Chapter 14 Delivering Presentations 413the audience to remember? Is it a statistic, a name, or a product? Think about
giving one word or phrase in every few sentences some “punch.” This differenti-
ates the word or phrase from its context.
Using Pauses for Effect
Because many speakers believe that their entire goal is to talk, they pause too
infrequently. The truth is that good speakers do not fill every second of a speech
with words. Taking a moment between statements, words, or phrases adds drama
by giving the audience time to reflect on what you have said and anticipate what
will follow. For example, in Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream”
speech, King’s use of pauses, combined with rhetorical tools like repetition,
helped to build drama and anticipation as he delivered his speech.
Speaking Clearly and Precisely
One of the quickest ways to lose credibility with your audience is to mispro-
nounce a word—especially a word that is specifically related to the subject of
your presentation. Pronunciation is the correct formation of word sounds.
Many words in the English language are frequently mispronounced, to the point
that individuals are not even aware that they are saying these words incorrectly!
Presidential mispronunciations in particular are fodder for late night talk show
hosts. Take, for example, George W. Bush’s mispronunciation of the word
strategy (“strategery”) or Barack Obama’s mispronunciation of corpsman
(“corpse man”) that you’ve likely heard about.
AS STEWIE
DEMONSTRATES in Family
Guy, a proper British accent
and certain patterns of
pronunciation can make a
person sound more intelligent
or authoritative. © 20th Century
Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved./
Courtesy Everett Collection