We live in a fast-paced world. Just how fast? Well, Forbes author Bernard Marr shares these statistics about the pace of our modern lives. Every minute 16 million texts are sent, nearly 52 thousand dollars is sent via Venmo, and over 45 thousand people hop a ride with Uber. We’d be crazy to think our communication isn’t affected by this fast pace. Because it is.
We are processing more information, and we are doing it faster than ever. Statistics show that the best speakers are also talking faster. It’s just one of the things that sets them apart. So what can we learn from these fast-talking experts?
Our New Normal Speaking Rate
You might have heard that 150 wpm (words per minute) is a good rate for speaking. And that rate is not far off. That’s the typical speed for conversational English. However, Dom Barnard of VirtualSpeech says that the most popular TED Talk speakers have a quicker rate. They analyzed some of the most popular speakers and found their rates average closer to 175, with Tony Robbins, one of the fastest, speaking over 200 wpm. So in order to keep up with today’s top speakers, we need to start speaking a little faster.
How Fast Do You Talk?
In order to know how you compare to today’s pace of about 175 wpm, you’ll need to calculate your wpm. This means you’ll need both your total speaking time and your word count. This can be obtained a couple ways. If you have a video or audio file of a presentation you’ve already given, you can use Microsoft to create a transcript of the presentation. The following instructions are adapted from their support files.
- Sign in to Microsoft 365.
- Go to the Home menu and click on Dictate.
- From the dropdown menu, click on Transcribe.
- Upload an audio file (.wav, .mp4, .m4a, .mp3).
This will give you a transcript which you can transfer into a word-processing program like Word to get the word count. Then, just divide the number of words by the number of minutes to get your wpm.
If you haven’t already given the presentation, you can use the transcribe function on Microsoft Word. Make sure to speak at the same pace you’d use if you were delivering the speech live. That will give you a transcript to figure out your word count, but you’ll also need to use the voice recorder or stopwatch on your phone to get your total speaking time. If you don’t have Microsoft 365, you can use another speech-to-text platform like this one from IBM Watson.
How To Use Rate
When considering your rate of speech, remember that most speakers tend speak faster at the beginning of their presentations because they are nervous. So keep that in mind as you are planning out your pace changes. It’s okay to vary your rate during your presentation, in fact, you should. But you want that to be an intentional choice rather than a result of nerves.
After you know what your typical speaking rate is, try speeding up during parts of your speech that you want to drive audience interest or energy. And then try slowing down to communicate seriousness and to drive impact. You’ll find that when you change up your speaking pace, it captures the audience’s attention.
Adjusting your speaking rate is just one of the ways in which you can make your presentation more clear and compelling. For more ways to master the art of presenting, get in touch with us now.
