Pace, pauses, and numbers
Speaking at the right speed, using pauses well, and saying numbers so they are never misheard.
Key takeaways
- Speak a little slower than you do with friends, pause between ideas, and always say a number with its unit.
- Common mistakes: Speaking fast because you are nervous.
- Short sentences: one idea per sentence.
- Pause after each main point. A pause sounds confident, not weak.
- Say numbers with units: "4.5 million euros", not "four point five".
Key idea
Speak a little slower than you do with friends, pause between ideas, and always say a number with its unit.
Five habits for clear speaking
- Short sentences: one idea per sentence.
- Pause after each main point. A pause sounds confident, not weak.
- Say numbers with units: "4.5 million euros", not "four point five".
- Stress the numbers that are easy to confuse: "fif-TEEN" (15) and "FIF-ty" (50). If unsure, add: "one five".
- Say "million" and "billion" slowly, and repeat the key number once: "That gives 2 billion, 2 billion rupees."
If you usually think in lakh and crore, convert before you speak to an interviewer from another region: 1 lakh is 100,000, and 1 crore is 10 million. So INR 50 crore is INR 500 million. If you use lakh or crore, say the conversion once.
Worked case
Rewriting one long answer into clear speech
The prompt
Long version: "So I think that basically the reason why the profits are going down could be something to do with the costs maybe, because I saw that the costs, especially the rent, which was increasing, and also maybe revenue too, I am not sure."
The structure
- Answer, reason, next step
- Lead with the main point
- One reason per sentence
- Say what you will check next
Working it through
1. Lead with the point
"I think the profit drop comes mainly from costs."
2. Give the evidence in one sentence
"Rent rose sharply over the last two years."
3. Say what is still open
"Revenue may also play a part, so I would like to check it next."
The recommendation
Three short sentences replace one long one. The interviewer can follow every step, and you sound more confident.
You calculated INR 75 crore. The interviewer thinks in millions. How much is that in INR millions?
Speaking fast because you are nervous. Dropping units ("it is 40"). Mixing thousands and millions in one sentence. Reading your notes aloud without looking up. In a video interview, speaking while looking at your paper instead of the camera.
Which is the clearest way to say a result?
You feel nervous and notice you are speaking fast. What helps most?
How many rupees is 1 crore?
Sources for this lesson (1)
- Recognized public explanations of case-interview concepts and terms
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