Speaker's Digest November 2002
In this issue:
- Fundamentally Speaking: Pauses that Refresh
- Overcoming Visual Aid Distractions
- Gestures We Can Live Without
Fundamentally Speaking: Pauses that Refresh
When watching TV, you'll notice that some of today’s best shows (i.e. The West Wing, NYPD Blue) fade to black for a few seconds after the end of the last scene, punctuating their final thoughts before starting the credits. It makes a great impression.
Empty space can have a major impact for public speakers as well, helping to punctuate messages or to make a certain point more memorable. Many people are uncomfortable with breaks in a conversation. (Ever hear of a “pregnant pause?”). We understand the discomfort. When you’re in front of a group, seconds feel like minutes, and minutes like hours! But pauses are effective and even important. They elevate the credibility of the speaker, and listeners perceive a greater degree of conviction from presenters who are brave enough to allow empty space into their talks.
We are advocates for pauses early and often in speeches. We like them for a number of reasons:
Pauses have dual purposes. When you, as a speaker, pause, your audience takes a moment to think about what you just said, or to ponder the value of the point you just made. You come off with greater conviction. The other benefit is that you get time to prepare for your next thought.
Balance a faster pace. When many speakers get in front of audiences, their heart rate rises a bit and their adrenalin starts to pump. Those physiological changes tend to make speakers talk faster and speed up their manner. Pauses are a great solution for “fast talkers.” Presenters don’t need to worry about slowing down; they just need to pause more often.
Eliminate the need for non-words. We’ve seen speakers who use dozens of non-words every minute without even realizing they’re doing it. By non-words, we mean conversational fillers that are devoid of meaning, like um, uh, so, and you know. Speakers use them because we’re uncomfortable with empty space, but our brains need the time to process what we will say next. Audiences are easily distracted by over-reliance on non-words, but they are impressed by pauses.
Helpful during Q&A. Audiences generally won’t jump in with questions unless asked, and pauses make time for them. Most speakers appreciate questions because they demonstrate an interest in the topic. In addition, after a question is asked, many speakers are able to pause briefly before beginning to answer. The pause, in addition to giving a moment to ponder the response, actually makes the answer more memorable. In fact, those who fail to pause can come off sounding defensive because they fail to sufficiently think out their answer.
Try using a long pause the next time you give a presentation. When you are introduced, calmly take your place. Put your notes down. Look your audience in the eye. Smile. Prepare your thoughts in your mind one final time. Take a deep breath. You’ve just used a pause to get their undivided attention. Now go for it!
President Woodrow Wilson was once asked how long it took to prepare for a ten-minute speech. "Two weeks" he replied. He was then asked how long it took to prepare a speech lasting one hour and he said, "One week." When asked how long it would take to prepare a speech lasting two hours he said, "I'm ready now." |
Overcoming Visual Aid Distractions
Visual aids are meant to enhance your presentation, add impact to your key points, and help listeners remember the information when you have finished. Avoid these common mistakes:
- Too much detail on each slide: Visual aids aren’t supposed to be your script. They should only cover the major “headlines”—the details come from you.
- Overuse of animation and sound: Don’t use all PowerPoint features just because they’re available. Too many of these “extras” can distract listeners from the actual presentation.
- Using small font size: Don’t make your listeners strain to read your visuals. Be sure your text can be read from the last row of the room.
- Poor spelling/grammar: This can take the air out of any presentation. Have a colleague check your visuals for you—they may find something that you overlooked.
- Busy backgrounds: Your key points shouldn’t have to compete for the audience’s attention. A subtle background scheme works every time.
- The dreaded “timer”: We’ve never seen this PowerPoint feature (which automatically changes slides after a preset amount of time) work well. Maintain control of the presentation by changing slides manually.
Never forget that visual aids must be easy to see (VISUAL!) and must help (AID!) your audience understand your message. For more tips on creating and using visual aids, give us a call!
One of former President Bill Clinton’s most prominent gestures—and one most often imitated by Saturday Night Live’s Darrell Hammond and other impersonators—was his fist held out at chest level, thumb closed loosely on top, elbow slightly bent, moving up and down when Clinton wanted to emphasize his ideas.
Clinton didn’t always use this gesture in his speeches. Rather it was learned and practiced by him and his staff as an alternative to a more distracting gesture of his: pointing. Early in his first campaign for presidency, his aides noted that when he pointed during his speeches, he came off as condescending, insincere and possibly unelectable.
But how could Clinton unlearn a natural gesture that he had developed during many years in public service? One aide developed an idea that by closing his hand he would appear warmer and more likeable. So he learned to reign in his finger, instead making a fist, and using it the same way he had pointed. Because it was so close to his more natural gesture, he was better able to pull it off and make it look sincere.
Those who observed our former POTUS closely noted that in stressful times, his finger popped back out, such as on the fateful day when he told the press: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.”
Our parents told us it isn’t polite to point.
Marcy Weingartz
Sr. Business Analyst
CH Robinson Worldwide