Welcome to my Summer Speaking Habits Series.

Over the next four blogs, I'm addressing the most common concerns and questions my clients have when it comes to using their voice and speaking to scale within their business. These are habits that can undermine your credibility, show a perceived lack of confidence, and cause your audience to lose trust in you - at a time when trust has never been more important.

They're habits that have crept into the way you speak, perhaps due to a physical reaction when put under pressure, or simply not being armed with the right tools to know there's another way. The great news is that because they are habits, they can be unlearned.

This blog focuses on something I'm sure we've all been guilty of at some point. Have you ever found yourself talking for the sake of talking? Not really making a point, aware that you've said more than enough, or not entirely sure of the point you're making and yet somehow still speaking?

That's what rambling is.

Why We Ramble

Rambling comes from one of four places and understanding which one applies to you, is the first step to changing it.

1. Wanting to sound more thorough

You keep talking because in your mind, more words means more value, more information and therefore more credibility. But in fact, this has the opposite effect. Saying more doesn't make you sound more like an expert, it actually dilutes the point you're making. The most credible communicators say more with less and make every word count.

2. Thinking out loud

You start talking before the thought is fully formed, your words are trying to catch up with your brain and you don't quite know the point you're trying to make and neither does your audience. If you've ever heard your inner voice saying just stop talking mid-sentence, this one is for you.

3. Filling awkward silences

We live in a world of constant notifications and background noise. Silence has become genuinely unfamiliar and when it arrives, we perceive it as social rejection, a sign that communication or connection has broken down. Our instant reaction to this is to keep talking, to fill the gap, even when we have nothing of real substance left to say.

I see this with one of my daughters. If we're out together and the conversation pauses, even for a couple of seconds, she'll say: what are we going to talk about now? There's no room for silence at all and the generation coming through now may find this even harder than we do.

4. Nerves taking over

We all respond differently to stressful situations. For some people, nerves manifest through the need to keep talking - a coping mechanism the body has developed over years. The adrenaline kicks in, and instead of slowing down, they speed up. If this is you, know that it's not a character flaw, it's a physical response and like any physical response, it can be managed.

What Rambling is Actually Costing You

This matters, because rambling has real, tangible consequences.

You aren't remembered. When you ramble, your audience has a lot of work to do. They're processing everything you're saying and trying to find the key point amid the detail. With short attention spans being what they are, the message you most wanted them to take away gets diluted, or lost entirely.

You lose time. Whether you're in a media interview, a meeting, or recording content, time is limited. Rambling eats into it, leaving less room for two-way conversation, for questions, for the moments that actually create connection and impact.

You lose credibility. Walking into a professional setting without preparation and starting to ramble genuinely undermines how you're perceived. The most confident communicators speak with clarity, conviction, and confidence and rambling puts all three at risk.

The Opposite of Rambling

Saying more with less and making the words you do say count.

When you can keep your answers clear and on track you sound more confident, credible and your message becomes more memorable. Your confidence is also raised knowing that you've delivered with impact, to the best of your ability.

And all of this starts with awareness.

Three Ways to Stop Rambling

Tip 1: Organise your thoughts

Prepare ahead of time and give yourself a clear intention before you speak, rather than discovering your point as you go. Know what you want to say, why it matters, and roughly how you want to say it.

And if you don't have time to prepare? Be conscious of how much you're speaking, when you've made your point and then bring it to a close.

Tip 2: Lead with your main point

This is particularly important in time-limited situations - a media interview, a podcast, a presentation where you've been given three to five minutes. Lead with your most important point first, then add other supporting details. That way, even if you get cut off or run out of time, your key message is already out there.

Too many people work up to their main point, burying the most important thing they have to say at the end, by which time the audience has already started to drift

Tip 3: Become an active listener

Place your focus on what others are saying before you respond - listen to understand, not just to reply. When you're genuinely curious about what someone else is saying, the urge to fill space with your own words naturally decreases. It shifts the focus from you to them and that's exactly where your focus should be in any speaking situation.

The next time you're in a conversation, an interview, or a meeting - notice when you've made your point and then stop.

Not because what you have to say isn't valuable, but because trusting that what you've said is enough and allowing that to land, is one of the most powerful things a speaker can do.

Saying less, with more intention, is always more memorable than saying more with less.

Prefer Audio?

You can also listen to this episode on my podcast: She Speaks to Scale.

Want to find out which Speaker Identity you are?
Take the quiz here

When you’re ready, here’s how I can support you:

I'm Sarah Collins - Speaking Coach, Media Expert and former Senior Television Producer for ITV & ITN.

If turning your speaking into real authority, leads, and revenue is what's missing right now, my signature programme, She Speaks to Scale, is where we do exactly that. Over the course of the programme, we'll get clear on the message and story that makes you unmistakable, build your confidence and adaptability across every format - podcasts, panels, social media and stages - and you'll pitch for and deliver opportunities, with me as your cheerleader every step of the way.
September spaces available.
Let's discuss your needs

I also coach and train spokespeople within businesses to communicate with clarity, confidence, and composure on social media, podcasts, panels and in broadcast media too.

Turning representatives into trusted, confident Spokespeople