5 great ways to end a speech

The moment of truth has arrived.

You had them 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. The majority of your audience agrees with your remarks.

The time has come to conclude, at which point you exclaim: “In conclusion, I appreciate your time. 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 such a muted response? Here are five effective techniques for closing a speech or presentation:

1. Direct call to action. A speech or presentation without a clear call to action is a speech or presentation that probably isn’t worth giving. While it’s not appropriate for every address, there is no clearer call to action than a direct one, such as:

“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!”