Pausing to Think About Pauses

Professional Speech Coaches, including me, keep you very busy on the Internet reading our advice about

--speech preparation methods

--appropriate humor

--stage fright

--outlines, introductions, conclusions

--storytelling

--visual aids

--gestures

Yes, learning those topics will boost your presentation skills.

Let's pause, though. Let's pause long enough to

think about pauses...

Paul Harvey--the Prince of Pauses

For decades, 24 million people heard Paul Harvey on 1600 radio stations daily. This "Rest of the Story" superstar mesmerized audiences with his perfectly timed, compelling pauses.

Ironically, his first radio station managers disliked his style. In Paul J. Batura's biography of Paul Harvey-- titled Good Day! The Paul Harvey Story--we learn that John Fetzer of WKZO in Kalamazoo, Michigan told Paul the "dead air time" resulting from his pauses had to stop. Negotiating skillfully, Paul agreed to reduce the frequency of pauses but still use them.

From then on, global listeners expected Harvey's dramatic pauses and enjoyed them.

Now let's consider the benefits of pauses.

Change of Pace

An unwavering speech pace--whether slow, medium or rapid--reduces listener attention. Stated more positively, pauses become silent punctuation, comparable to a written comma or new paragraph. Amazingly, a few seconds of silence greatly reduce monotony.

Attention Recovery

Even the most skilled professional speakers know that attention wanders. The longer we talk without a slight vocal break, the more distracted audiences become. Sudden silence generates renewed attention. The listener gazing out the window and the listener sending texts wonder what this fresh silence is all about. They and others turn their full attention to the presenter.

Emphasis

Tell the audience something you want to emphasize. Then stop. Say nothing. Pausing indicates "What I just said deserves your special attention."

Anticipation

Or pause just prior to underscoring and illustrating a relevant idea. This signals an upcoming topic highlight.

Confidence

A fearful speaker avoids pausing because he or she wants to get through the speech rapidly, and pauses would prolong the presentation. The speaker who includes purposeful occasional pauses displays confidence that seems natural and comfortable.

Conversational

During conversations pauses happen frequently and spontaneously, emerging from the need to catch your breath or clarify your thinking. I tell my clients that highly effective speeches resemble conversations.

Rely on your instinct to tell you when to pause. Ignore coaches who say "study your speech script and mark spots where pauses will fit."

Don't make pauses happen...let them happen.

Early Advice About Pauses

Lance Goss headed Speech and Drama at Millsaps College, my undergraduate alma mater. His speech instruction often included: "Leave out everything but the pauses."

Coca-Cola's Slogan

In closing, I encourage you to recall Coca-Cola's famous captivating description of that soft drink:

"The Pause That Refreshes"

#speechpauses #speakerpauses #pauseforemphasis #spontaneouspauses #paulharvey #restofthestory

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Do you turn down promotions because you think you lack the communication skills for leading a department? Do you decline speaking opportunities because you experience excessive stage fright? Would you welcome the thrill of speaking to an audience confidently with only minimal notes?

Have you avoided sharing your message through video because you are camera shy? When you attend networking meetings, will your current listening skills prompt people to contact you again? Are you resisting becoming a podcast host or guest? Are you ready to meet with the media productively when your company’s crisis has gone public? Do your employees need customer service training?

Let’s have a conversation to determine how my services will elevate your communication skills dramatically.

I’m Dr. Bill Lampton—the “Biz Communication Guy”—sharing in this newsletter the communication skills and strategies I learned first as a college and community theater actor, then later a radio host, university faculty member, college and health care vice president, professional speaker, coach, consultant, author, and podcast host. You’ll find the opportunity to subscribe to my podcast when you visit my website, https://bizcommunicationguy.com