These articles cover various aspects of impromptu speaking, communication, and structuring a talk. They offer practical tips, techniques, and examples to help improve your impromptu speaking abilities, boost your confidence, and structure your talks in a more effective manner:
“We can train ourselves to think and speak on our feet, reacting in ways that come across as coherent, compelling, and unmistakably genuine.” - Matt Abrahams
In the following summary, you’ll learn how to calm your nerves and stop using filler words (um and ah) when put on the spot. You’ll also learn a three-part structure to sound smart in any meeting.
Stick your landings: When nervous, you’ll naturally want to eliminate dead space by using filler words such as “ah” and “um.” But if you embrace silence and banish filler words between sentences, you will sound more controlled and confident. Banish filler words by timing your inhales just right – get to the end of your breath as you finish making a point and then immediately transition to a gentle inhale (it’s impossible to utter a filler word while you inhale). See yourself like a gymnast sticking a landing after a series of flips, then pausing to pose before resuming the performance.
Have a productive week!
– Nathan
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