When Speaking in Public, Don’t forget to Pause
Believe it or not, one of the most effective skills a public speaker has in knowing when not to speak. That’s right. It’s knowing how to effectively use “the pause.”
A pause is often used to accentuate what it is you’re about to say, to build suspense, and to separate your thoughts. Great comedians know how to effectively use a pause to get the best laughs, as well as letting the laughter continue without stepping on it by talking. You can observe that in great public speaking as well. A great speaker knows how to time the pause, getting a feeling from the audience whether it’s time to speak or not. And, a great speaker won’t dampen the applause, but will pause just a bit so they don’t step on the applause.
Short pauses are effective in order for you to separate your thoughts. These pauses can last from half a second to two. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to literally count, just keep in mind to slow down. This gives the audience a chance to absorb all of what it is you are getting across. It also helps if you change the inflection in your voice during the end of a thought as this could also signal to the audience that another thought is coming their way.
Pauses are a very effective way of highlighting something, just put it before any word or thought you want the audience to focus on.
Posted: January 9th, 2009 under Public Speaking Tips.
Tags: pause in speech, timing in speech