Valuing the Slow, Steady Pace

The Power of a Slow, Steady Pace in Presenting

I recently learned something surprisingly useful from getting hearing aids. My hearing wasn’t terrible, but at 60, I had a little hearing loss in one ear. It started affecting me in meetings and presentations. What I learned about how the brain processes sound actually changed how I think about presenting—and I think it might help you too.

What Hearing Loss Taught Me About Listening

When you have hearing loss, you don’t always hear full words. You might catch the “A” in cat but miss the “C” or “T.” Instead of grabbing the word as one sound, your brain has to backfill—was that cat or hat? You stop listening forward and start processing backward, piecing things together from context. It’s exhausting, and it slows down comprehension.

With hearing aids, I started catching the full sounds again—the beginnings and endings of words. Suddenly, I was back to listening forward, fully tracking the flow of a sentence. That’s when it hit me: as presenters, we do this to our audiences all the time when we rush.

Why Slower Pacing Helps Audiences Process

When you speak too quickly, your audience can’t “grab” your words as complete sounds or ideas. They start backfilling, trying to assemble meaning from what they’ve already missed. A slower, steady pace gives your listeners time to process and digest what you’re saying in real time. Hearing loss or not, everyone benefits from that breathing room.

Balance Matters: Slow Base, Dynamic Flow

Now, I’m still a huge believer in modulated pace—that rhythmic variation between fast and slow that brings life to a talk. Speed creates energy. Slowing down creates emphasis. But I’ve learned to start from a slightly slower base pace. That way, when I vary my delivery, I’m not racing ahead of my audience.

Start slower. Let people keep up. Give them time to stay with you—so they’re listening forward, not backward.

Practical Takeaway for Presenters

• Begin with a slower than usual base speed.
• Vary your pacing—speed up to energize, slow down to emphasize.
• Remember that your audience may be processing in different ways or at different speeds.
• Use pauses intentionally—they help people absorb meaning.

A steady, thoughtful pace isn’t just about clarity—it’s about empathy. You’re helping your audience keep up, connect, and stay engaged. And that’s the real goal of great communication.