I cautioned several clients recently about timing; their presentations went on way too long.

When I asked why they hadn’t edited out extraneous information, they said they packed their talk with tons of information, in order to ward off questions at the conclusion of their presentation.

If this is strategy you are thinking of employing, don’t.

Questions are the most dynamic part of the presentation.

They allow you to further connect to the audience.  That connection comes when you listen to their issues, empathize with them, acknowledge a different point-of-view, or solve a problem.

If you fear being ambushed by a hostile question, or even being thrown an inquiry you can’t answer, you can prepare for those possibilities in advance.

Keep this in mind.   When you lengthen your presentation, the audience retention plummets; you risk losing, boring or annoying your audience.

Don’t give them an excuse to tune out and turn to their phones for entertainment.

Plus…you may get that bothersome question anyway.