This month’s posts feature some of the “how-to’s” of good presentations.
In writing these posts, I give a lot of credit to Scott Schwertly, who runs Ethos3, a Nashville-based “presentation boutique.” He generally has pretty good ideas. Today’s post is about how to end a presentation.
I can testify to the importance of a strong close. In Toastmasters, I learned that a powerful ending is critical to a good rating and, of course, to keeping your audience nodding and smiling. And in copywriting, I’ve come to understand that clients appreciate a piece that ends on a strong, upbeat note.
Scott recommends five things, of which I present the three that most resonate with me:
- “Circle back around.” ‒ Don’t leave your audience hanging. End with a sense of closure. (Closely related, I think, to a call to action, which is one of Scott’s five techniques.)
- Lather, rinse, repeat ‒ If it’s important, repeat it. Your ending should include the major points you’ve made.
- “Build up to something.”‒ This sounds a lot like creating a structure. Years ago, I took a script writing class. The instructor talked about scripting radio interviews so that you build to a key event in an interviewee’s experience and then move toward a close that wraps everything up. (Think Terry Gross and Fresh Air.)
So, how am I going to wrap up this post? Hm. Here goes.
A strong close is critical to a successful presentation. Your presentation should end with a sense of closure. Summarize your main points during your close. And structure your presentation logically, with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
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