Hush

In art it’s called, “negative space.” 

In music it’s called, “a place to rest.”

In public speaking it’s called, the “pause.”

No, not a dogs feet, nor a Southern Father. 

The “pause” is the silence between two sections of speech that allows the listener to catch up, reflect and to connect to the importance of what is being said.

Think of the last time when someone like your Mom, your Wife, or your Kids were baking cookies.           Now inhale, and take a deep whiff of that freshly baked dough, slowly,… release your breath.  Are you holding onto every morsel of memory?   Off course you are.  The “pause” in public speaking is the aroma of the cookies baking.  That “ah” that you experience after you take a deep breath.

Why do you fear the “pause”?  Is it anxiety?  Perhaps in the chaotic, cacophony of your everyday life, you grab every opportunity to be heard, then, like water you rush to fill the void.  Why not use and savor the silence?  Using a “pause” in public speaking is a skill that you can practice and become comfortable with.

I had the opportunity to do a speech from the Advanced Communication Series of Interpretive Reading.  The first project is “Read a Story”.  The speech objectives were to understand the elements of reading, analyze a narrative and plan an effective interpretation.  I choose to recite Leonard E. Read’s classic, “I, Pencil.”  The story is written in the first person from the point of view of a pencil and gives a superb case study for free markets. 

The original version of this story is 2,313 words long.  Reading at my average speed of 145 words per minute I would normally complete this story in about 16 minutes. Yet, the time allotted for the speech was 8-10 minutes.   With editing and keeping the author's intention intact, I revised this story to under 1,400 words.  The real challenge, even with editing was giving myself enough time to add well placed “pauses” to increase impact, tension and move the story along with vocal variety.  A tough task yet, a challenge accomplished.

Well placed “pauses” immerse your audience into the void of silence to influence and indicate the importance of what you are saying.  As Darren LaCroix, 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking and Keynote at the District 26 Fall Conference stated many times, “Stage Time, Stage Time, Stage Time”.  You can practice using the “pause” each time you take the stage.

Happy Hush!