Why You Should Build Breaks Into Long Presentations.

Occasionally, business speakers need to give a presentation that will require a lot of time. When faced with an hour-long presentation, they worry about how they will keep their colleagues’ attention. 

This is the time to consider building in rest stops; pauses to engage with your listeners. 

When prepping, examine your material and find logical breaks in the information. Most presentations with a well-organized flow will have clear opportunities where you can stop. These are usually before introducing a new topic or idea.

When you begin, set the audience’s expectations. Let your listeners know the length of the presentation, and then explain you will pause twice and allow five minutes each time for thoughts / questions. Knowing what attention span is required helps listeners stay focused.

Manage the timing of rest stops closely and then continue. Remember, material presented in smaller chunks is easier for people to remember.

By handing the Mic to colleagues, you will give yourself a break. But, most importantly, you will re-engage their attention and include them in the process.