First, some background on this series of Presentation Pointers:

I’m writing these tips on Effective Presentations because I’m angry! I’m angry because I’m an expert at training executives and sales reps to present their ideas effectively.

And I’m appalled by the growing number of charlatans in this industry! I’m even more appalled by the fact that so many of these charlatans give bad advice, incorrect advice, and sometime even silly advice!

That’s why I’ve decided to issue periodic Presentation Pointers giving the correct answers to questions that are often on the minds of presenters.

I should tell you that you’ll find nothing “profound” in these pointers. You’ll find, in fact, that there is nothing I’ll be telling you that is little more than just plain “common sense.”

But I’ve been in this business for over 25 years. I’ve conducted Presentation Skills workshops and Public Speaking workshops in 38 countries and I’ve successfully trained over 18,000 individuals. And I’ve learned (and I’ve taught) that “common sense” is the most important thing to remember organizing and delivering.

With that background, here is this months Presentation Pointer:

Question: How long should a presentation or speech last?

Answer: I’ve heard (and read) a bunch of answers to that question. ‘Fact is, I recently heard a colleague (I’m kindly referring to him as a colleague) answer the question, by saying, “According to a recent study at the University of Pennsylvania, an excellent speech or presentation, including questions and answers, should last 28 minutes from start to finish.”

Huh?! First of all, he probably made up the entire study (It’s always impressive to quote a prestigious source when you know that nobody’s going to check it out) but if indeed there was such a study, the answer “28 minutes” is ridiculous!

Here’s my common sense answer to the question of “How long should a presentation last?”

Answer: I don’t know! What I do know, however, is that when you’re finished you’re finished! Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” was three and a half minutes long! That’s right! The entire speech lasted for 3 ½ minutes! Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech was 6 and a half minutes long!

We’ve been talking about Lincoln’s speech for over a hundred years and people will probably be talking about Dr. King’s
Speech a hundred years from now. Why, then, do you need to speak for 45 minutes?!

Here’s the best advice I can give you about the time required to deliver a speech or presentation:

Design your speech or presentation using the same criteria you use in buying a bathing suit.

First - it has to fit!

Next – it has to reflect your personality!

And finally – it should cover only the parts that are interesting!” J

Again, there is no “ideal” time frame. When you’re finished, you’re finished! Isn’t that just common sense?

Okay, that’s it for this Presentation Pointer. If you have questions of your own that you’d like me to address, please email them to me at joel@effectivepresentationskills.com