When you're giving a presentation moving along at a certain pace can really help to convey your sense of passion about what you're talking about. It can also help you to keep things moving forward with a palpable sense of momentum, as one slide blurs into the next, and you bring the points home in quick succession. But there are also times when you might want to slow things down.
Photo credit: John Armstrong-Millar
Slowing the pace down can be particularly effective if you choose a key moment, or a key point that you really want to have sink in for your audience. Let's face it, nobody wants to sit through a snails pace speaker's presentation, where every slide seems to last for an eternity, and every sentence cuts right through you in slow motion. The effect is much the same as having to sit through a William Shatner song - long, torturous and without merit.
But if amidst your zippy, passionate, hi-octane speech you suddenly drop back a gear, and into cruise speed, the effect can be a powerful one. In today's one minute video tutorial, taken from speaking expert TJ Walker's new Bully Pulpits show - reviewed last week on this very site - Walker explains the impact the slow and gentle approach can have if used at the right time.
As Walker puts it:
''Leaders know that if you do anything too consistently, you'll wear people out. You have to have variety in how you speak - sometimes that means louder and faster. Sometimes. It. Means. Slower.''
Think of it like taking a drive in the countryside. There are going to be times when you'll have your foot to the metal, as you push forward to reach your destination. But then there are going to be those moments when you slow right down to admire the scenery.
Your presentation is just the same, and by varying your pace, you can really help to make your key points sink in and have a lasting impact.
