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Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:45 am
That clip is just 45 seconds long, yet Obama pauses for one second or more eight times.
Jonah says this isn’t by accident. Obama has taught himself to slow down and pause more often. Why? Well, according to Jonah, it makes the former president sound more confident.
Jonah has conducted studies that prove this (cited in his book Magic Words).
He and his colleagues showed a group of participants a speech recording. 50% of the participants heard the presenter talk without pauses. The other 50% of participants listened to the exact same presentation but with pauses included.
The two different groups of participants were then asked what they thought of the speaker, how they rated the content, and how positively they felt about the talk.
Jonah Berger discovered that the pausing speaker received better scores across all different questions.
Remember, the content of the speech was identical — the belgium whatsapp number database tone, the style, the accent — it was all the same. The only difference between the two speeches was the pauses, and those pauses dramatically changed how the speech was perceived.
Communication tips to use throughout your professional career.
Communicate to your audience
Write with clarity
Craft effective message
Improve word choice
Get Your Free Guide
Learn more
Pauses can be strategic.
Jonah says this isn’t by accident. Obama has taught himself to slow down and pause more often. Why? Well, according to Jonah, it makes the former president sound more confident.
Jonah has conducted studies that prove this (cited in his book Magic Words).
He and his colleagues showed a group of participants a speech recording. 50% of the participants heard the presenter talk without pauses. The other 50% of participants listened to the exact same presentation but with pauses included.
The two different groups of participants were then asked what they thought of the speaker, how they rated the content, and how positively they felt about the talk.
Jonah Berger discovered that the pausing speaker received better scores across all different questions.
Remember, the content of the speech was identical — the belgium whatsapp number database tone, the style, the accent — it was all the same. The only difference between the two speeches was the pauses, and those pauses dramatically changed how the speech was perceived.
Communication tips to use throughout your professional career.
Communicate to your audience
Write with clarity
Craft effective message
Improve word choice
Get Your Free Guide
Learn more
Pauses can be strategic.