Your best moments in public speaking may be silent ones.  There are several places in a speech where a pause is extraordinarily eloquent.  You should add the pause to your arsenal of presentation tricks and use it freely.

The first place for a pause is at the beginning of a speech.  If you’ve been watching the Democratic convention, you will have witnessed a familiar quandary for popular speakers:  getting the audience to quiet down so that the speaker can begin. 

President Clinton was a prime example.  At first, he smiled and waved.  Then he started saying “thank you” repeatedly.  Finally he resorted to the “fire-putting-out” gesture (palms open, facing down, moving arms up and down) and saying things like, “let’s get started – shush”  in a vain effort to get the audience quiet.

He would have quieted the audience must faster had he just stood and looked at them – the first powerful use of the pause.  Yet it is probably impossible for someone like Clinton to stand still in front of 35,000 people applauding wildly for him.  The urge to respond, to say “thank you” is just too strong.  Nonetheless, the fastest way to get an audience quiet is simply to look at them, while standing very still.

Use that moment (make it a 3-second count) to take stock of your audience, take a deep breath, and think of your first line.  It’s a great antidote to nerves at the beginning of a speech.

The second place for a pause is after you’ve asked the audience a question, whether it’s a rhetorical one or not.  Let the question sink in.  It simply takes a while for the sound to reach the audience’s ears, be processed, and for the audience to think up a response.  In your adrenaline-enhanced sense of time, it will seem like forever.  But it won’t be.  Count to yourself, and I guarantee you someone will answer you (if you’re still) before you reach “6 one thousand.”

The third place for a pause is after you’ve said something funny.  A lot of speakers ruin the moment by laughing at their own jokes.  Don’t.  Wait for the audience to laugh.  Then you can. 

Finally, always pause when you ask the audience for feedback, or responses of any kind.  You’ve got to give them time to think and react.  Pausing to say, “Are there any questions?” will seem insincere unless it’s accompanied by a genuine pause from the speaker of at least 4 seconds, preferably 6. 

Many speakers talk too fast, and pausing is a great way to slow the express train down for a station or two.  Audiences will almost always be grateful for the opportunity to catch up, reflect, and file away what you’ve been saying, even if they aren’t asking questions. 

Don’t be afraid of the pause in public speaking.  It’s your best friend.  

Comments

[public speaking tips]

hello there,

Well,inserting a pause have an unbelievable impact on the adresees as it keeps suspense alive.

[Mitch Joel - Twist Image]

Great post Nick.

As a self-identified "fast talker" I can really relate to these moments of pause.

Another one is after a major concept or idea. I call them the "a-ha moments". I'm hopeful that most speakers know their big idea moments and allow them to soak in and marinate with the audience once they are trotted out for the first time.