How long is a speech?
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2011-03-29 14:07:46 - Graham Ellis
I regularly take part in "Just a minute" at TravelWatch SouthWest, where delegates who wish to raise an issue of give a quick update are allowed to speak for up to 60 seconds ... at which point a timer rings, and they have to stop. Such talks, to an audience of receptive friends and contacts, are usually given from a sheet containing no more that three bullet points, and I'm usually completed in around 45 to 50 seconds.This evening, though, I'll be saying a few words on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce as input prior to the vote of the local Area Board (they're a Wiltshire thing if you haven't come across them elsewhere!) as to their recommendations to the unitary council on the emotive subject of "Melksham Campus" - whether to combine a whole lot of council-run, public-facing services such as swimming pool, youth centre and library onto a single site - currently green fields - on the edge of town. And I have 3 minutes, tops. I've written my speech - this time - word by word, and agreed it by email with three of the Chamber officers who were there at the meeting where our response was discussed.
But ... how much can you get into three minutes? What are the conversion factors? I have done a test run and timed my speech ...
• 2 minutes and 30 seconds spoken in rehearsal
• 1 side of A4 printed
• 3500 characters text file size
• 630 words according to the Linux wc command
It remains to be seen how much I'll be slowed down during presentation by the acoustics of the Assembley Hall, and audience reaction, etc ... or if I'll speed up from a walk to a canter and then a gallop brought on by a nervousness.
Complete document (sneak preview for early readers!) is [here].