Last week I had the very good fortune to see three Broadway shows, Fela, The Million Dollar Quartet and Lend Me a Tenor. While each show was terrific in its own right—lively, entertaining and professional in every way—seeing all three in a row made me think about the importance of pacing—the tempo of a performance—how it draws us in, captures our imagination, and compels us to take an emotional and thought-provoking journey with the performers.

This led me to think about my own efforts—and those of my clients—to pace presentations so we similarly draw the audience in, hold their attention from beginning to end, and enable each person in the audience to take a personal  journey that leaves them feeling enriched in one or more ways. I believe this is the goal of all presentations, no matter what the context,  how large (or small) the audience or how long the presentation.

As presenters we need to make sure we connect with the audience and allow them the mental and emotional space to absorb our words, intent and  feelings. While some might argue that this requires a complex set of skills, I’d like to suggest that one of the most helpful strategies in pacing a presentation is simply to pause—breathe—letting the momentary silence fill up the room. Not only does this give you, the presenter, a moment to collect your thoughts, it equally gives the audience time to process your words and message. The power of the pause is essential to all effective presentations. The next time you see Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno or Jon Stewart, notice how easily they build that pause—that momentary silence–into their work.  While their stories and jokes may be clever, it is their deliberate use of the pause that helps them make the material come alive and engage us. In your own presentations, build in your pauses. Practice them. Not once but over and over. Use them to accentuate your key points, just like all great performers do. Holding your inner pause button will give the audience a fleeting but valuable moment in which to experience you at your best: in control of your words, your breath, and your key messages. Enjoy the journey!

Perhaps you’ve seen the “Peanuts” cartoon in which Charlie Brown says to Snoopy, “I hear you made an impassioned speech to the jury yesterday…” Continuing to look at Snoopy in the next panel, he then asks, “Did it bring tears to their eyes?” Snoopy, looking slightly embarrassed, looks down and replies, “No, they fell asleep!”

Cute, right? But how often, I wonder, does this occur in real life? An impassioned presenter who none-the-less leaves us bored to tears. An impassioned speaker full of facts and figures who cannot connect with his or her listeners. Why is it that some people seem to ignite our imaginations, engage us so completely, almost effortlessly, while others leave us flat and counting the seconds until the whole thing is over?

These questions are important and relevant to each of us—whether we have an audience of one, a dozen, 100, or thousands. It is one of the fundamental reasons for writing this blog. I’d like to begin a conversation about effective communication, not simply focus on the problems or symptoms—those have been described countless times—but to hone in on solutions, ideas that will help you to be the best you can, every time you speak no matter what the context or how large or small the audience.

Do you know what impression you make on your listeners? Are you someone who can easily, effectively and cogently contribute to a meeting or an event? Do you know how members of the audience respond to you? If they were in a cartoon, what would the balloons over their heads say as they listened to you speak?

Recently I was working with a young executive—she’d just made partner in a mid-sized firm—and after seeing herself on video during our first communication mentoring session said, “Oh my—I look so ill at ease! I look like my most gawky 13-year-old self—wearing a suit! I never realized. No wonder I never get questions at the end of a talk and no wonder I always feel shattered after a presentation to more than two people. I look totally stressed out.” And with a nervous laugh she added, “which of course I am!”

Over the course of our work together, she came to realize that she could indeed relax and be her best self when she gave a presentation. Much like a fitness training program or a doctor’s set of recommendations, we worked out a strategy that helped her to become one of the most effective speakers in her firm. But as she said, it all began with a deep personal awareness. “Without that first session,” she said, “I don’t think I’d ever have realized just how much I was limiting myself—or how negatively I was affecting my audience.”

Do you know how you affect your audience? Knowing—really knowing—the answer to that question is the critical first step to becoming an outstanding communicator—no matter what the circumstances. Meaningful and effective communication is a life-long goal for many of us. And when you think about it, you realize that good communication is not just about skills and knowledge, it’s also about our understanding of ourselves and how we affect others. That’s the art of people.