By: Robert Finder, a special to Overdrive and the author of THE FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL’S GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION

Whether you’re engaged in a casual conversation with a client or making a formal sales presentation, nothing is more annoying, irritating, and distracting to your audience than the incessant uttering of non-words. Non-words go by many names: “verbal disinfluencies,” “oral graffiti,” “word parsley,” but the latter is disrespectful to parsley for while parsley is not a dietary staple, at least a thoughtful and considerate chef may use it to make the presentation of a special dish look good. Unceasing barrages of non-words, however, serve no useful purpose and make your presentations difficult to swallow.