TED Talk's 18 Minute Rule

Did you know that the human attention span is now less than that of a goldfish? According to a new study by Microsoft Corp, humans now have an attention span of 8 seconds, which is less than the 9 seconds a goldfish can ogle you before swimming away. Thanks to the digital world, you now have all the more reason to keep your next presentation snappy.

So how long should it be? Keep your presentation between 10 to 18 minutes to follow TED’s 18 minute rule.

Here’s why 18 minutes works.

• There’s a reason TED Talks are so successful. Of course, they’re given by brilliant-minded people but the length is a huge component of their popularity. Model after them as a formula for your own success.

• Now that the goldfish is mightier than the human, try to bag your audience by the first line. Once you’ve gotten them hanging on your every word, 18 minutes or less provides an ideal limit in which to hold that attention without losing it.

• Hamlet is a beautiful play but your audience is not here to see Shakespeare. They’re here to acquire new information and you don’t need to recite seven soliloquies to pass it along. As TED Curator Chris Anderson explained, an 18 minute limit “brings discipline”. It forces you to organize yourself and create what can be a wonderful, to-the-point presentation that doesn’t take 4 hours, only 18 minutes.

• A shorter presentation leaves more time for the meat of the matter -- whatever happens after. Learners can better digest and enhance their experience through questions and discussion. The closer you get to bouncing more creative ideas off one another, the closer you get to that brilliant, groundbreaking idea that could change everything.

So remember to keep time in mind for your next presentation at a meeting, event or conference. The 18 minute rule will enable you to present your glowing slides and brilliant expertise to an enraptured audience, rather than a sleeping one.