Five minutes is all you have to make an impression. In Week Eight of my 'Drafting Against The Dark Arts' class, I set out to explain this rule (in less than five minutes).
(Don't miss lessons from Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five, Week Six and Week Seven!).
* * *
Five minutes. Five minutes is all you have. To get your audience to sit up. To cast a spell over them. To make them fall in love with you.
Five minutes. Five minutes is the difference between an epic speech and a forgettable one. Five minutes is the difference between tuning in and zoning out. Five minutes is the difference between winning and losing.
Five minutes. Five minutes is all you have. Doesn’t matter how long your entire speech is. Ten minutes, twenty minutes. It’s the first five minutes that matter. Mess up those five minutes, and it’s all over. Nothing you say after that can save you. Sure, maybe you recovered well. Doesn’t matter. Have you ever seen a gymnast dropped the ribbon at the very first jump and went on to win gold? No. Doesn’t happen.
Seems unfair… or is it? When you’re bored at home, slouching in front of the TV, flipping through HBO or Netflix… Tell me, how much time do you give each channel? A minute? Two minutes? Hey, we’re talking about entertainment here! Action! Romance! Drama! Is it fair to judge a one or two-hour long show in just five minutes? Yes, no, depends. Doesn’t matter. Fact is, five minutes is all we give. Or maybe even less.
Why do our brains flip from one channel to another so quickly? Not just kids, but also adults. Especially adults. Because we’re all so busy. Because we have 101 problems on our minds. Because we judge by first impressions.
So, whenever you talk to someone, in an elevator, on a stage, or at the club – remember that five minutes is all you have to make an impression. Especially at the club.
Yes, five minutes is not a lot of time. We always have so much to say. But no need to rush through. Take a pause... Emphasise, to drive home your point. Keep it simple. Pace yourself based not on how quickly you can speak, but how easily your listener can follow. Don’t speak for the sake of speaking. Speak to be heard and understood.
Five minutes is not a lot of time. So make every word count. Nothing more, nothing less. As Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Speak only if it improves upon the silence”.
So, nail down those five minutes. Wrap those five minutes around your tongue, so that they flow out effortlessly without you even thinking the words.
Practice in front of the mirror. Practice each night before you sleep. Practice when you’re walking between classes. Practice makes perfect.
Five minutes. Five minutes is all that matters. Five minutes is all you have - and all it takes - to make your audience fall in love with you.
(Don't miss lessons from Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five, Week Six and Week Seven!).
 |
| And no SLOWPOKES allowed! |
* * *
Five minutes. Five minutes is all you have. To get your audience to sit up. To cast a spell over them. To make them fall in love with you.
Five minutes. Five minutes is the difference between an epic speech and a forgettable one. Five minutes is the difference between tuning in and zoning out. Five minutes is the difference between winning and losing.
Five minutes. Five minutes is all you have. Doesn’t matter how long your entire speech is. Ten minutes, twenty minutes. It’s the first five minutes that matter. Mess up those five minutes, and it’s all over. Nothing you say after that can save you. Sure, maybe you recovered well. Doesn’t matter. Have you ever seen a gymnast dropped the ribbon at the very first jump and went on to win gold? No. Doesn’t happen.
Seems unfair… or is it? When you’re bored at home, slouching in front of the TV, flipping through HBO or Netflix… Tell me, how much time do you give each channel? A minute? Two minutes? Hey, we’re talking about entertainment here! Action! Romance! Drama! Is it fair to judge a one or two-hour long show in just five minutes? Yes, no, depends. Doesn’t matter. Fact is, five minutes is all we give. Or maybe even less.
Why do our brains flip from one channel to another so quickly? Not just kids, but also adults. Especially adults. Because we’re all so busy. Because we have 101 problems on our minds. Because we judge by first impressions.
 |
| While some people only need 45 seconds... |
So, whenever you talk to someone, in an elevator, on a stage, or at the club – remember that five minutes is all you have to make an impression. Especially at the club.
Yes, five minutes is not a lot of time. We always have so much to say. But no need to rush through. Take a pause... Emphasise, to drive home your point. Keep it simple. Pace yourself based not on how quickly you can speak, but how easily your listener can follow. Don’t speak for the sake of speaking. Speak to be heard and understood.
Five minutes is not a lot of time. So make every word count. Nothing more, nothing less. As Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Speak only if it improves upon the silence”.
So, nail down those five minutes. Wrap those five minutes around your tongue, so that they flow out effortlessly without you even thinking the words.
Practice in front of the mirror. Practice each night before you sleep. Practice when you’re walking between classes. Practice makes perfect.
Five minutes. Five minutes is all that matters. Five minutes is all you have - and all it takes - to make your audience fall in love with you.
No comments :
Post a Comment