How to write an attention-grabbing 5-minute speech

Giving a 5-minute speech is not always as easy as it initially sounds. If anything, many people find it to be a challenge figuring out how to keep their talk limited so it does not exceed their 5-minute time constraint. Whether you have a variety of issues, or just one topic to cover, it can be hard to do in a way where the message is adequately delivered in a short period of time. The trick is to find the balance between the time constraint and the words used for delivery.

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If you have one topic to discuss, then your preparation will be a bit easier - but you'll still have to carefully choose your words. Presentations that must cover a variety of subject matters will need to be brief and concise, yet still contain the key points needing to be delivered - is often a little trickier.

Regardless of the type of speech you have to give, this is where the balancing act begins. To prepare your 5-minute oration, try these tips.

1. Outline your points

A good starting point is to create an outline of the vital points you need to cover in your short speech. This will help give you an idea of how to consolidate your points to meet your time limit and eliminate the potential of drifting off to subtopics. Once you've outlined your key points, you'll be ready to organize your sentences to give precedence to the more important components of your speech.

2. Prioritize your comments

Ideally, you'll want to choose the key points of your speech for the earlier portion of your talk. This way, if for some reason you run out of time, then you can eliminate or at least shorten the less crucial points. The idea is you want to convey the "meat" of your presentation and grab attention - don't get caught up in details that are less of a priority or don't convey your primary talking points.

3. Be concise in your sentences

For a 5-minute speech, you are going to need to move quickly. It's a good idea to select shorter sentences that are concise, crisp, clear, and straight to the point. The art of this is to not sound as if you are mincing words, even though the chances are you'll be doing exactly just that. One of the advantages of a short speech is you don't have to worry as much about maintaining your audience's attention. As long as you can hook them with your opening statements, the rest should be easy-peasy.

4. Prepare hand-outs

Depending on what you have to cover, five minutes may not be enough time to adequately address all the issues you need to convey. If so, don't worry, there is another way you can cover this - use hand-outs to help you meet your 5-minute constraint. Additionally, it's a good opportunity to offer additional information. Make sure you include your contact information if this speech is geared towards people you don't interact with on a regular basis - this way they can reach you if they want or need to ask questions or get more information from you.

5. Rehearse your words

Preparing for your speech is going to take longer than actually giving it, but before delivery, you want to make sure you're on target. Schedule in time to practice, either in front of a mirror or with a friend or colleague, to ensure your words fall within the designated time limit. By practicing ahead of time, you're more likely to be able to find the right balance and pace to meet your 5-minute constraint.

When you have to give a 5-minute speech, it does pose some challenges; but with a bit of pre-planning and organization, preparation can be a snap. If you remember to stay focused, choose words carefully, grab the initial attention of your audience and keep it concise, then the speech will be a huge success.

Remember, as Presentation Magazine notes, first impressions matter. Make those five minutes count.