How to End a Speech with Impact

- You're going to learn
the most satisfying way to end a speech or presentation.
Great movies do this.
Great comedians do this and professional speakers do this.
Generally speaking
a public speaking conclusion has four parts
and we're going to focus
on the last two parts of your conclusion
because those are the parts that have a lasting impact.
Here's the basic setup for a conclusion.
We'll go through the first two parts pretty quickly.
First, you signal the end.
In conclusion, in summary,
you can use whatever expression you like.
There's nothing special about the specific wording
but it prepares your listeners for the end
and cues them to pay attention
so they don't miss anything important.
Second, you concisely recap the key idea.
This can be a one sentence synthesis of your whole message.
What bottom line takeaway
do you want your listeners to remember?
Make it concise, make it pop.
To me, the first two elements are 100% required and the rest
of the conclusion won't work as well without them
but it's the third
and the fourth part that will give your ending more impact.
Third, you give your call to action or CTA.
Most presentations have a very weak
or blurry call to action.
Your call to action is where you ask
or invite your listeners to take whatever next step
is a natural extension of your presentation.
The key is to decide
in advance what action you want your listeners to take
at the end and make sure the rest of the presentation leads
to that as the next logical step for them.
What is the first step
or action they should take after hearing your message?
For example, if your presentation is teaching listeners
about financial planning, your call to action
could be to download a free copy
of your budget building software.
If your presentation is about the importance of exercise
then your call to action could be to get them to commit
to going for three walks per week.
If you're doing a business to business type presentation
your call to action could be to sign up
for a free consultation call with you.
The key is to make sure your call
to action is a logical, clear, and easy first step to take.
This will help you end with more impact
because listeners will be doing something with your message.
They're not just thinking about what you said.
They're taking concrete action
and you'd leave that information up on the slide
at the end as a reminder and they can refer to it
as you bring it all to a close because you're not done yet.
The fourth end final step to end with impact is to finish
with what some people call a clincher.
This is where you end on a high note.
It's the very last thing you say,
so it has to be strong and memorable.
The very best way to end on a high note
is to echo your opening.
We call the first part of your speech an opening,
or attention grabber or hook.
This echo at the end is what professional speakers do.
Standup comedians label this a callback.
They take a joke from earlier in their routine
and they bring it back around at the end.
Some movies do this.
They end almost the same way they started.
To make this more concrete.
If you open your presentation with a killer story,
in your clincher, you tell us the outcome of that story.
If you opened with a great quotation
revisit that quotation or share another related quotation
from the same author for your clincher.
If you open with some thoughtful questions to
draw your listeners in, bring those questions back around
at the very end.
They will land differently.
Now that we've heard your entire presentation.
This echo is incredibly satisfying to listeners
because it shows them that you
as a speaker knew where you were going all along.
It creates a package for the rest of the message.
There's a great quotation from the movie The Emperor's Club.
The end depends upon the beginning.
That's the secret to ending with impact.
The stronger your opening is
the more it sets you up for a strong ending.
In contrast, if you have a weak opening
then you won't have as much to work
with to create your ending, your clincher.
In terms of fine tuning tips
as you're preparing your presentation
put your best story, your best quotation
statistics or questions in your opening.
If it stands out to you
as you prepare and research for your presentation
that's a good indication that it'll stand out
to your listeners and I have another video
on the five best ways to start a speech.
I'll put a link to that
in the description below this one when that one's complete.
Lastly, be sure to practice your ending a few extra times.
That way you're ending is crisp
and one of the strongest parts
of your presentation, that helps you end with confidence.
With a few extra repetitions of practice
you can find ways to strengthen
both the content and the delivery of that clincher.
I almost never memorize anything word
for word in my presentations
but I know what I'm going to say for that last sentence
so it lands exactly the way I want it to.
Now, the unfortunate truth is
that most speakers I know don't leave themselves
enough time to practice their speeches.
Even a few extra times.
And even fewer speakers know how to end with a bang.
But that's the good news for you.
You can separate yourself from the rest
of the pack with a little extra planning
and a few extra practice repetitions of your closing.
Be sure to download my free PDF of the 7 Instant Tips
to make you a more confident speaker.
I'll put a link to that
in the description below the video as well as a link
to the top five ways to start a speech.
Until next time, thanks.
God bless and I will see you soon.