One Thing You Can Do Now to Make Your Presentations More Effective

When creating a presentation, most of us focus on content and delivery. But there’s an important piece that often gets overlooked: the closing.

It’s your last chance to make an impression on your audience and inspire them to take action. How you end your presentation is crucial to achieving your desired outcome.

There’s one thing you can do right now to make your closings more effective.

And no, you don’t have to be a designer to do it.

Stop using “Thank you” slides. 

Instead of wasting your last slide on a thank-you try one of these alternatives to make the impact that encourages your audience to take the next step.

Close with a call to action

Close your presentation with a call to action that’s easy for your audience to act on, for example:

• Let’s chat—works for anyone; include phone number
• Start today—for sales and marketing goals
• Get involved—for a nonprofit
• Join my email subscriber list
• Sign up for a free trial

Make sure the audience knows what you want them to do with the information you’ve presented, and then customize your closing call to action based on the end result you want.

End with a quote that reinforces your main idea

While many public speakers use stories to open a presentation, few use them to close. One way to wrap up a closing story is by using a powerful quote that reinforces your main idea.

Make sure you choose a quote that’s relevant to your topic and appropriate for your audience. For example, if you’ve been speaking about the importance of teamwork, a perfect closing would be Albert Einstein’s quote, “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means.”

Refer to your opening message

Your opening message is meant to grab your audience’s attention, and your closing message should drive that point home. You can help the audience remember your message by connecting your close to your opening.

I’ve found that using the same words or phrases in my opening and closing helps make this connection. If I start with a story, I’ll use an excerpt from that story in my conclusion to create a natural transition that reinforces the message I want the audience to remember.

Close with a summary of key takeaways

Leaving your audience with a summary of the key takeaways is a great way to reinforce your message and help the audience walk away thinking about the highlights of your presentation.

Your closing slide is the perfect place for a few lines featuring the main ideas you covered. Make your closing short and concise, and don’t introduce any new material.

Think of it as a navigational tool: If people were to pull out their phones and snap a photo of your final slide, what information would you want to make sure they captured?

Start a conversation by asking “Any more questions?”

This is not the time to drop your mic and exit stage left. Without a proper conclusion, your audience will be left hanging.

Instead, end with a final slide that asks, “Any more questions?” You can also throw in your contact information and social media profiles (if appropriate).

A good presentation will have your audience eager to raise their hands at the end. When you ask for their input, you establish rapport, build trust, and open the door to future conversations.

Remember, your voice is your most powerful tool

Use your voice to thank your audience for attending your talk, use your closing slide to encourage your audience to act, land your main idea, or reinforce your key takeaways.

See what I did there?