How do you persuade a reluctant media spokesperson?
Using too many filler words is a topic that often comes up during our media training and presentation skills training courses.
Delegates watch recordings of their initial performances and are often surprised by how much they use them.
But does it matter? And if it does, what can you do about it?
What are filler words?
People often think about ‘umms’ and ‘errs’, when talking about filler words and phrases.
But ‘like’, ‘well’, ‘you know’, ‘I mean’, ‘so’, kind of’ and ‘basically ‘are increasingly common culprits.
And they often appear in media interviews, even with experienced spokespeople.
We’ve previously covered a radio interview where Gillian Keegan, the then the minister for apprenticeships and skills, said “you know” more than 30 times.
Sometimes, it was used several times in the same sentence.
When Ms Keegan began responding to a question about queues at Heathrow Airport with, “Look, you know”, LBC presenter Nick Ferrari said, “Well, I don’t know, actually.”
We’ve also written about media interviews where almost every answer begins with ‘So’.
The weird thing about filler words is we all use them, yet few people associate them with brilliance.
And in media interviews and presentations, they can have a negative impact.
As we stress during our media skills training and presentation training courses, time is in short supply in these formats, and filler words don’t add anything to the subject.
Too many filler words can make you seem nervous, uncertain and poorly prepared. And that can impact credibility and trustworthiness.
It can also distract audiences and make them disengage from what you say.
So, what can you do about it?
Solving the filler word problem begins with awareness.
You need to pay attention to your speaking habits to learn what filler words and phrases you rely on and overly use.
Typically, the advice here is to record yourself practising your presentation or answering likely media interview questions and count how many times you use filler words and phrases.
It works. But it is also a bit clunky and time-consuming.
Technology is your friend. Our new AI training companion – Thirty Seven – does this for you.
Practice your interview or presentation through a realistic AI roleplay, and the system will provide an analysis of your use of filler words as part of its extensive instant feedback.
Not only does it report on whether you use filler words too often, but it also shows what filler words and phrases you use the most.
And where you use them, which can help you understand your triggers. Perhaps you use them when you are unsure how to answer a question. Maybe it is when you discuss more complex ideas.
Find ways to relax
Spokespeople and presenters often revert to filler words and phrases when nervous.
Take a deep breath before the interview or presentation. Being relaxed doesn’t mean you will lose control of what you plan to say.
Practising and becoming more familiar with your content also builds confidence and eases anxiety.
Thirty Seven enables you to practice and warm up for crucial media interviews and presentations wherever and whenever you want.
Slow down
Speaking quickly in a media interview or presentation can cause audiences to follow what is said and cause spokespeople to use filler words as their brain tries to catch up and consider what they will say next.
It’s not a race. Slow your pace - allow yourself to gather your thoughts and your audience to keep up and not feel rushed.
But how fast is too fast?
The average UK talking speed in the UK is 189.8 words per minute. Research last year shows people in Leicester talk faster than anywhere else, at 254.8 words per minute.
For media interviews and presentations, you should aim to speak slower than 170 words per minute. That might feel tricky to meet and measure.
But Thirty Seven provides this analysis as part of its instant feedback.
Silence is golden
Instead of uttering a filler phrase while you think about what to say, briefly stay silent while you gather those thoughts. You don’t need to verbalise your thought processes.
Although the silence can initially feel like an eternity for you, become comfortable with a pause.
The audience is unlikely to notice it, and, even if they do, they will think you are just considering your responses.
Short pauses are a natural part of conversations.
They can add impact, emphasis and confidence to a message in a media interview or presentation. And allow the audience to process your information.
Include more examples and stories
Stories and examples are essential features of strong media interviews and public speaking performances.
They bring answers to life and make messages memorable.
And they allow spokespeople to talk more fluently and confidently – using fewer filler words - particularly when they are personal anecdotes.
Be realistic
The aim is to prevent the excessive use of filler and weak words in media interviews and presentations – not to eradicate them.
There’s nothing wrong with using them in moderation. It can make you seem relatable - we use them in everyday communication.
Trying to stop using them completely is unachievable and could make media spokespeople and presenters seem robotic, scripted, and too slick.
And, you know, no one wants that.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with nearly 40 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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