Eliminating Filler Words for Confident Presentations — Dale Carnegie Tokyo Insights

You can have perfect slides, solid content, and strong delivery — and still lose your audience with one tiny flaw: filler words. “Um,” “you know,” and “like” can destroy credibility faster than any visual mistake. Why do professionals fall into this trap, and how can they stop?

At an Annual General Meeting, a respected president gave an excellent short talk — clear, structured, and well-paced. Yet every sentence contained an “um.” Each one chipped away at the message’s power. Filler words create mental noise that distracts listeners and signals hesitation. Even intelligent, seasoned professionals fall victim to this habit without realizing it.

Mini Summary:
Filler words weaken authority and block the message from landing with clarity.

Filler words are verbal placeholders our brain uses to buy time. Over years, they become automatic. Mature speakers often don’t even notice they’re doing it. The first step to improvement is awareness. The second is a simple physical fix: pursing your lips between sentences to block the “um” from escaping.

Mini Summary:
Awareness plus physical control — that’s the formula for retraining speech patterns.

Here’s the Dale Carnegie Tokyo technique:

1. Hit the first word strongly. Start each sentence with confidence so no filler can slip in.

2. Purse your lips at the end. Close them firmly before beginning the next sentence.

3. Repeat intentionally. Maintain smooth flow without unnecessary breaks.

Apply this to pauses too — before you restart speaking, purse your lips again to block filler words. It takes discipline, but the results are transformational.

Mini Summary:
Use structure, not spontaneity. Replace “um” with intentional silence.

Filler phrases vary, but the impact is the same — they dilute authority. A craftsman might say “you know” in every sentence, or a lawyer may use it unconsciously during panel discussions. Others overuse “like.” These verbal tics distract audiences and make speakers sound uncertain or casual, even when the content is serious.

Mini Summary:
Every filler word steals credibility — even harmless ones like “you know.”

Video is an honest coach. Record every presentation and review it. You’ll notice habits invisible in real time. Even experienced trainers discover new patterns — perhaps overusing “so” as a bridge between sections. The camera never lies. Use it to measure progress and reinforce discipline.

Mini Summary:
Self-review through video turns unconscious habits into conscious improvement.

• Filler words (“um,” “you know,” “like”) quietly destroy authority.

• Train physical control: purse lips, start strong, and pause with purpose.

• Replace filler bridges like “so” with structured transitions.

• Record and review your presentations — awareness creates mastery.

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Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.