Sometimes not saying anything can be more impactful than saying something. Silence can be a very powerful tool when used correctly during your speech or presentation. Presenting in front of a group of people is like having a conversation with them without the immediate vocal response that you have during a normal discussion. Your audience is thinking about what you are saying and processing the information in their minds. You should think about it this way:
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You are talking to your audience.
- Your audience talks back to you in silence by thinking about what you just said.
If you are talking on and on and on, without any brief moment of silence for your audience to think and reflect on what you just said it is like having a discussion with someone without giving the other person the opportunity to respond / say anything. Not letting the other person respond during a conversation is rude. If you don’t have some pauses / silence during your presentation you are being rude towards your audience. Allow them to think about an important point that you made during your presentation, by giving them a moment / few seconds to think. Don’t continue talking to fill the room with sound. Leave brief moments for your audience to think and by doing that get them engaged in the discussion that you have with your audience when presenting. Silence is a powerful tool that you have to deliver more effective and better presentations. Read more tips and tricks about it in the book that is part of the Public Speaking Kit.
