Time is a valuable but scarce resource, with the art of time management being one of the hardest to master. However, successfully incorporating time management in one’s work is very rewarding. Learning how to use time management in planning presentations can ensure desired results.
With technological advancement coming in left and right, people are becoming more and more used to the fast transfer of information. Research shows that the average human attention span has been recorded to have fallen from twelve to eight seconds in the past fifteen years. To get the meat of the point across in the simplest and quickest way possible, a presentation must be well-organized. The only way to do that is through intensive planning.
Manage your time with the following tips:
1. Focus on Developing Your Ideas
How should you angle your presentation? What are the interests of your audience? The bulk of your planning should go to figuring out what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. According to leadership coach Jeff Boss, having a set objective helps you track your progress, and also lessens the distraction of side ideas that may be irrelevant to your main point.
Key in on main ideas to avoid rambling towards the middle of your pitch. Stay anchored on the topic with organized key points.
2. Consider Your Visuals
Once you have your content in place, it’s time to figure out the visual aspect of your presentation. The thing is, fitting your material into the appropriate visual tools can be time-consuming. In this aspect, seeking the assistance of specialists saves up time and guarantees harmonious content and design for a more effective pitch.
If you want to try it out on your own, starting out with a basic deck can still be engaging. Just develop your slides with the right color combination and arresting visuals instead of wordy paragraphs to catch the audience’s attention.
3. Prepare Back-Up
Of course, all necessary precautions must be made. Even the most seasoned speakers come across hurdles during the actual presentation, and these are the scenarios you have to be ready for. Spend the remaining time before your presentation practicing your delivery, double-checking content, and drafting backup plans for anything you missed during your initial preparation.
You won’t be able to catch all the blind spots in your pitch, but you’ll be able to weed out most of them through meticulous planning. Also take note of past mistakes that you can work on, or get audience feedback during your Q&A.
It’s Your Time to Shine
Time management in preparation is often a task in itself. Knowing what you want to get across allows you to decide which parts of your presentation you have to focus on developing.
In order to save up time, outline your ideas well, don’t hesitate to ask for help, and be ready for the unexpected.
References
Boss, Jeff. “3 Strategies to Maximize Your Time.” Entrepreneur. February 20, 2015. Accessed October 1, 2015. www.entrepreneur.com
Watson, Leon. “Humans Have Shorter Attention Span than Goldfish, Thanks to Smartphones.” The Telegraph. May 15, 2015. Accessed October 1, 2015. www.telegraph.co.uk
Featured Image: “Time is ticking out” by mao_lini from flickr.com
