The 2 Seconds Before You Start Speaking

You've been introduced, you're standing up, you're.

Getting ready to speak.

What should you do in the next two seconds? The answer is nothing.

This is a trick that a lot.

Of great speakers use, and it's a.

Really simple trick because it's simply doing nothing. What I mean by that is you pause, you're introduced, you're standing up.

Most speakers are nervous.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, we're here.

To listen to T.J. walker.

Here's T.J. well, thank you very much.

And there's no gap between the person.

Who'S introducing someone and the speaker.

It's kind of like, oh, I'm a.

Little bit uncomfortable and not confident and.

Everyone'S looking at me, so I better start talking.

Is how many speakers in the business world and the political world come across when they are on stage or just in front of five people in a conference room speaking? Great speakers don't do that.

They'll stand up.

Little bit of a.

Smile on the face, look at people around the room and pause for just a couple of seconds.

And what it does is it arouses.

Curiosity because people are expecting you to talk about it. Makes you come across as supremely confident and comfortable, yet without being arrogant, because.

You haven't said, oh, look how great I am.

You're simply pausing, and it builds a little bit of suspense. Now, I'm only talking about this for a couple of seconds, so most people will have no recollection consciously that you did this, but unconsciously, you start off with this strong impression of being completely confident, relaxed, and in no hurry. You've got important ideas and you're not going to rush, but you didn't waste time.

It's literally just a couple of seconds. Now, I'm going to bring up something from history, folks.

I'm not endorsing this person, but someone who did this to a much more.

Extreme degree and was wildly successful as.

A speaker, as a leader, as a human being. He's the worst of the 20th century. I'm, of course, speaking of Adolf Hitler.

He, when speaking in front of large.

Rallies, Nuremberg, other places, he would stand.

Up, pause for minutes, 1, 2, 3, 4, sometimes 5. Five minutes to build suspense, to arouse curiosity. And again, folks, I'm in no way endorsing Adolf Hitler, but he was a good speaker.

That's how he rose to power. That's how he did all the damage.

It wasn't because of his preceding fame.

Wealth, good looks or charm.

It was his public speaking skill. I don't mean to suggest I want you to.

Mimic all of his things, but this is something he did to the extreme. That worked for him, but it really does work for anyone. Just stand, pause for two seconds and then start your presentation.