5 Ways To Use the Power of the Pause

Well apart from the fact that we speak in rhythmic patterns with words which by themselves are units of thoughts and meaning, and thus spoken with split second gaps between them if not liaised, yes apart from the automatic gaps, when do I deliberately and noticeably pause in the middle of a speech?

The first time to pause is actually before the speech. As soon as you have placed your portfolio or notes on the lectern or podium you look your audience over with a smile if the occasion does not decry a smile, and you say nothing. Then you insert your energy into that moment of expectation as you open your mouth with the preamble, the icebreaker.

A second effective use of the pause is to place a sustained silence between the icebreaker and the introduction. Especially in a sermon it denotes a movement from the mundane to the divine; from the friendly to the theological; from the casual conversation to the expanded conversation; from the informal to the formal.

The pause for emphasis is a third and very important use of the pause to allow time to consider the content that is either about to be spoken or had just been said. If it is anticipatory then you pause in mid-sentence, if it is conclusive then you pause at the end of a sentence. A repetition may follow a pause made after a statement.

Pausing for dramatic effect is the fourth use of the pause. This is when you engage the audience in an enthusiastic moment of real connection. You are telling a story or stating a major point, you can feel the positive spirit of the moment, and the audience is really with you. So to heighten the drama or just to stimulate thought, you pause to allow them to suggest the end of the story or the answer to a problem. In many instances you do not wish to state everything, you simply pause and gesture to indicate the nature of what the audience has obviously concluded. That unspoken thought is then suggested in your next statement.

The fifth use of the pause is to deliberately inject sanity into what may otherwise be a too rapid delivery. It rescues the health of the speech, and if used wisely by the speaker will also rescue the breathing apparatus which powers the voice. This is a moment to ask yourself if there is another point you need to insert or omit. You are smiling and looking confident so the audience doesn’t know that this is a survival pause.

Attention, transition, emphasis, dramatic effect and catching your breath are five very important reasons we should not overlook the importance of the simple…pause.