The Top 8 Speaking Distractions and How To Fix Them

Lynda Stucky July 16, 2022 Build Your Brand, Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice, Online Membership, Public Speaking

Are you trying to persuade someone (or a group) to see your point of view but your 

message seems to allude them?  Working with many clients over the year, there are speaking habits that are detractors and ultimately (but unintentionally) affect the speaker’s credibility.  The speaker may be totally oblivious to the distraction, too, unless they have sought out the feedback or someone has boldly spoken up. Most people don’t give their opinion though as they feel unqualified to do so or they are afraid of offending the person needing the feedback.  Since a lot of distractions occur without knowledge that they exist in the first place, here’s a crash course to help you identify potential issues. This checklist of common distractions are easy to fix with self-awareness and self-monitoring.  Remember that any behavior that causes your audience to think about something else (and not you, the speaker) will take away from your message. As soon as that happens, your credibility suffers.

Word fillers—

Word fillers come in many shapes and forms.  The typical “um/uh” filler between words and sentences is very common.  But did you know that many others exist.  “Do you know what I mean?” “You know.” The insertion of a conjunction (and, so, but to string sentences into one very long sentence.)  And then there are fillers that are specific to a person.  Once someone used the word, “Bam” with me while describing a computer he was trying to sell to me. Other fillers may be a part of a regional dialect like “yinz” in Pittsburgh. These words don’t add meaning to the message and they disrupt the flow of the conversation.  I’ve heard some people comment that they were so focused on someone’s word fillers that they started counting them.

Glottal fry—

The term glottal fry is exchangeable with vocal fry.  If you haven’t heard of it, it is a voice characterization that sounds like gravel grinding or bacon popping.  It’s hard to describe but it is very often present in words in sentences and at the end of sentences.  Listen here:

Glottal fry (or GF) sounds unnatural and not very clear.  It is a problem related to both breath support and poor airflow.  The speaker’s voice is much like listening to fingernails on the chalkboard and therefore, irritating.  If your audience feels irritated, they probably stop listening to you.

Uptalk—

The term uptalk (or upspeak) refers to an unnatural inflection pattern.   American English has an inflection pattern that varies throughout a sentence but when it comes to the ends of sentences, we generally inflect our pitch downward. It’s a way in which we use vocal pitch to make our conversation sound more interesting or to let the listener know that we have ended that sentence.  Contrast that with the normal rise of pitch at the end of a question.  Uptalk is spoken with upward inflection (like a question) while making statements.  Maybe you have heard of “valley girl” speech but both men and women do it.  It sounds less confident and unsure which will affect credibility significantly.

Rambling—

Ever heard someone have difficulty making their point?  Maybe they digress pointlessly or tell a long detailed story that after so long, you can’t follow the point anymore.  Speaking concisely and crafting succinct messages is a real skill of knowing exactly what you are talking about and being clear about the point you want to make. It also entails being very conscious of who you are speaking to so that you are mindful and considerate of their time. Rambling can occur anytime and has a way of hijacking you listener’s time.  Taking short turns to speak is a good rule of thumb.  If you have a story to tell that makes a great point, learn how to tell that story in a short, brief way.

Using excessively complicated language—

Just like rambling, knowing who you are speaking to will help you determine the level of difficulty you use to craft your messages.  If you talk above or below someone’s head, you risk losing them immediately.  Use jargon when appropriate but find other ways to describe what you are saying based on the who is in the audience so that your audience stays engaged and appreciates your well-thought-out explanation.  You’ll score big points on credibility.

Speaking too softly—

If you aren’t loud enough when you speak, your listener will have to ask you to repeat.  We all have to ask someone to repeat now and again so what is so awful about this?  I am talking about the person who speaks too softly all of the time.  A “low-talker” who causes you to lean in, try to read lips, and guess what is being said.  After asking so many times, the listener grows weary and just starts tuning out or nodding politely.  A friend of mine told me that she avoids conversing with another colleague due to the difficulty not being able to hear that person.  If you are hard of hearing, it makes this situation even harder.  If you aren’t heard, how can you be credible?

Mumbling—

Mumbling is a bit like speaking too quietly but different in that the words are undeciperable because they are indistinct and unclear due to poor pronunciation, a closed or tight mouth opening.  There is no where for the sound to escape because the mouth just doesn’t open enough, hence, muffled and unintelligible speech.

A fast rate of speech—

Speaking too quickly is also a great way to lose your audience.  You may be the smartest person in the room but if no one can follow the speed at which you present the material, you will deaf on your audience’s ears.  Some people believe that the faster they speak, the smarter they look and sound.  This is a myth as a fast rate often makes a person sound nervous, and unsure of themselves.

In summary, try not to assume that if you say something, people will get it as if it is clear.  Distractions are one of the biggest reasons why your audience may not understand what you are trying to communicate.  It is a great idea to begin listening to yourself to determine your own habits.  One way you can do this is to record yourself speaking on the phone or giving a presentation.  Use the checklist to determine your strengths and your development opportunities.  Awareness is the first step towards making changes and new habits. Once you figure out that there is a distraction in your speech, use this chart to find out what you can do instead.

If you are looking to elevate your brand, have you considered changing the way that you sound? My book will help you get started with awareness of the speech, language and voice characteristics that contribute to your brand. Learn and master them.