It was 1977, as far as I remember, when Reinhard Mey entered the stage in the Salzburg Mozarteum, which was sold out to the last seat. The lights in the auditorium were already extinguished, all eyes in tense silence on the singer, who was just picking up his guitar. The contrast of the strong spotlight cone made the background appear almost black.
Then a door to the foyer opened behind me with a jerk, a bright ray of light fell in and a visitor who had arrived too late, visibly embarrassed, crept crouched to his row of seats, with which he – to his fate – attracted all the attention.
Reinhard Mey dropped the guitar and paused quietly. It seemed as if he was looking at the absurd scene with a hint of curiosity. He followed the completely unsuccessful attempt of the latecomer to get to his vacant seat unnoticed with undisguised pleasure. Some listeners began to giggle, Reinhard Mey laughed back, an idiosyncratic, mischievous pleasure spread - and finally led to a great applause.
Pauses in speech and their practical significance in the lecture
How do you use these impactful moments specifically in your appearances and presentations? In this article, I want to discuss with you the first of three particularly important occasions in which your silence can be of particular importance.
(You can listen to the current episodes of my new podcast on all common podcast platforms. An overview can be found here . Or listen to the podcast here directly on my website .)
Three pauses double the impact of your presentations
- At the beginning: pause in tension and moment of presence
- During your speech: Service for memory with outline breaks
- At the end: Have an effect on the listener
But first things first. Let's start with your first words. Or better yet, with the pause before your first set.
How to generate attention and pull with your first pause in speech
Experience this in most speeches, Lectures or presentations ? No sooner have the speakers gone ahead, sometimes even during the last steps, than we hear them "Um, thanks for the invitation... um... welcome also from my side ..." say. Empty phrases at the beginning of your speech are not a good idea. Because apart from the fact that they are usually completely empty of content and just said, they activate the fear in the listeners that it will probably continue uninspired with empty phrases and empty formulas.
- Practical tip – Check: How do the seconds before your first words play out in your presentations? When you got up to go forward? How much time do you take to arrive at the right point, to perceive the space and the atmosphere and to establish contact with your audience?
What tempts you to make initial phrases?
Speech pressure is the technical term for the driving force that takes away the effect of the first words of so many speakers. To start talking about this oversized drive right away is a fatal mixture of expectation tension, performance nervousness and the righteous pursuit of good performance.
This inner tension is looking for redemption. And especially if you have not conceived and thought through your beginning differently, tension is discharged in physical actions. Pressure is looking for expression – in this case fatal, because unconsciously the listeners perceive that the situation has a firm grip on you, that you are driven by circumstances, that is, that you have lost self-leadership.
Change the perspective!
Why don't you look at the scene from the very outside? Put yourself in your audience's shoes for a moment. Are your listeners really ready to receptive? If you're speaking at a conference, attendees are likely still thinking about the last talk, taking notes, or looking for the door to the buffet. If you present in a meeting, your colleagues may still be dwelling on the to-do's from the last agenda item and annoyed about the tasks they have been assigned, whispering to each other or quickly reading a message on their mobile phone.
Be strong, wait and see!
Give your audience the necessary time and take the opportunity to arrive in your leadership role:
- Choose the place in front of your audience that corresponds to the focal point of all eyes
- Physically align yourself head-on with the audience. Visibly confront all expectations and concerns. This is the only way to show that you are inwardly ready to take the proverbial reins in your hands.
- Tighten up, straighten up. Make it clear that you are currently taking your stand. > Read more here
Subjective time passes faster
If you have read this far, you may also have thoughts in your head such as: "I can't just stand and say nothing for so long!" ? Observe it in practice when you get the chance. Maybe two or three seconds have passed so far. According to my observations, even in simple meetings, it usually takes up to ten seconds for all participants to pay attention to the matter. By then, however, the first sentences of the speakers have already gone unheard.
- If you have toned and straightened up, now is the right time for Sense Focusing come: Actively switch from thinking and planning to body awareness. Feel how the weight is distributed on the sole of your foot. Perceive yourself intensively physically.
Your inner focus creates attention
Sense Focusing brings you multiple benefits:
- Sovereign body language: All muscles tense by the stress of performing are now letting go. Let go of your shoulders, which will give your gestures more space to express themselves when speaking
- Rich, deeper voice: The sensitive vocal muscles in the larynx thank you for the short rest with more expressiveness.
- Curious and expectant looks from your audience: They have now caused the first reaction of the audience without visible activity and thus demonstrated leadership.
Even the guests in the last rows have now noticed that it is starting. All eyes are now on you. It becomes quiet in the room. Now it's time to reap the results!
Congratulation! Now is the right moment for your first words!
Yours sincerely,
Arno Fischbacher
The author:
Arno Fischbacher is a business voice coach and rhetoric expert, speaker and author. He prepares executives and employees of the top companies in Germany and Austria for negotiations, presentations and media appearances. Fischbacher is the author of several books, past president of the German Speakers Association (GSA) Austria, chairman of the European Network of Voice Experts, stimme.at.
If you would like to learn more about specific training opportunities with Arno Fischbacher, make an appointment here free information talk.
How do you deal with this first moment of speech or presentation? How do you get the necessary attention for your input? I look forward to your comments!
Recently, I agreed to read something at a funeral service in the church. I was overwhelmed with grief myself and didn't know if I would even get a word out. Out of necessity, I concentrated entirely on the present moment, so first go up the steps and don't think any further. Then I put the sheet correctly. In fact, afterwards I felt the need to stand in the right position so that I could persevere. Only then did I look into the well-filled church, breathe deeply again and then slowly start reading. In between I had to take a break and breathe again and again, once my voice failed for a moment, but I made it. Afterwards, many told me that the (involuntary) breaks had worked well and that they had been very touched. I had done all this to save myself, but as a conscious strategy I will remember it. Thanks for the inspiration!