How to Talk Slower and Sound More Professional in Sales and Public Speaking

The most popular video I've ever uploaded! This topic is controversial, but so necessary to learn. Read the blog excerpt below.

Most people know they speak too fast. Few know why, and even fewer know how to actually fix it. If you rush through a sales pitch, a presentation, or even a phone call, the person on the other end isn’t just struggling to keep up. They’re forming an opinion about you.

Here’s what’s really going on, and what to do about it.

Why we rush

There’s no single reason people talk too fast. It’s usually one of these.

Nerves. When we’re uncomfortable in the spotlight, the instinct is to say what we need to say and get out as quickly as possible. The faster we talk, the sooner it’s over.

Cultural background. Some cultures naturally speak at a faster pace. That’s not a flaw, but when you’re communicating across cultures, what feels normal to you can be difficult to follow for someone else.

Too much content. This one is extremely common in business. You prepare a 45-minute presentation and get told you have 25 minutes. Instead of cutting content, most people just speed up. The result is a talk that feels rushed and hard to absorb.

Habit. Some people have been skipping over punctuation since childhood. They’ve never paused at a full stop. The words just run together.

Slowing down isn't just about pace. It's about how seriously people take what you say.

The word count formula

Here’s a practical way to check whether you have too much content for your time slot.

Type out your speech or presentation, then divide the word count by the number of minutes you have. The target is roughly 150 words per minute. That’s a pace that sounds natural, clear, and professional.

If you have 1,500 words for a ten-minute slot, you’re right on track. If you have 2,500 words, you’re going to rush, no matter how hard you try not to. The fix isn’t to speak faster. It’s to cut the content down until it fits comfortably at 150 words per minute.

If you have too much to say, the answer is to cut content, not to speak faster.

The technique that actually works

This is a physical exercise, and it works. Take a magazine or any printed article. The point isn’t to absorb the content. It’s purely to practise pacing.

Read it out loud. You cannot do this in your head. It has to be spoken.

Every time you reach a full stop, a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation mark, place your hand on your leg and squeeze. Not a tap. A firm squeeze. Close your mouth, hold it for a moment, then let go and carry on reading.

That pause you’re forcing yourself to take at every punctuation mark is exactly the pause you should be taking when you speak. Most people skip those pauses entirely, which is where the filler words creep in. The “ums”, the “ahs”, the “and also” and “basically.” Those fillers exist because we haven’t trained ourselves to stop.

Record yourself doing this exercise and play it back. The difference is noticeable quickly.

Some people need to do this with three articles before it starts to feel natural. Others need to work through it for weeks. Either way, the technique works, and the results carry over into real conversations, presentations, and sales calls.

The magazine technique trains your body to pause where your voice should.

What slowing down actually does

When you speak at a measured pace, you sound like you know what you’re talking about. You sound in control. You give the other person time to process what you’re saying, which means they’re more likely to retain it and act on it.

In sales especially, rushing signals anxiety. It suggests you’re not confident in what you’re offering, or that you’re trying to get through the pitch before the person can object. Neither of those impressions helps you close a deal.

Slowing down is one of the simplest changes you can make, and it has an immediate effect on how professional you come across.