You're probably familiar with this situation: You're giving a presentation to an audience. Halfway through, you're told that you don't have much time left. And this despite the fact that you've practiced the presentation extensively and have always stayed within the allotted time.
Presentations are often time-bound. Especially with pitch presentations or lecture series with multiple speakers, there are time limits you need to adhere to. Today, we'll give you four tips on how to better manage your presentation time.
4 tips on how to stay within your presentation time
We've compiled four tips below on how you can stay within your presentation time in the future. Give them a try!
Tip #1: The right preparation
Start working on your presentation timeline as early as the preparation stage. For example, use a piece of paper to sketch out your slides and their sequence. Note the planned maximum presentation time for each slide.
Highlight the key points and try to eliminate any unnecessary slides . The end result should be a coherent presentation where every piece of information is unique and valuable.
How much speaking time should you allocate per slide?
The speaking time per slide is crucial for staying within your presentation time. Unfortunately, there's no single, universally applicable time limit. The approximate speaking time per slide depends entirely on the content of your slides and your presentation topic.
As a general rule, you should n't allow more than 3-4 minutes of speaking time per slide . It's generally better to keep your presentation shorter than too long. Lengthy presentations quickly bore your audience.
Extra tip: Keep in mind that the presentation itself usually takes longer than when you rehearse it at home. This is because you'll be interacting with the audience and answering questions. Allow approximately 20-40% more time for the actual presentation.
Tip #2: Adopt an outside perspective and present in a situation-aware manner
Treat yourself like an outsider. Think about each point of your presentation and consider how long it would take you to explain each one adequately. Then discard these estimates and consider how long a stranger without your prior knowledge and background would need . Use the latter time as a guideline. This will allow as much time as possible for questions.
You know yourself and your strengths best. When is your energy level at its highest? Do you start strong, or do you need a few minutes to get going? You should structure your presentation accordingly. Who is your audience, and what is the context of your presentation? If you are presenting on the evening of the last day of a conference, for example, you need to be prepared for a tired audience.
When you begin a conference, you may need to clarify some terms first. Plan your presentation time carefully, taking your surroundings into account. This will ensure you don't run out of time or energy.
Always make sure you meet your audience's needs . Ask yourself which points you truly need to include in your presentation to ensure your core message is conveyed. You can find further tips in our short article " Focus on Audience Needs " .
Tip #3: Use PowerPoint presenter view
Another simple trick you can use to stay within your presentation time is PowerPoint's presenter view . This PowerPoint feature offers numerous helpful options. For example, you can see the next slide while you're presenting. You can also display notes that only you, and not your audience, can see.
A helpful feature for keeping to the presentation time is the timer displayed in PowerPoint presenter view. Here you can see how much of your presentation time has already elapsed.
For instructions on how to set up presenter view with a timer, please refer to the relevant article " PowerPoint Presenter View " .
Tip #4: Use shortcuts for PowerPoint!
Using the right keyboard shortcuts can save you a lot of time, whether in PowerPoint presentations or generally when working on your computer. The best part is: they're easy to learn and work on any computer ! You can find out exactly which shortcuts are available and how to get the most out of working with them in our blog post on "Useful Shortcuts."
With the help of shortcuts, you can work much more efficiently in the future and invest more time in the presentation itself . Not only you, but also your audience will thank you!
Bonus tip: Use the PresentationLoad add-in
We are often asked by our customers if there is an additional function or add-in for PowerPoint that allows them to display time periods, countdowns, or at least the current time in presentations . We took this request to heart and developed such an add-in ourselves.
With our revolutionary time visualization tool, time management and efficiency can now be professionally integrated into your next presentation as you wish.
Previously, the only way to keep track of time in PowerPoint presentations was through the presenter view, allowing presenters to stay within the allotted time. Unfortunately, this feature was often insufficient, as it was only visible to the presenter. Therefore, our new "Dynamic Time Add-In" equips your current PowerPoint version with the necessary features to view time, date, and time periods from all possible perspectives.
The add-in is compatible with:
• Microsoft Office 2010 (32bit & 64bit)
• Microsoft Office 2013 (32bit & 64bit)
• Windows 7 (32-bit & 64-bit)
• Windows 8.1 (32bit & 64bit)
Four in one go: time, date, counter and countdown
Whether it's a lecture presentation, a self-running info screen, or a trade fair presentation, the displayed time, whether a clock or a countdown, can be crucial for giving your presentation the right feel. For example, you can use a countdown to announce an upcoming deadline for an important product or the launch of your website.
This not only brings their presentation to life , but also allows them to use unique tools that no one else can easily replicate. To help you get started, we've written this article to help you quickly familiarize yourself with the new tool. Simply follow the easy instructions in the guide and get started.
Quickly install and get started : Instructions
The add-in is installed by running the downloaded file (admin rights may be required) and is automatically integrated as a tab within the PowerPoint window.
To activate the functionality, click the "DynamicElements" tab. Then select the "Time" button to open the "TimePanel" options window.
The Dynamic Time editing interface now appears on the right side of the screen. Under " Mode" in the Time Panel, you can select your desired settings.
Once you create a new text box and select a mode in the TimePanel, it will automatically be populated with the defined date (or time/countdown) . Here's an example of selecting "Date":
Any number of text fields can be populated with time and date displays. To do this, a text field is created and formatted in the usual way. Then, a new mode (default is "None") is assigned via the "TimePanel" on the right side of the page.
You have four modes (functions with setting options) to choose from:
- Clock for displaying the time
- Date for date display
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Counter for a counter display (in the example, we have projected the number of hours since 01.07.22 for illustration).
- Countdown for a countdown display
- Timer for a timer display
For time- or date-based ads, a time zone must be selected . Otherwise, a default time zone will be set.
Any given time or date can be displayed via a single field or broken down into components (e.g., the date in hours, minutes, and seconds).
To view the dynamic element, switch to presentation mode via the "Slide Show" tab and the "Start from current slide" option.
(For further instructions and information, please read the ReadMeFirst file included in the add-in .)
Possible uses:
1. Times
- Display the time as basic information at the edge of the slide content . Show the current time (including seconds) on every PowerPoint slide during the presentation:
-
Start screen in digital format (for your event, lecture, self-running presentation/info screen with live time):
- Displaying a world clock with different time zones : By setting different time zones, you can, for example, display your individual company world clock with all locations:
2. Date
Display dates in various formats: Weekdays (e.g., Fri, Friday) can be automatically included. Combine dates and times for attractive calendar pages.
3. Dynamic Counter
Display elapsed time since a specified date and time: For example, show the time elapsed since the market launch of your new product, the launch of your website, the founding of your company, or the opening of a new location:
4. Dynamic Countdown
Show time until next event (in days, hours, minutes and seconds):
Click here for the add-in: Download
Conclusion: Presentation time was skillfully adhered to!
Your next presentation is surely coming up soon. Take our tips to heart and make a convincing impression by staying within the allotted presentation time.
Use the tips presented here to keep track of your elapsed time . You'll see, it will be easier for you to manage your time effectively!
Do you have questions about adhering to presentation time limits or about PowerPoint in general? Feel free to contact us by email at becker@presentationload.de . We're happy to help!
Are you looking for professionally designed slide templates for your presentation ? Feel free to browse our shop. Here we offer numerous slides on a wide variety of (business) topics for download ► To the shop
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