Say more with less

Think about grabbing a glass of your favourite juice, expecting that refreshing sip.

You take the first sip but realize that it’s watered down with bland, tasteless liquid.

Disappointing, right?

You were ready for something satisfying, but instead, you get diluted filler.

That’s kind of what happens when you’re speaking and fill your sentences with too many “umms” and “ahhs.”

You might have something important to say, but the fillers are like that extra water.

They are diluting your message.

For your audience, it’s distracting.

Instead of listening to your ideas, they start focusing on those fillers, and the impact of what you’re saying slips away.

Why does this happen?

Because filler words can make you sound unsure, even when you’re completely confident about what you’re talking about.

It’s like putting a question mark at the end of each sentence without meaning to, and your audience picks up on that hesitation.

The good news?

It’s an easy fix.

Pause.

A pause allows you to think and gives your audience a moment to catch up.

It makes what you say next even more powerful.

Pauses are like punctuation in a conversation: they give structure, clarity, and emphasis where it’s needed most.

So, next time you’re speaking, resist the urge to fill the silence.

Let the pause work for you.

It will help you come across as more polished and confident.