5 Minute Presentation

The Five Minute Presentation

Have a very short amount of time? About five minutes? If you have just that amount of time to make an exciting, informative, and compelling presentation, there is no need to worry. You might think it is difficult but the reality is that it is not all that difficult once you learn the common elements of a presentation.

What are the common elements of a presentation?

Presentations, both long and short, have some common ground. These grounds are what all presentations are built upon.

1.      Information
2.      Appeal
3.      Interest
4.      Information
5.      Call to Action

Sounds a little like an advertisement, does it not? Of course it does, and that is what a presentation is, only in a different manner. You are advertising something, whether it is an idea, a company, a product, or a cause. You are trying to gain interest and support. Even if you have just enough time for a five minute presentation, you can do all of that and more.

People do not really like to sit for hours listening to one person talk. Five minutes is more than enough time and if they want more information after the fact, they will ask.

Visual Aids

Visual aids are crucial to any presentation, but even more crucial to a short, five minute one. Some ideas that you might want to use include a whiteboard, PowerPoint, a flip chart, real objects, models, audio, or video.

Any one of these, if created appropriately can do the bulk of the work for you. All you might have to do is introduce yourself, explain what you are about to show, and state your purpose. After the visual presentation, you can then thank them for their time, and state your purpose once more.

Why Only Five Minutes?

The five minute presentation is particularly useful for those who are not entirely comfortable in speaking or presenting in front of others. It is also ideal for short meetings or conferences when time is really of the essence. Short, sweet, and to the point is ideal for many presentations.