Pausing in Public Speaking
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1. Use the power of the pause.
Mark Twain said, “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”
Pausing is something that most people do not use very well when they are making a speech or presentation. Moments of silence when speaking are very powerful especially, as Mark Twain said, if they are used at the right time.
A great time to use a pause is just before or just after you make a bold or important statement.
This either prepares the audience for what’s coming or it gives them time to absorb and process what you have just said. Pausing also gives the speaker a chance to think about what they are going to say next or to check their notes.
There are many benefits of effective pausing when speaking to groups of people or just one to one, so this is a skill worth developing and using.
It’s the gaps between our words that often have the greatest impact, so don’t forget the power of the pause.
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