Eliminate “crutch” words, sounds and phrases in three steps
So, look, it’s like, really annoying, right, when, you know, you’re trying to listen, sort of, attentively to, ummm, a person who is, uhhh, speaking, but they, you know, ummm, keep, kind of, like, throwing in, ummm, extra words and, like, sounds, right?
Need I say more?
We are all guilty of sprinkling crutch words, sounds and phrases into our speech. Sometimes we do it to hold space while we try to decide what we want to say next. Sometimes we do it because we’re nervous. More often than not, we do it out of habit. Regardless of why we do it, it almost always has the effect of making us harder to follow.
At best, over reliance on crutch words, sounds and phrases can be downright irritating for listeners. At worst, it can negate any chance of them remembering what you said, because they’re so focused on how poorly you said it.
Below are three steps to help you eliminate the crutch words, sounds and phrases that are sabotaging your speech. Notice, I didn’t say these steps were easy. In fact, because crutch words can feel like a “security blanket” of sorts, they can be difficult to eliminate entirely. Following the steps below can help you become more aware of crutch words, sounds and phrases, and ultimately, more comfortable speaking without them.
1. Identify and compile a list of the crutches you use most
Everyone tends to have one or two favorite crutches. I have three. They are “um,” “so” and “like.” I had a boss who used to say “you know” a lot and it had the unfortunate effect of making him sound condescending. I had a co-worker who sprinkled every sentence with the word “right” in a way that sounded like a question – as if he was baiting you to agree with his every phrase (even if you didn’t). Identify the ones you use most often so you can become aware of them and sensitive to how often you use them.
2. Practice speaking out loud (preferably in front of a friendly audience, if possible)
Choose a topic upon which to extemporaneously expound for a few minutes. I’ll give you some examples: cats versus dogs; places you would like to visit and why; your favorite childhood memory; or whether over-the-roll or under-the-roll is the proper way to replace toilet paper. Every time you use a crutch, stop immediately and start over from the beginning. A friendly audience can be very helpful when it comes to listening for crutches and pointing them out to you. Do this until you can recite your entire spiel without a crutch.
3. Record yourself speaking then play it back
Is it just me, or does everyone hate hearing their own voice recorded? If you’re like me and your own voice irritates you, this will be the most difficult step in getting rid of crutches. But I promise, it works. Record video and audio, or just audio, of yourself speaking. As an aside: Using video and audio has the added benefit of helping you see how you carry yourself when you speak. This means you can work to eliminate crutch words, sound and phrases, while also improving things like posture, making eye contact, using your hands and smiling. Once you’ve made your recording, grab a pen and paper. Play back the recording and give yourself an “x” every time you use a crutch. Keep recording and playing it back until you can get through an entire segment without using a single crutch.
While I’ve given you three steps to eliminate crutches, the whole process can be boiled down to two things: awareness and practice. And while it is neither easy nor fun to eliminate crutch words, sounds and phrases from your speech, once you do, I can almost guarantee you will begin to receive compliments on your “presentation skills” and elocution.
Mandy Minick is the principal and founder of Minick Public Relations, LLC. She is the immediate past chief communications officer for the Ohio Department of Education and has 20 years of public relations and entrepreneurial experience. Find Minick Public Relations on LinkedIn.