Verbal Communication Element #4 –
Cadence

The Rhythmic Flow of the words  . . .

A natural partner of inflection is our next element, Cadence.
It’s the rhythmic flow of the words used when speaking.

Other terms used for this element are: meter, beat, measure and pulse

Usually, and largely because of nervousness, presenters speak too quickly.

Some speakers think their enthusiasm and passion for their subject is expressed by speaking quickly, and to a certain extent this is true.

Unfortunately, the result of continued and too rapid of a speech pattern,
is the audience is not given enough time for the information to sink in,
and often don’t ‘Get It!’

If the speaking pace is too rapid, the recipients have to work excessively hard to keep up. They won’t do this for long because it’s not fun to work that hard to understand a speaker. After a while, they’ll just stop listening.

At the other end of the spectrum, you don’t want to speak too s-l-o-w-l-y. A very slow paced
delivery risks losing your audience’s attention, also.

You also don’t want to speak in a staccato, rapid-fire manner, which can equally off-putting.

Varying the speed of your delivery along with appropriate Inflection will keep the audience’s
attention up and their eyes open.

Find a computer that has text-to-speech capabilities and experiment with different voices at
different speeds. What you’ll hear is a good reminder of the importance of your voice in
delivering your message.

Take what you learn by listening, and make an audio recording of your speech. Then listen to hear if you are making the changes in your cadence that will keep the attention of the audience and help deliver your message.

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About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, an international coach, and the author of the books, “NO SWEAT Public Speaking!” and“NO SWEAT Elevator Speech!”

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