| A common complaint about some speakers is | | | | add or delete from a presentation if the rate is |
| that they talk too fast. Listeners are left lying in | | | | too slow or fast for the allowed time. |
| the dust, figuratively, trying to understand these | | | | A slower speech rate should be used when the |
| speakers. By the time the listeners figure out the | | | | subject is technical or complicated, such as when |
| speakers' message, the speakers are two topics | | | | an engineer is explaining a complex problem to a |
| ahead. | | | | customer who is in another field of expertise. |
| Speech rates varies in different parts of the US. | | | | Speech rate can be overly fast due to certain |
| New York City, for example, has a very fast rate | | | | speech or neurological disorders, and may be the |
| of speech, while in some parts of the Deep | | | | first or most obvious symptom of them. |
| South, it is much slower. A telephone customer | | | | Easy things a listener can do to help a fast |
| service agent in NYC would be well-advised to | | | | speaker are to show he has the interest and |
| slow his rate when speaking to a customer from | | | | patience to listen. Sit down and give the fast |
| many places in Mississippi or Georgia, for example. | | | | speaker your full attention. If that is not enough, |
| Speech rate also varies with urgency, or in some | | | | speak slowly yourself, to give the fast speaker a |
| cases, self-confidence. A person with low | | | | non-verbal signal to slow down. (Speaking slowly |
| self-confidence may be worried someone else will | | | | on an outgoing message for a phone often is |
| not have patience to listen to him, so the speaker | | | | very effective at slowing incoming speakers' |
| will talk faster. | | | | rates, so you can understand them!) Lastly, you |
| When speakers are nervous, as when giving a | | | | can directly ask the speaker to slow down, and |
| presentation, their rate often increases. | | | | explain whatever you did not understand. |
| Considerable practice while visualizing the audience | | | | Professional speech coaching is available to help |
| can help reduce nervousness. Other strategies | | | | reduce speech rates, in many cases. |
| include relaxation exercises, and know what to | | | | |