Towns of York Toastmasters

How Long Should You Speak?

In many Toastmasters clubs, the meeting agenda and timetable is controlled by the Toastmaster, but at Towns of York, it is the responsibility of the Chairperson. The general idea is to start and finish on time. The majority of our meetings follow a two hour schedule, and many of our members have other responsibilities that require a 9:00 pm departure.

There are two equally important elements that affect the timing of a meeting. The first is how well the Chairperson plans and executes the timing of the meeting. The second element is whether or not speakers know and stick to their allotted time.

The two most mistakes that new Toastmasters make when planning agendas are:

1. Attempting to squeeze in two much - you can't fit a 2 1/2 hour meeting into two hours!
2. Forgetting to allow for transitions.  If a speech project is 5-7 minutes, then you should allow a minimum of 8 minutes and preferably 8.5 to 9 minutes. To stay on time you must allow for: the 30 to 45 seconds required for the intro, the 30 seconds the speaker needs to walk to the front of the room and get started; the time necessary for toastmaster come back to the front of the room, shake the speakers hand, allow the speaker to sit down, and the applause to die down.

Here is a guideline that will help you understand the mechanics of timing each of the scheduled elements. Keep in mind that it is up to the Chair to set the schedule and we do deviate from this guide. Always confirm your speaking time with the Chair, and give it your best effort to hit the mark.