Even in their shortest messages, next level communicators don’t talk too much
Even in their shortest messages, next level communicators don’t talk too much.
One of the mistakes new communicators make is they feel as if they have to fill every second of their messages with words, thus diluting the power of their presentation. The most effective speakers have learned to befriend silence, placing pauses at strategic moments to make their points stick.
And that’s what I want us to talk briefly about today- the importance of the well placed pause.
In 2019, Tiger Woods won the Masters. Hardly anyone thought he stood a chance when he stepped on the first tee at Augusta National. Tiger was coming off of years of debilitating injuries, along with the psychological toll of a much talked about scandal. For many, just making the cut at the year’s first major would be enough. But to win? No way. Well, he did. And when Tiger Woods sank his final putt, Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo, the broadcasters for the event, sat in silence for well over a minute, letting us viewers take it all in. And it was in this moment of pause, where many of us seated on our sofas (or standing and going crazy), wiped a tear from our eyes as Tiger embraced his mother and children, and walked off to the scorers tent as the crowd went nuts. Nantz and Faldo understood the power of the moment, and receded to the background behind a wall of silence. They knew we were witnessing history. As the saying goes, they understood there are times when, “silence is golden”.
The best broadcasters intuitively know there are moments when they have to let the moment do the talking, and not them.
And the best communicators intuitively know there are moments when they have to let the moment do the talking, and not them.
Even in their shortest messages, next level communicators don’t talk too much.
So as you prepare your messages, I want you to remember the following when it comes to pauses:
Be strategic. Pauses should never be random. That can be awkward. Instead, think of your most strategic points, make the point, and then underscore the point with a pause.
Pauses should be brief. I’ve chosen to use the word “pause,” and not “stop,” to communicate that our silence should not be more than 2-3 seconds. Any longer than that and we are back to awkward territory.
Be economical. Too many pauses, and you guessed it, we are back to being awkward. Every message should have at least one pause, and every message should have no more than three. Like money, spend your pauses wisely- on your most important point or points. You can also make a pause right before you give the punchline to a point or a joke or an illustration.
What I’m Reading:
The Cost of Ambition, Miroslav Volf.
Well, today’s the day. My book, Grace to Overcome is out! If you haven’t already, pick it up. It’s filled with stories and illustrations to help you communicate better.
