"How long do you want me to speak?"

First off – it’s been a while!

I’ve been snowed under with client work, and sadly let this newsletter fall by the wayside.

But I’m back, baby.

If that makes you unhappy – there’s the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email.

Otherwise, let’s get into today’s topic…

When you’re asked to give a speech or presentation, the most common question people ask is, “How long do you want me to speak?”

Let me give it to you straight:

This is the WORST question to ask.

Why?

Because what happens next is everyone writes to the time given them.

I guess it’s a throwback to school and university days, where everything is allotted in 50-60 minute time blocks.

Politicians given 3 minutes to speak in Parliament speak for 3 minutes.

Conference presenters give 15 minutes talk for 15 minutes.

ALL of them.

It’s a miracle – all their ideas and messages somehow need the EXACT same amount of time to be communicated.

No more, no less.

Isn’t that incredible?

No – it’s bullshit.

That’s not how the communication of ideas works.

The better question to ask yourself is this:

“What’s the smallest amount of time I need to say what I want to say – without over-simplifying?”

Not as pithy or catchy – but a much better question.

We’ve all heard the somewhat sexually predatory advice about essays – ‘they should be like a woman’s mini-skirt, long enough to cover everything, but short enough to make it interesting.’

Uncomfortable connotations aside, this is perfect advice for giving a speech or presentation.

You don’t have to talk for the 20 minutes they’ve given you.

Or the 25, 30, or 15.

Get in there, make your point – and then stop.

If the time needs to be filled, give ‘em Q&A.

People love that anyway – especially if the speech or presentation was a good one.

By making a clear, concise, and coherent statement of your message, and then finishing, you achieve several things:

1. You make your message stronger, because it’s not surrounded by filler. In short – it’s ‘all killer and no filler’, to quote Simple Plan’s first album

2. You increase your own reputation as a strong speaker who knows what he/she wants to say

3. You increase the likelihood of the audience engaging with and remembering your message

4. You stand out as different – and thus get the recognition you deserve as a leader – because everyone else is just ‘filling time blocks’ instead of speaking

Like the list?

Say what you want to say – and nothing else.

Fill the rest of the time with questions.

Here’s an interesting test to see if you’re adding waffle or not.

If you pick up a book of ‘great speeches’, chances are 90% of them will be edited, not the full speech.

Meaning the editors – rightly or wrongly – feel they can safely eliminate parts that ‘aren’t important to the speech’.

But you know one speech that’s never edited?

The Gettysburg Address.

2 minutes of perfection.

Something to think about.

So ask yourself – could you turn your presentation or speech into an ‘edited’ version?

If so – do so. Make that the full speech.

That doesn’t mean it has to be short – it has to be long enough to say what needs to be said but no longer.

A great example of that in Australia is Robert Menzies’s classic ‘Forgotten Australians’ speech.

I recommend you give it a read:

https://www.menziesrc.org/the-forgotten-people

Notice how he makes his point, sticks to that point, and never strays from it.

Every word counts.

Go ye and do likewise.

Talk soon,

Alexander