Hi Victoria, here are some solutions for you to use in different situations:
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Top 10 Ways on How to Fill Awkward Silences
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Imagine youβre in a meeting and your mind goes blank, what do you do? You have to fill the awkward silence somehowβ¦!
Fear not, there is always a way out, here are a few good ideas to get you through those moments, and give you a few extra minutes to get yourself back on track and remember what you were going to say:
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1. You could ask someone in the audience an open-ended question (a question that WILL NOT have a YES/NO answer), related to what youβre discussing. Ask them for their opinion on something to give you some time. You can gather your thoughts while they talk.
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2. If you are hosting the discussion, you could simply ask the audience, βDoes anyone have any questions or comments at this stage?β, this will remind you of what you last said as any questions will more than likely be related to what you were just talking about!Β
If no one has any questions or comments, then target individuals and ask them about their opinion on what you just said.
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3. If you have just asked the audience a question, but no one has responded or said anything, what could you do? Maybe try rephrasing and asking the same question in a different way to help their thought process or understanding.
Another thing you could do is, approach it differently and ask specific people questions, that way the person you target will be expected to say something in return! Try to ask different people all the time, otherwise they may feel like you are picking on them!
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4. Remember that sometimes, silence is not a bad thing. Give the audience some time to think about what you have just said. Maybe theyβre planning their response? Count 5 beats in your head, if the silence is any longer than that, then try approaching it differently.
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5. If youβre in the middle of talking and suddenly your mind goes blank, then you could simply reiterate what you said, to get yourself back on track. Use phrases like:
β As I said beforeβ
β βLike I mentioned previouslyβ
β βJust to remind youβ¦β
β βIβd like to reiterate the fact thatβ¦β
β βAs I was saying beforeβ¦β
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6. Deflect questions back to the group. Just because you are presenting, doesnβt mean you have to answer all the questions. If someone asks you a question and your mind goes blank, or you donβt know the answer, you could simply say, βThatβs a very good question. What do you guys think?β
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7. Maybe there is an awkward silence because you simply donβt want to say that YOU DONβT KNOW?? Here is another useful list that may help you.
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8. If there is an awkward silence because you donβt know what to say next, and no one has any comments on what you just said, then the best thing to do could simply be to move on to the next point. You could do this by using phrases such as:
β βOkay, if no one has anything to say on that matter then Iβd like to move on toβ¦.β
β βWell, it looks as if weβve come to the end of that conversation thread, so β¦..β and take the conversation in a new direction.
β βWell, moving on swiftlyβ¦β and start talking about the next topic.
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9. Mention a random joke, funny comment, or an interesting fact related to the subject you are discussing. This is often a good gap filler and brings everyoneβs attention back to you. Although you may need to have some ideas prepared in advance, if you are unable to think off examples on the spot!
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10. Sometimes the best thing to do is THINK LESS, TALK MORE. If youβre just trying to think of the perfect answer that you could use, then there ends up being a very long awkward silence. You could instead think out loud, and let people follow your train of thoughts. This way, you are breaking the silence and still sharing. Even if you donβt know what to say, you should use phrases like:
β βHmm, Iβm not quite sure what to say about thatβ¦β¦β
β βLet me have a think about that and Iβll get back to you.β
β βWell, if β¦β¦ then maybe β¦..β
β βIβm not too sure at this stage, Iβll have a think and let you know in a moment.β
β Maybe you could fill the first few moments by repeating the question slowly, so as if to help you think of the answer.
β Ask the speaker to rephrase the question for you, this would help you to understand what theyβre asking better, and also give you some more time to think about your answer!
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