Pause to Save Time
An influence skill I continually coach clients on is how to use the pause. In an attempt to explain why they resist this technique, clients frequently use this excuse: "If I pause, it will take me too long to get to the point."
The opposite is true. The pause saves time while allowing you to communicate more with less. When you fill your sentences with non-words, fillers, your thoughts become rambling paragraphs that waste time for you while exhausting your listener. When you give yourself permission to pause between your sentences, thoughts, ideas, three powerful things happen.
Your Communication Becomes Laser-Focused
Your sentences are shorter, more concise, to the point. No more verbal wandering. No more hoping your listener can follow your meandering logic. The pause forces you to complete one thought before moving to the next. This clarity doesn't just help your audience—it helps you stay on track.
You Think on Your Feet Like a Pro
The pause gives you time to find the words that resonate with your listeners to meet their objectives. Instead of saying the first thing that comes to mind, you choose language that lands. You replace reactive communication with intentional communication. The pause transforms you from someone who talks at people into someone who speaks with them.
You Eliminate Verbal Clutter
You use fewer words by replacing your non-words, fillers with strategic silence. Every "um," "uh," "like," "you know" gets replaced with purposeful quiet. Your message becomes cleaner, sharper, more professional. The pause elevates your entire communication style.
Make a Commitment
If you're in denial—"I don't speak with non-words when I know my topic or when I have time to prepare"—do yourself a favor. Listen to yourself through the ears of your listeners.
Five times this week, record your conversations. When you're on the phone at work or at home, press "record" on your iPhone. Immediately listen to your playback, paying attention to:
How you sounded rather than how you felt during the conversation
What non-words you used
Whether you paused (If so, are they too long or too short?)
Whether you sounded confident, knowledgeable, trustworthy
Twice a day for one week, ask someone you trust for honest feedback: "Every time I say 'um,' 'uh,' 'so' or when I'm not pausing, would you please tell me?" You'll quickly begin to hear the unnecessary words before you speak them.
The Pause Equals Perceived Knowledge
When you place strategic silence between your sentences, key points, ideas, your listeners perceive you as knowledgeable. Research confirms this: communication effectiveness ratings increase significantly when speakers use well-timed pauses. Without these moments of silence, your listeners begin to question you, your message, whether they feel confident acting on what you're recommending.
The pause isn't empty space—it's thinking time. It's processing time. It's the moment your listener's brain catches up with your ideas while preparing for what comes next. When you rush from thought to thought without breathing room, you create cognitive overload. Your audience struggles to keep up, which makes you appear scattered instead of expert.
Strategic Silence Creates Authority
Professional speakers understand this secret: confidence isn't measured by how much you say—it's measured by how comfortable you are with strategic silence. The pause signals that you're in control of your message, your timing, your audience's attention. It shows you trust your content enough to let it breathe.
Mark Twain understood this principle: "The right word may be effective, yet no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause." The most influential communicators know when to stop talking. They understand that silence, used strategically, speaks louder than words.
The pause isn't about hesitation—it's about intention. It's about giving your ideas the space they deserve while giving your audience the respect they need. When you master this skill, you don't just improve your delivery. You transform your entire professional presence.
Start today. Record one conversation. Listen back. Count your fillers. Then commit to replacing them with purposeful silence. Your career depends on it.
