Freezing up

A third impromptu failing is the opposite of saying too much. Your mind goes blank and you’re completely at a loss for words.

This can happen out of nervousness, anxiety, or lack of preparation. It often happens in intimidating situations when we’re worried about how the other person is judging us.

The solution is preparation and more preparation. If you know you’ll have to face a particularly trying situation, say, presenting to top management or going for a job interview, role play the situation with a friend.

Using filler words

Another impromptu no-no is using filler words like “um,” “ah,” “well,” “like,” “you know,” “yeah,” and “to be honest.” They’re distracting, and make you sound hesitant and unsure. For example, if you say to your boss, “I think, um, I’ll be able to, ah, get that report in you know in time for the committee meeting,” your boss will not be convinced.

People use filler words when they’re thinking through their statements. They use “ums” and “ahs” to plug the pauses.

Want to rid yourself of these pesky expressions? Listen to yourself, record yourself and replace the filler words with silence. You’ll discover that pauses will make you sound far more decisive and thoughtful.

Putting your foot in your mouth

The fifth sin of impromptu speaking is saying something you’ll regret. We all carry around in our minds disappointments, battle scars and uncertainties. Sometimes it’s hard to divest ourselves of these negative feelings. So we say things we regret.

A manager told me of an unfortunate outburst of hers. “Before leaving for work,” she said, “I tripped over the dog, spilled my coffee and got delayed by traffic. So when my assistant told me, ‘Today’s the day we’re making that change to the internal software platform,’ I lost it. I said, ‘Oh, that (bleep, bleep) platform.’ Two of the junior people on my team passed me and knew what I was referring to, making it harder to pitch that platform because I had slammed it.”

Realize that even in the most casual situations, you want to speak as a leader.

Flubbing the facts

Still another transgression of impromptu speakers is not getting their facts straight.

A sales executive I know was presenting to a client, and he had a junior team member with him. An attendee asked what the cost would be if certain modifications were made in the product. The underling piped up, “That will be an additional 10 percent.” The changes would actually have cost an additional 20 percent. The executive didn’t want to correct his team member in front of the client, so the client got a great deal.

Know your material inside and out, and prep for any factual questions that might be asked. If a question comes out of left field, don’t guess, simply say, “I’ll be happy to get that information for you.”

Checking out

A final sin of impromptu speaking is thinking of casual conversation as unworthy of your full attention. When speakers check out, their thoughts wander, they look around, or they glance repeatedly at their phone or computer.

Think of impromptu speaking as your opportunity to lead and inspire every day, every moment. Make the most of these situations by being fully present and engaged. Use strong eye contact, stand or sit tall, align your body with those you are talking to, and don’t obsess about what’s on your computer screen, who is texting you or who might be passing by.

Give your audience your full presence, and they will listen more attentively to you.

Judith Humphrey is founder of The Humphrey Group, a leadership communications firm headquartered in Toronto.