Talking too fast?

A surprising number of people say that they speak too quickly, and often don't know how to slow down. They say they can often speak slower when reading a simple sentence, such as "Bob ate an apple." In an e-book called How to Speak Slower in Six Simple Steps, readers learn that it is easier to speak slower when the topic is not interesting to them. For example, people who don't care about horses or parakeets could talk about how to ride a horse, or care for a parakeet. Then start talking about things that are slightly more interesting, at a slow rate. (The e-book can be found at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/ebooks.htm.)

Some people only speak quickly when they are nervous, such as when giving a speech. They should remember that when giving a speech, what counts is not the amount of information that flows out of the speaker's mouth. What counts is how much information sticks in the listener's mind. Speaking too fast, particularly on complicated material or to audiences of children or seniors, is a big mistake. Speaking slowly gets the point across more efficiently.

If a fast rate of speech is new, people should see a physician. Sometimes a fast rate is the first sign of some neurological issues, such as Parkinson's. Life-long fast speech when both calm and nervous can also be a sign of a communicative disorder, called cluttering. This and other speech disorders are diagnosed and treated by speech-language pathologists.

In most cases, though, fast speech can be slowed down. The e-book is a great way to start.