There is tons of advice for how to give a speech in front of a large audience but the fact is people are much more likely to speak for just a few minutes in front of a smaller group. This can be just as tricky because you are challenged to cover a great deal of information in a short amount of time. Here are a few tips that can help you deliver a brief presentation that will keep your audience wanting more.
Break It Down
One of the biggest challenges with giving a short presentation is feeling the urge to cram loads of information into a short time period. Instead of trying to make the time fit the presentation, you need to reorganize your remarks to fit the time. Choose just a couple of main points and speak briefly about each. Avoid going into way too much detail. You will lose audience interest and run out of time.
Use Intervals To Organize Your Speech
When giving a presentation on a brief schedule, organization is a key component. Organize your speech into intervals. For example, you have 1 minute for your introduction, 1-2 minutes for each main point, and 1 minute for your conclusion. Not only will this help you to stay on track, but it will help your audience to follow along as well.
Plan Ahead And Rehearse
Whether you are giving a 3 hour presentation or a 5 minute speech you need to plan ahead. Anytime you are called on to speak you should take time to figure out exactly what you are going to say and rehearse your presentation in front of other people. Don’t be fooled by thinking a short presentation requires less preparation. Sometimes, the shorter speeches are harder to put together!
Stick To Your Time Slot
Make sure you keep track of time throughout your presentation and avoid rambling on and on. Try to allot a certain amount of time for each main point and stick to it. If you run out of time to say something important, try working it into the questions at the end.
Use A Prop
In short presentations, props can be helpful to make a point more memorable and capture audience attention.  For example, instead of announcing “we signed a huge contract yesterday,†try holding up a pen and saying “with this pen we made history yesterday when we signed the biggest deal yet.†Tip: reference  any props early in your remarks. You don’t want to distract your audience by wondering why you are holding an object or prop.
Whenever you are asked to deliver a presentation you must take time to prepare. This is especially important when you have to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. Short presentations can be highly effective and memorable if they are well organized and delivered with ease. These tips can help you prepare a brief presentation that will capture your audience’s attention.
