The 7-Minute Rule That Will Save
Your Business Presentation
Anything you have to say in a business setting should fit into a
seven-minute window. Here's a guide to get you through your next conference
talk, board meeting, investor chat, or daily team meeting.
Anything
you have to say in a business setting
should fit into a seven minute window. That's my theory about business presentations, and I've devised a plan to help you get
through a talk at a conference, your next
board meeting, an investor chat, or even your daily team meetings. If you talk
less than seven minutes, people won't quite grasp what you have to say. If you
talk more than seven minutes, you'll drone on a bit too much and lose people.
It’s the ideal length for holding the attention of a crowd.
Now, before I explain what to so for the seven
minutes, let's address the elephant in the room. His name is TED. The rule for every TED talk is to explain
yourself in 18 minutes. Chris Anderson, the founder of the conference, has
explained that 18 minutes is about the right length for the talks, and I tend
to agree. That is, if you are Bill Gates or Elon Musk. However, for 99% of the
people in business who need to hold the attention of the crowd, I'd cut that
down to seven minutes.
I'm
basing this rule on a few interesting findings of my own. First, when I created
the seven-minute morning routine, I was relaying what I've
done in my personal life for two decades. It works. And, as 200,000 people have read about so far and
thousands have tried for themselves, it’s about the right length. My theory is
that readers were drawn to the seven minutes. It isn't such a long period that
your work will suffer or you can’t commit to doing it consistently, yet it's
long enough to become truly contemplative. The same length of time works for
presentations, especially if you are an entrepreneur. In hyper-connected world
of texts and tweets, seven minutes is about the right time to make a point.
I've also given hundreds of talks,
and seven minutes is about right. I've participated in dozens and dozens of
startup sessions listening to entrepreneurs explain a new idea. In the first
few minutes, you are still getting your head around the idea. After seven
minutes you start tuning out. Your audience wants you to explain just the right
amount to engage them.
So, seven minutes for a
presentation. Here's how to do it.
1.
Before you start: Prepare.
The first step is to decide how you
will make sure the talk fits into seven minutes. That means using a stopwatch
or the timer on your phone. It means planning out what you will say during each
minute of the talk right down to the first minute, the last minute, and
everything in between. With notes or without, with visuals or without–that's
your call. Just make sure you use all seven minutes. The only way to do that is
to practice and time yourself. Find a place and a few hours to make that
happen.
2.
Minute one: Get their attention.
Every great presentation I've ever
seen started with a bang. It's important that this "bang" actually
ties into the topic or idea you will address. A quick animation, just pick something that takes up the first
minute. Time it. Practice it. Get your "bang" down perfectly. Anyone
listening should be ready to hear the main point. Never start with the main
point, though. People need an adjustment period to your speaking style, the
environment, and even the lighting. You are preparing them for the topic. The
60-second restriction helps you hone everything down.
3.
Minute two: Summarize the topic or idea in exactly 60 seconds.
Now, forget about any other jokes or
segues. You already have the attention of everyone in the room. Now make sure you
use it wisely. Explain exactly what you are selling, suggesting, explaining, or
discussing with the group within the next 60 second window. Get it polished but
not overly scripted. Listen to TED talks. Look up how Steve Jobs worked the
room so effectively. Follow those models. If you can't explain your idea in 60
seconds, you'll need to revise it so that it can be explained in that window.
4.
Minute three through six: Give them the meat.
If you followed my advice so far,
two things have happened. People have started paying attention (the first
minute) and they've heard the gist of your point (minute two). Keep an eye on
the timer because, for the next four minutes, you are going to add some
supporting material. This is where you can experiment. No need to stick to a
three-point plan. You could have three points or eight. You just need to fit
your supporting comments into all into four minutes. And, the really important
point here is to spend the time wisely. Give them stats, quotes, quips–whatever
it takes.
5.
Minute seven: Summarize it again.
Now you are on the homestretch. This
is where you need to summarize what you said. You might notice that my rule for
presentations follows closing with the seven-minute morning routine. That's
intentional. In your last minute, you are debriefing the crowd. You grabbed
them, you gave them the summary, you proved the summary, now you are closing
the deal. One minute can take forever when you have already digested
information for six minutes straight, so keep this lively and fast-paced. Don't
lose the crowd by closing with a funny story. Leave them with a take-home idea.
That’s what they will remember.
And…that's it. You’re done. Seven
minutes. If you are giving a talk at a bread-making club or a nuclear
symposium, know that this rule of presentations still works because we tend to
tune out from anything after seven minutes. Maybe you can move on later to more
discussion (or more slides) but just know that you won't have people hooked as
much Now, will you agree to at
least try this rule once for a presentation? Practice it and perfect it, then
see how it goes.
By John Brandon
http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/this-7-minute-rule-will-save-your-business-presentation.html?cid=em01016week33a
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