Silence is a fundamental component of speech. It fills the space before, between and after our spoken words and it's another tool used by effective speakers. This may seem counter intuitive as we're often fearful of silence. It can feel really awkward. But it's often those silent moments that help your message to have a greater impact upon an audience. When a speaker chooses the right moment to add a purposeful pause, the audience will want to pay close attention to what's next. This sense of anticipation causes the audience to listen closely. It also makes any point you are making feel more dramatic. It can be kind of like that pause during the top of a roller coaster ride right before the drop. Anything said before or after silence becomes more dramatic. Try it out... read something aloud, then read it while embellishing the moments of silence between sentences. Isn't it more dramatic that way? Silence also creates a strong connection between the audience an...
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