Why should you not talk too fast?
As the business blog of American Express states, truly confident people talk slowly and are not afraid of pauses. They know their words are of value and people around them are interested in listening to them. So these speakers are not in a hurry; they make pauses and emphasise certain key passages.
Talking too fast gives the impression you want to get to the point as soon as possible because you are afraid of sudden interruptions or that people will stop listening. But talking quickly means you lose the chance to use intonation, stresses and pauses, communication tools that play a major role in emphasising key thoughts. Nor do you have time to pay attention to the people you are talking to; thus you do not obtain their feedback, and your communication, which should always be a dialogue, becomes a monologue, which is of less interest to others.
How can you learn to speak more slowly?
⦁ First of all, learn to make pauses. The key points of your talk should always be separated from other parts by moments of silence.
⦁ Secondly, learn to speak in sentences. Your thoughts should be separated and structured, not just an endless stream of consciousness.
⦁ Ask short questions that support the idea you wish to convey, thus interrupting your monologue by interacting with your audience.
⦁ Imagine you are dictating your speech to someone who is writing it down.
-mm-