Have you ever been to a meeting, event, or conference where you are looking at the ceiling waiting for a speaker to end? Sometimes, it’s just a boring speech, and other times, it’s just a speaker who doesn’t care about the allotted time.
Whether you’re the event planner, the featured speaker, or the leader of the conference, keeping speeches on time, if not ending before the allotted time, will make you well-liked and respected.
Less is more.
Here are a few tips to ensure everything stays on time:
If you are the speaker—
- Connect with the meeting planner well before the event to determine how much time you have to speak and if they want you to allow the audience to ask questions.
- Ask the meeting planner if they will have someone serving as a timer for sessions. If they have not, encourage them to situate a person who is visible to speakers and can discreetly indicate when the speaker needs to wrap things up.
- *Practice, practice, practice* with a timer before a faux audience member, your spouse, or a friend or colleague.
- Then, cut the speech time by five minutes from the allotted time. Most people tend to speak longer than they anticipate when they get in front of an audience.
- Remember a few key points about speeches –
- Your opening should be powerful. You have 7 seconds to get the audience’s attention and 30 seconds for them to decide if they want to listen to you.
- Avoid information overload by narrowing your message to three key points. Again, less is more.
Are you leading the event or the event planner?
- Before the event, schedule a meeting to communicate time limits for speakers, information about who will be in the audience and their interests, the session format, and the event’s overall goals.
- Provide speakers with a detailed agenda.
- Remind them that you are serious about keeping the agenda items on time out of respect for all speakers and the audience.
- Consider having someone discreetly but visibly in the audience who will provide time limit cues when the speaker has five minutes, three minutes, and one minute remaining. If the speaker is going over time, politely intervene by thanking them and letting them know this session needs to end as you want to keep the meeting agenda on time.
In the end, sticking to the clock isn’t just polite—it’s powerful.
Whether on stage or behind the scenes, honoring time shows you value your audience and respect the event. It keeps the energy high, the message clear, and your reputation solid. So the next time you feel tempted to go long, remember: less really is more. Leave them wanting more—not checking their watches.
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Do you or your organization need meeting facilitation, a speaker, or communications coaching?
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