I’m sure you know that delivering a powerful presentation is about more than just the content you share during the main body: your introduction and conclusion are extremely impactful. Humans naturally remember the first thing and the last thing you say (this is an effect known as primacy and recency in neuroscience.)
A strong closing can reinforce your key message, prompt your listeners to take action, and ensure your presentation ends on a high note.
Unfortunately, many of you struggle to conclude effectively, often defaulting to the tired "thank you”, simply running out of time or even worse, “that’s it”. With the right strategies, you can transform your presentation's ending into a memorable and meaningful finale.
In this post, we'll explore proven techniques to help you conclude your presentations with maximum impact. Whether you want your audience to remember, think, or do something after your talk, these tips will ensure your final words count.
The Importance of a Powerful Conclusion
Your presentation's conclusion is the last thing your audience will hear, making it a crucial opportunity to drive home your key message and leave a lasting impression. Studies show that people tend to remember the beginning and end of a presentation more than the middle. This is known as primacy and recency and it highlights the importance of crafting a strong opening and closing.
A powerful conclusion can achieve several important objectives:
Reinforce your key message: Your conclusion is the perfect place to reiterate the central theme or takeaway you want your audience to remember.
Prompt action or further thought: A well-designed call to action can inspire your listeners to do something specific after your presentation, whether that's signing up for a service, implementing a new strategy, or simply reflecting on the ideas you've shared.
Leave a lasting impression: The way you end your presentation can make the difference between your talk being quickly forgotten or having a profound and enduring impact on your audience.
By investing time and effort into your conclusion, you can ensure your presentation ends on a high note and maximizes its effectiveness.
Would you like to present with impact and confidence in English? Find out about our Public Speaking with Confidence and Impact courses or our individual coaching programmes.
Creating a Memorable Conclusion
So, how can you deliver a conclusion that ticks all these boxes? Here are some proven strategies to consider:
1. Restate Your Key Message
One of the most effective ways to conclude your presentation is to clearly restate your central theme or key message. This helps cement the most important takeaway in your audience's minds and ensures they leave with a clear understanding of your core idea.
When restating your key message, aim to do so in a concise, impactful way. You might try a simple, declarative statement like "Remember, the most important thing is to [key message]." Alternatively, you could rephrase your message in a memorable, quotable way, such as "As I've shown today, [key message]."
In our public speaking training, you’ll learn how to define your key message so that it’s memorable and impactful. After that you just need to repeat it in your conclusion to know you delivered your message to the audience.
2. Give a Call to Action
In addition to reiterating your key message, you should include a clear call to action in your conclusion. This is an instruction or prompt that encourages your audience to do something specific after your presentation.
Your call to action might ask your listeners to:
Act on what you have said during your presentation
Implement a new strategy or technique
Share the information with their colleagues
Reflect on the ideas you've presented
Visit a website or resource for more information
Or simply to remember your key message
The key is to make your call to action simple, concrete, and easy for your audience to remember.
By including a call to action, you'll not only reinforce your key message but also encourage your audience to continue engaging with your ideas long after your presentation has ended.
3. Use a Memorable Closing Line
In addition to the substance of your conclusion, you should also pay close attention to the specific wording and phrasing you use. Your final words can have a powerful impact, so aim to craft a memorable closing line that will stick with your audience.
Some effective techniques for a memorable closing line include:
A thought-provoking question: "So, what will you do differently after today's presentation?"
A call to action: "When you leave here, think about [key action]!"
A inspirational quote or statement: "Remember, as [influential figure] said, '[relevant quote].'"
A personal anecdote or story: "And with that, I'll leave you with the same question I asked myself before embarking on this journey..."
Even better is if you can bring your presentation back to the first thing you talked about in your introduction. This is something else we work on in our public speaking training programmes.
Putting It All Together
Now that we've explored some key strategies for crafting a powerful conclusion, let's put it all together with a sample 3-part conclusion structure:
1. Restate Your Key Message
"So, to summarise the key takeaway from today's presentation: the most important thing is to [restate key message in a clear, concise way]."
2. Issue a Call to Action
"With that in mind, I'd like to leave you with a challenge. When you leave here today, I want you to [specific, actionable call to action]."
3. Memorable Closing Line
"Remember, as [influential figure] said, '[relevant quote].' Thank you, and have a great rest of your day!"
By combining these three elements - reiterating your key message, providing a clear call to action, and crafting a memorable closing line - you can deliver a conclusion that’s both memorable and impactful.
Conclusion: how to conclude your presentation
Your presentation's conclusion is a critical opportunity to reinforce your key message, prompt your audience to take action, and leave a lasting impression. By mastering the strategies outlined in this post, you can transform your closing remarks into a powerful finale that ensures your talk has maximum impact.
Remember, a great conclusion isn't just about summarising what you've covered - it's about strategically shaping what your audience takes away and does after your presentation has ended. So invest the time and effort to create a conclusion that will have your listeners thinking, remembering, and acting on your ideas long after you've finished speaking.
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