***Even President Obama Uses the 'Um' Word

By Nancy Daniels The Official Guide to Public Speaking
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Recently I read a review about a 321-page book on the use of 'ums' and 'ahs' and questioned how and why anyone could or would write that much about a simple verbal tic. 321 pages on the use of 'um' is a verbal tic in itself! What is fascinating about this habit, however, is that it is common in even the most professional of speakers. And, of course, our President is renowned for this habit.

While able to give a remarkable delivery using material that he reads on a TV monitor, Obama, unfortunately, is not as gifted when it comes to talking without a script. His stammering and his use of ums make it difficult to concentrate on what he is saying.

Those who laden their speech with ums or ahs are usually unaware of this occurrence because they are not listening to themselves as they speak: they are not hearing themselves. This is where recording yourself, studying the playback, and paying attention to how your speech flows can be most advantageous. I suggest recording yourself in practice as well as in the live venue.

The question you should ask yourself is whether your presentations are replete with verbal tics, whether your use of the um word occurs only when you are talking in conversation, or whether it is happening in both instances. Try recording yourself both in your presentations and also during normal conversation; i.e. when you are sitting, talking at the kitchen table.

Should your use of um happen only when you are delivering a presentation, then the answer is simple. Learn to pause at those moments and allow yourself to take a very quick breath to supplement your air supply, gather your thoughts, and then proceed. If you are uming after every 3 or 4 words, however, then you have a more serious problem which you must correct if you want others to hear your words. Either you don't know your material (which is inexcusable) or you are concentrating more on your thoughts and less on speaking

In most cases, I have found that those whose speech - be it in normal conversation or in the delivery of a presentation - is plagued with verbal tics, then the difficulty lies in the speaker's inability to formulate his/her words smoothly because the mind is more intent on the thinking process, including the correct choice of words, rather than on the speaking process.

In addition, it is most common in people of high intelligence who are mentally-centered. Those who are very colorful and expressive in speaking generally do not exhibit this particular problem.

It first takes an understanding of what you are doing as well as the acknowledgement that you must make the change. Then, concentrate less on your choice of words and place more attention on the saying of your words.