How To End a Speech

Endings are tough for many of us. Whether it’s the end of a nice vacation away or the perfect date, the end can feel anywhere from uncomfortable to disappointing.

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When you’re giving a speech, you’ll want to end it on a high note. But how can you do that without missing something important or making it uncomfortable for your audience?

A speech is a carefully crafted medley. But, if you’ve written out your presentation but are left with a huge question mark at the end, you’re not alone. We’ve got you covered with a few ways that you can have a powerful conclusion inyour next speech.

Why the End of a Speech Is So Important

What is it that makes a good conclusion to a speech so incredibly important?

Think about the last great movie you watched. What was it that you loved most about it? For many of us, the answer is how the story ended. In film and television, an ending can make or break the public’s perception of the piece as a whole. We all know of one or two series where the ending left you feeling confused and let down.

When you’re a public speaker , you’re also an entertainer and, more importantly, a storyteller. The speech conclusion is the end of your story; it’s what you want people to easily remember in the day and days that follow your presentation. 

As part of learning how to become a public speaker, it’s important to end it on the best note possible.

Finish the Story You Opened Your Speech With

One of the best and most effective ways to end your speech is to end it how it started.

This can mean bringing the speech back to the main point or story that you started the presentation with and finishing it there. So, be sure that you know how to start a presentation properly. You could also remind them of the initial story or key points and drive home the relevance that it had to the rest of your speech.

Repetition Is Your Friend

One of the first rhetorical devices you probably learned about in English class was repetition. This is for good reason as repetition is a powerful tool that you can use as a writer, made even more powerful when spoken out loud.

Try one of the most effective public speaking tips to add some power to your speech: coin a small catchphrase, anecdote, mantra, or even ask a rhetorical question, and use it throughout your speech. Add this phrase to the very end to really drive your main point home and keep the message with your audience members.

Wrap It All Up With a Bow

Remember, the conclusion of your speech is what is going to stick out to your audience, so you have to be sure that you essentially summarize the entirety of your speech.

When learning how to write a speech outline, note the most important and memorable pieces of information or key points that you have sprinkled throughout your speech or talk. Take those key notes and turn them into a concise ending that reiterates your whole speech in a clean, simple way.

Keep It Simple and Short

When you’re writing the closing statement of your speech, there’s no need to drone on and on. You can easily wander into the realm of redundancy if you take too long re-telling the whole story. 

At the same time, you don’t want to end it abruptly. An effective conclusion should ideally be between 5%-10% of the length of your informative speech. So while you don’t want to make it too long, you don’t want to make it off puttingly short, either.

There is a middle ground here, so it’s important to find that sweet spot.

Leave Them Laughing

It’s long been known that we are more likely to listen to people when they have a sense of humor and can make us laugh. Just think of all the stand-up comedians that are able to make profound social and political statements during their sets. These are so effective because they have made you laugh, inviting an open mindset that’s better at receiving information.

You can take a page out of their book by adding a bit of humor to the ending of your great speech. Using a bit of situational humor can help  you keep the audience’s attention and help them absorb the information better and leave them with positive feelings toward you, the speaker.

Make It Clear That It Is the End

A hazard of ending the presentation too abruptly is that people could not know it was the end. You want to make it crystal clear that now is the time that you’re wrapping things up. Ending your entire speech in a vague or non-specific way can leave your audience members confused, which is the last thing you want when you’re a public speaker.

Special Considerations for Persuasive Speeches

When it comes to learning how to write a persuasive speech there are a few different things you need to take into consideration. Here are some of the ways that you can effectively end this specific type of speech.

Create a Call-to-Action

Since you are giving a persuasive speech, your end goal is to change your audience’s mind on something or persuade them to take action.

If this is the case, it’s important to state, in no uncertain terms, what you think they need to do when they leave your presentation. If you want them to recycle more, give them instructions on how to do that and remind them why it’s important. If you want them to take political action, inspire them to do so.

Use an Appeal to Emotion

During your persuasive speech, you’re going to spend some time appealing to their emotions in your attempt to persuade them to do what you want them to do. Since this is a technique you will be using throughout your speech, drive that home when you close your speech.

This can be by highlighting major points and the possible negative effects of their inaction or giving them positive reinforcement that they are capable of making this change.

Whatever the case may be, you want to make them feel something.

For Help With the Rest of Your Public Speaking Business, Call the Professionals

If you are venturing into the land of a public speaking career, consult a professional business coach like Maui Mastermind to solidify a solid plan of action and learn more tips on how to reach success.