Public Speaking Tips: An Uneasy Silence - Paul M Johnstone

Public Speaking Tips - 

The Pause Paul M Johnstone

www.paradigmshakers.co.uk

As a new speaker just starting out, or a self taught public speaker or presenter, you don’t like to pause because you hate the silence that can descend on your audience.  You are concerned by the ‘dead’ feeling silence, speakers often associate with silence.

You have probably heard a speaker give their presentation and rush through it, with hardly a pause for breath.  The result is normally you don’t remember anything that was said.

The truth is your audience only start listening when you stop talking!

What?    

All of us process what has just been said during the pause.  It allows our brains to make sense of the words and file them in our memory.  Think back to any conversation you have had.  There is information then there are pauses.  This is so everyone in the conversation has time to digest what has been said, filter it and react to it.

There is a phrase that many public speakers use, ‘Pause till it hurts’.  This refers to the uneasy feeling in your stomach you experience when you think things are not as they should be.  And nothing is more so than your audience of 50 or more people looking at you and you are saying nothing. 

The truth is we all pause to emphasise a point.  Be brave and try it next time you are speaking or presenting.  It would be nice if you let me know how you got on.

If you’d like to improve your public speaking and presentation skills – get in touch!

Please feel free to comment if this tip has helped you, share your own ideas or ask a public speaking question Paul will try to help!

Comments and feedback pleas! Feel free to comment on this or any of my earlier Blogs. You guys keep me on track and help me improve.

About the Author

Paul M Johnstone is a Professional Communicator, Speaker, Executive Coach and PowerPoint Guru!  He works with companies, organisations and individuals, helping them improve their communication skills.  Paul helps people want to speak and present more effectively, to improve their personal and professional success. He can be reached at +44 (0)7711 324362or through his website at http://www.pmjohnstone.co.uk/

©Paul M Johnstone

Public Speaking Tip: Dutch courage - Paul M Johnstone

Eat, Drink And be Merry, For Tomorrow……………

It’s a fact eating and drinking well helps you be a better public speaker!  Specifically, making sure you are well fed – but not over-fed means you have energy and will help you through the event.  Energy levels are important especially when you are on yoru feet speaking too your audience. Public speaking requires some self control.

So eating and drinking well helps you be a better public speaker.

It provides you with energy and helps your speeking voice as you will not feel tight or bloated around your diaphragm, you know the bit that projects your voice!.

Also your throat should be well lubricated. There are lots of ways of ensuring this, and my preference is for a glass of luke warm water, which relaxes the throat. Alcohol and (to some extent tea, coffee and some soft drinks) will make your mouth dry.

One of the worst thing is gassy or carbonated drinks, or worse still is beer! They’ll make you feel bloated and may even cause you to belch!  And it’s best to avoid anything that coats the throat, as this inhibits your speech, milk, chocolate are two I would avoid.

Why is this important?

I’ve already stressed in previous posts the importance of being relaxed when speaking in public.  And being over-full or perhaps just a little drunk can mimic some of the physical discomforts as fear.

Public speaking, especially when you are being paid, require some self discipline… And to be relaxed it's best if you use simple relaxation exrcises rather than alcohol.

Abstain until it is your time to speak…Knock ’em dead with a great speech.

Then chill out and enjoy yourself!  With that hot chocolate or large glass of 12 year old single malt

If you’d like to improve your public speaking and presentation skills – get in touch! 

Comments and feedback pleas! Feel free to comment on this or any of my earlier Blogs. You guys keep me on track and help me improve.

About the Author

Paul M Johnstone is a Professional Communicator, Speaker, Executive Coach and PowerPoint Guru!  He works with companies, organisations and individuals, helping them improve their communication skills.  Paul helps people want to speak and present more effectively, to improve their personal and professional success. He can be reached at +44 (0)7711 324362or through his website at http://www.pmjohnstone.co.uk/

©Paul M Johnstone