What Public Speakers Can Learn from Comedians

The most effective speakers occasionally don’t speak at all. They pause. They let their words resonate with the audience.

Watch professional comedians and you’ll notice that they do this quite a bit. For my money, no one uses silence better than Dennis Miller.

Take a listen below from his HBO special Mr. Miller Goes to Washington. A few highlights:

At 8:10 in, he talks about IHOP.
At 11:15, he talks about Big Gulps.

Track 1 by Dennis Miller on Grooveshark

In each case, the silence absolutely makes the joke.

Simon Says

Far too often at conferences, I hear speakers who fear silence. They always have to be saying something. Anything.

Don’t make this mistake. Embrace the silence. Pause strategically and for effect. You’ll be amazed at the results.

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What say you?