High Power Presentation Skills Training Malaysia | Timing Is Everything During Presentation
When you practiced your presentation, you noted the time necessary for each part. Then, you calculated the time for each checkpoint along the way, based on your scheduled starting time. You know, then, that when you finish the first part, it should be 1:12, the second should end at 1:23, the third at 1:31, and so on. Here’s where the scheduling pays off: you know at any checkpoint whether you’re likely to end on time or not.
Check the time surreptitiously—obsession with time is easily contagious. If you’re looking at your watch or the clock, it’s inevitable that someone in the audience will do the same, and then another, and then ... on and on. So, periodically, sneak a peak.
If you’re off schedule, don’t panic. There’s nothing sacred about even the perfect presentation. If you need to end at a specific time, you can adjust your plans.
If you’re running behind, make a mental note of things you can cut and things you can shorten. You can also cut as you go, although that’s usually more difficult. You could change slides a little more quickly than planned. You could drop an example here and there. If you’ve scheduled a break, take it—but shave a few minutes. If you were planning to stop for questions, skip the Q&A and handle all questions at the end.
If you’re running ahead, don’t feel complacent—and, above all, don’t waste time. It’s OK to end your presentation early and allow extra time for questions. That’s smarter than to lose time here and there and risk running over the allotted time or not giving your audience the opportunity to ask question. Most presenters would agree that presentations tend to take more time than planned, not less time. But it might be nice to break for questions or just to stand and stretch. The audience will appreciate it.
Close ... and Open ... and Close
The first rule of presenting: end on time. Don’t presume that you can take more time from your participants than allotted or that finishing your presentation is more important than whatever they’ve got scheduled next.
Perhaps the best way to end a presentation is in three steps:
Recap your main points.
Invite questions.
Conclude.
In other words: close . . . and open ... and close.
Recap Your Main Points
This should be easy. After all, you kept your main points in mind while preparing your presentation. In fact, you’ve probably got them on an agenda or recap slide.
Invite Questions
We’ve already discussed how to handle questions. The only difference, really, between Q&A during the presentation and Q&A at the end is that when you finish with questions you need to watch the clock, to allow enough time for your conclusion.
End your presentation as you began it: strong. That means that you don’t just stop when the audience stops asking questions. You need to end with an effective conclusion—even if it means cutting the Q&A session short.
Conclude
End with a bang. You don’t need to go on for more than a few minutes to recap the points of your presentation. The audience may grow restless. If you can sum up each point in a short, memorable phrase, it will have a greater impact. The phrase can be even more memorable if you repeat it.
You should also take a few moments after the participants have left and you’re winding down to think about your presentation and make some notes for improving, while it’s still very fresh in your mind.
