TALKTIPS DAY 05: Know Your Target Time (+Bonus Plan B)
Know how long the talk you plan to give is going to be and aim to hit it.
I’ve been doing this a while now and I do not always hit the mark to the minute, I get better with time and practice like everyone should. That said, one sure sign of a beginner or someone who hasn’t practiced their talk a few times, is timing. We almost always blow through our talk way faster than we meant to when we’re first starting out. A handful of folks go way over on the time. I think if we’re within 5 minutes + or -, we’re in the safety zone.
Bonus Plan B:
If there’s a Q&A portion in the talk time window and/or you end way earlier than you meant to, like 36 minutes into a 60-minute time slot, or even right on time with a reasonable time budget for Q&A there’s a chance no one will have questions for you. You still have a responsibility to fill the time window you were charged with filling, be prepared with a few of your own questions that you can spark audience participation with.
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Jaimee Newberry is a professional experimenter, speaker and writer who lives, learns and fumbles out loud. She’s the founder of tinychallenges.com and co-host of the tinychallenges podcast. She’s also the independent mother of two girls and two cats, and girlfriend of a beautiful, shy man who likes to remain mostly anonymous. More at jaimeejaimee.com
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