By Status.net Editorial Team on March 4, 2024 — 9 minutes to read
Ending a presentation on a high note is a skill that can set you apart from the rest. It’s the final chance to leave an impact on your audience, ensuring they walk away with the key messages embedded in their minds. This moment is about driving your points home and making sure they resonate. Crafting a memorable closing isn’t just about summarizing key points, though that’s part of it, but also about providing value that sticks with your listeners long after they’ve left the room.
To leave a lasting impression, your presentation’s conclusion should clearly reflect your core message. This is your chance to reinforce the takeaways and leave the audience thinking about your presentation long after it ends.
Start by recognizing what you want your audience to remember. Think about the main ideas that shaped your talk. Make a list like this:
These key points become the pillars of your core message.
Provide context by briefly relating back to the content of the whole presentation. For example:
Connecting these elements gives your message cohesion and makes your conclusion resonate with the framework of your presentation.
When you reach the end of your presentation, summarizing the main points helps your audience retain the important information you’ve shared. Crafting a memorable summary enables your listeners to walk away with a clear understanding of your message.
To effectively summarize your presentation, you need to distill complex information into concise, digestible pieces. Start by revisiting the overarching theme of your talk and then narrow down to the core messages. Use plain language and imagery to make the enduring ideas stick. Here are some examples of how to do this:
The Rule of Three is a classic writing and communication principle. It means presenting ideas in a trio, which is a pattern that’s easy for people to understand and remember. For instance, you might say, “Our plan will save time, cut costs, and improve quality.” This structure has a pleasing rhythm and makes the content more memorable. Some examples include:
Finally, you want to circle back to the key takeaways of your presentation. Rephrase your main points without introducing new information. This reinforcement supports your audience’s memory and understanding of the material. You might summarize key takeaways like this:
The final moments of your presentation are your chance to leave your audience with a powerful lasting impression. A strong conclusion is more than just summarizing—it’s your opportunity to invoke thought, inspire action, and make your message memorable.
A call to action is your parting request to your audience. You want to inspire them to take a specific action or think differently as a result of what they’ve heard. To do this effectively:
Example Phrases:
End your presentation with something memorable. This can be a powerful quote, an inspirational statement, or a compelling story that underscores your main points. The goal here is to resonate with your audience on an emotional level so that your message sticks with them long after they leave.
To hold your audience’s attention and ensure they leave with a lasting impression of your presentation, fostering interaction is key.
It’s important to integrate a Q&A session because it allows for direct communication between you and your audience. This interactive segment helps clarify any uncertainties and encourages active participation. Plan for this by designating a time slot towards the end of your presentation and invite questions that promote discussion.
Getting your audience involved can transform a good presentation into a great one. Use open-ended questions that provoke thought and allow audience members to reflect on how your content relates to them. Additionally, inviting volunteers to participate in a demonstration or share their experiences keeps everyone engaged and adds a personal touch to your talk.
At the end of your presentation, you have the power to leave a lasting impact on your audience. A persuasive ending can drive home your key message and encourage action.
When you’re concluding a presentation with the goal of selling a product or idea, employ carefully chosen sales and persuasion tactics. One method is to summarize the key benefits of your offering, reminding your audience why it’s important to act. For example, if you’ve just presented a new software tool, recap how it will save time and increase productivity. Another tactic is the ‘call to action’, which should be clear and direct, such as “Start your free trial today to experience the benefits first-hand!” Furthermore, using a touch of urgency, like “Offer expires soon!”, can nudge your audience to act promptly.
Your closing statement is a chance to solidify your professional image and leave a positive impression. It’s important to display confidence and poise. Consider thanking your audience for their time and offering to answer any questions. Make sure to end on a high note by summarizing your message in a concise and memorable way. If your topic was on renewable energy, you might conclude by saying, “Let’s take a leap towards a greener future by adopting these solutions today.” This reinforces your main points and encourages your listeners to think or act differently when they leave.
What are some creative strategies for ending a presentation memorably.
To end your presentation in a memorable way, consider incorporating a call to action that engages your audience to take the next step. Another strategy is to finish with a thought-provoking question or a surprising fact that resonates with your listeners.
Yes, using a quote can be very effective. For example, Maya Angelou’s “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” can reinforce the emotional impact of your presentation.
An effective conclusion should recap the main points succinctly, highlighting what you want your audience to remember. A good way to conclude is by restating your thesis and then briefly summarizing the supporting points you made.
To leave a strong impression, consider sharing a personal anecdote related to your topic that demonstrates passion and conviction. This helps humanize your content and makes the message more relatable to your audience.
A simple and sincere expression of gratitude is always appropriate. You might say, “Thank you for your attention and engagement today,” to convey appreciation while also acknowledging their participation.
A compelling closing sentence could be something like, “Together, let’s take the leap towards a greener future,” if you’re presenting on sustainability. This sentence is impactful, calls for united action, and leaves your audience with a clear message.
Table of Contents
A quality speech or presentation is comparable to a quality play, film, or song. It begins by grabbing the listener’s attention, develops little by little, and then comes to a powerful conclusion.
The truth is that if you don’t know how to end a speech, your main points might not be clear, and your overall point won’t be persuasive. The opening and closing sentences of your address, in particular, are frequently the most potent passages and will be stuck in listeners’ minds for much longer than almost any other part.
The final words of some of the greatest speeches in history have left an indelible impression on listeners. In today’s guide, we’ll look at the best way to write a conclusion for a speech. Sounds exciting? Well then, keep reading until the end!
The speech is framed and has a distinct beginning and end, thanks to the introductions and conclusions. They enable the audience to mentally get ready for the speech’s conclusion by letting them know what will happen next in the address.
Your speech’s conclusion restates its leading ideas and intended audience impact while summarizing its main points . The conclusion is just as crucial for leaving a lasting impression on the audience as your introduction is for grabbing their attention.
The conclusion allows you to make a final statement about the topics you’ve discussed in your paper, summarize your ideas, highlight their significance, and nudge your audience toward a fresh understanding of the subject. Additionally, it gives you a chance to leave a good impression and start on the right foot.
Including a link between the conclusion and the introduction is among the best ways to end a speech. You could, for instance, begin your address by relating a suspenseful tale to your subject but save the conclusion until the end.
Alternatively, return to the first quote. You could also mention the joke you told. Any of these strategies will make your speech seem connected and conclusive, making a good impression on the audience.
If you’re giving a persuasive speech, you might try a slightly different conclusion because your goal is to move people to action rather than leave them with a good memory. One method for achieving this is by issuing a call to action. This implies that you make it clear to your audience what steps you anticipate them to take in connection with your speech. Invoking their emotions at the end of your address is another strategy for getting them to take action.
You can make your audience feel something you want them to handle, and if you leave them feeling that way, they will carry that feeling. As an illustration, if you make them feel guilty about not recycling by painting a sad picture of the world their grandchildren will inherit, they might think back to that feeling the next time they decide not to recycle and change their behavior.
A firm conclusion should be 5 and 10% of the speech’s overall length. Any percentage below 5% indicates that you delivered the ending too quickly. If more than 10%, the audience might start to feel restless. This raises another issue: If it sounds like a conclusion, you must complete your speech promptly. You should refrain from introducing new information in the conclusion.
Write a brief synopsis of the speech’s main points or topics. Use the rhetorical device of repetition to repeatedly say a few words or phrases. Describe how your arguments support your broad and detailed objectives.
Reiterate and emphasize the central concept. Reiterate how your thesis relates to your audience’s wants and needs. In the essay’s body, bring up a story or quote from the introduction. Describe the story’s alleged lesson. Remember, you are demanding action from them while guiding them through the process. List the advantages or potential uses; this is a powerful way to conclude a speech. Give a brief description of the issue and offer a two-sentence solution.
Use a prop or visual aid to help you imagine how your call to action will turn out. Make your main point—or even the title of your argument—into a memorable slogan. Say a few verses from a song, a poem, or some citations and quotes from a historical presentation. Finish with an emotional human interest tale where everything is resolved. Add a compelling personal anecdote to close.
Finish with an illustration of a design. Finish with a humorous joke or observation. You should only use these techniques to end a speech if it is genuinely funny. Integrate the commonalities and viewpoints of the audience with your speech topics. This method of concluding a speech leaves the audience with thoughts and feelings about the subject at large. Ask a rhetorical question and provide a brief, memorable response.
Give a conclusive response to the vital question you raised in your introduction. Shock your audience with a startling statistic or fact that emphasizes the urgency of change. It would be best if you outlined the ideal scenario you suggest. Imagine that they will see paradise if they behave, think, or feel the way you want them to.
The conclusion to a speech is the last sentence or two. It’s the wrap-up sentence that summarizes the main idea of the speech . More importantly, it leaves the audience understanding the speech’s purpose and the outcome you sought to achieve. This is the place to convey the central point of the speech and bring the audience to a unified understanding.
Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.
A quality speech or presentation is comparable to a quality play, film, or song. It begins by grabbing the listener’s…
You have spent a lot of time writing your essay by the time you reach the final paragraph, so your…
Conclusions bring everything you have been discussing in your paper to a close. In the introduction and body paragraphs, you…
The introduction and conclusion play a major role in academic essays. Writing these paragraphs typically requires much of your focus.…
How to write a discussion and conclusion section of a paper? This is often one of the most confusing aspects,…
Writing a good conclusion paragraph for a research paper can sometimes be challenging. Writers often find it difficult to draft…
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
A speech closing should include a review of the main points and a purposeful closing sentence. Persuasive speech endings should tell the audience specifically what they should do or think about. The recency effect suggests that people remember the most recent things they have heard which is one reason the closing is so important.
In the previous sections, we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech. In this section, we're going to examine the three steps to building an effective conclusion. Restatement of the Thesis. Restating a thesis statement is the first step to a powerful conclusion. As we explained earlier, a thesis statement is a short, declarative ...
Explain the purpose of a speech conclusion. Just as the introduction is one of the most important aspects of a successful speech, so too is the conclusion. The primary recency effect is the idea that people are more likely to recall and formulate opinions based on the first and last pieces of information they listen to. While a well-crafted ...
Key Takeaways. A strong conclusion is very important because it's a speaker's final chance to really explain the importance of her or his message and allows the speaker to both signal the end of the speech and help the audience to remember the main ideas. As such, speakers need to thoroughly examine how they will conclude their speeches ...
Examine the three steps of an effective conclusion: restatement of the thesis, review of the main points, and concluding device. Differentiate among Miller's (1946) ten concluding devices. Matthew Culnane - Steps - CC BY-SA 2.0. In Section 11.1 "Why Conclusions Matter", we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech.
2) Always End A Speech With A Call To Action. It is especially important to tell the audience what you want it to do as a result of hearing you speak. A call to action is the best way to wrap up your talk with strength and power. Reinforce your key points by summarizing the main message, ensuring it leaves a lasting impression.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES. Examine the three steps of an effective conclusion: restatement of the thesis, review of the main points, and concluding device. Differentiate among Miller's (1946) ten concluding devices. In Section 11.1 "Why Conclusions Matter", we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech.
A speech does not just stop—or, to be more precise, a speech should not just stop. A speech, effectively structured and delivered, should move smoothly from point to point and then to the conclusion. One of the most important functions of the conclusion is to prepare the audience for the end of the speech.
In a speech on eating more vegetables, pass out raw veggies and dip at the speech conclusion. In a speech on petitioning a lawmaker for a new law, provide audience members with a prewritten email they can send to the lawmaker. In a speech on hand sanitizer's importance, pass out little hand sanitizer bottles and show audience members how to ...
By previewing, discussing, and summarizing your main points your audience will be exposed to them at least three times during your speech. A good conclusion should be about 5-10% of the total speech length. Anything shorter that 5% means that the ending has come too abruptly. Anything more that 10%, and the audience may become restless.
Chapter 9: Introductions and Conclusions. Amy Fara Edwards, Ed.D, Oxnard College. Adapted by Jamie C. Votraw, Professor of Communication Studies, Florida SouthWestern State College. LEARNING OBJECTIVES. After reading this chapter, you should be able to: explain the importance of an introduction. list and explain the five essential elements of ...
In a speech on the importance of using hand sanitizer, hand out little bottles of hand sanitizer and show audience members how to correctly apply the sanitizer. ... Now that you have seen the above analysis of a speech conclusion, we encourage you to do a similar analysis of the conclusions of other speeches. Listen to a speech in your class or ...
The speech conclusion has four basic missions: Wraps things up: This portion is often referred to as a " Brakelight.". Much like brake lights on a car warn us the car will be stopping, this "brake light" or transitional statement warns the audience that the speech is ending. Summarizes: A solid conclusion briefly restates the preview ...
Think a certain way about the topic you presented. Purchase a product or service. Volunteer or sign up to do something. Promote your topic. Get others excited or interested in your topic. Again, many people make this step overly difficult. Simply asking the audience in a sincere way to take the action is as effective as a well crafted conclusion.
A well-timed joke or witty remark related to your topic can help lighten the mood and make your conclusion more memorable. However, be cautious with humor, as it should be appropriate and inoffensive to your audience. 8. Use a Visual Metaphor. Visual metaphors are a creative way to conclude your speech.
When contemplating how to end a speech, remember that your introduction is the appetizer, while your conclusion is its dessert. Conclusions must round off the topic and make a strong impression on people's minds. To create a conclusion that will satisfy and sum up all the vital information from your speech, consider these three key elements: 1.
While speech openings are definitely one of the most important components of a speech, something that is equally as important is the way you conclude your speech. ... You can also tell them a short, funny anecdote-may be an unexpected conclusion to a story you set up in the beginning. Another way would be by employing the power of repetition ...
The speech conclusion has four basic missions: Wraps things up- This portion is often referred to as a " Brakelight ". Much like brake lights on a car warn us the car will be stopping, this "brakelight" or transitional statement warns the audience that the speech is coming to a close. Summarizes- A solid conclusion briefly restates the ...
Examine the three steps of an effective conclusion: restatement of the thesis, review of the main points, and concluding device. Differentiate among Miller's (1946) ten concluding devices. In Section 11.1 "Why Conclusions Matter", we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech. In this section, we're going to examine the three ...
10. "Thank you for joining me on this journey. I look forward to our next steps.". 11. "In closing, I'd like to thank everyone for their participation.". 12. "Let's conclude with a reminder of the impact we can make together.". 13. "To wrap up our session, here's a brief summary of our discussion.".
Conclusion. Your conclusion is the part of your speech the audience is most likely to remember. Therefore, it must be well planned out. A conclusion serves three purposes: Gives the audience one last opportunity to understand the material. Provides the audience with a course of action. Lets the audience know that the speech is ending.
Writing a Conclusion for a Speech! Including a link between the conclusion and the introduction is among the best ways to end a speech. You could, for instance, begin your address by relating a suspenseful tale to your subject but save the conclusion until the end. Alternatively, return to the first quote. You could also mention the joke you told.