Avoid Using Distracting Filler Words
Such words include "uh," "ya know," and "like." The heavy use of filler words gives the impression that you are uncertain about your thoughts or that you have not carefully thought about what you are saying.
Project Your Voice
Make sure that your voice can be clearly heard by the interviewer. Do not talk to the floor, windows, door, or walls, for they are not interested in considering you for employment.
Talk with Expression
Don't be a flat, monotonous, dull speaker. Use expression in both your voice and your face.
Use Good Eye Contact
It is often thought that good eye contact with the interviewer shows strength and character and that avoidance of an interviewer's eyes is an indication of weakness, shame, guilt, or dishonesty.
Looking directly into another person's eyes for any period of time can, in fact, be a strain for many honest and upstanding people. But you can achieve an appearance of eye-to-eye contact by using the simple technique of "eyeballing." You eyeball the interviewer by looking around the eyes, the bridge of the nose, the upper cheeks, or the lower forehead. Such slow, sweeping eye motions cannot be detected from where the interviewer sits, and give the impression of glancing into the interviewer's eyes.
Speak at a Moderate Pace
Rapid speaking is often unclear and a sign of nervousness. Slow speaking, on the other hand, is often boring and dry. Try to maintain a healthy, moderate conversational pace.
Think before You Talk
Know what you want to say before you say it. Rambling, disorganized, and confusing talk often results from a lack of forethought and purpose. If you have nothing to say, don't talk. Sometimes silence is golden. Hopefully, however, based on your preparation and attentive listening during the interview, you will have many thoughtful remarks to make.
Make Your Point and Stop
Even if your eyes are met by an encouraging and expectant look, do not continue talking once you've made your point. You may end up confusing even yourself.
Be Believable and Convincing
Support your statements with concrete facts, descriptions, cases, instances, illustrations, and examples. Avoid the use of unsupported superlatives, such as "the greatest," "the best," and "the most."
Do Not Brag, Boast, or Show Conceit
Your sales approach must be soft, with a sense of humility, but also with self-assurance, self-confidence, and a desire to succeed.
Use Correct Grammar
An individual with serious problems in constructing sentences is at a disadvantage. Be certain that you use your subjects, verbs, antecedents, pronouns, conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs, and modifiers correctly. Also, keep your sentences relatively short and simple so that your meaning is crystal clear, but not so short and simple that your thoughts sound like third-year elementary-school verse being recited to a class.
Avoid Substandard, Sloppy, and Slang Language
Remember, the interview is an important business meeting and requires good English usage. Mistakes in your spoken word may translate to mistakes during your job performance.
Avoid Repulsive Nervous Habits
Do not nervously scratch, pull hair, pick at your ears or nose, or lick lips. These common nervous habits reveal inner tension and strain and are distracting.
Observe the Interviewer’s Facial and Body Signals
Watch for these helpful signs of interest, boredom, or other interviewer feelings. Your participation in the interview can be enhanced by monitoring the interviewer's nonverbal responses and by redirecting your comments when appropriate.
Avoid Use of Negative Words and Ideas
The interviewer is interested in learning about your feelings and attitudes. Your indiscriminate use of negative words, such as no, never, not, terrible, bad, poor, low, failure, mean, incompetent, can*t, won't, is a sign of negative feelings and attitudes. Also try to avoid the following: apologies, excuses, confessions, gripes, complaints, resentments, as well as feelings of guilt, fear, insecurity, pessimism, gloom, or doom.
Use Positive Words and Ideas to Paint Positive Feelings
Applicants who provide positive solutions to company problems, who express cheer and optimism in their work, and who generally affect others in positive ways are at a great advantage during the interview process. Interviewers shy away from candidates who seem to offer personal problems rather than company solutions. Your approach must be positive, revealing enthusiasm, confidence, optimism, cheerfulness, motivation, commitment, and competency.