The 7 to 9 Rule

One of the difficulties of any public speaking appearance is keeping your audience engaged with you and your presentation.  No matter whether it’s a 10-15 minute speech at a dinner, a 30 minute keynote address or a two hour seminar, you have to keep the presentation fresh.   This is where the “seven to nine” rule comes into play.

The “seven to nine” simply states that every seven to nine minutes of your presentation you change it up a bit.  This does not involve a change in tempo, inflection or strength of your voice.  It does call for a video or audio clip, use of a prop to make your point or the telling of a story to set up the next key portion of your speech that you want to drive home.

It was at a county conservation banquet several months ago that I told the story of the salamander.  The succinct version recalls a time when this little boy growing up in western Pennsylvania went to a nearby creek to look for salamanders.  The point was the creek was clean enough support life because local residents did not pollute the land.  It helped make a connection with people who were working the land with someone who did not.  A woman came up after the remarks to say that the story reminded her of the time when she went to the creek near her house to look for frogs.  A connection was made through the story that remained through the presentation.  And the story was presented seven minutes into the speech.

People will listen to a speaker if the person is engaging, well prepared and if they are made to keep guessing a little bit about what may be coming next.  It’s the edge of the seat scenario for some because the speaker has captured their attention.   The seven to nine rule helps in that regard.  I have seen this is action several times by a couple of pastors who have to keep congregants engaged throughout sermons. Mike and Jeremy have been using the tactic for years with great success.   It’s worked time and time again for them and it’s been a part of my presentations from day one.  It should work for you too. 

All it takes is a little practice and soon people will be looking forward to your presentations and what you will be doing next.