Can you look good and choose the right words during a presentation or media encounter and still fail to get your messages across? Yes, you can, especially if you talk too fast and run your sentences together while not pausing between key points.
This often happens when speakers are so excited about their topic that they don’t realize their audience needs time to assimilate key messages.
We found an example of this when Alabama Senator Katie Britt did an interview about her support for a Republican spending bill. Senator Britt passed the visual test with her enthusiasm, facial expressions and attire. She chose effective words to explain her position. However, as you’ll see in the clip below, the senator stepped on her key messages by simply speaking way too fast.
From her point of view, Senator Britt words were well chosen. But she should have taken a breath (or two) and slowed down. Her messages would have had more resonance if she had paused before and after key phrases. We call this the “Power of the Pause” because it helps highlight messages that you really want the audience to assimilate.
So, the next time you speak in public, remember to take a breath, slow down and pause occasionally. Your audience will be glad you did.