How long should a speech or presentation last? 
My answer is usually, ‘Never too long. Only too boring.’ 

But I’ve been doing some research for my new book - 17. 

You did know there was going to be a 17 book? 

And it transpires that there is a perfect length of time – for an excellent, non-boring speech. 

And I bet you can guess how long it is... 

Yes, around 17 minutes.  
 

Martin Luther King’s historic ‘I have a dream’ – 17 minutes.

Steve Jobs launching the iPhone – 4 x 17-minute sections. An initial 17-minute overview, then exactly 17 mins on each of the main features. 

Simon Sinek’s ‘Start With Why’ - 17 minutes. 

Coincidence? 

TED Talks (should) last for a maximum of 18 minutes. The majority are just short – 17 minutes. 

If you can’t say what you need to say in 17 minutes, then maybe it needs an edit? 

Be Brilliant! 

 
Michael  

PS Since Saturday's LIVE there seems to be a lot of interest in my daily willie stretching routine. I'll show you what I do today at 17:00 and share why it's so important.