Have you ever listened to a presentation where the presenter spoke so quickly that you didn’t catch a word they said?
Maybe you’ve been the person delivering that speedy presentation!
Talking fast when presenting is surprisingly common. When nerves kick in, many people speed up without realising it. The words tumble out, sentences start joining together and before long the audience is trying to keep up rather than taking in what you’re saying.
Sometimes it’s not only the adrenaline pumping that leads fast talking - I’ve worked with many clients who didn’t enjoy presenting and admitted that they spoke quickly just to get it over and done with!
Speaking quickly might feel efficient and a good way to ‘get through it’, but when you’re presenting it usually works against you.
First, people need time to absorb what they’re hearing. If ideas come too fast, the audience can’t process them. Even brilliant points lose their impact if they rush past before anyone has had a chance to think about them.
Second, speed can indicate nerves. When someone speaks at lightning pace, the audience often assumes the speaker is anxious or unsure. Slowing down, on the other hand, tends to make you sound calmer and more confident.
And there’s another practical problem. When you rush, you’re more likely to trip over your words, lose your place or run out of breath.
So how do you slow down when your natural instinct is to accelerate?
One simple trick is to pause more often than feels comfortable. Most speakers worry pauses will feel awkward. In reality, they rarely do. A short pause after an important point gives your audience a moment to reflect and gives you a chance to breathe.
Another helpful habit is to take a sip of water. It sounds almost too simple, but it works beautifully. A sip naturally resets your pace, creates a pause and stops the momentum of rushing speech.
You can also finish your sentences fully before starting the next thought. Many fast speakers start the next idea before the previous one has properly landed. Let the sentence end. Then continue.
And finally, consider doing a short warm up before you present. Shake out any nervous tension, do some deep breathing and try a grounding exercise such as 5,4,3,2,1.
When you slow down slightly, people often perceive you as clearer, more thoughtful and more authoritative, and that can only be a good thing for you, your audience and the message you want to convey.
Mel Sherwood is a Presentation Skills and Personal Impact Speaker, Founder of The RED Effect® and Author of ‘The Authority Guide to Pitching Your Business: How to make an impact and be remembered - in under a minute!’ She works with global business leaders, teams and individuals who want to be more confident, credible and compelling in their communication. An Australian based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, author and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.