Many of the aspiring public speakers I work with seem obsessed with filling every second with words.
Words. Words. Words.
When I
suggest they might build some silence into their talk they look very confused.
Think about it.
When you listen to a lecture do you really think you hear every
word that’s being said? No. When something of interest catches your imagination
you will, even if only momentarily, break concentration and follow your
thoughts.
This is absolutely natural and part of the process of learning. Your
brain is asking how what you just heard fits with what you already know and how
you might apply this new knowledge in your own life.
If you’re a public speaker
on a mission (and I certainly hope you are) then you must build ‘think time’
into your talk.
- Use pausing to let your audience digest what you’ve said.
- Repeat yourself.
- Say what you’ve already said again with different words or different tonality.
Line from a favourite song:
ReplyDelete'It's all those words
which always get in the way
Of what you want to say'