The challenge for most speakers who have been presenting in public for a long time is no longer the lack of confidence. After years of practising, they already know what they’re doing. They can even make an impromptu speech and have no preparation at all. The problem is how to cut these speeches short. When allowed to talk, these speeches go on and on. If you’re one of them, you have to do something about it. Keeping the speeches short and easy to understand is challenging, but it’s the best thing to do. These tips could help in that regard.

Create Bullet Points of the Important Ideas

A good speech doesn’t have a maximum time limit. It depends on the situation. There are welcome speeches that will only last for a few minutes. Others have a longer time to speak if they’re the main speaker of the event. It can even go on for hours in this instance. Regardless, there should be bullet points for ideas. It’s easier to guide the listeners if they know the main information where the details get anchored. Some of the unnecessary details can go once the important points are already in the speech. Examples and anecdotes may also go if their goal is to strengthen the point, but the point stands even without them.

Ask About the Time Limit 

When asked to speak, the first question to ask is how long the time slot is. If the organizers don’t offer a time limit, you should insist. Your entire plan depends on how much time you have. If you don’t get the specific time, you can at least get a range. You will then know how much time you have to deal with and plan accordingly.

Be Considerate

Your goal in delivering a speech is to impress the people in the room. You want them to feel that you know what you’re saying and you can explain things clearly. However, it’s not the only thing you should consider. You also have to think about how they feel. Sitting in a room for several hours could be exhausting. Imagine being asked to speak after three people already spoke before you, and each one delivered a long speech. Worse, your schedule might be close to the lunch break or at the end of the day. Once you think about how people feel, you will probably shorten your speech. You know that even if you do an impressive job, no one will listen to you. Everyone in the room feels bored and would rather see you stop talking.

Create a Backup Speech

The rest of your speech can form part of your backup plan. If you have enough time to discuss it, you can continue. Otherwise, you have to stop with the ideas you already prepared to deliver. It also means that your presentation can survive even when the rest doesn’t get delivered.

Hopefully, you can try to shorten your delivery and be impressive. You should also invest in a projector ceiling mount so that your presentation will be smooth if you’re going to do it in a closed setting.