Step 6: Ending

Step 1: Preparation Step 2: Introduction Step 3: Verbal and non-verbal-communication Step 4: Visuals Step 5: Voice Step 7: Questions

Ending the presentation (conclusion): End your talk by summing up your major ideas and letting the audience know what you expect of them. You can do that by using a

  • A visual
  • A quotation
  • A story or anecdote
  • A question (Ex.: "What have we learned from all this?")
  • A call for action (Ex: So let's gwet on with it!)

The ending is an imprortant phase because it gives you the opportunity to repeat and reemphazise your main ideas, points, arguments again and the audience remembers this part more than anything else. In order to achieve maximum impact you should

  • memorize your ending (use brief sentences!)
  • never rush through the ending (speak very slowly!)
  • include summary before the conclusion.
  • relate the ending to the beginning in order to wrap up the message neatly and completely.

Tip: Don't finish your talk with something like "That's the end of my report", "That's all" or "I guess that's it". Your very last last line might be: "Thanks for your attention" or "thanks for listening".

Source: Malcom Goodale, Professional Presentation, Cambridge 1998