The vice-presidential debate
Like many Canadians, I curiously watched the broadcast of the vice-presidential debate between Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Gov. Sarah Palin last Thursday night. While I was watching, I was wishing that I could give Governor Palin one tiny bit of advice.
I would like to delete one word from Palin’s vocabulary. No, it’s not the word betcha, a word with a dropped g (like goin' or somethin') or the term maverick. I would tell Palin to stop using the word also. Palin says also approximately 50 times during the course of the debate, and approximately 50 times the word is unnecessary. This filler word weakens her key statements. Take a closer look at the debate transcript and you'll see what I mean.
Even though Palin probably has access to some of the best speechwriters in the world and is well-coached on her key messages -- the best writers cannot prevent her from sneaking filler words into her spoken delivery.
We all use filler words or verbal pauses in our language. They give your voice a moment to catch up with your thoughts. The key to becoming a more powerful public speaker is recognizing your filler words and eliminating them from your speech delivery.
Have a colleague give you some feedback after your next speech or boardroom presentation. Or, record yourself for later review. You’ll probably find a word that you use too often and you’ll see how it weakens your key messages. Your filler word may be as obvious as um, er or ah. Or, it may be a bit more subtle.
Work towards tightening up your spoken language by eliminating verbal pauses. You’ll appear more prepared and your message will be more powerful.
I would like to delete one word from Palin’s vocabulary. No, it’s not the word betcha, a word with a dropped g (like goin' or somethin') or the term maverick. I would tell Palin to stop using the word also. Palin says also approximately 50 times during the course of the debate, and approximately 50 times the word is unnecessary. This filler word weakens her key statements. Take a closer look at the debate transcript and you'll see what I mean.
Even though Palin probably has access to some of the best speechwriters in the world and is well-coached on her key messages -- the best writers cannot prevent her from sneaking filler words into her spoken delivery.
We all use filler words or verbal pauses in our language. They give your voice a moment to catch up with your thoughts. The key to becoming a more powerful public speaker is recognizing your filler words and eliminating them from your speech delivery.
Have a colleague give you some feedback after your next speech or boardroom presentation. Or, record yourself for later review. You’ll probably find a word that you use too often and you’ll see how it weakens your key messages. Your filler word may be as obvious as um, er or ah. Or, it may be a bit more subtle.
Work towards tightening up your spoken language by eliminating verbal pauses. You’ll appear more prepared and your message will be more powerful.
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