You've been asked to speak for five to ten minutes on your specialty and/or passion. You may be part of a panel with each panel member given a specified time limit. You may be one of several presenters at a specialized conference and each of you will share part of a keynote address. Or, you may have been asked to open a conference session with a few words on the major topic.

Tip # 1. Start by accepting the time limit and making sure that you prepare for it. If we want to be known as professionals, we must realize that when a meeting planner gives us five minutes, he or she means five minutes. Yes, I know that there are always speakers who don't pay any attention and take up much more of the time allotted. These are speakers who are often not asked back, even if they are super on the platform. And, even when they are terrific, audience members who are aware of the time limit start focusing on the fact that the speaker is going way over his or her time and that is the part of the presentation they remember.

Tip # 2. Realize that a short speech can be more compelling than a longer one, but takes even more preparation. When we've been asked to speak about a topic we're passionate about, how in the world can we say what we want and need to in five minutes? I feel that it takes a lot more work, because we have to compress a topic down to its essence. Ask yourself: What is my goal for this presentation? If I wrote a one sentence description of my presentation, what would it say?

Tip # 3.Even though I never suggest memorizing a presentation, I suggest for a short presentation with a time limit to write out a draft. Take the draft, and either read or speak a sample into a tape recorder. Then listen and time your presentation. You will get a good idea of how long it will take. By listening to yourself, you will discover what to delete and what to elaborate upon. A good way to plan a five minute talk is to allow a minute for the opening, one minute for each of the three points you want to make and one minute for the close.

Tip # 4. Get used to being timed and enlist the aid of a timer. One of the quickest ways to get used to preparing and giving short presentations that are powerful and punchy is to join a Toastmasters International Club and work through the manuals. All the presentations are timed (often with colored lights). You will be amazed by how quickly you can gauge your own time accurately.

Tip # 5.You will also discover that working under time constraints will help you clarify the messages in your presentations. What will seem a huge challenge in the beginning will become one of your favorite ways of presenting. So, if you have an important point to make, you will be able to honestly ask for five minutes at a meeting and only use five or fewer. You will also find that when a group is looking for a succinct spokesperson, your name will come to mind.