Strategies to Succeed in Public Speaking

How to Cure the "Verbal Virus"
A Five-Step Treatment Plan

by Lanie Smith

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 at 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.

In conclusion

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.

Let people understand you

Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. What is wrong with saying "you know" in every sentence?

There is nothing wrong to make sure the person knows

It doesn't make you sound very intelligent, you know

It should be used in every other sentence

2. Why try recording your phone calls?

It is where unconscious speech habits often occur

To check how well the other person speaks

So you won't speak too long

3. What help is it if a friend or spouse catches you saying meaningless words?

It gets you irritated and flustered

It makes them feel as if they are helping

It helps remind you not to say such words

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.

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