First Level Leadership

Persuasive Speeches Create Suspense; Ignite Fire in The Minds of The Audience…How?

Persuasive speeches have one of the most eloquent things, which is often ignored by unskilled speakers.

Persuasive speeches have another very important element, 

which the unskilled speakers never consider… and that is why their speeches fall flat on the audience. It is a valuable instrument in the hands of a trained speaker. Yes, we are talking about the distinctive value of “Pause” in presentation.

What is a “Pause?” 

It is an expressed silence. The sound of movement goes on, while the speech is in suspended animation. 

What can you accomplish as a result of efficient pausing? 

Pause helps your mind to muster the forces before delivering a key stroke. As kids we have all done science experiments by holding a magnifying glass and concentrating the sun’s rays to light a paper or a match stick. 

How does it work? 

By holding (pausing) the lens to gather heat. You can use the same common sense to set the thoughts of your audience on fire by gathering heat by pausing for a few seconds. When you pause just before an important point, you make that expression more effective.

Don’t underestimate the strength that comes from ‘Silence’ 

If speech is silver, then silence is golden. Some untrained speakers ramble along without a pause or break – what a cardinal mistake. 

Prepare the audience to receive your message 

Have mercy on your audience and give their “attention-powers” a rest. What you say after a silence will then have more impact. 

The thoughts that succeed a pause are much more active than if there was no pause at all. The fragile and exhaustible mind of your audience demands a rest. Be kind to them as well as to yourself.

Pause Creates Suspense 

Why are you at the edge of your seat when you read Sherlock Holmes – because of the suspense?  

You wait to see how the mystery unfolds and if it unfolds too soon, it turns out to be a damp squib. Suspense is responsible for a great share of our interest in life; it is no different with your speech.  

The unskilled speaker 

would have rattled his speech off with neither pause nor suspense. It is precisely the application of these small things that makes the difference between a powerful presentation vis-a-vis a jejune presentation. 

Pausing allows the idea to sink in 

A speech like rain will not do much good, if it comes too fast to soak in. Ask a farmer and he will tell you the value of a drizzle. 

Why can’t we use the same idea while making persuasive speeches? 

If you have given the audience a big picture or a new idea, pause for a second or two and let the thought penetrate. Observe the impact it will have on them.  

After the smoke clears, 

reignite another fire. Take time. Silence is one of the most eloquent things in persuasive speeches. Use this master key through pause.