Don’t be a Time Hog!

Most speeches or presentations come with a time limit, and yet so often speakers run long. This happens because speakers write first, and time second. 

To ensure you stay in the time limit, work out the timing as you outline the speech.  Allocate chunks of time to each part of your speech. A basic example: Intro=>3minsBody=>5mins; Conclusion=>2mins. This will also help you organize your material and guide your choice of what you can include; you will not be able to say everything you would like. 

Once you have a rough draft of your speech, using your cell phone video yourself presenting. Watch the video and note down the actual times you hit each break: Plan was: Intro=>3min, but the actual was 6min.Immediately, you can see where you ran long. Edit and keep practicing until each section fits its allocated time. You are ready when you can present the speech comfortably within the time limit. Trust me, your audience will thank you.