You’ve worked tirelessly to polish the content and add arresting visuals to your lecture, webinar, or Zoom presentation, but it may all go by in a blur if you don’t watch your speaking speed.

TypeWell often coaches presenters in advance, reminding them to slow down to increase comprehension, impact, and effectiveness. This “special delivery” reminder is especially important for an audience that includes people with hearing loss or processing disorders—and the transcribers who provide them with access to the content.

Here are some tips on how to “control” your speaking speed.

Message Sent

The main goal of a presentation is to convey information. Fast speakers often mumble or slur their speech, which diminishes interest, attention, and retention. People with processing disorders or hearing loss may have even more difficulty following along.

Stage Fright

Public speaking is a high-anxiety experience for some presenters, who may rush through their material to “get it over with.” But this “rush act” may cause you to skip over important points or make them less clear. Presentation anxiety also shows in your voice and jittery mannerisms.

The Impact Pause

Researchers have studied the benefits of “think-time”: the intentional use of uninterrupted silence after asking a question or making a salient point. When used skillfully, that 3-5 second pause is “one of the most underused weapons that an instructor has at their disposal.”  

Breathe Deeply

How do you control your speaking speed? It’s as easy as breathing. Take deep, slow breaths while speaking to calm yourself and enhance credibility and influence.

TypeWell is a real-time transcription service that provides equal access to spoken conversations in classrooms (schools and colleges), public forums, meetings, and seminars for people with hearing loss and other communication needs. Please visit our Support page or contact us at [email protected].