- Hit the snooze button!
- Think before you speak!
- Re-read your emails before sending!
- Count to 10 when angry!
- Take a deep breath!
Pause in these situations and you may save the day.
Pause in your presentation and you will make a great impression.
~Pausing is dynamic tool your presentation delivery.~
Here’s a perfect example:
While watching a trailer for the movie, The Big Short, I notice Ryan Gossling’s character standing at a board room table. He builds a jenga block structure on the table and dramatically knocks it over.
A man across the table asks, “What is that?” He pauses, looks at the man asking, looks at the other men in the room, looks at the blocks splayed out and then answers, “That’s the housing market.”
~Pausing adds rhythm, cadence and
dramatic quality to your presentation~
Unfortunately, that millisecond or two a pause requires feels like an eternity. Instead we fill it in with “um or uh” – an annoying sound that reveals nervousness and lack of preparation.
Gifted musicians, dancers and composers are masters of incorporating the pause in their art form.
- Pauses can catch your breath
- Leave you hanging on the edge of your seat
- Adds a rhythm, cadence and dramatic quality to a presentation
- And most importantly………
- Gives your audience a moment to catch up to your words and their meaning.
A speaker who is willing to use the dynamic power of the pause garners respect and attention from the audience because we believe you have command over your performance.
Hit the pause button in your next presentation or while leading a meeting. Who knows? You may emulate Ryan Gosling’s delivery and make it big!