274 13.3 Delivering Your Speech
professors timed in at 4.8 times a minute—almost 3.5 times more. Another
psychologist counted the “ums” per minute of well-known speakers. Wheel of
Fortune host Pat Sajak won the count with almost 10 “ums” per minute; and
although he sometimes pokes fun at well-known politicians who use vocal-
ized pauses, David Letterman was a close second with 8.1. Former President
Bill Clinton had only 0.79 vocalized pause per minute. As a public speaker, you
don’t want to be the winner of this contest by having the most “uhs” and “ums”
when you speak. Vocalized pauses will annoy your audience and detract from
your credibility; eliminate them.
Silence can be an effective tool in emphasizing a particular word or sen-
tence. A well-timed pause coupled with eye contact can powerfully accent your
thought. Asking your audience a rhetorical question such as “How many of you
would like to improve your communication skills?” will be more effective if
you pause after asking the question rather than rushing into the next thought.
Silence is a way of saying to your audience, “Think about this for a moment.”
Concert pianist Arthur Schnabel said this about silence and music: “The notes I
handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes, ah, that
is where the art resides.”^34 In speech, too, an effective use of a pause can add
emphasis and interest.Quick check
Characteristics of Good Vocal Delivery
Good Speakers
Speak with adequate volume
Articulate speech sounds clearly and
distinctly
pronounce words accurately
have varied pitch
vary their speaking rate
pause to emphasize ideasPoor Speakers
Speak too softly to be heard
Slur speech sounds
Mispronounce words
have a monotonous pitch
consistently speak too fast or too
slowly
rarely pause or pause too longusINg A mIcroPhoNe “Testing. Testing. One... two... three. Is this on?”
These are not effective opening remarks. Yet countless public speakers have
found themselves trying to begin a speech, only to be upstaged by an uncoop-
erative public address system. No matter how polished your gestures or well-
intoned your vocal cues, if you are inaudible or use a microphone awkwardly,
your speech will not have the desired effect.
There are three kinds of microphones, only one of which demands much
technique: