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The Jefferson Fisher PodcastThe Jefferson Fisher Podcast

Respond with Confidence: Tips to Improve Your Communication Skills

Find yourself using filler words like “um” or “uh,” or ending your sentences with uncertainty? You want to sound more confident, but you’re not sure what to do.

Jefferson Fisherhost
Oct 14, 202417mWatch on YouTube ↗

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At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Cut filler, fix uptalk, and choose words for confidence responses

  1. Confidence improves when you remove filler words (“um,” “you know,” “I mean”) and replace them with purposeful silence and a steady breath before speaking.
  2. Uptalk (ending statements with a rising tone) can make you sound uncertain, so ending with a slightly lower tone helps your message land as a firm statement.
  3. Small word-choice habits—like ending with “Does that make sense?”, overusing “just,” and leaning on adverbs like “basically” or “literally”—reduce perceived authority and clarity.
  4. For questions you can’t answer on the spot, you can respond credibly by pausing, anchoring to your past experience (“I haven’t run across that before”), and offering a concrete next step.
  5. In presentations and sales contexts, framing what you can do as something you’re “confident” about creates reassurance while you investigate unknowns.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Replace filler with silence to instantly sound more in control.

Instead of starting with “um” or making noise while thinking, pause and breathe; the quiet signals composure and gives you time to form a clear first sentence.

Let your breath be the first “word.”

A deliberate inhale before answering prevents rushed, vague starts and pulls attention toward what you say next.

End statements with downward tone to avoid sounding unsure.

Uptalk makes declarations feel like requests for permission; a slightly lowered ending cadence communicates certainty (the “pass the salt” model).

Stop asking “Does that make sense?” and invite dialogue instead.

That phrase can signal insecurity and may unintentionally insult the listener; alternatives like “What are your thoughts?” or “Any questions or feedback?” keep confidence while opening conversation.

Remove “just” to eliminate verbal shrinking.

“I just wanted to check in” sounds hesitant and apologetic; “I wanted to check in” sounds direct and intentional without being rude.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

If you wanna sound confident, you gotta serve your words straight.

— Jefferson Fisher

Wherever the fluff would be, just get used to silence.

— Jefferson Fisher

Let your breath be the first word that you say.

— Jefferson Fisher

Instead of saying, "Does that make sense?" you can replace that with, "What are your thoughts?"

— Jefferson Fisher

You don't have to have this immediate, ASAP answer.

— Jefferson Fisher

Read the available transcript
Eliminating filler (“fluff”)Using silence and breath as a response toolReducing uptalk and controlling vocal cadenceReplacing “Does that make sense?” with better promptsRemoving “just” to sound less hesitantMinimizing adverbs (essentially, basically, literally)Handling unknown questions in presentations/sales

SPEAKERS

  • Jefferson Fisher

    host

    Communication coach and host of the Jefferson Fisher Podcast, focused on practical conversation and confidence-building skills.

High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.

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