Presentation Length

Presentation Length: Audience Attention Span in Presentations

How long should a presentation be? The answer, of course, depends on the audience, the context, and the presenter’s objectives. Presentation quality also makes a difference – presentations can run for longer if the audience enjoy the material, and if the material is presented effectively.

For a typical sales presentation, research shows that there is a clear limit to how long an audience can pay attention for. Misjudging presentation length can mean important messages are lost as the audience switch off.

Using soft-breaks, such as a change of presenter, a short interactive break, or even some inserted video, can revive audiences and improve attention levels. This can be necessary for longer presentations.

Don’t save key messages until the end. This can work in some media, but not in presentations. Audience attention levels decline towards the end of a long presentation. Instead, deliver the punch-line when the audience are paying maximum attention, and then spend the rest of your time justifying and explaining your conclusions.

This short online presentation gives more details. We use PowerPoint slides and video to explain theory around presentation length in a bit more detail. The presentation will launch in full screen mode.

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