How often have you been in a meeting or at a conference where one or more of the presenters have gone on and on beyond the time that has been scheduled for them?
Hopefully you’re not one of those presenters! Because speaking longer than the time that has been allowed for your presentation is disrespectful to your audience, the organiser and other speakers who may be following you and have to cut short their presentation as a result of you going over time.
But you don’t want to speak for too little time either so aim to speak for 90-100% of your allocated time. This will ensure that your audience doesn’t feel ‘cheated’ by your presentation being too short, and you don’t run over time either.
How can you ensure you get the timing right? Here are 6 tips:
Know your allocated time
Ensure your communication with the meeting or conference organiser is clear and that you understand exactly how much time you have available for your presentation and questions. Double check this again on the day of your presentation and be prepared to adapt if you are given more or less time.Plan effectively and edit your content
It is easy to underestimate the time it takes to deliver a presentation. Often presenters want to include too much information, but it is better to communicate less information and communicate it effectively. Therefore, be ruthless with your editing to ensure you can deliver your material within the time constraints. Also remember to include time for Q&A as well as breaks and activities if your presentation is a long one over a morning or a day.Rehearse effectively
It is difficult to know exactly how long a presentation will last unless you have spoken it out loud several times and under similar conditions to what it will be like on the actual day. Bring the same volume, vocal variety, energy and movement to your rehearsal. Practice with any equipment or props you will be using. Wear the same outfit (especially shoes) and aim to practice at least once with a test audience so that you can get used to eye contact and other interactions (laughter from the audience can unexpectedly add extra minutes to a presentation).Start on time
Ensure that your equipment, notes, props, water, etc are set up and ready to start so that you are not keeping your audience waiting. It is your responsibility to start and finish on time so do everything in your power to ensure that happens.Use a timer
Make sure you can see a clock or a timer and remember to look at it regularly throughout your presentation. There are various apps available that you can use on your phone or tablet, or you can create a timer in your PowerPoint slides if you are using them.
Monitor and adapt as you go
For a shorter presentation, providing you have rehearsed effectively, you should be able to get through your material and finish on time. For a longer presentation, it is useful to note the time for each section during your rehearsal so that you know how you’re tracking throughout your presentation. Monitor the time during your talk and if you find that you are slightly over time, you can cut some of the following sections to allow you to finish on time.
What other tips do you have for helping you keep to time? Please share them in the comments below.
Mel Sherwood is a Presentation Skills and Personal Impact Speaker and Founder of The RED Effect™. She works with ambitious business leaders, teams and individuals who want to express themselves with confidence, credibility and charisma. An Australian based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, author and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.