Pauses that refresh
A pause is a form of body language. Pauses can be used for dramatic effect, for emphasis, and as transitions. In the discussion of transitions in Chapter Nine, I made the point that a long pause in a speech could have the same effect as a subhead or a typographical bullet in writing. A very slight pause usually comes at the end of a paragraph, a long one at the end of a topic.
A pause also gives a speaker a chance to breathe deeply and may help him relax and pace the speech well. You might find it helpful, as I do, to write the word pause at appropriate spots in your speech text to remind the speaker when to pause. This could be especially helpful if the speaker has a tendency to talk too fast.
If at first you have the feeling ...
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