Preparing for a big speech, from a TED talk to a meeting with your boss, can create nerves. From those nerves often come coping mechanisms. One we often turn to is filler words. “Ah,” “like,” “um,” “well” and “so” are just a few that inundate our language when trying to find the words we have prepared. In these situations, the power of pause can save you from losing your audience altogether. Knowing when, how and for how long to pause is the key.
According to Harvard Business Review, well-placed pauses can help in three ways: Collecting your thoughts, calming your nerves, and building suspense. A well-trained speaker can leverage any or all of these pauses in their delivery to transform a flustered stutter into an informed soliloquy.
The Five Second Rule
Five seconds can seem like an eternity to a speaker; however, an audience will allow for a five second pause without fault. Those five seconds can be the difference between getting ahead of yourself or losing your train of thought altogether and centering yourself. Your audience will thank you, and you will save yourself a lot of filler words if instead of saying “umm” or “hang on,” you simply leverage the power of pause and pinpoint your place in your thoughts. This adds refinement to a presentation and shows control.
Breathe Deeply
Taking a deep breath either before your big speech or even during will aid in calming those nerves. If you can master the art of the silent, smooth deep breath then you can weave it into your presentation whenever you find yourself in peril. A brief, inaudible, subtle breath is an invaluable tool to have up your sleeve. The extra oxygen you allow yourself will breathe life into your performance.
Strategize Your Silence
As it turns out, pauses are not only meant to save you from leaning on filler words. They can also be strategically placed in your address as a powerful aid. When done right, the power of pause can help your message sink in and capture the attention of your audience. It can break up the cadence of your speech and re-engage your listeners. It can also help build suspense. Try building in a pause or two the next time you have something important to say to keep your audience on the edge of their seats.
Feeling nervous about an upcoming event? Our presentation coaches at Ethos3 are expertly trained to help you take command of the office, boardroom or stadium. Reach out and let us know how your presentation can be taken to the next level.
