Communication Firebreaks

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On the afternoon of July 6, a bolt of lightning pierced the Oregon sky and struck the ground near the small community of Beatty. If you were in the vicinity, it most assuredly caught your attention, but what happened next would catch the country’s attention.

From that dramatic beginning, a fire started and began to spread. With increasing speed, the flames consumed timber stands, shrubs, and high-elevation meadows. Nearly 2000 firefighters would ultimately arrive to battle the flames, and one of the first things they did was race ahead of the fire and carve firebreaks—vegetation-free corridors that would force the fire to slow down.

But what does a 400,000-acre forest fire have to do with effective communication?

One of the most persistent problems in public speaking is a runaway presenter—a presenter who blazes through their content much like the Bootleg Fire has raced through the Oregon forest.

Whether a presenter’s speed is driven by nerves, excitement, or an intimate familiarity with their topic, going too fast can scorch a presenter’s content—turning it all into a nondescript landscape of smoldering information.

The solution to slowing the breakneck pace of a runaway presenter? Communication firebreaks.

Firebreaks in a presentation come in the form of...pauses.

Each time a presenter pauses, it forces them to reboot, restart, and slow down. It also provides their audience with an opportunity to digest, contemplate, and prepare for what’s next. Strategically inserting pauses into the flow of your content is a critical communication skill.

Below are three places to strategically use presentation firebreaks.

1. Between Content Areas

A well-organized presentation will include clearly discernable content areas. For example, if the presentation is a pitch to investors, those content areas could include: the problem, the solution, and the revenue model.

Taking a deliberate pause between each of these content areas is critical to preventing a runaway presentation. Each pause will act as a firebreak forcing you to stop, take a moment, and start again more slowly.

And because these are longer pauses (think 2-4 seconds), experiment with movement to nonverbally signal to your audience that you are transitioning from one content area to the next. If you’re standing, take a few steps to one-side, ground yourself, and then restart. If you’re seated, take advantage of the pause to visually survey your audience, select a new focal point, and start the next section.

2. Before Critical Ideas

Presentations are filled with important terms, ideas, and takeaway messages. Racing through your content, however, burns up any opportunity to make sure these critical ideas are noticed by your audience.

On the other hand, taking a deliberate pause before the ‘reveal’ of an essential idea is a great way to get the idea to stick in your audience’s minds. We call this technique “Pause & Punch.”

Try it for yourself. Read the following sentences quickly, without pausing, and imagining that they come in the midst of dozens of other sentences all presented at a similarly quick pace:

“One of the most powerful performance tools a presenter can utilize is the strategic pause. Pauses help alert audiences to forthcoming critical information.”

Now read the same 2-sentence sequence but this time adding in a strategic pause:

“One of the most powerful performance tools a presenter can utilize is...[pause]... the strategic...pause. Pauses help alert audiences to forthcoming critical information.”

3. After Audience-Directed Questions

Asking your audience questions, whether you are looking for a vocalized answer or silent reflection, can transform a presentation from a one-way flow of information into a personal, interactive affair.

To be authentic, however, you need to pause after you ask an audience-directed question. This pause affords your audience time to contemplate their answer. Omit the pause and it will feel like you are running a rout program and your question will come across as disingenuous.

The next time you deliver a presentation—whether to 2 or 2000 people—be sure to use strategic pauses as communication firebreaks to prevent a runaway presentation. The last thing you want to do is blaze through your content and leave only smoldering information in your wake.