Closing A Speech or Presentation, Part I
The moment of truth has arrived. You had them entranced at the open. The audience was clearly focused, nodding as you delivered your message; eyes locked as you wove through a carefully crafted medley of stories, anecdotes and analogies, all supporting your message. There is no question that the majority of your audience probably agrees with what you are saying. Empowered, the time has come to conclude, at which point you exclaim:
“In conclusion, I appreciate your time to hear about ________. Thank you.”
…and then nothing happens. Everyone quietly claps, or just nods, and leaves the auditorium or conference room.
What can you do to prevent this from occurring? Here are three effective techniques for closing a speech or presentation:
Whether taking a company public, introducing a new product to market, delivering a new lecture or simply leading a team meeting, the conclusion is crucial to the success of any address It is the final impression to you will leave your audience with. So what are other effective ways to close? Here are three of my favorites:
1. Direct Call to Action – I am a believer that a speech or presentation without a clear call to some type of action is a speech or presentation that probably is not worth giving.
While not appropriate for every address, there is no clearer call to action than a direct call to action. ex. ”In order to guarantee that we save ______ tomorrow, we need to _____ today!” “If every person in this room leaves and immediately _____, I can guarantee that will result in ______ next year?
2. Quote - Short, appropriate, powerful quotes are effective as openers, and short, appropriate, powerful quotes are effective for closing. With a plethora of resources available to get quotes in an instant, it is now possible to come up with a quality opening, or ending anywhere.
3. Call-to-Question – Ending with a rhetorical question that captures the message and leaves the audience thinking, especially one that ties a call to action directly in is often very effective. ex. What choice will you make when you leave here today? Will you ____, or will you go about your normal routine?
Stay tuned next week for Closing a Speech or Presentation, Pt. II. For ideas on how to effectively open a speech or presentation, please click here and here.
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to “Closing A Speech or Presentation, Part I”
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- Nov 21, 2011: How To End A Speech or Presentation, Pt. II | Matt Eventoff
Thank you for the tips Mat