Tips for Timing Issues During Presentations

Time is one of the most important factors presenters need to be aware of during talks. People usually have packed calendars and it’s critical to respect their schedules. However, even though speakers are given a time limit for their presentations, it’s easy for timing issues to arise. Either the meeting is running behind, other speakers took too long, or tech issues prevented the talk from starting on schedule. That’s why many speakers find themselves having less time for their presentation than they originally planned for.

When this happens, it’s important to alter your message to help get the schedule back on track. You don’t want to be the person who prevented someone from leaving on time to pick up their kids, shortened a coffee break, or made someone late for another meeting. Plus, once your talk goes over the allotted time, people aren’t even paying attention to your message. Instead, they are watching the clock and thinking about the next activity they have planned.

Therefore, if you realize you have to cut your presentation down, I recommend shortening the beginning of it since that’s usually when the supplemental information is shared. Instead of giving all the background that leads up to your point, state the main point of the slide in one sentence and then move on. Even if you have a lot of information on the slide, don’t explain it. Instead, relay the main point and continue on to your next idea. That way, you’ll still have enough time to spend on the important part of your talk. You don’t want to run out of time or attention on the message you’re actually there to share.

For example, instead of explaining all the past research, simply say, “We’ve conducted a lot of research to reach this point.” Or, if you have a slide with all the different programs offered to students or employees, instead of going through all of the details you could say, “We have a lot of programs available.” Then, move on to your next point. Of course it would be more ideal to explain everything on your slides, but if you have to cut out information, omit the part that isn’t critical for this moment.

The same tip can be applied if you find yourself over-explaining your slides in the middle of a presentation. If you suddenly realize you’re running low on time, simply state the point of the slide you have up, perhaps add in one detail, and then move on.

Timing is important. That’s why it is crucial to have a plan in place for any scenario. It’s nice to be known as a speaker that people can count on no matter how much time you have.

Author: Bri McWhorter
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