presentation against the clock

Ahmed Yehia

Five minutes can seem like five hours when you haven’t prepared a speech properly.

It seems so easy in front of the mirror, reciting the key points, throwing in a few jokes.

But then the big day arrives, the nerves kick in, and you drone through your speech in a monotone, forget half the information, and anxiously fiddle with your notes.

No one wants to hear an audience snoring.

So just how much should you try to fit into a five-minute speech?

PacePace

Some advised a slow, measured speech with pauses for effect, whilst others simply said that more words would equal more information

Information FocusInformation Focus

Another strategy is to work out exactly what information you want to present, and divide it into clearly defined points.

Audience FocusedAudience Focused“It’s not about the quantity but the

quality. I wouldn’t be focusing so much on the number of words but on the points that you want to put across. In five minutes you should be able to get across 2 points (3 max) for the audience.

It’s all about the audience, remember, words are insignificant. It is how you use and deliver those words that makes the difference between good and great.”

Simple SpeechSimple Speech

It is important not to try to cram too much into five minutes. Don’t over-complicate ideas either, the presentation may sound robotic as you try to remember everything.

Use Key WordsUse Key Words

Usually a key word to help remember the introduction, all the points you are making, and then the conclusion is the simplest way to go. Try presenting a speech which you hold passion for, the time will pass much more smoothly.

RehearseRehearse

The best approach might simply be to become so familiar with the subject matter that the presentation can become more like something you’re explaining to a colleague in conversation.

OrganizeOrganize

“Sort out what you want to say, get a beginning, middle and end. Practice it until you know it by heart. Keep practicing it until you are passionate about what you’re saying. Then time yourself. Alter it by cutting things out or add things until it’s the right length. Keep practicing.

PacePaceInformationInformation

AudienceAudience

SimpleSimpleKey WordsKey Words

RehearseRehearseOrganizeOrganize