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Presentation Tips
The Pause is a verbal tool like no other. Suspense. Drama. Intrigue. Power. All promoted by the Pause. Discover how these small segments of silence can translate to large admiration and appreciation of audiences.
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“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” Mark Twain Throughout history, the world's great orators have known of and applied the power of the pause: President Ronald Reagan: “Mr. Gorbachev…Tear Down this Wall!” By definition, the pause is “a hesitation or a temporary suspension of an action.” |
| The pause is one of those unique English Words that’s both a verb and a noun. As a verb: “Let us pause to reflect on this person’s generosity” As a noun: “Let us GIVE pause as we reflect on this person’s generosity”. Plus it sounds a bit more formal. |
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Like punctuation marks in writing, pausing punctuates our messages. When we pause we’re telling the audience that what we’ve just said is important. The pause doesn’t have to be long. Even two seconds can be a powerful way of emphasizing your message. Here are four potent points for pausing: |
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Indeed, as communicators, we should pay extra attention to the placement, impact, and implications of the Pause. Not only as we write our words and assemble our oratories…but in everyday conversation and interaction. Those small segments of silence can translate to large admiration and appreciation of audiences…who- whether they’re aware of it or not- might hear an otherwise ordinary talk as extraordinary. And that is true Pause Power. |
| Kevin Lerner is a presentation consultant and expert on presentation design and delivery. His firm, The Presentation Team, has helped hundreds of companies and individuals to create world-class presentations. |
1. A pause can slow our speaking rate
2. A pause gives us time to think
3. A pause is more powerful than um and ah
4: A Pause can add Depth, Drama and Dimension to a talk.
Notice that term “Well-placed.” I recently delivered a speech about Achieving Greatness through Quotations.” The talk was generally well-received …except for one critical listener who noted that my pauses were "unsubstantial." "Kevin," he said, “you were simply pausing to gather your thoughts.” Pauses…he went on to say, should be perfectly placed…and terrifically timed.
