80. Public Speaking Advanced: 2. Why? Conclusion

Last week we were thinking about the purpose or objective of our speech. Now we want to look at the Conclusion. How should you end your speech?

Theoretically speaking, your ending should be: - to the point (meets the purpose), - memorable (can be remembered by the audience) and - remarkable (will be talked about by your audience)

Most people aim for the first goal only, which is to restate the main point of the speech. That is correct, but should not be the only goal of the conclusion. At the end of the day, you don’t want to go off the stage patting yourself on the back to say, "I've done what I can to convey the message" but not ensuring the message gets retained and even better, get passed on.

Memorable

Some tips include:

1. End on time (reduces distraction)

2. Summarise your points in easy ways like using an acronym (eg E.N.D: Ensure Nobody gets Distracted)

3. Remind the audience of the importance of the message to them.

4. Use a quote from a significant person in the industry you are sharing / the topic that you are speaking on

Remarkable

Some tips include:

1. Give the audience a Call to Action (eg get them to go back and tell someone what they have learnt; share their knowledge/skill with their boss or team members)

2. Get them to envisage their future that is made better by them applying what they have learnt and shared with the people around them

With the above in mind, craft something that can help your audience remember the key points and feel compelled enough to share this with their spheres of influence, i.e. their friends and colleagues and family etc

Next week we will look at the big picture and see how we can envision how we want the audience to feel, think, etc