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When I first started networking, the idea of having just one minute in which to introduce myself seemed impossible. I looked at my web Profile, my LinkedIn and Insta details, and tried to work out how to cut all that down: unlikely.
Elevator pitches are timed for a good reason: there simply wouldn’t be enough time for everyone to have their say if we all had longer.
Getting the timing right is tricky, but not impossible. Here’s how I avoid (admittedly not always) being asked to ‘please wrap up’.
• Practice! And do this with your audience in mind. Recording yourself on your phone is a good habit to get into. If you have a Mac, play around with the Photobooth app so you can get a better feel for timings.
• Become familiar with how long a minute is. Pop on to a short 10-minute TED talk and watch the timer as 60 seconds tick by: it’s not long. If you’re aware of this then that’s a great start.
• Break down the minute into thirds: 20 seconds is for your intro, 20 seconds for the padding, 20 seconds for your call to action.
• It’s hard to listen out for that timer button when you’re presenting, so do your own timing. That way you can’t avoid the claxon.
• Short is sweet, but you can say a lot in one minute. A succinct, neat presentation will leave a better memory than a longer rambling litany.
• Don’t let tech trip you up. As soon as the clock starts ticking, all of that screen-sharing and prop-prep will shave crucial time off your minute. Factor it in.
• Don’t worry too much about perfect pitches. You’re not writing a Golden Globe acceptance, we just want to hear who you are.
• Still running over, no matter what you do? Then budget for 50 seconds.
• Enjoy your time in the spotlight. And if you’d like longer, ask around to see if anyone would like to hear you present your chosen topic – webinar talks are in high demand.
Over to you!

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay