Supporters were worried about former VP Joe Biden’s performance during the earlier debates.

As he was answering many of the questions, he looked stressed, he sounded rushed, and in these intense moments, he appeared as if he was experiencing “senior moments” as his old childhood nemesis…stuttering…. seemed to resurface.

The more he rushed to cram in his talking points within the allotted time,  the more he was prone to stumble or choose the wrong word.  And, as he was going so fast, he neglected to breathe.  This added to his frantic delivery style.

Take a look at this debate.  You can see examples of what I talked about in two places at  .25 – .53, when addressing Mike Bloomberg and 5:40 – 6:24 on Climate change.

His voice sounded strained.  That’s because he was speaking in the upper level of vocal range.

When anyone appears frantic, it dilutes confidence and command. (Command is the very strength he needs to project as a Presidential candidate.)

In Joe’s case,  he also diluted his primary strength –  the ability to connect to people with his heart.

WHEN THE PRESSURE IS OFF, HE IS SO MUCH BETTER

Take a look at Joe Biden at a town hall meeting in South Carolina on CNN.  What a difference!  (This particularly touching message with Reverend Anthony Thompson starts around 7:11.)

He is taking his time.  This, in turn, allows him to add meaningful pauses, giving him ample time to take a supportive breath.  As a result of this calmer delivery style, his voice is more conversational and his heart-felt connection with his audience…shines.

There is a lesson for all of us in Joe Biden’s delivery.

When presenting, regardless of the pressure, and no matter the fear that you are feeling being in the spotlight, adopting a conversational tone, and inserting longer pauses so that you take a supportive breath will help you appear calmer, more conversational and in control.