Public Speaking:  The Silence is the Gold—Where to Pause

Have you noticed that the best presenters use pauses when they talk?  You know it sounds and feels good.  Where are they pausing?  Here are three examples:

• After introductory phrases or clauses
  • “By the time we finish with this endless series of meetings [Pause] we may have a brand new set of problems.”
  • “Even though the corporate meeting went well, [Pause], middle management people still feel uneasy.”

• Before conjunctions [but, or, and, because, etc]
  • “We strongly argued for revising the plan [Pause], but they didn’t take our advice.”
  • “We must include this expense in the budget this year [Pause] or encounter serious consequences next. ”

• When doing a long list of items
  • “We’ll need to contact the vendors [Pause], double-check our contracts [Pause], verify all details [Pause], confirm the agenda [Pause], and allow time to make adjustments.”

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

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