?Did I speak too long?? enquired the speaker. After a speech, you must have heard this statement from the speaker who has exceeded the time limit. Do not become a victim of time. Judge and use it well. Remember the object of your speech or presentation is to capture, captivate and convince your audience. The listeners love short and to the point speakers.

Respect your audience. It is sensitive. Do not give it the opportunity either to glance at watches or roll eyes to the ceiling. You may lose your audience if you run overtime.

If you are preparing a half-hour presentation, then plan for 20 minutes. As a rule of thumb, prepare your speech for not more that three-quarters of the allotted time. If you are making a speech, ask the chair or a friend in the first row to give you a signal. Wear your wristwatch on your wrist, facing inwards. With a simple gesture ? the time appears before your eyes. Do not wait for the gavel to come down. If your topic is challenging and the audience wants additional information the organiser will surely be cooperative about granting more time.

DO NOT

Say: ?I?m sorry; I?ve run out of time?. So that?s all I have to say?I?m skipping a lot to save time?

Allow yourself to look irritated. Increase speed; try to cram more ideas and race towards your end.

End with a sense of guilt, head down, voice down and then with the body down with a limp ?thank you very much?.

Instead DO:

Sum up what you have said.

End ?up? ? on a climax, which your audience will always remember.

Always plan your presentations on the assumption that you will not be given as much time as you have been promised. ?The secret of being tiresome is to tell everything.? Voltaire