How often have you heard presenters being given advice to “slow down”? And how do they very often interpret this? By slowing down the speed that they’re talking – their rate of speech.

They couldn’t be more wrong. Unless you really want to emphasise a key point, don’t slow down the pace of your words by default. Why? Because it drains the energy and vibrancy from your voice. All that beautiful intonation and passion fades away, leaving you sounding monotone... And no one wants to sound monotonous when presenting. So, keep your pace lively.

So how should “slow down” be interpreted? The answer is simple… by pausing. By giving your audience time to absorb what you’re saying. It’s a key principle of effective communication that people don’t remember what they hear… they remember what they think about. So give them some space, and always remember that Silence = Thought = Memory!