"Um", "uh", "like", "you know", "basically", "so yeah". Everyone uses filler words, and in normal conversation they are harmless. On a sales call they can make you sound less sure than you are, especially at the moments that matter: your opening, your price, your ask. The good news is that this is a habit, and habits respond to practice. This guide explains what fillers are, why they appear, and gives a ten-minute drill to reduce them.
What counts as a filler word
A filler is a sound or phrase that carries no meaning and mostly buys thinking time. Common examples:
- Sounds: "um", "uh", "er"
- Words: "like", "basically", "actually", "literally", "right?"
- Phrases: "you know", "I mean", "kind of", "sort of", "to be honest"
- Starters: "so", "okay so", "well"
A few of these in a long call are fine. The problem is clusters: three "ums" in a row before your price, or "basically" in every sentence. Listeners notice patterns more than single words.
Why fillers show up on sales calls
Understanding the cause makes the fix easier:
- You are thinking while talking. Fillers are a way of keeping the floor while the next sentence forms.
- You are nervous. Tension speeds up speech and shortens the gaps, so fillers fill them.
- You are unsure of the next line. If you do not know your next sentence, a sound bridges the gap.
- It is simply a habit. Often you do not hear your own fillers until you listen to a recording.
The common fix for all four is the same: replace the filler with a short silence. That is harder than it sounds, because a pause feels long to the speaker and short to the listener. If you want more on this, read handling silence and pauses on the phone.
Step one: hear your own fillers
You cannot fix what you cannot hear. Before you try to change anything:
- Record a real call or a rehearsal, if your company's policy and local rules allow it. Otherwise record yourself reading your opener and answering two likely questions aloud.
- Listen once and count. Do not judge yourself; just tally the fillers and note where they cluster.
- Look for the pattern. Do they appear at the start? Before numbers? When you answer objections?
Most people find that fillers cluster in two or three predictable places. That is useful, because you can prepare for those places.
Step two: replace the filler with a pause
When you feel a filler coming, close your mouth and breathe in quietly. It will feel strange for a few calls. To the listener, it sounds like someone who is thinking.
Other swaps that help:
- Replace "um" with a breath. A quiet inhale is the natural substitute.
- Shorten your sentences. Long sentences are where fillers hide. End the sentence, pause, start the next.
- Replace "basically" and "actually" with nothing. Delete them and say the sentence again. It almost always works.
- Say less at the start. A tight, practised opener has far fewer fillers than an improvised one. See How to open a sales call: the first 30 seconds.
The 10-minute drill
Do this once a day for a week. You only need a timer and a way to record your voice.
Minutes 0 to 2: warm up. Read the opening of your call aloud twice. Stand up and speak at a slightly slower pace than feels natural.
Minutes 2 to 5: answer, then pause. Pick three questions a prospect could ask you ("What does it cost?", "How are you different?", "Why should I switch?"). Answer each in two or three sentences. After each sentence, take a silent breath.
Minutes 5 to 8: one tough moment. Choose the objection that makes you ramble. Say your answer out loud, record it, and listen once. Count the fillers. Do it again with the same words, aiming for fewer.
Minutes 8 to 10: one-line note. Write down the single sentence where you hesitated most. Tomorrow, start there.
The point is not to reach zero. It is to hear the pattern, interrupt it a few times and see it shift.
Using an AI customer for the drill
Practising alone is useful but you lose the pressure of someone answering back. DIRI AI lets you speak by voice with an AI customer in a prepared situation and then read a report that points to specific moments in the call. That makes it easier to see where you hesitated, then repeat the same moment. The AI plays the customer only. For a short routine, the 10-minute practice guide shows how to structure a session, and the sample call page shows what the post-call output looks like.
Common mistakes when trying to cut fillers
- Trying to remove all of them. A completely filler-free voice can sound robotic. Aim for fewer and shorter.
- Speaking more slowly across the whole call. A slightly slower pace helps, but changing everything at once usually backfires. Pick one place to improve first.
- Over-correcting into long silences. A pause of one or two seconds is plenty.
- Memorising a script. Reciting a script often creates its own rhythm of fillers. A short card with your first sentence, your goal and your closing line is easier to deliver. The guide on phone anxiety at work shows an example.
When fillers are a sign of something else
If fillers spike when you answer questions, the real issue may be that you lack a ready answer. In that case, writing and rehearsing a clear reply to your top five questions will reduce fillers more than any breathing technique. The objection handling practice guide has a method for this.
Related: Talk-to-Listen Ratio and Pacing on Sales Calls, How to Sound Confident on Sales Calls, Handling Silence and Pauses on the Phone.
FAQ
Are filler words always bad on sales calls?
No. A few are normal in speech. They become a problem when they cluster at important moments such as your opening, your price or your ask.
How do I stop saying "um"?
Replace it with a short silent breath. Record a rehearsal first so you know where the "ums" appear.
How long does it take to reduce filler words?
It varies by person. Short daily practice tends to work better than one long session, and you can often hear a difference within a week or two of repeating the same drill.
Can I practise this alone?
Yes. Record yourself, repeat the 10-minute drill, or rehearse with an AI customer and review the moments the report points to.
If you would like to rehearse this with an AI customer, DIRI AI has a Free plan: 3 voice calls a month of up to five minutes each, with a report afterwards and no card needed. Start free, or look at a sample call first.