We all have something in life that we are proud of, that we evangelize or, in some way, are trying to promote. Whether personally or professionally, we all have a story to tell. If you are in the business of sales, marketing or leadership of almost any kind, you find the need to explain what you do or what you are selling. Our ability to tell this "story" in simple terms, to the common person, is critical to our being understood. The problem is, most of us are not properly prepared to tell our story when the time arises.

To ensure that we are properly understood, we should be prepared to tell three stories. Or, more accurately stated, we should be prepared to tell one story, three ways.  The rule of thumb I use is 5, 5, 20, or 5 seconds, 5 minutes and twenty minutes.  

5 Seconds
If you had just five seconds to tell your story, what would you say? This is commonly referred to as the movie pitch or the core concept. If you can tell your story in one sentence, and have it be compelling, it will generally get you to the next step - the five minute story. It is probably a good idea to use a metaphor or two in your 5 second story to ensure a frame of reference for the idea. Remember, you have the power of intertextuality on your side!

5 Minutes (or less)
This can also be called, the elevator speech. You have just a few minutes to get your idea, passion or concept across to a generally distracted audience. For you PowerPoint junkies, this generally equates to four or five slides. My recommendation is to practice this on your spouse, your kids and your neighbors, the people that are the least likely to understand what you are talking about. If they get it, so will your primary audience. 

20 Minutes
This is your core message. Even if you have an hour, get through it 20 minutes. Why? 1) Important people often show up late; 2) Important people often leave early; 3) Smart people ask detailed questions; and 4) if your presentation is compelling, you want time to discuss next steps. As a bonus, I have never been walked out on for ending early, but many have walked out because I have gone long. Guy Kawasaki speaks of this in detail in his book, the Art of the Start. 

Obviously, there may be a need for longer presentations, but the core message, the most essential information should be contained within the first 20 minutes. Frankly, after that, your audience is about to check out.