In the past few weeks, dozens of speakers have addressed nationwide audiences at the national political conventions.

Some were good, others less so.

But before judging a speaker it may be worth asking : How well would YOU do speaking in front of a big crowd? or even a small crowd?

Public speaking is a tough but very necessary skill to master.

If you are concerned about your speaking abilities, or just don’t want to sound like a dope when you raise your hand in class, the good folks at Ragan.com have some useful speaking tips for you.

The first is, ummm… try to avoid the word “ummm”.

It’s like a security blanket, a nice little touch of warmth when you have run out of time to search for that elusive word. Filler words like um, well, and hmmm are like pieces of verbal debris that assail a listener’s ear and distract from your point.

While we’re on the subject, there are other filler phrases that can be just as painful. Ending a sentence with “right?”, “yes or no?”, or “ok?” or beginning it with phrases like “very quickly”, “basically”, or “to be honest”

There are a few basic rules to be observed to sound your best.

• Don’t repeat any phrase more often than you can help it.
• Slow down and relax. Jumbled, panicky speech doesn’t impress anyone.
• Don’t try to sound smarter than you really are. This means no big words (you may or may not know the meaning of).
• Every time you feel like you want to say “umm” say . . . nothing.

A good way to practice is to stand in front of a mirror (or non-judgmental friend… if that is possible), and talk about anything. Try your best to avoid these verbal ticks.

Do you have some speech tips? Speak up!