Public Speaking Tip #2: Don't fear silence
As I was chatting with an online buddy today, he was bemoaning the poor speaking and self-promotional skills of the parade of job applicants he was interviewing. He would ask for "specific examples" of tasks or challenges at their past jobs, and in response, he would hear, "Well, generally, I just ran the place/used applications/etc." And he continued saying that he wouldn't even have minded an outright lie in response to his question, as long as it was specific and well-spoken!
So your tip of the day: take time to hear the question, and take time to consider your response. Don't fear silence. It's OK to say, "That's an excellent question. Give me a minute to think of a good example," and take some silent time to ponder. The same is true of questions that you take at the end of a talk, sales presentation or seminar--silence isn't necessarily "dead air" if it means that you can give a thoughtful, responsive answer to a question. Your interviewer, boss or prospects will appreciate silence followed by an obviously thoughtful response much more than a dashed-off comment.