5 poor speaking habits to eliminate in 2024

Last week on LinkedIn, I talked about 5 poor speaking habits to eliminate in 2024 and reached more than 200,000 people.

So this week, I’m bringing you, rockstar newsletter subscriber, the deluxe edition. In this email, you’ll learn the exact framework I teach my clients to eliminate the 5 most common poor speaking habits.

Eliminating these habits will not just help you speak better in public. They’ll help you speak better in every sales call and every team meeting.

Our goal: To get you to quickly implement these impactful speaking strategies starting today.

Let’s go.

1: Stop speaking too fast.

Why it’s important eliminate: Your fast speed tells your audience to listen quickly. They will miss critical points. They will not pay close attention to listening to you because you’re not paying close attention to what you’re saying.

How to eliminate:

1. Record yourself speaking about a topic that you talk about everyday.
2. Look at your word per minute count – you can do this manually or use an AI tool.
3. Now aim to reduce that by 30%. Record yourself speaking about the same topic again and measure to see if you’re able to control your speed.

The goal is not just to slow down, but to be so in control that you can vary your speed of speech intentionally.

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2: Stop speaking non-stop.

Why it’s important eliminate: When you’re too excited or too nervous, you’ll find yourself rambling. This makes your listener tune out. You lose their attention – you lose the deal.

How to eliminate:

1. Before an important call or presentation, tell yourself that you’ll mentally interrupt yourself if you start speaking non-stop.
2. When you’re speaking, be more present and mindful – interrupt your flow of thought if it’s going nowhere.
3. Take a pause, use that time to articulate the next thing you’d like to say and restart.

This might seem jarring at first but if you practice this, it will 100% help you become more concise – and your audience will remain captivated.

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3: Stop using complicated language.

Why it’s important eliminate: Using jargon alienates your audience. You want to show them how much you know – but all they’re thinking is…

How to eliminate:

1. Look out for acronyms and terms that you might be using that aren’t obvious for others. Either check if they understand them or explain them after you say them.
2. Get in the habit of explaining complex things in simple ways – this shows your expertise in the best way.
3. Start proactively observing your listener for signs of looking lost, confused or bored.

Some jargon and commonly understood terms might be necessary for you to use. The goal is to make sure you’re not overly relying on them (and losing your audience in the process).

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4: Stop using weak words.

Why it’s important eliminate: Using “weak” words shows uncertainty, hesitation or worse, lack of self-belief.

How to eliminate:

1. Look out for weak words like “If that makes sense”, “I’m not sure but…”, “I’m no expert but…”
2. Skip the weak words and get straight to the point.
3. Replace weak words if you can’t skip them – e.g. instead of “if that makes sense”, ask “any questions so far?”

Using more certain and clearer language makes you sound more confident and sure of yourself. That’s essential for building credibility and trust.

Check out this article to learn how to eliminate filler words.

5: Stop turning statements into questions.

Why it’s important eliminate: A lot of us are in the habit of turning statements into questions like “I have an idea?” instead of “I have an idea”. This makes you sound like you need the other person’s approval or validation.

How to eliminate:

1. Stop using an upward inflection at the end of statements.
2. This will show you’re more sure of yourself when you share an idea or a goal.
3. You can always check in with your listener by asking – “What do you think?”

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When you speak with more confidence, certainty and poise, you show others how much you value yourself and them. You’re truly making the most out of every meeting, every sales call and every conversation.

Here’s to fearless speaking in 2024, rockstar.

See you next week (or on LinkedIn!)

💜 Nausheen