Help! My Speech Is Too Long!

How often has this happened to you? Your speech is planned for 5-7 minutes, but on your first rehearsal, you find yourself going on for 10-12 minutes.

It happens to all of us. I have a real phobia of running over my time, almost as if "disqualification" is followed immediately by flogging. I'll share a couple tips that I've used to cope with it.

In preparing my speeches, I usually plan "optional" material. I plan an extra side point or two -- nothing critical for the listener to remember, but still of interest -- and points which fit in well right before my conclusion.

Next, I time my conclusion. Let's say that my conclusion runs about one minute in length. If my speech is supposed to be 5-7 minutes, this means that I have to start my conclusion by at least 6:30 or risk being disqualified for running over 7:30 (and being flogged). As I speak, I watch for the green, yellow, and red flags. I know that once I see the green, I can skip all the optional points and still qualify. At the yellow, I have to wrap up whatever I'm talking about and start my conclusion -- quickly. Red? I'm toast. (Flogged toast, but toast none the less.) My ideal goal is to include some of the optional points, finishing them right at the yellow light, meaning my conclusion will finish right as the red appears.

This concept dovetails into a recommendation by Darren LaCroix in the current Toastmasters magazine. When cutting down a speech, he recommends not only cutting down the number of words, but also cutting down the number of ideas. Don't cut anything critical that your listener must remember; cut points that are side points, or just add flavor to your central theme.

The same technique can be used for longer speeches, even those lasting hours. On longer speeches, I recommend planning breaks, or at least breaking the speech up into clear sections. You can prepare optional material like this for each section, then watch your progress in each section and decide whether to include the optional points for that section. If it's a 15 minute section and you're already near the end at 12 minutes, include it. If you're running late, or questions have slowed you down, then cut it.

If you worry about meeting your time goals as I do, or if you are just interested in using every second of stage time you are allowed, consider preparing optional material and making a decision while speaking how much of it you need or can include to get your perfect time!