Pause...for Power!

You're probably familiar with the classic stage direction, "pause for effect." Proper use of pauses is, indeed, one of the most effective tools you can use in public speaking.

Chances are, you've seen a presentation where the speaker went too fast. Thus, though their show may have been well-researched and beautifully presented, you didn't get the information. It sped by in a blur of overlapping words.

This is surprisingly easy to do. If you're familiar with your material--as you should be, for any effective presentation--it's tempting to speed through your show.

As well, some presenters may feel they're losing their audience. Thus, they whip through their words--when, in reality, they should actually slow the pace down...introduce some pauses...and give their audience a chance to "get back on track."

Remember--your goal is to convey information, not break a speed record! Humans learn more by sight than by sound. Spoken information must be cleaner, simpler and less dense than its visual counterpart.

When you present, be aware of moments in which you introduce new terms, new concepts, and especially when you speak words of more than three syllables. A pause, after a new term, or complex word, gives your audience a moment to absorb the information you are presenting.

If you pause after any new term or longer word, you automatically increase your audience's comprehension and retention levels. Don't be afraid to pause for several seconds after a large chunk of information. On stage, five seconds seems like an eternity. To your audience, who are digesting what has just been said, it passes like the blink of an eye.

Adding pauses to your presentation will help you keep cool, calm and collected--while making sure that your audience gets the message you've worked hard to convey.

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