here is a great test that you can benefit from when preparing your presentation. The Test is called the Lift Test (otherwise known as the Elevator Test depending on where you live).

Effectively you need to be able to give a pitch of your presentation during a lift ride to an interested person. This is about 30 to 45 seconds long. Knowing how to summaries your entire message into a short time will get you ready to quickly and efficiently present your message to the other person who can in turn relay it for you afterwards.

You can use this pitch at the beginning and at the end of your presentation to emphasis your message and make sure that the audience has understood exactly what you wanted to say.

Of course you need to practice this message several times. Casually go to your colleagues and explain that you are going to give a presentation. If they ask what it is about, give the Lift Pitch. Observe to see what they ask and if they got confused or they felt it was too long. Then go back and adjust your pitch. Because the pitch is so short you can easily rehearse it 10 times until you have unconsciously memorized it.

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