EYN#018 - Unforgettable Endings: The Secret to Crafting a Killer Presentation Finale!

Read Time: 3 mins

Most people don't even think about this vital part of a presentation … The End. They just run out of things to say and stop talking.

The 2 most important times in any presentation are the Beginning and the End. Loads of people focus on the beginning, but forget about the end.

Imagine you've zoned out in a technical session, then all of a sudden you hear the joyous words of the presenter ….. ”So in conclusion”. Bang, your back in the room. You’re listening again. So, what they say next is so important.

Delivering a great ending is essential.

Here's my secret sauce to smash the ending. Use this framework:

• Announce it’s the end
• Summarise your key messages
• Share next steps
• And finish with thanks

Easy. Impactful. An unforgettable ending.

Let’s dig into each of those:

Announce it’s the end.

Reset the audience. Get them back in room – metaphorically. Seize their attention, they know the end is coming and they're mentally set up for it. Say something like:

“So everyone. We have reached the end of our time together.” [pause]

We’ve jolted them back. Now hit them with the key message we want them to take away.

Summarise

You've got their attention, now reinforce the key message. (which hopefully you already shared at the beginning and reinforced in the middle)

What message do you want them to take away? You need to know it. If you don't know it you can't tell them. Make sure you know it and share it concisely and clearly.

Here’s an example:

“We’ve thought about how you can reduce the time it takes to release your products to the market. We’ve thought about how you can delight your customers with high quality features that are delivered before the competition, and we've thought about how you can do this for less money."

Next Steps

And now we outline their next steps. Their call to action. Hopefully you've energised and engaged your audience and they want to continue with you and your content.

Make it easy, make it frictionless and make it clear. Maybe:

• Find an article that accompanies this topic here.
• Join this community to get involved.
• Click this link to book a meeting to speak with me.

The answer is not, I`ll send you a copy of the slides.

Thanks

And finally. Let’s be respectful to our audience. They have given your their time today. Time they can’t get back. So say thank you.

“Thank you so much for giving me your time today. It’s been a pleasure to speak to you. Thanks for listening."

Using this framework will ensure your audience leave with energy,

leave with your key message,

and leave with a mindset to take action.

Hope this helps

Ben

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Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

• Podcast:  The latest episode is "Becoming A Great Leader" with Kate Waterfall Hill.  Check it out on the Elevated You website or on  Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
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