The Power of Moments!

The Power of Moments!

The topic on the banner gets you interested, and you signed up to attend the seminar.  

When the speaker starts speaking, you notice that the speaker tends to use a lot of “errs, aahs, erms” etc.  There are also occasions where the speaker tends to repeat words or phrases in the midst of his or her speeches; for example “you know”, “actually” etc.

For example, “Today’s topic is about..err…you know….the recent debate about …err..you know……”.  You get distracted and have this urge of just leaving the seminar!  

This – “errs, uhhms, aahs” – are called time-fillers.  Time fillers are irritating and distracting to the audience.  Worse, it also diminishes the authority of the speaker.

What if you are a first-time presenter and are guilty of doing the same thing?  What is the solution for this?

The answer:  Using MOMENTS!

Moments (or pauses) are punctuation of speeches.  Actors on stage use moments to control the tempo of the play, or to bring suspense in the dialogue. 

Similarly, public speakers can use moments to eliminate time fillers, gives time to audience to digest the information that is being conveyed, and at the same time, providing suspense for audience to wanting more.There are two types of moments that you need to master that can bring your presentations to the next level: 

 Confident Moment:

This is used to demonstrate a speaker’s confidence and authority.  

If you are feeling “the butterflies in the stomach”, this method could help to develop your confidence.  What you can do is, the very moment you take the stage, pause for 5-7 seconds, look at the audience, smile and before starting your first words. You will capture the audience attention almost instantly.

Emphatic Moment:

This is used to capture the audience attention and provide suspense throughout your speeches.  

For example, you can say along these lines: “What I am going to share with you is …<pause> …” or “Yesterday, when I was at the Mall, there was a …<pause>… “ before you continue your presentation.  

At this juncture, you will get the audience attention as they are anxious to wait for the next word that you are going to say.

The next time when you have the opportunity to take the stage, try these methods. 

 Yours creatively,

Hazriq Idrus
Founding Director
The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd
www.thespeakingfactory.com