The green light turns yellow.  You know you can make it so you pick up the pace, zooming through the red light. Everyone does it, right?  Wrong!

Whether you are driving your car or driving your presentation home it is safer “to move quickly, but don’t hurry.” Each portion of a Toastmasters meeting is timed and, like a traffic light, teaches you when to go, go with caution, and when to stop.

Don’t just go through your speech, grow through your speech.  Whenever you speak successfully you are sharing information, not trying to cram it into your audience’s head. Before you speak, decide on the gifts you want your audience to receive, then use your words as gift wrapping.  You may be surprised at how often your gifts are reciprocated and your understanding grows.

Slow down, you have more time than you realize and even if you hurry you are not gaining any time.  Time pressure comes from trying to say too much in too short a time. Pare down your presentation to 3 points and leave your audience wanting more.
When you speed through your speech your audience will not be won over, they will feel run over.

Stopping your presentation before your allotted time is a skill which shows your audience your respect for their time.  Signals
such as glazed-over eyes, doodling and snoring mean you have gone way over your time. The mind can only absorb what their seat can endure, so learn to end way before their attention ends.

Stop early. Use caution when giving more than 3 gifts. And, grow with each speech.