when we talk, it’s typically because we’re trying to think of what we want to say.
You want to go over your content and rehearse a few times so you have it down on video shoot day.
This will not only help you eliminate “ums”, but you’ll come off as professional and confident.
If you’ve been following our content for a while, you’ve heard this before. Slowing down your speech pattern will help you eliminate “ums”. If you need to think for a second, you have time to “catch up” without using filler words like “um”, “like”, and “ah”.
Slowing down your speech will help you come off as more trustworthy instead of sounding like a fast-talking salesperson.
If you find yourself at a loss for words, pause to gather your thoughts quickly. This is strong for a couple of reasons: 1: it eliminates an “um” and 2: people will tend to lean in because they are waiting for what you’re about to say. ex: a dramatic pause.
Please keep in mind, that we can eliminate some of your “ums” in our editing process but if there are a ton, the video can come out choppy.
So it’s best to not have them to begin with. This will also help you come across as more confident in your day-to-day conversations like phone calls and networking events.
What filler words have you been able to eliminate?
Some businesses are missing out on thousands of dollars in revenue each month without even knowing it.
Here are 3 symptoms to look for to see if it’s time to update your company’s branding.
When you step into a Mercedes car dealership, you have a general idea of the pricing. You also know it won’t be cheap.
Due to their branding, Mercedes and other luxury brands do a great job attracting high-end buyers.
If people consistently are shocked by your pricing or can’t afford your services, your branding may be off. They should be able to look at your videos, website, and social media and KNOW that you’re more expensive than your competitor (if you are providing a high-touch service).
Be sure you’re showing off the quality of your work through videos and pictures to attract the correct audience for your business.
If potential customers routinely ask you what you do, even after visiting your website, your branding isn’t clear enough.
When someone hits your website or your social media accounts, they should know exactly what your company does within seconds. If not, this leads to confusion, and like Donald Miller (author of Business Made Simple) says, “When you confuse you lose”.
Make sure your messaging is crystal clear through your company’s branding.
Have you ever had a client use your services and then find out they went with another company when they needed the same service down the road? Not a great feeling. They may have had a great experience with you but simply forgot about you. Ouch!
If this happens often, your ongoing branding may be off. Be sure to stay in sight, and in mind through email campaigns and social media content. The key is to make sure you’re helpful and not “salesy” every time you show up.
This will help your clients remember who you are the next time they need you and will result in more referrals as well.
What other symptoms would you add?