What should your last word be?
You know how important beginnings are.
If you've heard me speak before, you know that the beginning needs to grab your audience’s attention. But guess where the second most important place is in any kind of presentation? It's your ending.
With the ending, make sure that you don't just trail off. The end should reverberate with your audience. For example, return to the main message, say it again in a different way. Think about:
What’s the last word you want the audience to hear?
You might be wondering: what do I do if I’m having a Question & Answer? Where’s the ending?
Here’s what to do: End the Question & Answer a little bit early so you have time to bring the presentation to a close. (Don't worry if there are more questions.) You don’t want the ending to be the answer to your last question.
Remember, a good ending can be very short— even a couple of sentences. The best ones include a message that you really want ringing in the audience's ears. What message or word might that be for you?