How to Make a Killer Two-Minute Gist
You’ve got up to two minutes. Not more. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to use them all. Some stories sing at 90 seconds. Some land at 45. The magic is in saying what needs to be said — then stopping.
Here’s how to own your window, whether it’s twenty seconds or the full two minutes.
1. Hook Them in the First 10 Seconds
Your listener is deciding now — before you’ve finished your first sentence — whether they’ll stay. Don’t warm up; start strong.
Bad start: “Hey everyone, I just wanted to take a moment to talk about something that’s been on my mind lately…”
Good start: “Here’s the exact moment I realized my cat could open the refrigerator.”
2. Know Your Single Point
The shorter the Gist, the sharper the message. Decide your one idea before you hit record:
Inform: “Here’s how to tell if a stock is overvalued in 90 seconds.”
Entertain: “The three worst breakup texts I’ve ever received.”
Inspire: “Why your second draft will always be better than your first.”
3. Use the Middle to Deliver the Goods
Whether you’ve got 30 seconds left or 100, structure matters:
Setup – Just enough context.
Details – The meat of the idea or story.
Payoff – The aha moment, laugh, or takeaway.
4. End With Intention
Your last few seconds matter more than you think:
Punchline
Surprising fact
Question for the listener
Call-to-action (“Reply with your own worst travel story.”)
5. Embrace the Edit
Record, then listen.
Cut the dead air.
Remove redundancy.
If your Gist says it all in 50 seconds, you’ve nailed it.
6. Use the Gistvox Tools
Tag topics so the right listeners find you.
Choose your audience (public, private, group).
Add links for deeper dives.
The Challenge:
Pick one idea. Record it in under two minutes. Stop when the story’s done — not when the timer runs out. Publish.
Because on Gistvox, it’s not about maxing the clock.
It’s about maximizing the moment.
