Last fall I sat in on a full day of highly technical pitches being given to a panel.
The researchers were aiming to get early feedback on their innovation from the experts in the room.
Their job was to provide a summary of:
1)The problem they solved
2)The research they conducted to that point
3) Thinking on how they would solve it
4) Traction they’d experienced so far
Here’s my chicken scratch on how each slide timed out for one of the speakers.
There is so much value in having someone do this for you from the audience.
3 Questions to ask yourself.
– Where are you spending too much time? Then how can you reduce that, simplify that, streamlined that?
– Are you moving too fast through a section that should be a little slower? This often happens in the beginning when speakers assume the audience knows the landscape but they really don’t. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Make sure you provide ample context before you “let the train leave the station.”
– Look at the entirety of the list and ask yourself, does this flow? Where do I need to cut if I’m way over my time limit?
Note: it is NOT necessary to aim for the same amount of time on each slide. Some slides can be quick if they are transition slides, 5 seconds or less. Other slides need more time – like process slides or in-depth stories.
Whether you are a research scientist or revealing a new brand of baby shoes or you have a new flavor of lollipop – it doesn’t matter. Whatever you are presenting needs to flow well and hit the high points at the right time with the right emphasis.
