Timing a talk
Set the total time, then pick warning points: many speakers use yellow at two minutes left and red at the last thirty seconds. Put the screen where you can glance at it without turning away from the audience. When you rehearse, a good rule is to finish about ten percent early, because real talks run longer than practice runs.
How the colors work
Set the total time and when the warnings should appear. The screen is green while there is plenty of time, turns yellow at the first warning, and red at the final warning. After time is up the timer keeps counting overtime so you know exactly how far over a speaker went.
Common speech lengths
- Elevator pitch: 1 minute
- Toastmasters table topic: 1–2 minutes
- Toastmasters prepared speech: 5–7 minutes
- Lightning talk: 5 minutes
- Conference talk: 20–30 minutes
FAQ
When should the warnings show?
Common choices are yellow at 2 minutes left and red at 30 seconds or 1 minute left. For a five-minute pitch, try yellow at 1 minute.
Can I use this for Toastmasters?
Yes. Set green, yellow and red to your speech's minimum, midpoint and maximum, the same way a Toastmasters timer does.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Open it on any device and tap full screen. The screen is kept awake while the timer runs on supported browsers.