In 13 long (and glorious) years of media training we’ve never told a single person they talk too slowly in interviews. Instead here are 5 reasons why people talk too quickly on air:
1 – People speed up over the familiar. Phrases and sector specific terms you are used to using regularly will be rattled off at 100mph. It’s exactly the point in the narrative that you need to slow down.
2- People speed up when they’re nervous. Being in the right headspace for interviews is crucial and something we get into at length in our media training courses.
3 – People speed up when they are overly-energised. Conviction is important in interviews but not at the expense of a well-paced delivery.
4 -People speed up when they are trying to say too much. Trying to cram in those 5 crucial factors in one answer will inevitably cause you to rush.
5 – People speed up when other people are speeding up. If a fellow guest or a presenter pressed for time is talking quickly, don’t let their pace become yours.