How Long Can You Pause?

One of the most difficult skills in speaking…

[pause]

Is becoming comfortable and confident with long paues.

Speakers and musicians are afraid that if they pause for too long, the time will break and the audience will disengage.

That’s true if you freeze and stare catatonically at the the room or the camera.

But we speak with so much more than just our voices.

When you stop talking, you haven’t stopped communicating.

In combination with the right body language and facial expressions, a pause means we’re processing emotion or collecting our thoughts.

Sometimes, a pause gives us the opportunity to shift perspectives.

Have you ever struggled with how long to pause?

[long pause to process the struggle]

[have an idea]

[switch to looking enthusiastic]

If you think of a pause as an interruption, of course you’ll worry you’ll lose your audience…

But if you think of a pause as a way to open up non-verbal communication, you’ll discover the confidence to pause … for as long as you want.