It’s true: bosses don’t talk like employees. And you’ll notice the difference even when you’ve only spent 15 minutes with them. They talk clearly, they talk with confidence, and they talk like they mean things. Their voice is so present that they can motivate and inspire the people working for them. So if you want to talk like a boss, here’s how.

Drop the ‘Ums,’ ‘Ers,’ and ‘Uh’

These are called crutches – effective fillers that find their way into sentences. At times, it seems like it’s all you’ll ever hear. But they can also take another form like ‘you know,’ ‘to be honest,’ ‘actually,’ or ‘frankly.’

The thing about these fillers is that they disrupt the thought processes of your audience. They become a distraction. Use it too often and you become irritating. The key is to pace your thoughts. It’s totally fine to say that you’re thinking about it, take a few moments, and then start talking.

Don’t Treat Verbal Miscues as a Big Deal

So what? We can all mispronounce words or phrases. We can all stutter or stumble over words. If this happens, keep going. Don’t stop only to apologize. The truth is, the audience is oblivious to these verbal flubs. That is, until you stop and point it out to them. Then again, doing so is disconcerting not only to you, but also to your audience.

Stay Away from Qualifiers

Have you noticed that some speakers tend to qualify their speeches even before they start? They tend to use phrases like ‘hopefully,’ ‘perhaps,’ ‘or ‘kind of.’ Stay away from them. Instead, start with resolve so you can build credibility before you audience right away. Be confident that what you’re about to say will keep their attention glued to you through the rest of your speech.

End Your Sentences Cleanly

Some speakers also end their sentences with uncertainty. They use phrases like ‘things like that,’ ‘you know what I’m saying,’ and ‘and what not.’ If you think about it, what do these phrases mean? Are they essential when you try to drive your point at home? In the same way as you start with resolve, you should also end with resolve. Be definite. Be clean.

One Thought at a Time

Talk in a succession of concepts, and in one concept per sentence. If you do this, your ideas flow seamlessly and with clarity. Plus, it helps eliminate the need for using crutches, verbal miscues, qualifiers, and cluttered sentences.