Professional development

5 tips to keep your presentation on time

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Effective presentations stay on message and on time

Along with offering the wrong material, one of the bigger mistakes a presenter can make is running too long. Some presenters take a cavalier attitude toward time, especially if they’re speaking in the evening. Regardless of when your presentation occurs, stay on time. It shows respect and a level of professionalism. These tips will help you.

how to give a speech, effective presentations

 

Develop an outline and script The framework for your presentation, an outline creates order and structure. Your notes or script, developed from your outline, keep you on message and on time. Speakers who try to “wing it” during either the research stage or the presentation itself often end up with an incoherent speech that wanders aimlessly and goes well over the allotted time.

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse The best way to know whether you’re on time is to do a full rehearsal. Don’t quicken your pace or cut corners. If, for example, you want to use 10 minutes for a group exercise, stop your rehearsal for 10 minutes. Walk away, and do some chores or other tasks to burn that time.

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Use business networking opportunities to build your business

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Do you attend networking events? You should. They’re a great marketing tool. Business networking events help establish you and your business in your area. Take advantage of as many networking opportunities as you can.

There are several business networking groups, starting with your chamber of commerce. Consider, also, lead-generation groups, service clubs (Rotary and such), general networking groups (the Milwaukee area has Funtastic Times) and others.

For maximum benefit, keep these ideas in mind:

1. Show genuine interest in the other person. Sure, you’re there to generate leads. But all long-term business relationships are grounded in mutually beneficial arrangements. Ask the other person probing questions, such as:
A. What is your firm known for?
B. What sets you apart?
C. What sort of customer are you looking for?

The latter question is especially important. It shows that you’re interested in helping the person build his business.

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Principles learned from the Pathfinder mission, #7
Demonstrate passion and commitment to success

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Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. Adapted from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead,1998). Demonstrate passionate commitment to success. Some of the author’s comments: “If we are emotionally flat or intellectually uninspired, innovation keeps its distance. In those situations where a heart gets involved in the effort–or we care … Read more

Principles learned from Pathfinder mission, #6
Be fully trustworthy

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  Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. Adapted from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead,1998). Be fully trustworthy. Some of the author’s comments: “We can’t expect to achieve at the Pathfinder level without special effort. It takes a very effective team. And whether it’s stated or unstated, such high-performance … Read more

Principles learned from Pathfinder mission, #5
Embrace eccentricity

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Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. Adapted from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead,1998). Embrace eccentricity. Some of the author’s comments: “Go to an extreme. Give yourself permission–no, an order–to reach beyond the conventional approach. Don’t allow your thinking to land on the predictable solution. Reach out there! It … Read more