Contributed by Marilyn Bennett
This article is condensed from an article by Joel Schwartzberg, who is the senior director of strategic and executive communications for a national nonprofit in New York City. He is a valued Toastmaster member who asked me to share his article about slowing down your speech to make it more memorable.
As you know, radio commercials sometimes end with legal language that must be included, but is said purposefully quickly so the listener can’t fully process the information, and that’s the point. The producers of that commercial know anything said quickly is less likely to be processed or retained.
Why Speaking Quickly Hurts Your Speech
To understand the connection between speaker pace and audience processing, consider the roles of speaker and audience. As the speaker, you’re making a point you’ve understood and practiced for some time. Your audience, on the other hand, is hearing it for the first time. As such, they need to hear it, digest it, process it, determine its relevance, think about its application, and consider writing it down or tweeting it.
Why People Talk Quickly
Unlike the voice in commercials, public speakers don’t typically talk quickly on purpose, but they may be nervous about speaking or they want to cover a lot of content in a short time
Whatever the cause for quick-speak, it always decreases clarity and impact. Remember: Your audience needs twice as long to receive your point as you need to make it. And if they don’t successfully receive it, there’s no point making it in the first place.
Raise Your Volume
If you speak with a loud voice it projects competence, confidence, and authority. Try saying something both loudly and quickly. Very difficult, right? Since volume in and of itself is a public speaking asset, use it also to decrease your speaking velocity.
Over-Articulate
Articulation is another effective speed-reduction tactic because it creates oratorical “speed bumps” that force you to slow down, while boosting your vocal clarity. When you use your mouth, not just your tongue, to increase enunciation, you’ll also come across as more committed and feel more energized, because you’re making points with greater physical effort.
Embrace Pauses
Pauses can be a speaker’s best friend because they give you time to choose your words with precision and draw attention to critical points. When you pause, remember to take a quiet breath. That breath will further slow and calm you down. If you fear how your pauses will be perceived, don’t worry. Audiences generally don’t remember short pauses so use them strategically.
Ask Questions
Find places in your presentation to pose questions to your audience, even if you’re only asking them to raise their hands. This technique brings your speed down because you naturally won’t ask a question quickly, and you need to wait a few - seconds for the audience to respond.
Put Breaks in Your Notes
Good speaking notes can remind you not only what to say, but also what to do. Write the word “PAUSE” in your notes where you need time to allow a point to sink in. Also, break up your notes into concise bullets or phrases. This practice will condition your mind to think of your presentation as separate and distinct expressions, with built-in pauses between them.
Cut, Don’t Run
Finally, if you find yourself running out of time as you’re speaking, which happens to the best of us, try to cut less important content, not speed up, because anything you rush will not be retained. As a general rule, your presentation should start with the most significant ideas and end with the least significant ideas, making emergency cuts easier as you progress.
Learning From Toastmasters
In Toastmasters, we often learn the best techniques by practicing in a non-threatening environment. Discover more about Palmer Toastmasters at our website: www.palmer.toastmastersclubs.org. Join one of our meetings in person on the 1st and/or 2nd Tuesday of each month in the conference room at Turkey red (550 S. Alaska Street in Palmer) at 6 PM or online via Zoom every Tuesday night at 6 PM. We start on time.
For the Zoom link, visit the meeting directions tab at our club website: Palmer Toastmasters Club.
We are a friendly group of positive Valley people who meet to help each other grow and have fun together in the process. We invite you to get to know us better by joining one or more meetings as a guest.
