Darren Cowdrey is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. With over a decade in active ministry, one of Darren Cowdrey's strengths is public speaking.

One of the problems people experience when speaking in front of an audience is having a habit of using filler words to fill a lingering silence. Filler words, like "oh," "um," and "ah", can sound unprofessional and would be too noticeable when presenting a speech to an audience. To avoid this, make sure to add smooth transitions and silences into the presentation deliberately where and when it is necessary.

When delivering a speech or presentation, the speaker's emotions and feelings are conveyed by their facial expression. To ensure continuity of speech, the message passed along must align with the facial expression. Through making eye contact and smiling from time to time, the speaker can attract the attention of the audience and build rapport with them.