how to end a presentation

how to end a presentation

Tips for Ending a Presentation Successfully

1. Recap key points

Review the main points of the presentation and highlight their importance. Leave it with the audience that however small the key points of the presentation were, it is these key points that will mean far more in satisfying their needs than with copious, unrelated details. So the goal is to pinpoint these key points and the deeper their understanding, the better the possibility there is for a change in belief or the move to action. Restate the core message at the end of each key point. This is to serve as a reinforcement of your message so that the audience will leave clearly knowing what the presenter is driving at. In the case where more information is presented, give a summary of what was said and the point it was trying to lead to, so that people will not lose track of what was being spoken. Avoid any new information while doing a recap. This will confuse the audience as they will be unsure as to which is the real conclusion of your presentation.

2. End with a powerful quote

A good quote is a powerful tool. It can end your presentation in a memorable way. It has the ability to set the tone of your entire presentation. There are a few ways to look for one. If you are feeling confident, you can search for something relevant on the internet. Type into a search engine what your presentation was about and the word “quote” at the end of it, and maybe something will take your fancy.

Not everyone is skilled in the art of giving others pure gold that will change their entire mood and outlook on something or even someone. And that’s where quotes come in. A lot of successful people have used them to get their point across and for simple daily motivation. You’ve presented a strong case. You’ve given your audience clear actions to improve the situation. Now you want to leave them with a clear message to take away.

3. Call to action

The final part of your presentation should be clear and concise. Make a call-to-action that tells your audience exactly what you want them to do. Use action verbs and state what you want them to do in a way that will be easy to follow. Phrase your call-to-action as a statement or a question; avoid using the conditional tense. Make sure they can follow through with what you are asking. Offering ways to involve your audience is an effective way to fulfill the action you are asking them to take. You can ask for their help, their involvement, or to show support for your cause. Providing something that they can accept or reject ensures that they can fulfill your request. Be confident and inspire confidence in your audience. If you are uncommitted or apologetic in asking your audience to take action, many of them will not do it. If you don’t care, they won’t care. Finally, be prepared to repeat your call-to-action. Often, people need to hear something more than once before it sinks in. Don’t overdo it, but a couple of well-spaced repetitions will in no way harm your presentation and may help improve its effectiveness.

4. Q&A session

• Take control of the Q&A. Do not begin Q&A, unless you want to! It is ok to say “I have some final points I’d like to make, but you’re welcome to ask questions afterwards and I will be around”. • Watch for debate-mode questions. This is where someone has not really asked a question, but challenged something specific you have said. The rest of the audience cares very little for the answer to this, and it’s very easy to lose the group’s attention for the sake of one person. Deal with the first one of these questions quickly, and the rest of the group will get the hint. • Your first question is usually the most interesting. If a good question is asked, consider throwing it “open to the floor”. E.g. “That’s a very good question, I’m sure lots of people would have experiences with that, would anyone like to share?”, or relay the question and then ask for feedback “I was once asked [repeat question], my initial response was to say no, but then I started to think about it from a different and it made me realize [blah], has anyone gone through something similar?”

5. Thank the audience

Be sure to specify exactly what you are thanking them for. A generic “thank you” can be said to anybody at any time. To give an effective thanks, you need to be acknowledging something specific that the audience has done. This could be for their discipline and attentiveness throughout your speech, for a particularly good question/answer session, for their laughter at your jokes, etc. Whatever you are thanking them for, make sure you are genuine about it. Audience members can spot insincerity a mile away, and it will damage your credibility. Finally, you may thank the organizers of the event for the opportunity to talk and the offer to answer any further questions before announcing that your presentation has ended.

Show your appreciation and reinforce the audience’s connection to your presentation by thanking them for their attention, time, and participation. Sincere thanks set a positive, open tone and leave a lasting impression. “Thank you” is probably the most important three seconds of your presentation. But the impact of those three seconds can be tremendous if the delivery is enthusiastic.