ending words for presentation

Closing Remarks for Presentations (in 2024) with Tips & Examples

Last updated on November 19th, 2024

Two aspects of a speech or presentation hold immense importance to ensure that you are able to leave a lasting impact on your audience, i.e. the opening and closing remarks. Using the right words can help you leave on a high note and needless to say, failing to do so can make your presentation forgettable and in some cases, regrettable.

How to End a Speech? Sample Closing Remarks and Tips for Presentations

The type of closing remarks you add to your presentation will depend upon the environment, the topic of the speech and the kind of audience you are addressing to. Let’s take a look at some sample closing remarks that you can use, along with some basic tips for concluding your presentation in an appropriate manner. You can use these examples below for inspiration, to learn how to end a speech.

Example of Formal Closing Remarks

You might want to end your presentation formally with comments like these:

It’s been a pleasure being with all of you today, thank you.
Thank you all for your patience, I wish you all a very good evening. Good Bye.
It’s been an honor to be among such accomplished individuals and to be able to present my perspective before you all, thank you and good evening/day.
Thank you all for being here today and taking the time to patiently listen to what I had to say, I wish you all a blessed day.

Below is an example of a formal closing remark by Bill Gates at the Harvard Commencement.

FREE PowerPoint Templates for Presentations Download presentation templates with attractive designs, layouts and styles. Thousands of slides & templates to choose from.

Funny Closing Remarks

You can also add a touch of humor to make things more interesting with a closing remark like these:

“It is finally time to end the excruciating pain I have all given you, time to get some caffeine! Thank you!”
“It’s been a pleasure torturing you all with convoluted statistics and wordy speeches, have a great day!”
“Now that we have that out of the way, time for me to get back home before my parents ground me!”
“I hope you were all unable to understand anything I said! Confused? Good! Have a good day”

Note: Such a closing remark might be suitable where you have been able to keep your audience laughing throughout the presentation session and the audience might be in the right mood to receive such a remark in a lighthearted manner.

Even when you crack a joke, make sure to follow it up with a formal comment like ‘Thank You’, ‘Good Bye’, ‘Good Evening’ or ‘Have a Great Day’. Say it with a smile, to make sure you don’t look rude or the audience does not misunderstand you in anyway.

While the below comment by Will Ferrell wasn’t a closing remark but it serves as a good example as to how you can end your presentation with some humor.

The presenter can support the close of the presentation with some visual slides. The thank you slides provided by SlideModel for example can be a good fit for this purpose. Read the full review from fixthephoto.com.

Tips for Adding Closing Remarks to Your Presentations

There are a number of ways by which you can add closing remarks to your presentations. Below are some methods you can use for leaving a major impact on the hearts and souls of your audience.

1. Adding closing remarks with the conclusion

This can be done to closely knit your conclusion with a closing remark which might inspire your audience. Crafting a compelling conclusion is an art in itself; understanding how to conclude a project effectively can be essential for creating a lasting impact. This tip is especially useful when drafting an effective conclusion for project.

2. Keeping the closing remarks separate from the conclusion

Sometimes it’s best to keep your closing remarks aside from the conclusion to avoid confusing the audience. This might be suitable when your closing remarks are meant to stand out apart from your conclusion. For example, your conclusion might be neutral but your closing remarks might provide your perspective on the topic and what you think is the best course of action.

3. Closing remarks and a summary of your presentation

When your closing remarks are closely tied to your conclusion/summary, you can use this method. Summarizing information can help the audience gather their thoughts and be reminded of essential aspects of your presentation, followed by a closing remark which resonates with the summarized content. You can effectively summarize your presentation by utilizing an online summarizer. A text summarizer can help to encompass the main points of your presentation and tie your closing remarks.

4. Using amazing facts to inspire your audience

This can be a very handy approach, i.e. to use a mind boggling fact to inspire the audience and to direct them towards your preferred opinion.

5. Call to action

Almost every type of presentation has a call to action. It is unlikely that a presenter in some way or the other will not be encouraging the audience to act, be it a sales presentation, motivational speech or a presentation about social issues. It could be as simple as adding a QR Code that links to your digital business card, thereby giving them an opportunity to contact you.

6. Reiterate Your Main Message

Your closing remarks should reinforce the main message or takeaway from your presentation. This helps in embedding the core idea in your audience’s mind, reminding them of what you want them to remember most.

7. Create an Emotional Connection

Closing remarks that tap into emotions can leave a lasting impression. A touching story, an inspiring quote, or a call to personal action can help create this emotional resonance, making your presentation more memorable.

8. Ensure Clarity and Brevity

While crafting your closing remarks, remember to keep them concise and clear. Avoid using jargon or complex sentences, and aim for straightforward language that your audience can easily comprehend.

9. End with a Call to Action

If applicable, give your audience something to do after your presentation. Whether it’s visiting a website, reading a book, or making a change in their life, a call to action gives your audience a practical next step. You can use the Call-To-Action to end your speech. Pro Tip: Do not forget to add your phone number and business email address as a part of your call to action.

10. Thank Your Audience

It’s always polite and effective to thank your audience in your closing remarks. Showing appreciation for their time and attention helps to foster a positive relationship and leaves a favorable impression. Use Thank you slides when you end your presentation.

11. Use Visual Aids

To enhance your closing remarks, consider using visual aids such as slides or infographics. These can summarize your main points, reinforce your message, and make your remarks more engaging and impactful.

12. Practice Delivery

Your closing remarks aren’t just about what you say, but also how you say it. Practice your slideshow and the presentation delivery to ensure you convey your message with confidence and clarity. Consider your tone, pace, and body language, as these can significantly affect your audience’s perception of your remarks. You can use tools like the Presentation Coach to rehearse your presentation.

Final words

We hope it will help you deliver a memorable presentation by ending it with proper closing remarks. Make sure that your audience feels satisfied after hearing the end of your speech. Ending on an optimistic note may leave a lasting impression on them, which is what matters the most in such professional events like interviews and presentations.

About Farshad

IT professional, communications specialist and Blogger!

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One comment on “ Closing Remarks for Presentations (in 2024) with Tips & Examples ”

This was very helpful. Thank you.

5 Effective and powerful ways to end a presentation!

Learn about their importance, common mistakes, and examples to conclude your presentation successfully!

Supriya Sarkar

Delivering presentations

team discussing on effective and powerful ways to end a presentation

Presentations are not just about delivering information; they are about leaving a lasting impact on your audience. The conclusion holds immense significance as it's the final chance to reinforce key messages, prompt action, and make a memorable impression. Research indicates a 25% reduction in our attention spans , highlighting the need for powerful conclusions to enhance retention.

In this guide, we'll look into the importance of ending a presentation effectively. Also, we will explore five effective techniques for concluding presentations with examples to end and common mistakes to avoid during this critical phase.

Why are presentation conclusions important?

When we engage in a movie or a lengthy session, our memory often captures the beginning, end, and occasionally some highlights from the middle. This tendency arises from the brain's limited capacity for sustained attention.

Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman explained the profound concept that explains the difference between the experiencing self and the remembering self . According to Kahneman, the experiencing self perceives events in the present moment, while the remembering self reflects on them afterward. Importantly, he emphasizes that our recollection of events is significantly shaped by their endings.

In presentations, where specific objectives are central, the conclusion becomes important. If the end of your presentation fails to impress or facilitate retention, its purpose is compromised. Therefore, the conclusion of a presentation serves several critical purposes:

Reinforcing key messages: Summarizing the main points of your presentation reinforces them in the minds of your audience. Repetition aids retention, ensuring that your key messages are remembered long after the presentation ends.
Motivating action: A well-crafted conclusion includes a clear call to action (CTA) that prompts the audience to take specific steps. Whether it's signing up for a service, implementing a strategy, or simply reflecting on the presented information, a compelling CTA bridges the gap between knowledge and action.
Leaving an impression: The conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a memorable impression on your audience. It is the part of the presentation that lingers in their minds, shaping their perception of your message and your credibility as a speaker.

How to conclude a presentation? 5 Effective techniques:

When concluding a presentation, employing certain techniques can significantly strengthen your closing, thereby enhancing retention and impact levels. Let's explore five effective strategies to achieve this goal.

Summarization:

Summarizing the key points of your presentation reinforces them in the minds of your audience. Keep the summary concise, focusing on the most important takeaways. This technique ensures that your main messages stick with the audience long after the presentation is over.

Example of a short and crip summary: “In summary, our Q3 revenue surged by 20%, largely propelled by strong sales in the Asian market. However, to boost profitability, we must prioritize cost reduction efforts moving forward."

Emphasize a CTA:

A call to action is a powerful way to motivate your audience to take specific steps based on the information you've presented. Whether it's signing up for a service, making a purchase, or implementing a new strategy, a clear and compelling CTA guides your audience toward specific actions.

Example of a conclusion that motivates to take an action: "As we wrap up, I encourage all stakeholders to join us in this exciting journey. Let's collaborate to implement these strategies to cut carbon emissions by 42% by 2030. Together, we can drive meaningful change and propel our organization to new heights."

Audience engagement:

Engaging your audience in the conclusion helps maintain their attention and involvement until the end. This could involve asking thought-provoking questions, inviting feedback, or sharing relevant anecdotes that resonate with your audience.

Example of a feedback invitation before the conclusion: "Before we conclude, I would like to invite you to share one key takeaway from today's presentation. Let's take a moment to reflect on how we can apply these insights in our roles. Who would like to start?"

You can learn more about engaging your audience during a presentation in our detailed conversation with industry leaders and experts in this podcast.

Persuasion technique:

Employ persuasive language and storytelling techniques to drive home your message in the conclusion. You can make smart use of anecdotes, statistics, or testimonials to add credibility and emotional appeal to your presentation.

An impressive example of persuasion:

"In conclusion, I want to leave you with a powerful statistic: studies show that companies that prioritize employee well-being experience a 22% increase in productivity. By investing in initiatives that support our team's health and happiness, we're not just improving morale—we're driving tangible business results. Let's make employee well-being a top priority moving forward."

To learn more about advanced persuasion techniques you can explore our extensive guide here which dives into the topic in detail and provides examples for better understanding.

Conceptualization:

Conclude your presentation by effectively describing the future state or desired outcome. Help your audience visualize the benefits of implementing your ideas or solutions, inspiring them to action.

An example of a conclusion where conceptualization is used:

"In conclusion , let's envision the future with AI as our innovative solution. Imagine a scenario where AI streamlines our processes, enhances our decision-making, and drives unprecedented growth. By embracing AI technology, we empower our team to achieve remarkable results and stay ahead of the curve in our industry. Together, let's harness the power of AI to shape a brighter tomorrow."

What mistakes do you need to avoid at the end of a presentation?

Presenters sometimes make mistakes when wrapping up their presentations, which can weaken the impact they've built. By recognizing and avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure your presentation ends on a high note and leaves a lasting impression. Let's explore some common errors and how to steer clear of them to a strong conclusion.

Rushing to end a presentation:

One of the biggest mistakes presenters make is abruptly ending the presentation without a proper conclusion. This can throw off audience interest and leave them feeling disoriented.

Solution: Allocate sufficient time for the closing remarks to ensure a smooth and impactful conclusion. A well-paced conclusion allows for a seamless transition between points, keeping the audience engaged and focused on your message.

Overloading your conclusion:

Many presenters make the mistake of overloading the final slide with too much information, overwhelming the audience and detracting from the main message. Also, introducing new information at this stage can detract from the presentation's purpose.

Solution : To avoid this, focus on summarizing the key points concisely. Aim for a clear and concise conclusion that reinforces the main message without introducing new information. This ensures that your audience retains the information presented without feeling overwhelmed.

Avoid ending your presentation with Q&A:

While the Q&A session is valuable, using it as the conclusion can lead to an abrupt ending without proper closure for the audience.

Solution: Instead, provide the audience with a closing statement or a strong takeaway from your presentation. This helps you to provide clarity and direction, enhancing understanding and retention of the information presented.

Unaligned conclusions:

The conclusion should align with the presentation introduction to ensure a cohesive narrative. An unaligned conclusion makes the audience feel disoriented and impacts their ability to retain information.

Solution: To address this, create a sense of cohesion by referencing elements introduced at the beginning of your presentation. This could be a story, quote, or theme that ties your introduction to your conclusion. End your presentation with a memorable statement or compelling call to action to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Inability to adapt the presentation end:

Not paying attention to audience reactions can lead to a lackluster conclusion. It's essential to read audience cues and adapt the end of the presentation accordingly.

Solution: Adjust your tone, pace, and content based on the audience's nonverbal cues to maintain engagement. Ensure that you remain flexible and prepared to adjust your conclusion based on audience reactions. This will also ensure continued receptiveness from the audience. Flexibility is key to addressing unforeseen circumstances while maintaining the integrity of your message.

Did you know that 80% of human communication is conveyed through body language and other non-verbal cues? That's why mastering the art of reading your audience is essential if you want to make a lasting impression. Read our detailed article to learn more about effectively interpreting your audience's non-verbal cues and optimizing your communication skills.

Skipping the Call to Action (CTA):

If you skip suggesting any prompt action from the audience, it can result in unappealing endings to presentations. On the other hand, if your presentation includes a call to action or concludes with a compelling statement, that motivates your audience to take the desired steps.

Solution: Clearly state what you want your audience to do next, whether it's signing up, implementing a strategy, or reflecting on the presented information. Communicate what you want them to do next and why it's important. A strong call to action will help you reinforce the message and at the same time encourage your audience to act upon it, bridging the gap between information and implementation.

Overusing clichés as a way to end:

While expressing gratitude is important, relying on generic phrases like “Thank you for your time” is not a strong way to end your presentation. These clichés have been overused and trigger a default response from the audience, resulting in immediate disengagement.

Solution: Craft a unique and memorable closing that aligns with your message and leaves a strong impression on your audience. Express gratitude for their time and attention in a way that provides closure. For example, summarize the journey you've taken together throughout the presentation or conclude with a thought-provoking statement that leaves them with something to consider beyond the presentation.

Examples of how to end a presentation with conclusion slides:

Here are some examples of effective presentation conclusion slides that you can refer to for inspiration in crafting your next presentation's ending. Feel free to use them directly or adapt them to suit your specific needs and style. Downloading these templates can also help streamline your presentation creation process and save valuable time.

Key takeaways on presentation conclusion:

• End of presentations are crucial for leaving a lasting impact and ensuring audience retention. • Techniques like summarization, emphasizing a call to action, engaging the audience, employing persuasive language, and conceptualization can strengthen your core message. • Common mistakes to avoid in your powerpoint presentation include rushing to the end of your presentation, overloading it with information, ending with a Q&A, unaligned conclusions, and inability to adapt.

How can Prezent help to end your presentation with style?

Presentation software like Prezent can help you to conclude your business presentations effectively by providing a range of tools and features designed to enhance the closing stages of your presentations:

Templates: Prezent offers a variety of professionally designed slide templates that you can choose from. These templates include pre-designed conclusion slides covering various business scenarios with visually appealing layouts, making it easy for presenters to create impactful endings.

Auto-generate presentations: You can choose to generate an entirely new on-brand presentation if you don’t want to build one from scratch. This feature helps you quickly create presentations with impactful endings, which you can then refine and modify as per your requirements.

Training and resources : Prezent provides training materials and resources on effective presentation techniques , including tips for crafting compelling conclusions. You can access guides and industry best practices to improve your presentation skills and create more impactful endings.

Discover the full potential of Prezent's features and capabilities with our free trial today. If you prefer personalized guidance into our AI product, schedule a demo with our experts. We'll walk you through our platform, offering insights to streamline your business communications and presentation creation process effectively.

25 Ways to End a Speech or Presentation

You have just given a great presentation that had your audience wrapt the entire time, and it is time to bring it to a close. Just as you want to start your presentation strong, you want to finish strong to really bring home your point and leave your audience with a positive lasting impression. Here are 25 effective ways to end a speech or presentation.

1. Plan Your Closing Remarks Word for Word You have to be careful about how you end your speech or presentation, so planning your conclusion word for word is the best way to go. Ask yourself what the purpose of this speech is, and your answer should involve the actions that you want to see be taken by your listeners after you finish speaking. Be clear about the end result you prefer to have, and it will become much easier to create a conclusion that will motivate your listeners to take that action. Sometimes planning your close before the rest of your speech is the best strategy.

2. Quote Depending on what kind of quote you use, it can stay with audience members long after they leave the room. If you are presenting a speech about how to motivate staffs at the workplace, you can share tips and techniques that have worked for you, but a powerful way of getting your message across to the audience is to wrap your message around a simple quote that is relevant to what you discuss.

“Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.” -Zig Ziglar

3. Call to Action The primary purpose of most business presentations is to compel the audience to take action. Use the last few minutes of your presentation to reinforce the call to action you seek. Whatever you say in telling the audience what to do, imagine an exclamation point at the end. Pick up your energy and tempo as you get to your conclusion, speak with authority and emphasis, and drive the final point home. Whether they agree or disagree with your message, you should make it perfectly clear to the audience what you are asking for. Examples of strong calls to action include:

“Finish the Fight” “Start the Adventure” “Improve the Process” “Contribute Today”

4. Summary Speeches have a simple formula. First, you tell people what you are going to tell them. Second, you tell them. Then, you tell them what you have told them. When you reach the end of your speech, say something like “Let me briefly restate my main points”, and you then list your main points one by one. By showing the audience how each point is linked with each other, they will learn to appreciate the structure of your message. Having a summary at the end is effective in getting the audience to understand why all of your points related to each other and mattered.

5. Close With A Story Especially if it is of personal significance to you, or if it illustrates how the presented content affects other people, telling a compelling story to end your presentation is one of the strongest ways to conclude. When approaching the end of your talk, you can say “Let me tell you a story that shows you what I mean” , then you tell the story that has a moral to it. You tell the audience what the moral is, and you don’t leave it to them to figure it out for themselves.

6. Humor Having a sense of humor lightens the mood of any speech, especially if your speech ends with laughs. Telling a joke that circles back into your core subject and repeats the main point you are making with a certain detail that makes the audience laugh will have a lasting impression. While it is not as easy as saying “Two bears walk into a bar”, highlighting a funny part of an otherwise serious story establishes common ground between you and the audience, and it won’t take away from the key points you were making in your speech.

7. Repetitive Close In some cases, repetition can be a negative thing, but when it comes to speeches and presentations it can play a pivotal role in motivating an audience. Find a phrase and structure it in a repetitive format that beats to its own drum, building to a crescendo ending of a motivational speech. As long as your chosen phrase remains consistent to the heart of your message, repeating the phrase brings the message home for your audience.

“Governments cannot legislate it. Judges cannot adjudicate it. Lawyers cannot litigate it. Politicians cannot appropriate it. Only you can orchestrate it.”

8. Be Poetic There are many great poems that contain messages that summarize the main points you want to make. Choose a poem that is moving, dramatic, or emotional, and it doesn’t necessarily have to rhyme. Some of the best poems ever made don’t rigidly rhyme word for word. As someone who writes speeches, this is the chance for you to express yourself in a creative way while you also keep the emphasis on the main points of your message. Delivering a powerful close to a speech sometimes involves having a poetic tone and structure, as long as you stay consistent with the core of your message.

9. A Running Clock PowerPoint has a feature where a timer is often seen in its software. You can use a timer to schedule breaks in between presentations, but you can also implement timers for speeches themselves, putting yourself on the spot as a speaker. In the “Create Your Own Change” talks run by marketing and advertising executive Dietmar Dahmen, a running clock accompanies his last statement. Dahmen normally says “Users rule, so stop waiting and start doing. And you have to do that now because time is running out.”

If you deliver a time-sensitive message and you want to urge your listeners to move quickly, add a background slide with a running timer to put more emphasis on your last statement.

10. Echo Close Focus on a single word in a quotation and continue to emphasize that word to echo your last statement. For example, if you want to wrap your message around the word “understand”, consider using it at least five times at the end of your speech. This will let the audience know that having a great understanding of the topic you are discussing matters.

“Once we understand what is required of us in advertising, we go forward with that knowledge. Successful advertisers understand that powerful messages sell. If you don’t understand how to sell, you can’t advertise. Understand that we are in this together as a team. Before we can grow our business, we must understand the business.”

11. Make It Clear You Have Concluded All too often there is the temptation for you to shuffle papers around, fidget with your clothes or microphone, or move forward, backward or sideways. If you do anything else aside from standing still like a tree, then chances are that you won’t make an impact when ending your speech. When you say your final words, they should be made clear. No ambiguity or confusion should be in the minds of your audience. They should know when it is over. When you finish, discipline yourself to stand perfectly still. Select a friendly face in the audience and look straight at that person.

12. Title Close Your speech should have a provocative title attached to it. Having a title that encapsulates your message memorably will stay in the minds of listeners for some time. Use the title of your speech as your closing words to encourage your audience to think harder about what they have just heard, reinforcing the title of the speech that you referenced earlier. Mentioning the title of your speech at the end allows you to bring everything logically back full circle.

13. Blank the Screen If you are using slides for your presentation, consider blanking the screen towards the end of it. This will change the mood of the audience in the room and it will force them to put their focus back on you as you deliver your last statement. If you know you are working with an audience that loves to see visuals, blanking the screen will send a message of its own to keep things in perspective. Afterward, you can refer back to the visuals you presented and reveal to the audience the main reasons why you presented them.

14. A Visual Image Sometimes you will be speaking to an audience that needs to see an image at the end to remember all the key points of what you said. End your presentation with a riveting visual that connects to your last statement. Leave this slide on when you finish, and give your audience enough time after your presentation to look at this image. Remember that famous saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” , and apply that saying to this close. A lasting image reinforces your message.

15. Bookend Close If you want to give your speech a bookend, then you will have to refer back to your opening anecdote or quote and say something like “Now we have arrived at where we began.” After saying this, reiterate the message that you want your audience to remember. The classic three-part speech outline of “Tell them what you are going to tell them; tell them, then tell them what you just told them” will be completed with closings like this. By coming back full circle to what you said in the beginning, the entirety of your message will be remembered more clearly by the audience.

16. Movie or Book Close Making a reference to a well-known movie or book will allow the audience to view your speech from a different angle. If you want to provide a history lesson to the audience, you can refer back to the 1915 film “The Birth of a Nation” and its last line of “Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever!” , and use this line to relate to your political message. You can also refer to fictional stories like “The Prince and the Pauper” and how its ending can relate to a message about the economy. “That means that as long as you live, you’ll have money to live on. And if anybody’s unkind or cruel to you, they’ve committed an offense against the Crown.”

17. Thanking People or Companies There are times when it is appropriate for you to thank people publicly for helping you. These times include when you present a research paper and want to thank people involved in the project, presenting data or information obtained from a company or person, or when someone gave you considerable help in building a presentation that was particularly complex to begin with. If you are using PowerPoint to show slides, use its credits feature to spruce up your speech.

18. End with a Statement One mistake you will often make when you are just beginning your journey in public speaking is that you end your speeches by asking the audience a question. Upward inflection is a question, and this means that you are implying to the audience that there is more coming. Saving questions for the end doesn’t work well. Downward inflection is a statement. When you know for certain that you have a strong ending, you automatically speak with authority, which makes it easier to add impact with your voice and emphasize your message.

19. Let Them Applaud When you finish your speech, the audience members will want to give start clapping. What they will need from you will be a clear signal that now is the time to begin applauding. Some people will recognize sooner than others that you have finished. In many cases, when it becomes clear that you have stopped talking, the audience members will be silent. They may not know what to do until someone else does something. Within seconds one will start clapping, then another, and then the entire audience will clap. You look at the first person who starts clapping and say “Thank you”, and let the round of applause come.

20. Cartoon or Animation Sometimes a single visual image that doesn’t change won’t be enough to illustrate your final point to the audience. Depending on what your speech is about, you will find the need to use a relevant cartoon or short animation to convey your message to the masses. For example, if you want to warn people not to fall into any holes that the business world has in store for them, you can play a short clip of a cartoon character walking down a road and then falling into a hole. Have your message relate to becoming more aware of the dangers that can come from unhealthy work environments.

21. Third-Party Close Leverage the use of a quotation in the context of your message. Use the premise of that quotation to frame your closing. This will serve as a launching pad to lift up your message for the audience to better appreciate. Here is how you can conclude a speech on the importance of embracing change:

“Change plays a significant role in life. Recall the insight of President Abraham Lincoln, staring at a Civil War and fighting the near 100-year long tradition of slavery in the United States, Lincoln addressed change by saying:

‘The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate for the stormy present and future. As our circumstances are new, we must think anew and act anew.’

We need to look at this old issue in a new way, not simply for today but to make our tomorrows more rewarding, more fulfilling, and more compelling because of the change we make today. With your help, we can think anew and act anew on the issue before us today.”

22. Callback Close If you started your speech with a story, but some activity in it wasn’t fully completed, it would be wise to finish your story and close it around your theme. Here is how to call back to your story:

“Remember that paintbrush that toddler held so gently in his hands? Well, now those same gentle hands are poised skillfully for designing graphics. Today he runs a graphic design company.”

23. Sing Song Close Ask the audience to repeat a phrase that you used several times in your speech. If your phrase happens to be “We finish the race together” , you repeat that phrase many times over, and just before you finish your speech, you say: “I know that all of you are talented and driven. I know that this race can be long and tiring, but we don’t quit on each other. We (pause) finish the race (pause until the audience responds) together.”

24. Surprise Introduction of a Person Making an emphatic final statement about your speech sometimes involves the element of surprise. Throughout your speech, you will mention a person you have known well to the audience, and they will start thinking about this person. They will wonder why this person is important to you. At the end of your speech provide a brilliant bridge to your conversations with the audience afterward by introducing that person on stage. Having that person attend your speech and confirm your message will make that person a success story in the eyes of the audience.

25. Rhetorical Question It is recommended to avoid asking the audience general questions where they expect more to come from your speech. However, asking a single rhetorical question, in a way that challenges the audience, can have an impact. Listeners are generally drawn into thinking about an answer, and they can engage when the question is provocative, or when it touches potentially sensitive areas in our lives. You could say “I’d like to end by asking you the future of grocery stores, will they be completely taken over by automation in the next 20 years?”

How you close your presentation will depend on the content and tone of what you have just presented. Regardless of which strategy you choose to use, closing your speech with one of these strategies will ensure that your presentation finishes strong and resonates with your audience.