Explanation of how to reduce including unnecessary words in your speech to Succeed in Public Speaking by Ron Kurtus. Also refer to non-word, meaningless, distract, annoy, diagnose, record, breath, message, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
How to Cure the "Verbal Virus" A Five-Step Treatment Plan
by Susan Berkley (7 February 2002)
Warning! You may be infected with a virus that could be lethal to your sales, your public relations and even your social life. I call it a "Verbal Virus".
Questions you may have about this are:
- What is a verbal virus?
- What harm do they do?
- How can they be corrected?
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of this lesson.
Meaningless fillers
Verbal viruses are meaningless fillers that speckle our speech, distract from your message, drain our impact and annoy listeners. I call them verbal viruses because they seem to be contagious and we pick them up without being aware of it.
Common ones
The most common verbal viruses are: "uh" "um" "like" "you know" "well" "okay" and "sort of". They also include annoying mouth sounds and lip smacks.
You sound unsure
Verbal viruses are jarring to the ear and inconsistent with a professional image. They can make you sound unsure, unprepared and poorly educated. The good news about verbal viruses is that they are easily cured.
5-step plan
Here is a 5-step plan for prevention, treatment and cure:
1. Diagnose the problem
Since verbal viruses are unconscious, the only way you'll hear them is on tape. Record a few of your phone calls on a typical business day to quickly determine if you are suffering from a verbal virus infection.
2. Pause
Whenever you catch yourself saying a non-word, just stop talking. Say nothing. This gap of silence will feel scary at
first, but if the pause is no longer than 5 seconds, the listener will scarcely notice. A pause will help you gather your
thoughts while giving the listener time to
reflect on what you have just said.
3. Record the voicemail messages you leave for others
Listen to them at the end of the day and note whether or not unwanted fillers have crept into your messages.
4. Enlist the help of a friend or spouse
Explain what you are trying to do and invent a code word he or she can use every time you use a filler word. The constant reminder will help you break the habit fast.
5. Take a breath
When you feel you are about to use a non-word, take a breath, hold it for a moment and then begin to speak. The focus on your breathing will occupy your mind, keep you calm and centered and make the silence between the words seem much less scary.
Summary
You should try to avoid using meaningless fillers when you speak. They can distract from our message. A plan to prevent using these "verbal viruses" is to diagnose the problem and take steps like pausing or taking a breath before speaking.
See Side Menu for more Speaking topics
Let people understand you
Guest author
From "The Voice Coach" ezine by Susan Berkley, reprinted with permission. For a free subscription visit www.greatvoice.com. Susan Berkley is a professional speaker and international communications expert. She is a top voiceover artist and author of "Speak to Influence: How to unlock the hidden power of your voice, " available at bookstores or from 201-541-8595.
Resources
The following are some resources on this topic.
Web sites
Books
Top-rated
books on Public Speaking
Mini-quiz to check your understanding
If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a champion in speaking. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.
What do you think?
Do you have any questions, comments, or opinions on this subject? If so, send an email with your feedback. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Also see Answers to Readers' Questions.
Share link
Feel free to establish a link from your website to pages in this site.
Or use our form to send this link to yourself or a friend.
Students and researchers
The Web address of this page is:
www.school-for-champions.com/speaking/verbalvirus.htm.
Please include it as a reference in your report, document, or thesis.
Where are you now?
How to Cure the "Verbal Virus"