You prepared a 30 minute presentation and when you arrived it was reduced to 20 minutes. What would you do?
First, don’t say a thing about your time being cut. Whining only diminishes your professionalism and does nothing to endear you to the meeting planner.
Second, take time to connect with the audience. Skip this step and it doesn’t matter much what you say.
Third, nobody but you knows what you DON’T say. This means if you have PPT slides for 30 minutes, skip the PPT and just stand and deliver.
Fourth, when you deliver a potent presentation in a short time, you’re seen in a much more favorable light then those who had more time. Take advantage of your positioning.
Fifth, watch the clock so that you can end your presentation with a powerful call to action without rushing the ending. And do not end with Q&A, that kills your power close and you’ll most likely run over.
And finally… know that this challenge comes up on a regular basis. Be ready for it and enjoy the game.
Thanks for the LinkedIn question that got me thinking about this frequent speaking challenge.