In this 33rd StorySpark session, the host (Speaker A) leads a week‑6 module of the "How to Wow with Your Delivery" series, focusing on the importance of strategic pauses in public speaking. The session introduces the "Pause Relay Challenge," an interactive storytelling exercise where participants (Venkat and Dr. Alka) take turns adding sentences to a story, each pausing deliberately to emphasize points and allow the audience to absorb information. The exercise is run twice: first with a narrative about a mysterious red envelope and a missed wedding invitation, then with an impromptu story about a suspicious job offer email that escalates into a discussion of cyber‑fraud tactics, including requests for original certificates and spelling‑mistake red flags. Dr. Alka shares a personal anecdote about an army‑related blood‑test scam, highlighting how scammers manipulate trust and payment requests. Throughout, the facilitator emphasizes how pauses enhance comprehension, build anticipation, and improve rhetorical impact. Participants reflect on the usefulness of the activity for striking key words and improving delivery. The session concludes with logistical notes about upcoming StorySpark meetings and encouragement to keep learning.
Chapters
Awesome! Welcome everyone to StorySpark session number— day number 33. So let's get started. We are in the week 6 of How to Wow with Your Delivery, and I am going to share this screen. So in this week we have discussed on many aspects of how you can wow your audience. And today is going to be another such challenge which is called the pause relay challenge. So what is the pause relay challenge? We'll talk about that in a moment, but before that, what is the importance of pause? What do you think is the importance of pause? Venkat?
Pause. Uh, first thing is audience could understand easily. If we speak fast, then audience could not understand. So you should pause and speak.
Absolutely.
Second thing is, um, in between the pause, we can recall our points to further.
Correct. Yes, it does allow your audience to absorb what you're saying. So, and it also gives you a little bit of advantage because then it doesn't feel that you are nervous, you're just building up the movement. So that is why one more way of saying is that, you know, pause allows your audience to absorb key moments and builds anticipation. And you can use pause in various ways. Anytime you have something dramatic coming up, you can take a pause. Or if you are asking a rhetorical question, then also you take a pause so that audience can answer in their mind. Or if you have a keyword to emphasize, so you take a short pause before that and afterwards. So In today's session, what we are going to do is we are going to again do a fun exercise which is called the pause relay storytelling. So I am going to start off, and this is just a prompt I created, which is, uh, I'll start with one statement, and what— once I complete, you need to come up with another statement, add to it, and make sure that you are having a pause. And then we'll keep the story going for a few turns and see if we are able to effectively use the pauses. Okay, clear?
Yes.
All right, so I will see the— I will say the first sentence, then I'll take the pause, then you can pick it up from the second one, and then you can pause, and then I'll pick the third one, and then we'll keep it going. Okay, so let's start. Last week I walked in the room full of strangers.
Suddenly I noticed something that stopped me in my tracks.
A bright red envelope was lying on the table. Continue the story.
Last week, the same Haritosh Srivastav.
No, continue. Like, you have 3 sentences. Now continue the story. What happened when you saw the red envelope?
I got an invitation from my friend, marriage invitation to my friend.
It was an invitation, and when I looked at the invitation, I was shocked. It was not in my hometown.
I shocked because he didn't inform me earlier.
Yes, he didn't inform me, and it was about 1,000 km from my place, and I started wondering Since he is my close friend, he didn't inform me, uh, earlier, and I, I—
now it's time not going to attend the function.
Yeah, this was the worst feeling that I had. My friend, my closest friend, is getting married. But I can't even attend. What I'm going to do?
I thought he's, uh, giving invitation by late to not to attend.
Yes, I thought he planned it this way. He actually didn't want me to attend, but I was left with no choice. All right, I will— we'll stop over here. And yeah, how was the exercise? How did you find it?
Yes, that pause makes to create next sentence.
Awesome. So do you want to give it another try?
Yes.
Okay, uh, let's take another example. All right, so I don't have prompt ready, I'll go on the fly. As I opened my laptop, I saw an email coming to my inbox. Okay, let me just brief Dr. Alka who just joined and What happens is that my other session goes on into discussion.
That's the whole thing.
No problem, no problem. So what we are doing today is we are having a fun exercise called Pause Relay Storytelling. So basically, uh, we are looking at the importance of pause, right? And we are doing it impromptu. So, uh, I will start the story. We did one round, so I'll start the story and then I, I'll take a pause and then I'll call on the second person. He will add another sentence in the story, then he will take a pause, and then we'll go to the third person. All right, so I'll start with, as I opened my laptop on that day, I could see that an email suddenly came which I wasn't expecting.
Venkat, yeah, I, I, I'm I was so surprised because I got an offer letter from one company.
Continue, Dr. Alka.
This company had thrown me out about 10 years back.
I couldn't, I couldn't believe my eyes. Is this the same company?
I hope it's a spam because the salary you mentioned was $6,000 per month.
Yes, so when I looked at it, I wanted to jump at it, but when I opened it, I saw what what was inside the email.
I was about to click on the confirm button, but then I realized there are lot of cyber crimes happening.
In the content of the email, it was mentioned that produce all the original certificate, then That's a good sign, right?
So when I got to know that I have to give all my original certificates, I thought it's not that much of a cyber crime, maybe it's good. But how do I give this original certificates online? That was a question.
Yeah. And then I read further and I could find there were 5 spelling mistakes. My suspicions grew.
I called my friend who is working in that same company. I called him.
So that means it was a real company.
Yes, company is available.
Continue the story. It's, it's a, it's a buildup story.
So, so my friend My friend, when I called him up, what he told me was even more surprising. Oh, what are you, Haritosh Srivastav?
He said that we all have become victim of this cyber fraud that is happening, and I couldn't believe.
Initially I thought he referred me, that's why I called him, but he didn't refer me.
After a few days, I get another WhatsApp call on which he has written— the person has written— he sent his Kotak Mahindra, what you call that, a money entry point, and he's given the details, and he's written to me, please transfer this amount in my account. I am from that company.
And I remember this email and I understood this is another cyber criminal. And thank God I was aware. Thank God my friend saved me and I am so relieved. So this is for all of you.
Yes, furthermore, I inform this information to social media and YouTube.
Okay, finish the story, Dr. Alka.
I warned that person because the phone number was also there, because in my WhatsApp I could find the phone number. I did not call him, but I sent him a message that stop bothering me or I'm going to take you to the police.
Awesome story power to both of you. SPTY. How did you find the exercise? It was a combination of pause and also impromptu practice.
Yeah, yeah. And this is a true story for me because one night, I think I shared it with you now, one night the army officer sends me a message in my Instagram that we want a blood test for you. For we are, we are like 55 army youngsters who want to get into the army, and we are training them, and we have to see their fitness levels. So these are the tests we have to do, and the test cost was ₹3,500 each person ka. So I said, I'll do it for half the money because it's a— it's, it's a— it's for a cause, it's for the army. So they said, awesome, if you're going to do it for half the cost, it's very nice. And then he said— it was 10 o'clock in the night, it was like 9 o'clock in the night— and he said, you wait. I will confirm your payment right now and I will pay you today. I said, no, why would you pay me today? It was a Friday and Monday you have to come and you send your people here to my clinic. I will do the blood test and after that you have to pay me. When he said, no, no, no, no, you just meet my Colonel. My Colonel is here in the office today and after half an hour I'm going to call you. And I forgot about it. I was in the drawing room, I was having fun and I was with my baby and all that. And then suddenly when I come back to the room, within half an hour there's 25 phone calls. Then I got doubt. I said something is wrong, this is not the right thing. That's how I— and you won't believe it, Haritosh Srivastav, I don't know whom I should report to. Till today I'm getting that, that message, um, this thing, you have to pay 1 lakh this many thousand. It started with 25,000. Every week I get a message and it's becoming like more and more and more. So probably if I click my GPay and I put that there, it will go, the money will go. So I have to report to somebody.
Yeah, you should report to bank and also to police somewhere.
Yeah, that's what I thought I should do that.
Awesome. Okay, Venkat, so what did you, uh, how did you find this activity? What was your reflection?
It's very useful to me particularly because I am striking the words every time. So it's really helpful for using pauses. Thanks. Thanks for this.
Absolutely. Pausing is very, very important when you are speaking. When you emphasize on the right word, when you take a pause, when you ask rhetorical question or a keyword, pausing adds a lot of value to the speech that you're giving. So yes, pausing is very important. So that was day number 33 of StorySpark session. So For the community members, we'll probably have a session on Saturday or Sunday based on how people are putting in the poll for the next Storython. And tomorrow we'll continue with the day number 34 of StorySpark session. As I say every time, keep learning, keep growing, and keep going out of comfort zone. See you tomorrow at 6 AM.
