How to Keep Speakers On Time
Are you tired of speakers running overtime? Do you wish you had a way to get speakers to stick to your agenda?
Lisa B. Marshall
Listen
How to Keep Speakers On Time
One of the biggest problems that conference moderators and organizers face is how to keep presenters from running overtime. Today, I’ll cover quick and dirty tips to help you get speakers to finish on time.
The podcast edition of this tip was sponsored by Go To Meeting. Save time and money by hosting your meetings online. Visit GoToMeeting podcast and sign up for a free 45 day trial of their web conferencing solution.
How to Keep Speakers On Time
OK, I’ll admit it. As a professional speaker, there have been a few times (but not many) that I’ve run over. I know it’s disrespectful to the audience and to the organizer. Even though I know better (I’ve even done an episode about timing your own presentations), it still has happened. So today, I thought I give you some very practical tips to ensure that speakers at your event never run over.
What Should You Do When Speakers Run Long?
Of course, as you likely know from your own experience, running overtime is a common problem. In fact, just this morning I received an email from listener Michelle McAndrews. She wrote, “I was facilitating a meeting recently and the speaker, while incredibly engaging and very informative, had gone way over his allotted time. He was aware before he began how much time we had on the agenda. I was in charge of keeping the meeting moving along and … I feel I handled it well. …When he had gone a full 10 minutes past his time, [ stood quietly behind [hi and off to the side where he could notice me. He did and realized that it was time (really past time) to wrap up his portion. At the podium (so our group could hear) I graciously thanked him and let him know that [we wer obviously very interested in his topic…What more could I have done or how could this have been handled differently?”
Michelle, first, you should know you’re not alone. Several organizers have contacted me asking this very same question. I definitely think you were on the right track, but perhaps with some fine-tuning you could have helped the speaker to finish on time.
Tip#1: Make Speakers Aware of Time Limits
First, you mention that he was aware of how much time you had on the agenda. As a professional speaker, I always make it a point to ask how much time the organizer would like me to speak and how much time they would like me to interact with the audience. I also ask if they typically get started on time or whether they wait for latecomers. What I then do is look at how much time I have and start making adjustments based on the answers I received.
Let’s say the agenda calls for me to speak for one hour. Unless they specifically told me they are very good at starting exactly on time, or they’ve told me the audience will have already arrived before me, I immediately cut ten minutes from time. I’ve learned most organizers end-up starting the sessions about 10 minutes late.
So as an organizer you should always tell your speakers not the agenda time, but the amount of time you want him or her to speak. In fact, I suggest not sharing the agenda. If you anticipate the audience will have many questions or will want to interact significantly with the speaker, then you’ll need to cut another 10 to 20 minutes from the time allocated. So if the agenda shows a 60-minute slot, then tell the speaker to plan about 35 minutes of presentation material and for about 10 to 15 minutes of planned activities or questions–either during the talk or after.
If you are allowing the speaker to “sell from the platform” at the end of the program, then you’ll need to subtract another two to five minutes. Ultimately you should tell the speaker less time than you have planed on the agenda. Keep in mind, no one is ever upset if a program finishes early!
Tip#2: Review the Timing
Next when the speaker arrives, be sure to review the timing again. This time, instead of saying you want them to talk for 35 minutes, you should be specific with the exact times you want him to start and finish. “I’d like for you to start by 10:09 at the latest and wrap-up by 10:49 at the latest.” (By using odd times it will draw attention to the overall importance of timing).
Then ask the speaker how they like to keep track of time, or perhaps just explain your system for keeping the session on track. You might consider specifically reminding the speaker of the importance of keeping to the schedule. I can tell you from direct experience that some people just don’t realize how important it is not to run over and in fact, I believe some speakers think it’s normal to run a bit over!
Tip#3: Be Sure the Speaker Knows the Time
Be sure the speaker has a timing device. Believe it or not, some rooms don’t have a clock and some presentation software doesn’t allow you to see the clock on the computer while you are presenting. When I present, I always bring a small travel alarm clock to place near my computer. I feel strongly that all conference organizers should have a small clock with big numbers available for speakers.
Tip#4: Use Signals
Keep in mind, that as an organizer or room monitor, it is your responsibility to keep the time (of course, along with the speaker). A passionate speaker can get drawn into a lively conversation and always appreciates help with timing. I suggest having some sort of non-intrusive signal at two points just before the end of the talk.
You can give the speaker a signal for ten minutes before you’d like him to be done, and again five minutes before you’d like him to be done. Two signals gives the speaker time to smoothly transition to the end. And having two signals is also helpful when the first isn’t seen immediately. A good signal can be the organizer standing up in the back of the room or holding up a colored card. I like having a yellow card first and then a red card. Some people like to use a buzzer or a bell, but I find that more disruptive.
If the speaker ignores your signals and the time limit is over, you’ll need to take further action. That’s the time to move towards the speaker, walking on the side, but within the speaker’s line of site. You’ll want to get eye contact with your speaker and signal, as politely as possible, that time is up–tapping you wrist or watch is a universal signal. If the speaker doesn’t wrap up immediately and it’s imperative that you move on, then you’ll need to stand next to the speaker. That should be a very clear signal that they need to stop, however, if the hint isn’t taken, then thank the speaker for the lively discussion and invite everyone to continue to discussion outside the room. Of course, that should be a last resort measure. Most speakers will respect your system and finish on time.
The Quick and Dirty
As the facilitator it is your responsibility to ensure that all the speakers are treated fairly and that the audience is respected. That means it’s critical that you help speakers with timing. Tell each person his or her allotted amount of speaking time. Be sure you have a reliable system for timing. Just before the presentation, review the exact start and stop times and walk through your timing process, which in itself will emphasize how important timing is. Don’t make exceptions. Stick to your system for timing. You’ll be thanked for it by the audience (and usually the speaker too.)
This is, Lisa B. Marshall, The Public Speaker. Passionate about communication, your success is my business.
By the way, if you haven’t already become a fan of my Facebook Fan Page or a follower of me on Twitter, do it right now, or if you are in your car, call your cell phone right now and leave yourself a reminder for when you get into the office.
As always, I also invite you to join my newsletter or my professional network on LinkedIn (and Twitter).
One final note, please contact me if you’d like to sponsor this show or if you are interested in doing an internship with me.
If you have a question, send email to publicspeaker@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. For information about keynote speeches or workshops, visit lisabmarshall.com.
Speaker image courtesy of Shutterstock
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.