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9 Closing a Speech: End with Power and Let Them Know It is Time to Clap

Open Your Speech With a Bang Close It With a Slam-Dunk Westside Toastmasters

“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending,” according to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The first few words of your speech make the audience want to listen and the last few sentences help them decide what they feel about you and your topic. In this chapter, I will explain the function of a conclusion, the format of a conclusion, and I will give you numerous examples of ways to end your speech. Most of this chapter is dedicated to showing you good examples of different types of speech closings. Let’s get started by talking about the purpose of the closing.

A Strong Closing Does Many Things

• Summarizes the points. By restating your points your audience is more likely to remember them.
• Tells the audience when to clap. Let’s face it, it is so awkward when you are done with your speech, and no one claps. Being clear the end is near, relieves the audience of the pressure of wondering if they are clapping at the right time.
• Provides resolution. Your speech should give the audience a sense of resolve or a sense of being challenged.

The Formula for Closing Most Speeches

• Transition statement to ending.
• Review the main points–repeat the thesis.
• If it is a persuasive speech, tell the audience what you want them to do or think.
• Provide a closing statement.

Restate the Thesis

Tell them what you are going to say, say it, tell them what you have said. This speech pattern is useful in most types of speeches because it helps the speaker to remember your key points. As you build your closing, make sure you restate the thesis. A good rule of thumb is to write it in such a way that if the audience were asked to restate the main points, their answer would match closely with your thesis.

EXAMPLE Watch as Stella Young gives her thesis and then restates her thesis at the end of the speech as she wraps up. The thesis of the talk in the introduction: We’ve been sold the lie that disability is a Bad Thing, capital B, capital T. It’s a bad thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional. It’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t make you exceptional. Restates the thesis of the talk at the closing: Disability doesn’t make you exceptional but questioning what you think you know about it does.

Stella Young, I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtPGrLoU5Uk

This next example is from a student’s speech. It is easy to pull out one sentence that clearly summarizes the main points of her speech. Following her summary, she winds the speech down into a thoughtful conclusion and ends with three powerful words.

Now is the time to separate the war on drugs from the war on addiction. T oday you’ve heard the problems, impacts, and solutions of criminalizing addictions. Bruce Callis is 50 years old now. And he is still struggling with his addiction. while you all are sitting out there listening to this, I’m living with it. Bruce Callis is my father and for my entire life, I have watched our misguided system destroy him. The irony here is that we live in a society where we are told to recycle. We recycle paper, aluminum, and electronics. But why don’t we ever consider recycling them most precision think on Earth– the human life. Student Tunnette Powell, Winner of the 2012 Interstate Oratorical Association Contest.

Closing Phrases

After you restate your thesis, you should carefully deliver your closing phrases.  Your closing should provide a resolution to your speech and/or it should challenge the audience. Frantically Speaking writer Hrideep Barot suggests  “a conclusion is like tying a bow or ribbon to a box of your key ideas that your audience will be taking along with them.”

A speech closing is not just about the words you say, but it is also the way you say it. Change the pace near the end of your speech. Let your tone alone should signal the end is near. It is about deliberate voice control, don’t let your voice weakly away.

In the next section, I will cover these ways to end your speech:

End with powerful words End with a quote End with a graphic End with parallel construction End on a positive note End with a challenge End with a question End with inspiration End with well-wishing End with humor End with a call to action End with a feeling of resolve End with a prop

The best way to teach you about advanced closings is to show not tell. For this section, I will briefly explain each type of closing and then provide a video. Each video is queued so you can play the video and watch the closing statement.  I included a transcript under each video if you want to follow along.  It will be most beneficial for you to watch the clip and not just read the text. By watching, you will have a chance to hear the subtle changes in the speaker’s voice as they deliver their closing statements.

End with Powerful Words

As you design your closing, look at the last three to five words and examine them to see if they are strong words. Oftentimes, you can rearrange a sentence to end with a powerful word. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Watch this clip for how BJ Miller ends with a powerful thought and a powerful word. 

Parts of me died early on, and that’s something we can all say one way or another. I got to redesign my life around this fact, and I tell you it has been a liberation to realize you can always find a shock of beauty or meaning in what life you have left, like that snowball lasting for a perfect moment, all the while melting away. If we love such moments ferociously, then maybe we can learn to live well — not in spite of death, but because of it. Let death be what takes us, not lack of imagination. BJ Miller, What Really Matters at the End of Life

End by Circling Back to the Opening

Another type of ending is to circle back to what you said in the beginning. You can revisit a quote, share the end to an illustration that was begun in the beginning, or you can put away a prop you got out in the beginning.

Watch this clip for how Zubing Zhang begins and ends with the same quote to circle back around to the main idea. 

She starts by telling a story of bungee jumping off the world’s highest platform and how she saw a sign with a quote that says, “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.” After telling her own story about pushing her emotional limits, she circles back around at the end by saying, “As the words said high on the bungee platform, “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.”

Yubing Zhang, Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone. 

End With Quote

If you end your speech with a quote, attend to the following.

• Always say the author of the quote before the quote for example, “I want to leave you with a leadership quote ‘What you do has far greater impact than what you say,’ Steven Covey.” The problem with this ending is that “Stephen Covey” are the last two words of the speech and that is boring. Consider instead this ending. “I think Robin Sharma said it best ‘Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration.'” In this arrangement, the last three words are powerful–influence and inspiration.
• Provided context for the quote before or after. Make sure the quote is meaningful and not just an easy way to end.

Watch this clip for how Sir Ken Robinson ends with a quote. Notice how he says the author and then the quote.

Also, notice how he then ties his speech to the quote with a final few sentences and ends with the powerful word–“revolution” and how he uses a strong vocal emphasis as he says his last word. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

There’s a wonderful quote from Benjamin Franklin. “There are three sorts of people in the world: Those who are immovable, people who don’t get it, or don’t want to do anything about it; there are people who are movable, people who see the need for change and are prepared to listen to it; and there are people who move, people who make things happen.” And if we can encourage more people, that will be a movement. And if the movement is strong enough, that’s, in the best sense of the word, a revolution. And that’s what we need.

Sir Ken Robinson, How to Escape Education’s Death Valley. 

End with a Graphic

You might want to use a visual to make your final point. Bringing in a picture, graphic, or object, reengages the audience to pay attention to your final ideas.

Watch this clip for how Barry Schartz uses the magic words “so to conclude” and then he creatively uses a picture of a fishbowl to narrow in on his point. Notice how his final word is spoken with urgency as he says “disaster.” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

 So, to conclude. (He shows a picture of fish in a fishbowl) He says, “You can be anything you want to be — no limits.” You’re supposed to read this cartoon and, being a sophisticated person, say, “Ah! What does this fish know? Nothing is possible in this fishbowl.” Impoverished imagination, a myopic view of the world –that’s the way I read it at first. The more I thought about it, however, the more I came to the view that this fish knows something. Because the truth of the matter is, if you shatter the fishbowl so that everything is possible, you don’t have freedom. You have paralysis. If you shatter this fishbowl so that everything is possible, you decrease satisfaction. You increase paralysis, and you decrease satisfaction. Everybody needs a fishbowl. This one is almost certainly too limited –perhaps even for the fish, certainly for us. But the absence of some metaphorical fishbowl is a recipe for misery and, I suspect, disaster. Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice

End with Parallel Construction

Parallel construction is a series of repeated phrases. It can be a powerful tool to use in a persuasive speech as it creates a feeling of importance.

Watch this clip for how Malala Yousafzai ends with a series of parallel statements to build momentum. Notice how her pace perfectly matches her words and you feel her strength when she ends with “education first.” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice, and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright peaceful future. So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism, and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education First.

Malala Yousafzai,  United Nations Youth Assembly

End on a Positive Note

Audiences are constantly evaluating a speaker to determine their attitude and motivation. As you consider your speech closing, ask yourself what type of impression do you want to leave?  Do you want to leave them with depression or hope? Sadness or promise? Most of the time, audiences will receive messages that end positively better than speeches that end negatively.

In this speech sample, Hans Rosling showed the audience some hard statistics and he even pointed fingers at the audience as part of the problem. To help them hear his main point, he wisely ends on a positive note.

Watch this clip for how Hans Rosling ends this thought-provoking talk on a positive note. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Now, when thinking about where all this leaves us, I have just one little humble advice for you, besides everything else, look at the data. Look at the facts about the world and you will see where we are today and how we can move forwards with all these billions on our wonderful planet. The challenge of extreme poverty has been greatly reduced and it’s for the first time in history within our power to end it for good. The challenge of population growth is, in fact, already being solved, the number of children has stopped growing.  And for the challenge for climate change, we can still avoid the worst, but that requires the richest, as soon as possible, find a way to use their set their use of resources and energy at a level that, step by step, can be shared by 10 billion or 11 billion by the end of this century. I’ve never called myself an optimist, but I do say I’m a possibilist and I also say the world is much better than many of you think.

Hans Rosling, Facts about the Population.

End with a Challenge

Leave the audience with a doable personal challenge. Help them mentally make sense of all the information that you shared by helping them know how to file it away and how to use it.

Watch this clip for how Melissa Butler ends with a challenge. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

So, I challenge each of you, when you go home today, look at yourself in the mirror, see all of you, look at all of your greatness that you embody, accept it, and love it. And finally, when you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you . Melissa Butler, Why You Think You’re Ugly. 

Watch this clip as Darren LaCroix literally falls face down to anchor the point that when we fall, we “fall forward.” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Darren LaCroix talks about taking risks and falling down and getting back up, he literally and purposefully falls down during his speech and ends this way: What’s your next step… take it. I didn’t want to look back at my life and say you know I never did try that comedy thing, but I died debt-free. All of us are headed toward that goal we are going to teach a point where we get stuck and our feet are like in cement and we can’t move but we’re so afraid of that ouch but we forget that if we lean forward and take a risk–(He falls face down) and we fall on our face. When we get up, notice, you still made progress. So please, with me, go ahead and fall. But fall forward. Darren LaCroiz, Winning Speech delivered at National Speech Association

End with a Question

Asking a question at the end is one way to reengage the audience. It helps them think about what your topic might mean for them.

Watch this clip for how David Eagleman reminds us about why his topic is important and then ends with a question. Notice how he pauses before his final question and how he changes the pace of his speech for the final sentence. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

So I think there’s really no end to the possibilities on the horizon for human expansion. Just imagine an astronaut being able to feel the overall health of the International Space Station, or, for that matter, having you feel the invisible states of your own health, like your blood sugar and the state of your microbiome, or having 360-degree vision or seeing in infrared or ultraviolet. So the key is this: As we move into the future, we’re going to increasingly be able to choose our own peripheral devices. We no longer have to wait for Mother Nature’s sensory gifts on her timescales, but instead, like any good parent, she’s given us the tools that we need to go out and define our own trajectory. So the question now is, how do you want to go out and experience your universe?

David Eagleman, Can We Create New Senses for Humans? 

Watch this clip for how Lera Boroditsky ends with a personal note and a  powerful final question. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

I want to leave you with this final thought. I’ve told you about how speakers of different languages think differently, but of course, that’s not about how people elsewhere think. It’s about how you think. It’s how the language that you speak shapes the way that you think. And that gives you the opportunity to ask, “Why do I think the way that I do?” “How could I think differently?” And also,  “What thoughts do I wish to create?” Lera Boroditsky, How Language Shapes the Way We Think

End with Inspiration

“Inspiring your audience is all about helping them see their own vision, not yours.”

You may want to end your speech with inspiring and encouraging words. Pick words that resonate with most of your audience and deliver them in such a way that your audience feels your lift in emotion.

Watch this clip for how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ends with an inspiring final note and a powerful last few words “regain a kind of paradise” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.

I would like to end with this thought:   That when we reject the single-story,   when we realize that there is never a single story   about any place,   we regain a kind of paradise.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,  The Danger of a Single Story  

Watch this clip for how Dan Pink ends with an inspiring final note. (I have the video cued to play just the closing) Let me wrap up. There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does. Here is what science knows. One: Those 20th century rewards, those motivators we think are a natural part of business, do work, but only in a surprisingly narrow band of circumstances. Two: Those if-then rewards often destroy creativity. Three: The secret to high performance isn’t rewards and punishments, but that unseen intrinsic drive– the drive to do things for their own sake. The drive to do things cause they matter.

And here’s the best part. We already know this. The science confirms what we know in our hearts. So, if we repair this mismatch between what science  knows and what business does, if we bring our motivation, notions of motivation into the 21st century, if we get past this lazy, dangerous, ideology of carrots and sticks, we can strengthen our businesses, we can solve a lot of those candle problems, and maybe, maybe — we can change the world. I rest my case. Dan Pink, The Puzzle of Motivation

End with Well Wishing

There are several types of closings where the speaker wished the audience well.

The Benediction Close: M ay God bless and keep you…. The Presidential Close: God bless you and may God bless the USA The Congratulatory Close: I congratulate you on your accomplishment and wish you continued success. 

End with Humor

You can end on a fun lighthearted note. It is important to always run your humor by a variety of people to make sure you are funny, and your humor is appropriate.

Watch this clip for how Andrew Dunham uses humor throughout his speech and ends with a funny one-liner. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

I wish you all the best as we begin this journey on our paths and I sincerely hope and pray that your time and success have proven to be as memorable and spiritually rewarding as mine. If not, there’s always summer school.

Andrew Dunham, Valedictorian Comes Out As Autistic During Speech

End with a Call to Action

If you are delivering a persuasive speech, let the audience know exactly what you want them to do.

End with a Feeling of Resolve

Paul Harvey made famous the line “And now you know…the rest of the story.” Your closing should allow us to know the rest of the story or to know how a situation was resolved.

Watch this clip for how Lucy Hone ends this tough but inspiring talk with a feeling of resolve (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

https://youtu.be/9-5SMpg7Q0k?t=913 If you ever find yourself in a situation where you think there’s no way I’m coming back from this, I urge you to lean into these strategies and think again. I won’t pretend that thinking this way is easy and it doesn’t remove all the pain. But if I’ve learned anything over the last five years, it is that thinking this way really does help. More than anything it has shown me that  it is possible  to live and grieve at the same time. And for that I will be always grateful. Lucy Hone, The Three Secrets of Resilient People

End with a Prop

Nancy Duarte says you should give your audience, SOMETHING THEY  will ALWAYS REMEMBER–S.T.A.R. One way to do that is with an action or statement that will have the audience talking about it for a long time. President Obama did it with a mic drop.

Memorize Your Conclusion

End on time.

Do not diminish the effect of a great speech with a bloated, aimless conclusion. Dan Rothwell.

“Times about up.”

Don’t end with any references to time. It is like a giant stop sign saying, “stop listening.”  Don’t highlight that you ran over time or that it is almost time for lunch. You want them to think about your speech, not the clock.

“Any Questions?”

You want them to feel a sense of closure for your speech.  End with something powerful and let them applaud.  After the applause, you can offer to answer questions. Similarly, projecting your last slide with the words, “Any Questions” is a weak ending.

“Let Me Add This Point I Missed”

If you forget something in the body of your speech, it is usually best to leave it out.  Most of the time you are the only one who will miss it.

“Thank You to the Team”

There is a time to thank the organizers and those who helped you but it is not at the end of your speech. Your focus should be on your audience and what they need and what they need to hear is your idea.  Send a thank you letter to the team if you want them to feel your appreciation.

“I’m Sorry”

“Sorry again for the technology issue,” “I apologize for going over time, ” “I regret I have no answer to this.” These are all negative phrases.  Keep to your topic that is what they need to hear and stay focused.

“I’ll Close with this Video”

No, you should close with talking about the big idea.

If you don’t have a plan at the end, you will ramble. “Steer clear of meandering endings they kill a story,” according to the Moth Storytelling website. “Your last line should be clear in your head before you start. Yes, bring the audience along with you as you contemplate what transpires in your story, but remember, you are driving the story, and must know the final destination. Keep your hands on the wheel!”

To Thank or Not to Thank, That is the Question

There is a debate amongst speech professionals, speech teachers, and speech coaches about whether or not you should thank the audience. Here are their main arguments.

Why You Should Not Say Thank You

• You want to end with powerful words. “Thank you” are not strong words.
• The recency effect suggests they will remember the last words you spoke. You want them to remember more than just “thank you.”
• It is not a very creative way to end.
• It can be a sign of a lazy speaker, “I have no idea how to end this, I’ve run out of good things to say so I’ll say ‘Thank you’ so you will clap now.”

Why You Should Say Thank You

• It has come to be the expected ending in many settings. Violating their expectations can cause them to have a negative reaction.
• It clearly signals you are finished so the audience knows when to clap. The relieves the pressure from both you and the audience.
• It expresses gratitude.

I will leave it up to you to decide what works for you. As for me, I plan on trying to find more creative ways to end other than just saying “thank you.”

Maximizing the Primacy Recency Effect

If I were to read you a list of thirty things on my grocery list and then asked you to list all that you can remember, chances are you would remember the first times on the list and the last items on the list ( and any ones you found interesting from the middle). When people engage in listening, they tend to remember the first and last things they hear, it is called the primacy-recency effect. T his is just one more reason that your introduction and conclusion should be so well planned out. It is those first words and last words that the audience is going to remember. 

The primacy recency effect influences, not only what people pay attention to in a speech, but also which speech we pay the most attention to in a series of speeches. For example, if there is a lineup of six speakers, the first and last speakers tend to get the most attention.

As a speaker, you can use this information to your advantage by volunteering to go first or last. If you are giving a long presentation, you can break it up by allowing the audience to move around or talk to a neighbor. When you come back from break, you have re-engaged that primacy effect and moved them back to a high state of attention.

Do You Have Everything You Need for a Strong Closing?

• Have I signaled my speech is coming to an end with my words or my voice?
• Have I restated my main points?
• If I am persuading my audience, do they know what I want them to do or think?
• Have I written the last three to five words in such a way that I end with powerful words?
• Have I memorized my closing?

Getting Off the Platform is Part of Your Closing

Plan on making a strong exit. Whether you are stepping off a stage or simply going to your seat, you should consider that the audience is watching you.

I have had students who finished their speech and then walked over to the trashcan and in a large, exaggerated movement, they threw their notecards in the trash. In our minds, we threw their message away with those cards. I’ve seen speakers, sit in their chairs and then announce, “I can’t believe my hands were shaking so much.” I’ve sat there and thought, “I didn’t notice.” I then realized that the comments they made influenced my perception of them and my perception of their topic.

You said your last word and the audience is applauding, now what? Look at your audience and smile and nod in appreciation before walking off the stage. If you will be answering questions, wait until after the applause stops to begin your question and answering period.

When practicing your speech, it is a good idea to start from your chair, walk up to a spot and then give your speech, and then walk back to your chair and sit down. Your “speech” impression begins and ends from your chair.

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• A speech closing should include a review of the main points and a purposeful closing sentence.
• Persuasive speech endings should tell the audience specifically what they should do or think about.
• The recency effect suggests that people remember the most recent things they have heard which is one reason the closing is so important.
• Chance the pace of your speech and the tone of your voice to signal the end of the speech.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

Adichie, C.N. (2009). The danger of a single story. [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg Standard YouTube License.

Anderson, C. (2016). TED talks: The official TED guide to public speaking. Mariner Books.

Barot, H.  Fifteen powerful speech ending lines (and tips to create your own). Frantically Speaking. https://franticallyspeaking.com/15-powerful-speech-ending-lines-and-tips-to-create-your-own/

Boroditsky, L. (2017). How language shapes the way we think.  https://www.ted.com/talks/lera_boroditsky_how_language_shapes_the_way_we_think  Standard Youtube License. 

Butler, M. (2018). Why you think you’re ugly. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imCBztvKgus  Standard YouTube License. 

Dunham. A. (2019). Valedictorian comes out as autistic during speech. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtPGrLoU5Uk  Standard Youtube License. 

Eagleman, D. (2015). Can we create new senses for humans?[Video]. YouTube  https://youtu.be/4c1lqFXHvqI  Standard YouTube License. 

Hone, L. (2019).  The three secrets of resilient people. [Video]. YouTube  https://youtu.be/NWH8N-BvhAw  Standard YouTube License. 

Jeff, P. (2009). Ten ways to end your speech with a bang. http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/10-ways-to-end-your-speech

Jobs, S. (2005). You’ve got to find what you love. https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/

Khanna, P. (2016). Let the head of TED show you how to end your speech with power. https://www.fastcompany.com/3059459/let-the-head-of-ted-show-you-how-to-end-your-speech-with-p

Karia, A. (2013). How to open and close a TED talk (or any other speech or presentation). https://akashkaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/HowtoOpenandCloseaTEDTalk.pdf

LaCroix, D. (2001). World champion of public speaking. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUDCzbmLV-0  Standard YouTube License. 

Mandela, N. (2011). Speech from the dock in the Rivonia trial.[Video]. YouTube https://www.nelsonmandela.org/news/entry/i-am-prepared-to-die  Standard YouTube License. 

Mandela, N. (1994). Presidential Inaugural Speech. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/nelsonmandelainauguralspeech.htm  Standard YouTube License. 

Miller, B.J. (2015). What really matters at the end of life. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.ted.com/talks/bj_miller_what_really_matters_at_the_end_of_life?language=en  Standard YouTube License. 

Moth. (2021). Storytelling tips and tricks: How to tell a successful story. https://themoth.org/share-your-story/storytelling-tips-tricks 

Obama, B. (2016). White House correspondents dinner. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxFkEj7KPC0  Standard YouTube License. 

Pink, D. (2009). The puzzle of motivation. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_the_puzzle_of_motivation  Standard YouTube License. 

Rothwell, D. (2014). Practically Speaking. Oxford University Press.Robinson, K. (2013). How to escape education’s death valley. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc  Standard YouTube License. 

Rosling, H. (2014). Don’t Panic-Hans Rosling showing the facts about population.[Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FACK2knC08E  Standard YouTube License. 

Schwartz, B. (2005). The paradox of choice. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice  Standard YouTube License. 

Toastmasters International. (2016). Concluding your Speech. https://www.toastmasters.org/Resources/Concluding-Your-Speech

Young, S. (2014). I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtPGrLoU5Uk  Standard YouTube License. 

Yousafzai, M. (2013). Malala Yousafzai addresses United Nations Youth Assembly. [Video]. YouTube https://youtu.be/3rNhZu3ttIU  Standard YouTube License. 

Zhang, Y. (2015). Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmN4xOGkxGo  Standard YouTube License. 

Media Attributions

• Audience clapping © Alex Motoc is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
• jose-aragones-81QkOoPGahY-unsplash © Jose Aragones is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license

Advanced Public Speaking Copyright © 2021 by Lynn Meade is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) | The Ultimate Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

While speech openings are definitely one of the most important components of a speech, something that is equally as important is the way you conclude your speech.

There are few worse ways to end your speech than with a terse ‘thank you’–no elaboration or addition whatsoever.

Speech endings are just as crucial to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening.

The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Speech endings can put even the most experienced speaker in flux, and increase their anxiousness manifold as they sit there attempting to figure out the perfect way to end your speech.

If you’re someone who’s in flux about your speech ending too, don’t worry. We’ve got some amazing ways to conclude your speech with a bang!

1. Circling Back To The Beginning

The idea behind circling back to the beginning of your speech is to reinforce the idea of your speech being a complete whole. By circling back to the beginning and connecting it to your ending, you let the audience understand that the idea of your speech is complete & standalone.

Circling back to the beginning of your speech also acts as an excellent way of reinforcing the central idea of your speech in the audience’s mind, and makes it more likely that they will remember it after the speech ends.

Need more inspiration for speech opening lines? Check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines & Tips To Create Your Own.

How To Circle Back To The Beginning

The easiest way to do this is to set up your beginning for the conclusion of your speech. That is, if you’re saying something like, say, a story or joke in the beginning, then you can leave your audience in a cliffhanger until the ending arrives.

Another great way to circle back to the beginning is by simply restating something you said at the start. The added knowledge from attending the rest of your speech will help the audience see this piece of information in a new–and better–light.

1. Will Stephen

Ending Line: “I’d like you to think about what you heard in the beginning, and I want you to think about what you hear now. Because it was nothing & it’s still nothing.”

2. Canwen Xu

Speech Ending: My name is Canwen, my favorite color is purple and I play the piano but not so much the violin…

Think of a memorable moment from your life, and chances are you’ll realize that it involved a feeling of happiness–something that we can associate with smiling or laughter. And what better way to generate laughter than by incorporating the age-old strategy of good humor.

The happy and lighthearted feeling you associate with good memories is the kind of emotional reaction you want to create in your audience too. That’s what will make your speech stick in their memory.

Done incorrectly, humor can be a disaster. Done right, however, it can entirely transform a speech.

Humor doesn’t only mean slapstick comedy (although there’s nothing wrong with slapstick, either). Humor can come in many forms, including puns, jokes, a funny story…the list is endless.

How To Incorporate Humor In Your Speech Ending

The simplest way to incorporate humor into your speech ending is by telling a plain old joke–something that’s relevant to your topic, of course.

You can also tell them a short, funny anecdote–may be an unexpected conclusion to a story you set up in the beginning.

Another way would be by employing the power of repetition. You can do this by associating something funny with a word, and then repeating the word throughout your speech. During the end, simply say the word or phrase one last time, and it’s likely you’ll leave off your audience with a good chuckle.

1. Woody Roseland

Ending Line: “Why are balloons so expensive? Inflation.”

2. Andras Arato

Ending Line: “There are three rules to becoming famous. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”

3. Hasan Minhaj

Ending Line: “And you want to know the scariest part? Pretty soon every country on the earth is going to have its own TLC show.”

4. Sophie Scott

Speech Ending: In other words, when it comes to laughter, you and me baby, ain’t nothing but mammals.

5. Tim Urban

Speech Ending: We need to stay away from the Instant Gratification Monkey. That’s a job for all of us. And because there’s not that many boxes on there. It’s a job that should probably start today. Well, maybe not today, but, you know, sometime soon.

6. Hasan Minhaj

Speech Ending: Showing my legs on TV is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. And keep in mind last week I went after the Prince of Saudi Arabia.

3. Question

The idea behind posing a question at the end of your speech is to get the wheels in your audience’s minds turning and to get them thinking of your speech long after it has ended. A question, if posed correctly, will make your audience re-think about crucial aspects of your speech, and is a great way to prompt discussion after your speech has ended.

How To Add Questions To Your Speech Ending

The best type of questions to add to your speech ending is rhetorical questions. That’s because, unlike a literal question, a rhetorical question will get the audience thinking and make them delve deeper into the topic at hand.

Make sure your question is central to the idea of your speech, and not something frivolous or extra. After all, the point of a question is to reinforce the central idea of your topic.

1. Lexie Alford

Speech Ending: Ask yourself: How uncomfortable are you willing to become in order to reach your fullest potential?

2. Apollo Robbins

Speech Ending: If you could control somebody’s attention, what would you do with it?

Quotes are concise, catchy phrases or sentences that are generally easy to remember and repeat.

Quotes are an age-old way to start–and conclude–a speech. And for good reason.

Quotes can reinforce your own ideas by providing a second voice to back them up. They can also provoke an audience’s mind & get them thinking. So, if you add your quote to the end of your speech, the audience will most likely be thinking about it for long after you have finished speaking.

How To Use Quotes In Your Speech Ending

While adding quotes to your speech ending, make sure that it’s relevant to your topic. Preferably, you want to pick a quote that summarizes your entire idea in a concise & memorable manner.

Make sure that your quote isn’t too long or complicated. Your audience should be able to repeat it as well as feel its impact themselves. They shouldn’t be puzzling over the semantics of your quote, but its intended meaning.

1. Edouard Jacqmin

Speech Ending: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

2. Chris Crowe

Speech Ending: “It’s more certain than death and taxes.”

3. Olivia Remes

Speech Ending: I’d like to leave you with a quote by Martin Luther King: “You don’ have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

4. Tomislav Perko

Speech Ending: Like that famous quote says, “In twenty years from now on, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do.

5. Diana Nyad

Speech Ending: To paraphrase the poet, Mary Oliver, she says, “So, what is it? What is it you’re doing with this one wild and precious life of yours?”

5. Piece Of Advice

The point of giving a piece of advice at the end of your speech is not to pull your audience down or to make them feel bad/inferior about themselves. Rather, the advice is added to motivate your audience to take steps to do something–something related to the topic at hand.

The key point to remember is that your advice is included to help your audience, not to discourage them.

How To Add Piece Of Advice To Your Speech Ending

To truly make your audience follow the advice you’re sharing, you must make sure it resonates with them. To do so, you need to inject emotions into your advice, and to present it in such a manner that your audience’s emotions are aroused when they hear it.

Your advice shouldn’t be something extra-complicated or seemingly impossible to achieve. This will act as a counter-agent. Remember that you want your audience to follow your advice, not to chuck it away as something impossible.

Our article, 15 Powerful Speech Ending Lines And Tips To Create Your Own , is another great repository for some inspiration.

1. Ricardo Lieuw On

Speech Ending: “Learn something new, or a new way of approaching something old because there are a few skills are valuable as the art of learning.”

2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Speech Ending: “If we want to improve the competence level of our leaders, then we should first improve our own competence for judging and selecting leaders.”

3. Sharique Samsudheen

Speech Ending: “Some people love money, some people hate money, some people crave money, some people even kill for money. But what they miss is they just need to learn how to manage money well, and that will give them financial freedom.”

4. Kate Simonds

Speech Ending: Teens, you need to believe in your voices and adults, you need to listen.

5. Melissa Butler

Speech Ending: When you go home today, see yourself in the mirror, see all of you, look at all your greatness that you embody, accept it, love it and finally, when you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you.

6. Iskra Lawrence

Speech Ending: Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect. If you see anyone tearing themselves down, build them back up And watch your life positively grow when you give up the pursuit of perfection.

6. Contemplative Remark

As the name itself suggests, contemplative remarks are intended to make your audience contemplate or mull over something. The ‘something’ in question should be the idea central to your speech, or a key takeaway that you want them to return home with.

The idea is to get your audience thinking and to keep them thinking for a long, long time.

How To Add A Contemplative Remark To Your Speech Ending

To add a contemplative remark to your speech ending, you first need to figure out your key takeaway or main theme. Then, you want to arrange that as a question, and propose it to your audience at the end of your speech.

Remember that your question shouldn’t be something too wordy or complicated to understand. As with the quotes, you don’t want your audience stuck on the semantics. Rather, you want them to focus on the matter at hand.

1. Lisa Penney

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to pay more attention to your thoughts & consider the legacy you leave behind.”

2. Grant Sanderson

Speech Ending: “Some of the most useful math that you can find or teach has its origin in someone who was just looking for a good story.”

3. Greta Thunberg

Speech Ending: “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up & change is coming whether you like it or not.”

4. Bill Eckstrom

Speech Ending: Now, think about this: it’s not the complexity-triggering individuals or events you should fear the most, but it’s your own willingness to accept or seek discomfort that will dictate the growth of not just you, but our entire world.

5. Robert Hoge

Speech Ending: Choose to accept your face, choose to appreciate your face, don’t look away from the mirror so quickly; understand all the love, and the life, and the pain that is the part of your face, that is the art of your face. Tomorrow when you wake up, what will your choice be?

7. Personal Anecdote

Personal anecdotes, as the name suggests, are anecdotes that are personal to the speaker or instances from their life. Personal anecdotes are a great way to incorporate the magical powers of storytelling in your speech, as well as to make a personal connection with the audience. Using personal anecdotes, you can hit two birds with one stone!

How To Add Personal Anecdotes To Your Speech Ending

To add personal anecdotes to your speech ending, you need to filter through your life experiences to find out ones that directly relate to your topic at hand. You don’t want to include an anecdote, no matter how compelling it is, if it doesn’t relate to your topic.

Remember to not keep your anecdote too long. Your audience will most likely lose their attention if you do so.

1. Sheila Humphries

Speech Ending: “Why do you go work for these people?” My answer to them was, “If I could help one child make it in this world, it’ll be worth it all.”

8. Call To Action

A call-to-action is one of the absolute best ways to conclude a speech with a bang. A well-written speech should aim to alter the audience’s mind or belief system in some way and to make them take an action in that direction. One crucial way to assure your audience does this is by using a call to action.

How To Add A Call To Action To Your Speech Ending

A call to action comes right before the ending of your speech to provide your audience with a clear idea or set of instructions about what they’re supposed to do after your talk ends.

A call to action should provide a roadmap to the audience for their future steps, and to outline clearly what those future steps are going to be.

1. Armin Hamrah

Speech Ending: “So tonight, after you finish your Math homework & before you lay your head down on that fluffy pillow, bring a piece of paper and pen by your bedside…”

2. Graham Shaw

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to get your drawings out there & spread the word that when we draw, we remember more!”

3. Andy Puddicombe

Speech Ending: You don’t have to burn any incense, and you definitely don’t have to sit on the floor. All you need to do is to take out 10 minutes out a day to step back, familiarize yourself with the present moment so that you get to experience a greater sense of focus, calm, and clarity in your life.

4. Amy Cuddy

Speech Ending: Before you go into the next stressful evaluative situation, for two minutes, try doing this in the elevator…

5. Jia Jiang

Speech Ending: When you are facing the next obstacle or the next failure, consider the possibilities. Don’t run! If you just embrace them, they might become your gifts as well.

9. Motivational Remark

As the name clearly explains, a motivational remark motivates your audience to carry out a plan of action. It ruffles the audience’s mind and emotions and has a powerful impact on the steps that your audience will take after you’ve finished speaking.

How To Add A Motivational Remark To Your Speech Ending

The key to a good motivational remark is to inspire your audience. Your motivational remark should act as a ray of hope to your audience and positively inspire them to take a desired course of action.

Your motivational remark should not be negative in any way. You don’t want to guilt or coerce your audience into doing something or feeling a certain way. You want to leave them on a positive note to move forward with their life.

1. Khanh Vy Tran

Speech Ending: “No matter what you’re going through right now & no matter what the future holds for you, please don’t change yourself. Love yourself, accept yourself & then transform yourself.”

2. Mithila Palkar

Speech Ending: “Get a job, leave a job, dance, sing, fall in love. Carve your own niche. But most importantly: learn to love your own randomness.”

3. Andrew Tarvin

Speech Ending: “Anyone can learn to be funnier. And it all starts with a choice. A choice to try to find ways to use humor. A choice to be like my grandmother, to look at the world around you and say WTF–wow, that’s fun.”

4. Laura Vanderkam

Speech Ending: There is time. Even if we are busy, we have time for what matters. And when we focus on what matters, we can build the lives we want in the time we’ve got.

5. Julian Treasure

Speech Ending: Let’s get listening taught in schools, and transform the world in one generation into a conscious listening world, a world of connection, a world of understanding, and a world of peace.

6. Mariana Atencio

Speech Ending: Let’s celebrate those imperfections that make us special. I hope that it teaches you that nobody has a claim on the word ‘normal’. We are all different. We are all quirky and unique and that is what makes us wonderfully human.

10. Challenge

Much like a call to action, the aim of proposing a challenge at the end of your speech is to instigate your audience to take some desired course of action. A challenge should make an appeal to your audience’s emotion, and motivate them to meet it.

How To Add A Challenge To Your Speech Ending

To apply a challenge effectively to your speech ending, you need to make sure that it’s something relevant to your topic. Your challenge should drive the central topic of your speech forward, and make your audience engage in real-life steps to apply your idea in the real world.

While its always a good idea to set a high bar for your challenge, make sure its an achievable one too.

1. Jamak Golshani

Speech Ending: “I challenge you to open your heart to new possibilities, choose a career path that excites you & one that’s aligned to who you truly are.”

2. Ashley Clift-Jennings

Speech Ending: So, my challenge to you today is, “Do you know, would you even know how to recognize your soulmate?” If you are going out in the world right now, would you know what you are looking for?

11. Metaphor

Metaphors are commonly used as a short phrase that draws a comparison between two ideas in a non-literal sense. People use metaphors quite commonly in daily life to explain ideas that might be too difficult or confusing to understand otherwise. Metaphors are also great tools to be used in speech, as they can present your main idea in a simple and memorable way.

How To Add Metaphors To Your Speech Ending

To add a metaphor to your speech ending, you need to first decide on the main idea or takeaway of your speech. Your metaphor should then be organized in such a way that it simplifies your main idea and makes it easier for your audience to understand & remember it.

The key is to not make your metaphor overly complicated or difficult to retain and share. Remember that you’re trying to simplify your idea for the audience–not make them even more confused.

1. Ramona J. Smith

Speech Ending: “Stay in that ring. And even after you take a few hits, use what you learned from those previous fights, and at the end of the round, you’ll still remain standing.”

2. Shi Heng YI

Speech Ending: “If any of you chooses to climb that path to clarity, I will be very happy to meet you at the peak.”

3. Zifang “Sherrie” Su

Speech Ending: “Are you turning your back on your fear? Our life is like this stage, but what scares are now may bring you the most beautiful thing. Give it a chance.”

12. Storytelling

The idea behind using stories to end your speech is to leave your audience with a good memory to take away with them.

Stories are catchy, resonating & memorable ways to end any speech.

Human beings can easily relate to stories. This is because most people have grown up listening to stories of some kind or another, and thus a good story tends to evoke fond feelings in us.

How To Incorporate Stories In Your Speech Ending

A great way to incorporate stories in your speech ending is by setting up a story in the beginning and then concluding it during the end of your speech.

Another great way would be to tell a short & funny anecdote related to a personal experience or simply something related to the topic at hand.

However, remember that it’s the ending of your speech. Your audience is most likely at the end of their attention span. So, keep your story short & sweet.

1. Sameer Al Jaberi

Speech Ending: “I can still see that day when I came back from my honeymoon…”

2. Josephine Lee

Speech Ending: “At the end of dinner, Jenna turned to me and said…”

Facts are another excellent speech ending, and they are used quite often as openings as well. The point of adding a fact as your speech ending is to add shock value to your speech, and to get your audience thinking & discussing the fact even after your speech has ended.

How To Add Facts To Your Speech Ending

The key to adding facts to your speech ending is to pick a fact that thrusts forward your main idea in the most concise form possible. Your fact should also be something that adds shock value to the speech, and it should ideally be something that the audience hasn’t heard before.

Make sure that your fact is relevant to the topic at hand. No matter how interesting, a fact that doesn’t relate to your topic is going to be redundant.

1. David JP Phillips

Speech Ending: 3500 years ago, we started transfering knowledge from generation to generation through text. 28 years ago, PowerPoint was born. Which one do you think our brain is mostly adapted to?

14. Rhethoric Remark

Rhetoric remarks are another excellent way to get the wheels of your audience’s minds turning. Rhetoric remarks make your audience think of an imagined scenario, and to delve deeper into your topic. Rhetoric remarks or questioned don’t necessarily need to have a ‘right’ or one-shot answer, which means you can be as creative with them as possible!

How To Add Rhethoric Remarks To Your Speech Ending

Since rhetorical questions don’t need to have a definite answer, you have much freedom in determining the type of question or statement you wish to make. However, as with all other speech endings, a rhetorical question shouldn’t be asked just for the sake of it.

A rhetorical question should make your audience think about your topic in a new or more creative manner. It should get them thinking about the topic and maybe see it from an angle that they hadn’t before.

Rhetorical questions shouldn’t be too confusing. Use simple language & make sure it’s something that the audience can easily comprehend.

1. Mona Patel

Speech Ending: Pick your problem, ask “What if?” Come up with ideas. Bring them down. Then execute on them. Maybe you’re thinking, “What if we can’t?” I say to you, “What if we don’t?”

2. Lizzie Velasquez

Speech Ending: I want you to leave here and ask yourself what defines you. But remember: Brave starts here.

Another great way to end your speech with a literal bang is by using music! After all, if there’s something that can impact the human mind with just as much force as a few well-placed words, it’s the correct music.

How To Add Music To Your Speech Ending

To add music to your speech ending, you must make sure that the music has something to do with your speech theme. Remember that you’re not playing music in your concert. The piece of music that you choose must be relevant to your topic & work to have a contribution in your overall speech.

1. Tom Thum

Speech Ending: *ends the TED Talk with beat boxing*

16. Reitirate The Title

The title of your speech is its most important component. That’s why you need to pay careful attention to how you pick it, as it is something that your viewers will most likely remember the longest about your speech.

Your title will also act as a guiding hand towards how your audience forms an initial idea about your speech and is what they will associate your entire speech with.

By repeating your title at the end of your speech, you increase the chances that your audience will remember it–and your speech–for a long time.

How To Retierate The Title In Your Speech Ending

Your title is something that your audience associates your entire speech with. However, you don’t want to simply add the title in your speech end for the sake of adding it. Instead, make it flow naturally into your speech ending. This will make it seem less forced, and will also increase the chances of your audience remembering your entire speech ending and not just the title of your speech.

1. Ruairi Robertson

Speech Ending: I feel we can all contribute to this fight worth fighting for our own health, but more importantly, our future generations’ health by restoring the relationship between microbe and man. There is SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Need more inspiration for speech closing lines? Check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Closing Remarks.

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To sum up, speech endings are just as imperative to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening. The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Still looking for inspiration? Check out this video we made on closing remarks:

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How to Conclude a Speech

Last Updated: May 15, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Gale McCreary . Gale McCreary is the Founder and Chief Coordinator of SpeechStory, a nonprofit organization focused on improving communication skills in youth. She was previously a Silicon Valley CEO and President of a Toastmasters International chapter. She has been recognized as Santa Barbara Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year and received Congressional recognition for providing a Family-Friendly work environment. She has a BS in Biology from Stanford University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 117,488 times.

The last moments are where a good speech can be made. If you want to leave your audience stunned, you can learn the basics needs of a good conclusion, as well as some tactics for ending creatively. You can also learn what techniques to avoid.

Things You Should Know

• Summarize the main points of your speech to remind listeners what they've learned.
• Recall something from the introduction so your speech comes full circle.
• Thank your audience for attending and listening.

Concluding Your Speech

• Use the chance to repeat your thesis a final time, if necessary. What's the one thing you hope someone remembers from your speech? What's the one thing that needs to be learned?
• In informal speeches, repeating the main points won't be necessary. If you're giving a toast at a wedding, you don't need to run back through a list of the great things about the groom.

• If you started the speech by drawing a sad portrait of a recently returned veteran who couldn't get work, or health insurance, and ended up in dire straits, that can be a heart-breaking intro. Pick back up with the story in conclusion to let you know where that vet is now.
• Any kind of reference can work. If you started a speech with a quote by Thomas Paine, end with more about Thomas Paine. The bookend technique is an excellent way of signaling the end for the audience.

• Put a face on things. Case studies and personal examples are extremely effective in helping an audience connect with a complicated issue or topic.
• Some people like to use this technique for the introduction, but it can be unexpected and even more effective to wait and use it at the conclusion, especially for speeches that are a little bit shorter.

• "We can turn back the oceans and stop the warming of our planet. It's not too late, as the title of my speech promises. It's not too late for any of us."

• It's also appropriate to use a "thank you" as the very last thing that you say: "We must continue fighting the good fight on climate change, for our children, for our economy, and for ourselves. Thank you." Cue applause.
• Sometimes, it's also appropriate to ask for questions if the occasion calls for it. People should be sure your speech is over, but if people seem hesitant, it's ok to say, "I'd be happy to take questions, if anyone has them."

Nailing the Ending

• "The fight for climate change (pause ) is a fight (pause) that we must (pause) win. Our children (pause). Our children's children (pause). Demand it."

• Return to the story of the veteran struggling to find work. With the sorts of infrastructure you're calling for in your speech, maybe he could be working a specific job, and getting into his own house, and even starting to plant a garden in the yard, something he always wanted to do. Dream a little, and let your audience do the same.

• "We must do this for our children, we must do this for our neighbors, we must do this for America, we must do this for the world, we must do this for the oceans, we must do this for the forests..."
• "Politicians can't legislate this. Architects can't build this. Artists can't dream this. Developers can't innovate this. Only you can do this."

• Address the audience specifically. Start using "you" toward the end of the speech, or address an individual in the audience to help bring it home.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

• "Well, that's pretty much it."
• "That's it."
• "I'm done."

• When the speech is over, don't keep talking. Even if you just remembered a point you forgot to make a few minutes ago, don't launch back into the speech when people are clapping, or once they're finished. When the speech is over, let it be over. If there's a chance for Q & A, then get to it then.

• Some speeches can be leavened with a bit of humor in the ending. If you've just given a particularly touching toast at a wedding, it might be good to release a bit of the tension with a well-placed gag. Probably not so much for a professional presentation.

Community Q&A

• Don't overwrite it. After your first few drafts, sit back and let it rest a few days. Then come back to your ending with new perspective. Pretend that you are listening to someone else say it for the first time. Read it like you will at the event. Then go back to editing. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
• Catch your audience's attention. Use a shocking fact, or statistic that will leave the listeners thinking and will urge them to action. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/introductions-and-conclusions
• ↑ https://westsidetoastmasters.com/article_reference/12_ways_to_end_your_speech.html
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-conclude-a-presentation
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-communications/chapter/conclusion/
• ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-call-action-speech-examples-mitch-carson?trk=public_profile_article_view
• ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/avoid-these-common-speech-mistakes-1

About this article

To conclude a speech, try summarizing the main points you made throughout it so you can remind the listener what you want them to learn or take away. In some cases, you can use the conclusion to recall the introduction, showing how the speech comes full circle. Or, if you have a catchy title, work it into the conclusion to grab your audience's attention. You can also signal the ending by thanking the audience for listening or simply stating “In conclusion” to let your listeners know it’s time to wrap up. To put extra emphasis on your ending, slow your speech to get people to perk up and really hear your final points. To learn how to use your conclusion as a call to action, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Writing the Conclusion of a Speech

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

One of the best ways to conclude a speech is to tie the conclusion into the introduction. For example, you might begin your speech by telling a suspenseful story that relates to your topic, but save the end of the story for the very end of your speech. Or refer back to the same quotation. Or refer to the joke that you told. Any of these strategies will give your speech a sense of connection and closure, and will leave the audience with a great final impression.

If you are delivering a persuasive speech, you might try a slightly different ending because your goal is not just to be remembered, it’s to inspire people to take action. One way to do this is to issue a call-to-action. This means that you specifically tell your audience what actions you expect them to take related to your speech. Another way to inspire action with the conclusion of your speech is to appeal to their emotions. If you create a desired emotion within your audience, and then leave them with that emotion, they will take that emotion with them. For example: If you leave them feeling guilty about not-recycling by painting a bleak picture about the state of the Earth that their grandchildren will live in, then they might recall that emotion the next time they choose not to recycle and alter their behavior.

Leaving a strong final impression is the most important aspect of the conclusion, but their are some other necessary steps as well:

• Making a smooth transition from the body of the speech to the conclusion is crucial. To do this, use a signpost known as a concluding statement. The most common concluding statements include: “in conclusion”, “I leave you with”, “finally today”, and other similarly obvious endings.
• Just as it is important to preview a speech in the introduction, it is important to summarize the speech in the conclusion. The more the audience hears your main points, the more likely they are to remember them. By previewing, discussing, and summarizing your main points your audience will be exposed to them at least three times during your speech.

A good conclusion should be about 5-10% of the total speech length. Anything shorter that 5% means that the ending has come too abruptly. Anything more that 10%, and the audience may become restless. This brings up another point: If it sounds like a conclusion, you need to finish your speech in a reasonable amount of time. The conclusion is not the place to add new material.

Effective ways to end a speech

• Summarize the main speech topics or main points.
• Repeat a few keywords or phrases by using the rhetorical figure of speech repetition.
• State how your points prove your general and specific goal.
• Restate and reinforce the central idea.
• Repeat the tie between the needs and interests of the listeners, and your thesis.
• Refer back to an anecdote or quotation in the introduction text.
• Offer a so-called moral of the story.
• Call them to act and offer them how-to-do-it steps.
• List the benefits or available applications; very effective ways to end a speech.
• Restate the problem and provide your solution in two sentences.
• Visualize the outcome of your call to action with a prop or visual aid.
• Transform your central idea or even the discourse title into an easy to remember slogan.
• Recite a couple of lines from songs, poems or citations and quotes from a historical presentation.
• End with a heart-felt human interest story in which all comes together.
• Finish with a clinching personal anecdote.
• Close with an illustrative design example.
• End with a joke or funny remark. Must say that only choose these ways to end a speech if it’s really funny.
• Connect your speech topics with the common grounds and thoughts of the public speaking audience. This way to end a speech brings the overall speech topic in their hearts and minds.
• Ask a rhetorical question and answer with an easy to remember oneliner.
• Give the ultimate answer on an important question you proposed earlier in your introduction.
• Surprise with a shocking fact or figure that empahizes the need for change.
• Draw the contours of the ideal situation you propose. Visualize that they will see paradise if they do, think or act as you want.

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How to End a Speech: The Best Tips and Examples

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Published Date : February 16, 2024

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As the introduction sets the stage, your conclusion seals the deal. The question, “How do you end a speech ?” is an essential query that each presenter or speaker must ask, given the final words’ impact and weight on your audience. 

Since your final words eventually have a lasting effect, you must make a striking thought to the people. Your speech ’s ending is your last opportunity to reiterate the fundamental idea, inspire the listeners , motivate a group to take action, change an individual’s perspective, or make a final impression on them. 

If you are still wondering how to end a speech that can appease your audience, then be worry-free because this guide can help you. Read this article to learn how to end a maid of honor speech , a graduation speech , and more because it contains the best tips and examples. 

Why is a Conclusion Important?

The audience is more likely not to forget the latest thing a speaker said due to the “Recency Effect” in learning. Hence, the conclusion of a speech serves as a signal to the audience that it is nearing the end, helping them recall the entire topic’s essential points. 

You can’t just suddenly stop speaking in front of your listeners because that will disappoint and confuse them. It is best to ensure they are left satisfied and knowledgeable about your speeches by closing them smoothly. 

Additionally, it is vital always to link your conclusion back to your introduction. The most effective way to do this method is through going back to your attention grabber or “hook.”

At the end of your speech , it is where most of your audience’s lasting impression of everything you have said will form. Thus, if you ask how to end a speech , use its conclusion to secure the necessary components in your listeners’ minds. 

You might confuse, disappoint, or even leave the audience unconvinced without a satisfactory conclusion. With these thoughts, we can tell that it has a two-fold purpose: to signal the speech ’s end and reinforce the speaker’s message to the people. 

The Key Elements of a Good Conclusion

When contemplating how to end a speech , remember that your introduction is the appetizer, while your conclusion is its dessert. Conclusions must round off the topic and make a strong impression on people’s minds. 

To create a conclusion that will satisfy and sum up all the vital information from your speech , consider these three key elements:

1. Reiterate the main idea

What is the central idea of your message? That is a secure place to start your conclusion. 

Above all, you have directed each part of your speech to support your topic, subject, or information. To start your conclusion, by all means, reiterate your speech ’s main idea. 

Of course, making it different and fresh to the listeners would be best. You do not want to repeat it verbatim, making the audience feel like you are just redoing things. 

Somewhat loosen it up as you prepare to remind your audience why they would be well-provided to adopt your viewpoint or follow your suggestion. 

2. Summarize three primary points

Another vital element to answer your question on how to end a speech is summarizing. For your overall summary, getting three main points is a good benchmark.

You do not have to restate each argument or claim because you can eventually pick three that you think are the most remarkable. In regards to your main idea, do not be dry and monotonous.

Avoid merely repeating three points; show your audience how those points strengthened your claim or speech . Draw them together into a single special force, supplementing weight to your primary idea. 

3. Close on a high note

Leave your audience pleased and satisfied but also wanting more. When you are closing your conclusion, consider ending it with a capturing, thought-provoking concept. 

You may want to raise a rhetorical question or state a notable quote from your research. From time to time, good quotations serve as illustrations, stating what we want to mention with a bit of confidence and style. 

Another method to add some “food for thought” to your speech ’s conclusion is to connect your primary idea to a more in-depth scenario. Also, note that your speech ’s closing line needs extra effort . 

The portion acts as your last opportunity to make it stick, so never introduce new information in your ending. Additional information can confuse your listeners and take them away from the essential features of a conclusion, which are:

• Restatement of your primary idea
• Summary of three main points
• Remarkable closing line

What are the Considerations on How to End a Speech?

When you imagine how to end a speech or presentation, there are several things to consider when it comes to their close, which include:

• Is your ending engaging?
• Does your conclusion restate your message?
• Have you identified the next step you want your listeners to take clearly?

Too often, speakers or presenters believe that people will infer what they should act next. The reality or truth is that even the most talented speaker can benefit from setting off a clear call to action to their audience. 

When it is particular, uncomplicated to perform, and aligns with the audience’s concerns, needs, and wants, they are more likely to take upon your persuasion , especially if you are making a persuasive speech. 

Always consider that an impactful ending encourages, empowers, and motivates people. See the best tips in the next part to learn how to end a speech . 

What are some Good Ways to End a Speech?

A study shows that when they need to recall information, they best remember the beginning and the end. Therefore, impacting your speech ’s closing is essential because people will mostly think of that part. 

Here are seven different ways to choose and make an unforgettable ending for your audience if you still doubt how to end a speech most appealingly. 

1. The Summary Close

This method on how to end a speech is about the most direct, specific, and straightforward one on the list. The history of how to end a speech or presentation also refers to this as a “recap” close.

If you end your speech with a summary, clarify your most significant idea and convey to the listeners that it is what you want them to take. However, that does not imply that your summary close is not engaging. 

2. The Surprise Close 

Several of the best movie endings of all time were surprising conclusions, outright shockers, and wicked twists. Why do you think they are so memorable?

It is because the viewers or the audience did not expect that ending. When we experience something we did not anticipate, it turns out that our brains are more active. 

In other cases, we might have also expected a different or another scenario for the conclusion. Hence, we become notably accustomed to what occurs when a pattern breaks.

Closing a speech with a hint of surprise at its ending is like signaling your audience to listen to you. 

3. The Illustrative Close

Another method to close your speech is to do it in this way. The artistry in an illustrative close comes from your skill to correct the following:

• first or third-person anecdote

It can also refer to another storytelling device representing your illustration of the primary points you created during your speech . Many speakers use this manner at the start and end of their talks.

4. The Forward-looking Close

This method of closing a speech is a better option if you discuss suggestions for future trends that could bear your topic. To help your audience visualize what you desire to accomplish, make a vibrant and vivid picture of it because it is essential.

For example, you are a financial consultant talking to a crowd 15 years away from retirement. During your speech , share your company’s approach to investment or a portfolio of your products. 

5. The Backward-looking Close

Besides the forward-looking close, there is also a backward-looking close. This way, you move away from the future and go into the past instead.

Let’s say you are wondering how to end a maid of honor speech as the bride’s sister and has spent so many years and memories with her. During your message, you can recall those moments. Then, from those past happenings, close your speech by wishing her a happy future with her husband. 

6. The Metaphor Close 

You might feel like you are drowning in options regarding how to end a speech . However, if you carefully look at your topic or subject and what you must convey, you will eventually find it easy as pie.

Welcome to the metaphor close. Yes, I just used some metaphors in the earlier part. Perhaps you had noticed them already before I pointed it out.

Metaphors are figures of speech that indirectly compare two figuratively similar things but are distinct. You do not take it in a literal sense that you are drowning in options, but you can feel that way. 

If you still don’t know how to end a graduation speech , this method may be one of your best options.

7. The Provocative Close

Provocative refers to the tendency to provoke, stimulate, or excite. Of course, as the speaker or presenter, you hope to encourage your audience, but using a provocative close snaps them to attention.

Check the table for some examples of how to end a speech provocatively. 

How to End a PowerPoint Presentation?

When you provide cluttered visual presentations , instead of an illustration that draws the people in, you can use PowerPoint to make a memorable close.

You can encourage and bring out their curiosity through powerful visualization. To help you with this matter, we have provided options for ending a speech with a PowerPoint slide. 

Here are a couple of samples of what you can project:

• A humorous image but has a profound significance.
• A photo that is supposedly unrelated to your speech subject or topic needs your explanation.
• A line graph shows two possible outcomes in which the audience may get involved.

How Should You End a Presentation Slideshow?

Since you have learned what you can project in your PowerPoint presentation and how useful it is to end your talk, let us get into several essential tips on finishing a formal presentation slideshow.

Here are ways you can do to make it memorable and impactful to your audience:

• Have a clear and concise message

To close your formal presentation slideshow, bring your fundamental message to the forefront and align it with your objectives. You must give your final message down to a notable point so that your audience can walk away remembering what you have said.

• Utilize the best final PowerPoint slide.

Your final slide will differ according to the type of presentation you are delivering. 

For example, if you are still having second thoughts regarding how to end a maid of honor speech uniquely, maybe you can opt to make a slideshow presentation for your sister’s wedding. There are creative ways to give your speech , especially when you are too nervous about public speaking . 

You only have to ensure that you are using a powerful final PowerPoint graphic slide to showcase your concluding information. Of course, you should fit its theme at the event. 

• Use animation to highlight something.

Adding a hint of animation in your presentation or slideshow is one of the best ways to bring the significant element onto your slide at the perfect period. A program like PowerPoint has features, such as built-in animations, that you can efficiently utilize. 

How to End a Speech Dos and Don’ts

After discussing the key elements of ending a speech and ways to close your presentation, we should tackle how to end a speech ’s dos and don’ts.

We have compiled a few things that you must consider. See them in this table:

How to End Your Speech Examples (video examples)

We have made your work easier if you seek the best examples of closing a speech . Be worry-free about how to end a maid of honor speech , graduation address, and other presentations. 

How to End a Graduation Speech

Here are four tips on how to end a graduation speech that would give you big applause from the crowd:

• Plan every word of your closing remarks.
• Close it with a story.
• Insert a little humor and make the audience laugh.
• Close your graduation speech with inspiration. 

How to End a Maid of Honor Speech

Are you worried about how to end a maid of honor speech ? The following are the typical phrases used for the maid of honor speech ending:

• Let us all toast for the happiness of the newly married couple!
• Best wishes to the happy and lovely couple!
• Please raise your glasses in honor of the bride and groom.
• Cheers to the newlyweds!
• Wishing years of bliss to the bride and groom!
• What a beautiful wedding day, so let us toast wherever their lives may lead.

How to Close a Sales Presentation

Another example of how to end a speech we have is closing a sales pitch . An outstanding presentation turns off if you do not try to create a great closing. To make your customers eager to purchase, try the tips we recommend.

• Go back to your opening idea.
• Close it with a challenge to your audience.
• Indulge your listeners into a metaphorical mission.
• Share a story.
• End your speech with a quote.

How can you effectively call your audience to action?

To ignite action, be crystal clear with your desired action, use persuasive language to spark urgency, and highlight the benefits they’ll reap. Back it up with evidence, repeat it for impact, and remove any hurdles that stand in their way. Finally, it tugs at their heartstrings to connect and motivate them to follow through. This winning formula fuels effective calls to action!

What are some creative ways to end a presentation?

Spice up your presentation ending! Ditch the boring summary and opt for storytelling, metaphors, inspiring quotes, actionable steps, thought-provoking questions, surprising elements, laughter, or genuine gratitude. Choose what fits your style and leave your audience with a bang, not a whimper!

What should you not do when ending a presentation?

When concluding a presentation, it is important to avoid certain practices. One thing you should not do is end your presentation with a slide that simply asks “Questions?” This approach is commonplace and lacks originality, making it forgettable for your audience. Instead, it is crucial to consider alternative techniques for concluding your presentation on a strong and memorable note.

How can something from the opening be repeated to close a presentation?

Start strong, end strong! Bookend your presentation by repeating a thought-provoking question, concluding a captivating story, or tying back to your title. This creates a unified message, satisfying closure, and a lasting impression on your audience. They’ll leave remembering “the answer,” “the ending,” or “the meaning,” solidifying your impact.

What can be used instead of a “thank you” slide?

Ditch the “thank you” slide! Show gratitude verbally and utilize a summary slide with key points, a call to action, and your contact details. More text is okay here; use bullet points for clarity . It helps during Q&A; attendees might even snap a picture for a handy takeaway.

How can a running clock be used to emphasize the urgency of a message?

Tick-tock! Adding a running clock to your time-sensitive message visually screams urgency. It shows limited time, fuels action, grabs attention, and boosts your message’s credibility. Don’t let your audience miss out – let the clock do the talking!

How can a surprising fact re-engage the audience’s attention?

Attention fading? Drop a surprising fact with stats! It jolts your audience awake, adds credibility, and keeps them hooked. Find it online, but cite your source to be extra legitimate. Facts rock; use them to rule your presentation!

How can the rule of three be used in communication?

Group in threes! This communication rule makes your message stick. Break down ideas, stories, or anything you say into triplets. It’s easy to remember, catchy and keeps your audience engaged with your message long after you’re done. So go forth and conquer with the power of three!

How can the main points be linked to the key message in the conclusion?

Ditch the swim, find the gem! Your conclusion reflects your whole speech . Summarize key points, deliver a lasting impact, and tie it all together. Don’t leave it as an afterthought – make it resonate, leaving your audience nodding, satisfied, and remembering your message long after you’re done.

How can a visual image be used to end a presentation?

Don’t bore your audience with text! Ditch the cluttered slides and use a powerful image to end your presentation. Funny, thought-provoking, or a line graph with a choice – pick one to intrigue and make them think. Leave it on the screen for impact, let them ponder; your message will stick long after you’re done. Just remember, image and message go hand in hand!

How can a compelling story be used to conclude a presentation?

Forget jokes and platitudes. Close with a powerful story! Not just any story, one that makes them laugh, feel your message and remember it all. Your article mentions this, but their article goes deeper. They say to make it personal, relatable, and tied to your key points. This creates empathy, connection, and an unforgettable ending that leaves your audience wanting more. Go beyond the basics and tell a story they’ll remember long after the presentation.

What are the different ways to end a presentation or speech?

Ditch the panic. Pick your closing! Consider metaphors to leave a deep impression, challenge your audience with a “what if” scenario, or use visuals to stimulate their minds. Summarize key points, deliver a powerful message, and practice your ending for polish. Do avoid rambling, awkward gestures, or rushing out. Remember, a strong closing leaves a lasting mark. Now go captivate them!

In making your speech ’s ending, do not make your conclusion only an afterthought. It should support everything you have said in your talk and remind the audience why your topic matters. 

Leave the people nodding in agreement or satisfied by ending your speech remarkably. Yes, you can’t win everybody over your talk, but you can significantly make them pause and think.

We hope this article has imparted enough knowledge and answered your question about ending a speech .  Download the Orai speech app for an AI-powered speech coach for interactive and fun lessons!

Good luck with your presentation!

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Module 6: Introductions and Conclusions

Functions of conclusions.

So: You are at the end of your speech, and you can’t wait to sit down and be done! You start speeding up your rate of delivery, but your volume goes down a bit because you are rushing and running out of breath. You finish the last main point of your speech and race off to your seat: That is not the best way to conclude a speech.

Just as with introductions, conclusions have specific functions to fulfill within a speech. And just as with introductions, there are a number of types of conclusions. In this section of this chapter, we will look at these functions, discuss the relationship between introductions and conclusions, and offer some strategies for preparing and delivering an effective conclusion.

“Cool Park Architecture / Tianjin, China” by SamHakes. morgueFile license .

The basic structure of a speech is not linear but circular. Speeches should not take you on a straight line from A to Z. Speeches should take you in a circle from A to Z. Speeches start at the top of the circle with the introduction, work their way all around the circle, and end up back at the top with the conclusion. All the parts fit together and flow together in this circle, and the conclusion takes you right back to the introduction—with an enhanced understanding of the topic.

Prepare the Audience for the End of the Speech

A speech does not just stop—or, to be more precise, a speech should not just stop. A speech, effectively structured and delivered, should move smoothly from point to point and then to the conclusion. One of the most important functions of the conclusion is to prepare the audience for the end of the speech.

Throughout the speech, you have been providing the audience with verbal and nonverbal cues to where you are going in the speech. As you move to the conclusion, you need to continue to provide these cues. You can use language cues (“now that we have seen that we can solve this problem effectively, we can review the entire situation”), movement cues (physically moving back to the center of the room where you began the speech), and paralinguistic cues (slow the rate of the speech, use more pauses) to help prepare your audience for the end of the speech.

When you prepare the audience for the end of the speech, you let them know that they need to be ready for any final comments or appeals from you, and that they should be prepared to acknowledge you as a speaker.

Present any Final Appeals

Depending on the type of speech you are presenting, you will be asking the audience for something. You may be asking them to act in a certain way, or to change their attitude toward a certain person or topic. You may be asking them to simply understand what you have had to say in your presentation. Regardless, one of the tasks of the conclusion is to leave the audience motivated positively toward you and the topic you have been presenting.

Psychologists and sociologists (as well as communication scholars) know that there is both a primacy and  recency effect in presenting information. [1] Essentially, people tend to better remember information presented first or last—they remember what they hear at the beginning of the speech or at the end. In presenting your appeals to the audience, you can take advantage of the recency effect to increase the likelihood of your audience acting on your appeals.

“LBJ at the University of Michigan” by Cecil W. Stoughton. Public domain.

Former President Lyndon Johnson, in a speech announcing a major policy initiative known as the Great Society, concluded his speech with a series of challenges and appeals to his audience.

For better or for worse, your generation has been appointed by history to deal with those problems and to lead America toward a new age. You have the chance never before afforded to any people in any age. You can help build a society where the demands of morality, and the needs of the spirit, can be realized in the life of the Nation.

So, will you join in the battle to give every citizen the full equality which God enjoins and the law requires, whatever his belief, or race, or the color of his skin?

Will you join in the battle to give every citizen an escape from the crushing weight of poverty?

Will you join in the battle to make it possible for all nations to live in enduring peace — as neighbors and not as mortal enemies?

Will you join in the battle to build the Great Society, to prove that our material progress is only the foundation on which we will build a richer life of mind and spirit?

There are those timid souls that say this battle cannot be won; that we are condemned to a soulless wealth. I do not agree. We have the power to shape the civilization that we want. But we need your will and your labor and your hearts, if we are to build that kind of society. [2]

“President Johnson poverty tour” by Cecil W. Stoughton. Public domain.

The appeals were significant in that the speech was delivered as a commencement address at the University of Michigan, at a time in American society when college and university students were protesting many government actions.

When Demosthenes was asked what were the three most important aspects of oratory, he answered, Action, Action, Action. – Plutarch

Summarize and Close

A conclusion is structural in function. Just as the introduction must include a statement of the purpose of the speech, as well as a preview of the main ideas of the speech, the conclusion must include a restatement of the thesis and a review of the main ideas of the speech. The review and restatement are mirror images of the preview statement in the introduction. Structurally, the restatement and review bring the speech back to the top of the circle and remind the audience where we started. Functionally, they help cue the audience that the end of the speech is coming up.

Let’s go back to the thesis and preview example. The example was from a speech on ethanol, and the sample thesis was “So right now let’s see how dependence on fossil fuels costs you money and how use of ethanol as a supplement will save you money and save the world from energy obsolescence.”

In the conclusion of this speech, one effective method to summarize and wrap-up is to simply restate the thesis and preview—but in the past tense, since we have now heard the speech.

Today we have seen how dependence on fossil fuels costs you money and how use of ethanol as a supplement will save you money and save the world from energy obsolescence. We learned first why we as a society are so dependent upon fossil fuels in the first place, and then secondly we found out what causes this dependence, and third, we saw how ethanol as a fuel supplement will help end this dependence, and finally we discovered how simple it is to implement this solution and make the world a better place for all of us.

By restating the thesis and reviewing the main ideas, you once again take advantage of both the primacy and recency effect, and you create a complete and coherent structure to your speech.

“BP Oil Flood Protest in New Orleans” by Derek Bridges. CC-BY .

End with a Clincher

With conclusions, however, there are some additional forms you may wish to use, and there are some variations and adaptations of the introductions that you will want to use as you prepare your conclusions.

Earlier in this section when we discussed introductions, it was argued that stories are quite possibly the most effective form of introduction: Stories appear to be almost “hard-wired” into our individual and cultural make-up; and stories have a built-in structure. Stories, then, also make excellent conclusions, and can be used as conclusions in at least two ways. First, you can complete the story that you started in the introduction. Remember: You stopped right before the climax or denouement, and now, you can finish the story. Alternatively, you can retell the story, and this time the story will reflect what the audience has learned from your speech. Either method provides coherence and closure to the story and the speech.

Humor also remains an effective type of conclusion, but the same dangers with the use of humor discussed in the section on introductions applies to the conclusion. Still, effective use of humor leaves the audience in a receptive frame of mind, and, so long as the humor is relevant to the speech, provides a positive reminder to the audience of the main purpose of the speech.

Because of the functions of conclusions, there are two additional types of conclusions you may wish to consider: Appeals and Challenges.

I appeal to you, my friends, as mothers: are you willing to enslave your children? You stare back with horror and indignation at such questions. But why, if slavery is not wrong to those upon whom it is imposed? – Angelina Grimke

Appeals and Challenges

Since the conclusion comes at the end of the speech, it is appropriate to leave the audience with an appeal or a challenge (or a combination of the two). Similar in nature, appeals and challenges primarily divide by tone. Appeals are generally phrased more as requests, while challenges can take on a more forceful tone, almost ordering or daring audiences to engage in thought or action.

“Martin Luther King Jr.” Public domain.

One of the most historically memorable and effective conclusions that utilized appeal and challenge was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! [3]

Candela Citations

• Chapter 9 Functions of Conclusions. Authored by : Warren Sandmann, Ph.D.. Provided by : Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN. Located at : http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html . Project : The Public Speaking Project. License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Cool Park Architecture. Authored by : SamHakes. Provided by : MorgueFiles. Located at : http://mrg.bz/dbrQuL . License : Other . License Terms : Free to remix, commercial use, no attribution required. http://www.morguefile.com/license/morguefile
• BP Oil Flood Protest in New Orleans 30. Authored by : Derek Bridges. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BP_Oil_Flood_Protest_in_New_Orleans_30.jpg . License : CC BY: Attribution
• LBJ at the University of Michigan. Authored by : Cecil W. Stoughton. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LBJ_at_the_University_of_Michigan.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
• President Johnson Poverty Tour. Authored by : Cecil Saughton. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Johnson_poverty_tour.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
• Martin Luther King - March on Washington. Provided by : United States Information Agency. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Martin_Luther_King_-_March_on_Washington.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
• Garlick, R. (1993). Verbal descriptions, communicative encounters and impressions. Communication Quarterly , 41 , 394 – 404. ↵
• Johnson, L. (1964, May 22). The great society. Speech posted at http://www.americanrhetoric.com/sp eeches/lbjthegreatsociety.htm ↵
• King, Jr., M. L. (1963, August 28). I have a dream.” Speech posted at http://www.americanrhetoric.com/sp eeches/mlkihaveadream.htm ↵

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How to End a Speech: The 15 Best Tips and Examples To Elevate Your Speech Closing

When it comes to giving a speech, the conclusion is just as important as the introduction and body. It’s the final impression you leave on your audience, and it can make or break your entire presentation. A powerful and memorable conclusion can leave your audience inspired, informed, and engaged.

Crafting a Memorable Conclusion

1. Summarize Your Key Points

One of the best ways to conclude a speech is to focus on the key points you’ve made throughout your presentation. This helps highlight your message and ensures that your audience remembers the most important takeaways.

For example, if you were giving a speech on the importance of environmental conservation, you could conclude by summarizing the key actions individuals can take, such as reducing waste and conserving energy.

Before that, it is crucial to memorize the speech , and each detail of it in the right order. That will help you to act like a pro in your presentation.

2. End with a Powerful Quote

Quotes can be a powerful tool to end a speech, as they can encapsulate your message and leave a lasting impression. Choose a quote that relates to your topic and resonates with your audience.

For instance, if you were giving a motivational speech, you could end with a quote like, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts,” by Winston Churchill.

Engaging Your Audience

3. Ask a Thought-Provoking Question

Engage your audience by asking a thought-provoking question in your conclusion. This can encourage them to reflect on the topic and even initiate discussions after your speech.

If you were delivering a speech on the future of technology, you could ask, “What do you envision for the future of human-technology interaction?” This prompts your audience to consider the possibilities.

4. Tell a Personal Anecdote

Sharing a personal anecdote related to your speech topic can humanize you as a speaker and make a deep connection with your audience . This can be particularly effective when giving a persuasive or motivational speech.

In case you were speaking about overcoming adversity, you could share a personal story of a challenging experience you faced and how you persevered. This personal touch can leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Creating a Memorable Conclusion

5. End with a Call to Action

If your speech is meant to inspire action, a strong call to action in your conclusion is essential. Clearly state what you want your audience to do or how you want them to apply the information you’ve provided.

If your speech is about volunteer opportunities in your community, conclude by encouraging your audience to sign up for a specific event or join a local organization.

6. Use Visual Aids

Visual aids can be a compelling way to conclude your speech, especially if you’ve used them throughout your presentation . You can end with a powerful image, graph, or chart that reinforces your message.

For example, if you were giving a speech on the effects of deforestation, you could conclude by displaying a before-and-after image of a deforested area that has been restored.

Captivating Your Audience

7. Employ Humor

Ending your speech with a touch of humor can be a great way to leave your audience with a smile. A well-timed joke or witty remark related to your topic can help lighten the mood and make your conclusion more memorable.

However, be cautious with humor , as it should be appropriate and inoffensive to your audience.

8. Use a Visual Metaphor

Visual metaphors are a creative way to conclude your speech. They involve using a physical object or action that symbolizes your message.  For instance, if your speech is about the power of unity, you could conclude by bringing two puzzle pieces together to illustrate how unity can solve complex problems.

Demonstrating Confidence and Gratitude

9. Express Gratitude

Showing appreciation to your audience is a gracious way to conclude your speech. Thank your listeners for their time, attention, and engagement. Expressing gratitude not only leaves a positive impression but also reinforces the connection you’ve established with your audience.

You can say, “I want to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for being here today and for your dedication to our cause.”

10. Maintain Eye Contact

Maintaining eye contact with your audience during the conclusion is crucial. It conveys confidence and sincerity, making your message more impactful.  Avoid looking down at your notes or staring at a distant point. Instead, connect with individual members of your audience as you wrap up your speech.

Inspiring and Motivating

11. End with a Vision

Paint a vivid picture of the future in your conclusion. Share a vision that inspires and motivates your audience. This approach works well in speeches related to goals, aspirations, or change.

When you are speaking about the future of renewable energy, describe a world where clean energy sources power our cities and protect our environment.

12. Leave a Rhetorical Question

A rhetorical question in your conclusion can leave your audience pondering your message long after your speech has ended. It encourages reflection and engages your listeners on a deeper level.

Moreover, if you’re delivering a speech on the importance of education, you could conclude with a rhetorical question like, “Can we afford to neglect the potential of the next generation?”

Achieving Impactful Closure

13. Connect to Your Opening

A powerful technique for closing a speech is to circle back to your opening statement or anecdote. This creates a sense of closure and reinforces the theme or message you introduced at the beginning.

If you began your speech with a personal story, bringing that story full circle in your conclusion can be particularly impactful.

14. Use a Poignant Quote or Poem

Consider ending your speech with a meaningful quote or a short poem that encapsulates your message. Poetry, in particular, can evoke strong emotions and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Choose a quote or poem that resonates with your speech’s theme and delivers a profound message.

Practice and Feedback

15. rehearse and seek feedback.

Lastly, practice and feedback are essential for a successful conclusion . Rehearse your ending multiple times to ensure that your delivery is confident and polished.  Seek feedback from trusted individuals who can provide constructive suggestions to help you refine your conclusion further.

Should I memorize my conclusion word-for-word, or is it okay to improvise?

Memorizing your conclusion word-for-word is generally not recommended. While it’s crucial to know the key points and structure of your conclusion, sounding too rehearsed can come across as insincere. Instead, aim to understand the main ideas and transitions in your conclusion, allowing for some flexibility in your delivery. This approach can make your conclusion feel more authentic and engaging.

Can I use multiple techniques in a single conclusion?

The key is to maintain coherence and relevance. For instance, you can end with a powerful quote followed by a call to action or a thought-provoking question, as long as they flow naturally and support your speech’s objectives.

Is it acceptable to use humor in the conclusion of a serious or formal speech?

It can be acceptable to use humor in the conclusion of a serious or formal speech, but it should be used judiciously and in a way that is contextually appropriate. Humor can help break the tension or lighten the mood, but it should not detract from the overall message or tone of your speech. Ensure that your humor is respectful and relevant to your audience and topic.

The Bottom Line

Ending a speech effectively is a skill that can be honed with practice and attention to detail. Remember that the conclusion is your final opportunity to connect with your audience, so make it count by crafting a memorable and impactful ending.

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Crafting a Powerful Conclusion for Your Speech

Have you ever finished listening to a speech and felt like something was missing? That elusive element often lies in the conclusion. Crafting a powerful conclusion for your speech can transform a good presentation into a memorable one. This article aims to guide you through the essentials of creating impactful conclusions.

Table of Contents

The Significance of a Strong Conclusion

A conclusion isn’t just the tail end of your speech. It serves as the final impression you leave on your audience.

Lasting Impact

The conclusion is crucial because it solidifies the key points of your speech. It’s the final opportunity to resonate with your audience, leaving a lasting impact. This is where you drive your message home.

Summarization and Reinforcement

A strong conclusion provides a concise summary of your main points. It helps to reinforce the key messages you want your audience to take away, ensuring they don’t forget what you’ve discussed.

Essential Elements of an Effective Conclusion

A high-impact conclusion requires specific elements that work together to create a compelling ending.

Recap Key Points

Briefly recap your main points to remind your audience of the journey they’ve taken with you. Repetition helps solidify concepts in memory.

Restate Your Thesis

Restating your thesis or central idea frames your speech and gives it context. This reminds your audience of the core message you want them to leave with.

Call to Action

A powerful conclusion often includes a call to action. This motivates your audience to take specific steps after listening to your speech, making it not just informative but actionable.

Emotional Appeal

Incorporating emotional appeal can make your conclusions more persuasive. Tugging at the heartstrings or evoking a sense of urgency can make your message more memorable.

Techniques for Crafting a Strong Conclusion

Several techniques can elevate your conclusion from mundane to memorable.

Use a Quotation

Quotations from notable figures resonate well with audiences. Choose a quote that aligns with your speech’s theme and use it to encapsulate your message.

Tell a Story

A brief, relevant story can encapsulate the essence of your speech and create a more lasting impression. Stories are particularly effective in engaging and keeping the audience’s attention.

Pose a Thought-Provoking Question

End your speech with a question that encourages your audience to think deeply about your topic. This prompts further reflection and ensures your message lingers in their minds.

Offer a Vision

Painting a picture of a compelling future can be a powerful way to end your speech. This technique is particularly effective in motivational and visionary speeches.

Mistakes to Avoid

Crafting a compelling conclusion requires awareness of common pitfalls that can detract from your overall message.

Being Too Vague

Avoid vagueness. Your conclusion should be clear, concise, and specific. Ambiguity can confuse your audience and dilute your message.

Introducing New Information

The conclusion isn’t the time to introduce new points. Stick to reinforcing what you’ve already discussed to avoid overloading your audience.

Overloading with Jargon

While it’s important to be clear, using too much jargon can alienate your audience. Aim to communicate your message in straightforward language.

Structuring Your Conclusion

Effective conclusions follow a pretty specific structure. Let’s break down each part for better clarity.

Summarize your main points succinctly. This part is crucial for reinforcing what you’ve discussed and ensuring your audience understands your core message.

Restate the Thesis

Restating your thesis ties your conclusion back to the beginning, offering a sense of closure and completeness.

Incorporating a call to action helps to make your speech actionable. What should your audience do with the information you’ve provided? This can range from thinking differently about a topic to taking specific actions.

Finally, incorporate an emotional appeal if it aligns with your speech. Whether it’s a personal story or an evocative quote, ending on an emotional note can make your conclusion more powerful.

Real-World Examples

Examining real-world examples can provide valuable insights into what makes a conclusion effective.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”

Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech is a textbook example of a powerful conclusion. By envisioning a future of equality, he leaves a strong, lasting impression that resonates even decades later.

Key Elements:

Steve Jobs’ Commencement Speech

Steve Jobs ended his Stanford commencement speech with a call to action: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” This straightforward yet impactful conclusion sticks with the audience.

Practical Tips for Writing Your Conclusion

Creating a compelling conclusion isn’t rocket science, but it does require some thought and preparation.

Start Early

Don’t wait until the last moment to craft your conclusion. Start early and allow yourself time to refine it for maximum impact.

Keep it Short and Sweet

Aim for brevity. A rambling conclusion can dilute your message. Make every word count to keep your audience engaged until the end.

Rehearse your conclusion several times to ensure you deliver it smoothly. Practice helps you pitch your voice correctly, which adds to the emotional impact.

Common Questions About Conclusions

Addressing common questions can offer practical insights into crafting effective conclusions.

How Long Should My Conclusion Be?

Your conclusion should be long enough to effectively summarize your main points and drive home your message, but short enough to retain your audience’s attention. Aim for 10-15% of your total speech length.

Can I Use Humor?

Humor can be effective if it aligns with your speech and its tone. Be mindful, though, as humor can be subjective and may not resonate with all audience members.

How Can I Handle Stage Fright during Conclusion?

Practice is key to overcoming stage fright. Familiarity with your conclusion through repeated rehearsal can make it easier to deliver confidently.

What if I Forget My Conclusion?

If you lose your train of thought, take a deep breath and try to remember your key points. If that doesn’t work, summarize to the best of your ability and end with a strong call to action or memorable quote.

Revising and Refining Your Conclusion

Creating a powerful conclusion involves revising and refining your draft multiple times.

Get Feedback

Don’t hesitate to seek feedback from others. Their input can provide new perspectives and point out areas that need improvement.

Test It Out Loud

Reading your conclusion out loud can reveal issues with flow and emotional impact that you might not notice when reading silently.

Importance of Authenticity

Authenticity is a crucial element when delivering your conclusion.

Be Yourself

You’re most compelling when you’re authentic. Let your personality shine through your conclusion to create a genuine connection with your audience.

Speak from the Heart

An emotional connection can be more impactful than a perfectly crafted sentence. Speak from the heart and be sincere; your audience will appreciate it.

Conclusion Templates

Having a few templates can make a big difference in shaping your conclusion.

Persuasive Speech Conclusion

• Recap the main points.
• Restate the thesis.
• Call to action.
• Emotional appeal.

Example: “We’ve looked at the importance of donating to local shelters, the impact it has on communities, and how easy it is to make a difference. Remember, every small action counts. So, I urge you to take the first step today. Your contribution can change lives, one person at a time.”

Informative Speech Conclusion

• Summarize the key findings.
• Restate the central idea.
• Leave with a thought-provoking question or statement.

Example: “Today, we explored the advancements in renewable energy, their benefits, and future potential. As we continue to innovate, it’s essential to consider how these changes will shape our world. As you go home today, ponder this: What will our planet look like in the next 50 years if we all commit to renewable energy?”

Motivational Speech Conclusion

• Recap the journey.
• Reinstate the core motivation.
• Offer a vision.

Example: “We’ve journeyed through stories of resilience and triumph today. Remember, the power to change your life is within you. Imagine a future where you achieve your dreams. Take that first step, and keep moving forward. The best is yet to come.”

Final Reflections

Crafting a powerful conclusion for your speech is an art that can be mastered with practice and thoughtfulness. Remember to recap your main points, restate your thesis, and leave your audience with a strong emotional appeal or call to action. Whether through a quote, story, or thought-provoking question, your conclusion can make your speech memorable and impactful. By avoiding common pitfalls and ensuring authenticity, you’ll leave a lasting impression on your audience. So take the time, practice, and let your conclusion shine.