Arguably, the final words we exchange during an interaction can have an even more lasting effect<\/strong>. And that applies to public speaking, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, the way you introduce yourself and the topic you\u2019ll be discussing is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the end of a presentation should also be recognized as a crucial part of the experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, this article will walk you through some:<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, before we discuss how to end a presentation, let\u2019s establish why having an impactful conclusion is so essential.<\/p>\n\n\n In our article about starting a presentation<\/a>, we explained how the steps of the motivated sequence framework <\/strong>correspond to the structure of the average presentation<\/strong> or speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we have established, the introduction <\/strong>of a presentation mirrors the first step of that model. That means that one of its main goals is to get the listeners\u2019 attention<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The central part of the speech, or the body<\/strong>, corresponds to the second, third, and fourth steps of the motivated sequence framework. In other words, it has to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having checked off these points, we arrive at the conclusion<\/strong>, i.e., the subject of this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That stage of a presentation corresponds to the final step of the motivated sequence model<\/strong> \u2014 which consists of the call to action<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the conclusion of a presentation allows the speaker to drive their point home<\/strong> and nudge the audience toward performing a specific action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, that\u2019s not the only purpose of a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the authors of Business Communication: Process & Product<\/em><\/a>, the final section of a presentation should achieve 3 goals<\/strong>. It should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Above all, the ending of a presentation should be memorable<\/strong>, akin to the punchline of a joke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s talk about some factors you should consider as you\u2019re writing the conclusion of your speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Improve collaboration and cut down on emails by moving your team communication to Pumble.<\/p>\n\n If you\u2019re trying to figure out how to end a presentation, knowing the goals of a conclusion should help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, those objectives are only one part of the puzzle. To get the others, you should also consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, let\u2019s see how each of these factors can help you develop an impactful conclusion for your presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we have noted in our article about starting presentations, understanding the demographic breakdown of one\u2019s audience is a crucial part of drafting a speech<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, the audience affects all of the choices we make \u2014 from the way we present ourselves to the vocabulary and the supporting materials we use during our presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our quest to learn more about the effect an audience can have on a presentation, we spoke to Persuasion Strategist Juliet Huck<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having spent a significant portion of her professional career preparing people to take the witness stand, Huck knows a thing or two about adjusting one\u2019s messaging to fit the preferences of one\u2019s audience. She says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[The] ending [of] every presentation should be different and always based on the background of your audience. This should not be a blanket statement. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It also depends on if you are educating your audience or persuading them to make a decision in your favor. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You must do the homework on your audience prior to giving a presentation and end by leading them to your desired conclusion by giving them a conclusion they can relate to.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n But, if you\u2019re not entirely sure how to take your audience into account<\/strong> when drafting your conclusion, consider the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing whether your audience is friendly, neutral, uninterested, or hostile<\/strong> will also help you adjust your approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If nothing else, it\u2019ll tell you whether you should stick to the facts or feel free to deliver a more casual or rousing speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our article about starting a presentation, we demonstrated our tips through 3 fictional speakers. So, let\u2019s use the same presenters to illustrate this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From our examples, we can see how the identity of the speaker and their level of familiarity with the listeners might affect the way they prepare their presentations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Host engaging virtual presentations over Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding the general purpose of a speech<\/strong> brings you one step closer to knowing how to end a presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the authors of Communicating at Work<\/em><\/a>, most presentations can be sorted into one of 3 categories<\/strong> based on that factor. In that regard, your presentation could be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The general purpose of your presentation will naturally affect your conclusion because it will change what you choose to emphasize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Pumble Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The basic goal of your presentation could correspond with the type of presentation you\u2019re giving. To learn more about presentation types and styles, check out this article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s see how our imaginary presenters would define the general purpose of their presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The specific purpose of a presentation is essentially the outcome you\u2019re looking to achieve<\/strong> with your speech. Defining this goal will require you to know the answers to the following questions<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, the specific goal you come up with should be realistic and highly specific<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To that end, the authors of Communicating at Work<\/em> recommend setting <\/strong>measurable goals<\/strong><\/a>. So, for example, instead of thinking: \u201cI want to get approval for my project.<\/em>\u201d,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want my manager to let me set aside one day per week to work on this project. I also want them to let me ask one or two other people to help me with it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Having this kind of goal in mind will help you figure out how to wrap up your presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how would our 3 speakers specify the desired outcomes of their presentations in measurable terms? Let\u2019s see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want the people in my company to understand the dangers of phishing attacks. They should learn the exact steps they need to take when they see a suspicious email in their inbox.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want these marketing experts to be more knowledgeable about the way artificial intelligence works right now and understand how they can incorporate that software into their professional practice.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want managers and HR professionals to know how they can make their companies a better place to work so they can keep their employee retention rate high.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, defining the general and specific goals of your presentation is a great way to keep yourself on track when crafting your speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the audience doesn\u2019t need to know those goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, they can hear your thesis statement \u2014 a summary of your overall message<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can treat this statement as the throughline<\/strong> of your presentation. It will appear at least once in the introduction, followed by a few repetitions throughout the body of the presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you\u2019ll also want to include that same idea in your conclusion at least once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to keeping you, as the speaker, grounded, that repetition also keeps your audience from wondering what your presentation is about<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what would a thesis statement look like in practice? Let\u2019s hear it from our fictional presenters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIdentifying and reporting phishing emails will save the company\u2019s information and money in the long term.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight now, artificial intelligence isn\u2019t as advanced as people think it is. However, we can still use it for marketing purposes as long as we make sure the process doesn\u2019t begin and end with AI.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cImproving your employee retention rate makes employees more engaged with their work and saves the company time and money that would otherwise go to training new personnel.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n Enhance your presentations and improve engagement. Host your virtual presentations on Pumble by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n\n Now that we know why having an impactful conclusion is so crucial, it\u2019s time to find the right way to achieve your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To that end, we have highlighted 10 tips that might help you wrap up your presentation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, many of these methods we\u2019ll discuss can be combined. However, your choices may be limited depending on the factors we have previously mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making sure the audience remembers your main points is one of the most important objectives your conclusion should accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, you should dedicate some time at the end of your speech to reinforcing what you were trying to say throughout your presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take it from Mark Beal<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication, at Rutgers University:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery presentation should deliver and consistently reinforce three key message points. Most audience members will not recall more than three messages. Some may only recall one or two. With that [in mind], an engaging and effective presentation should conclude with the three messages the presenter wants the audience to take away.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n In essence, you\u2019ll want to summarize your presentation by reiterating up to 3 key points<\/strong> and then repeating your thesis statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could even translate this tip to your presentation slides. As Juliet Huck says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour last slide should always draw your audience to your desired conclusion. [It] should be your <\/em>billboard message<\/em><\/strong>, as we remember 70% of what we see and 20% of what we hear.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n We can see what that might look like through the example of our imaginary presentation on the dangers of phishing, below.<\/p>\n\n\n According to the authors of Communicating at Work<\/em>, splitting a narrative between the introduction and the conclusion of your presentation<\/strong> is a good way to keep your audience\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assistant Professor of Rhetorical Communication at the State University of New York, Dr. Lee M. Pierce<\/a>, agrees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPsychological closure is looping back to the beginning to give the audience a sense of a closed circle. Don’t add new information in the conclusion, just tie the presentation up with a bow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n [For example,] I always customize my closings based on the opening of the speech. During a TEDx Talk on Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s \u2018Formation,\u2019 I began by walking out to the introduction to the song, and then I ended by walking off to the end of the song.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The above quote demonstrates that this tip can be useful no matter which method you used to start your presentation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use it to put a new spin on a statistic you shared in the introduction, give a story you told a different ending, or finish the punchline of a joke you started with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, coming back to the theme you introduced at the beginning of your speech should make your presentation seem more complete and intentional<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With all that being said, let\u2019s see how our imaginary speakers would mirror the opening lines of their presentations in their conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having started with a phishing statistic, our first speaker might say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGoing back to the number we started with, remember that the <\/em>Anti-Phishing Working Group<\/em><\/a> has recorded 1,270,883 individual phishing attacks in the third quarter of 2022 \u2014 and that number is always on the rise. Luckily, you now have all the information you need to avoid becoming a part of that statistic.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Our second speaker would have announced her plans to survey her listeners at the beginning of her presentation. In her conclusion, she might say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt the beginning of my presentation, I asked you to answer a quick survey on whether you\u2019d be willing to work with AI. If you look back at your phones, you\u2019ll see a different link in the #general <\/em>channel on Pumble<\/em><\/a>. Let\u2019s see if this talk has managed to sway some opinions!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n Lastly, our final speaker might refer back to a humorous statement he made about chaining one\u2019s employees to their desks to ensure that employee retention rates stay high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce you start making your company a better place to work, your employees will happily perform their daily tasks \u2014 without being glued to their desks.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Making an audience experience strong emotions<\/strong> is always a good thing, but especially as the presentation comes to a close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Putting the listeners in a contemplative mood or, even better, a cheerful one, means that they\u2019ll be more likely to remember you and the points you made<\/strong> after your presentation ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On top of that, concluding your presentation in this manner would allow you to step off the stage gracefully, which is one of the main goals your conclusion should accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, depending on the type of presentation you\u2019re delivering and, indeed, your style of presenting, you could elicit a response <\/strong>by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/How-to-end-a-presentation-cover.png\")
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\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\n\n\nThings to consider before crafting the conclusion of your presentation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Factor #1: The demographic breakdown of the audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Examples of different audience breakdowns<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Factor #2: The general purpose of your presentation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Examples of defining the general purpose of a presentation <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Factor #3: The specific purpose of your presentation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Examples of defining the specific purpose of a presentation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Factor #4: Your thesis statement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Examples of defining the thesis statement of a presentation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/templates@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\n\n\nHow to end a presentation with a bang: 10 tips + examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Tip #1: Reiterate the key points and your core message<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mark-beal.jpg\")
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![\"The](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/The-final-slide-of-a-presentation-about-phishing.jpg\")
Tip #2: Mirror your opening statement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/lee-m-pierce.jpg\")
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Phrases you can use to reflect the introduction of your presentation in the conclusion<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Tip #3: Elicit a response<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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