I once had this habit of responding to any question a nanosecond after the person stopped speaking (or sometimes, even before that). Maybe, I was afraid of a pause between the question and my answer.
Yet, there is nothing more pleasing to our ears than a few moments of silence.
Now, when someone asks a question, I consciously wait for a second or two before I answer. And I think it makes me much more tolerable.
When you pause before replying, people feel that it is not your reflex response, but a thoughtful one. It shows that you value their question enough to take the time to think.
And as a bonus, you get the time to structure your thoughts and be more articulate.
More generally, if you want to improve your articulation, here is the ingredient you might be missing — silence.
Pause before you respond. Pause for emphasis. Pause after your punchline. And pause even if you need to collect your thoughts.
Silence does not mean you are lost for words. It means that you feel secure enough not to be afraid of silence.
As a species, we seem to have a collective fear of silence during conversation. That fear is totally unfounded.
Next time, when appropriate, give a pause. Don’t be a machine gun — it impresses nobody.
– Rajan