I was a member of Toastmaster's for all of two months. Not because it was terrible or that I was terrible, it was simply that I did not have the time to fully participate. They met during lunch and as I was usually teaching, I could not get there in time, or spend the time needed to prepare.
One of the lessons that I did learn during my short stay, was to pay attention to what I was saying, esp. the "ums," "ahhs," "you knows," "like, you know," etc. It is amazing how many presenters do not practice their presentations and are constantly saying one or more of the "verbal ticks" to get them through their presentation. In fact, we were asked to count how many times a particular presenter used one of these "ticks."
To eliminate these, practice your presentation again and again, and practice out-loud. Listen to yourself and you will reduce, if not eliminate these painful ticks.
Note: That was me in the 7th Grade at St. Joseph's Elementary School (NYC, NY). I was one of the announcers during the school play. I learned my part by practicing every day, out loud.
