Let Your Audience React
Carmen Sederino
Performance Master & Speaking Strategist | Turning High-Stakes Presentations into Unforgettable Theatrical Experiences | Founder of The Illuminated Story? Method | illuminatedstory.com
You know how jokes sometimes take time to sink in?
Like when you drop a thinker at dinner with your friends and no one laughs…
But as soon as you get home, you get a message from your friend, saying:
“OMG, I just got your joke. It’s HILARIOUS LOL.”
Or when someone in your friend group’s intentionally trying to be funny…
So, you and your friends hold your laughter so as not to give them satisfaction…
But as soon as someone else starts to snicker…
The entire room bursts into laughter?
Yep.?
Sometimes, people take a while to react to a funny thing.?
It could be because it hasn’t clicked in their heads that you made a joke…
Or because they’re waiting for someone else to laugh first.
And this is why you need to take a pause in your presentations…
…Especially when you drop a punch line that you don’t want anyone to miss.?
Let your audiences’ minds catch up to the fact that you said something funny.
Otherwise, their brains might just process it as a part of your serious presentation.
Or worse…
They might think you just said something that made zero sense.?
Now, the need for strategic pauses doesn’t just apply to jokes.
If you ask people to imagine something…
To choose between two things…
Or to dig into any emotion…
You’ve got to give them time to process.?
I’ll admit.
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Mastering the art of pausing at the right moment takes a little practice.?
After all, we’re so used to speeding through what we have to say…
Especially when we’re nervous.?
Because then, we tend to talk faster.?
This is why taking pauses mid-speech is also a sign of confidence.?
So, the next time you rehearse your presentation…
Identify moments where it would be nice to take a pause.?
But if you’re not sure exactly where you’re supposed to mark some pauses…
Or if your presentation doesn’t seem to have enough punch lines that your audience can react to…
Just reach out so we can work on it together.?
Cheers,
Carmen
+61 (0)409 007 114
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2 年Carmen, this post really demonstrates the impact pause can have on your presentation. It's crucial for your audience to be able to process any information or even jokes you throw their way when you're trying to engage them.
CEO at The Expert Project
2 年When we pause at the right moments, we allow the audience to process what we say, and not only that, we also enable our audience to stay engaged, which helps us make them feel excited about what is about to come. Great share as always, Carmen.
CEO at Linked VA
2 年This post really shows how pause can impact your presentation, Carmen. In engaging with your audience, it is important that they can absorb the information or even jokes you throw at them.
Learning & Development Wizard ???? | Creative ? | Imagine8??| Redefining How People Learn, Connect, and Do Business. Let’s Chat!
2 年Great read you’ve got there, Carmen.? I completely agree that taking a pause is important because it allows our listeners to think.
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2 年Yes, Carmen Sederino ... the power of the pause. Such an important message. I'll make a point of putting this into a shot speech I'm giving next week. Thanks.