Better Speaker Series – Concluding Your Speech

This presentation, part of Toastmasters International’s Better Speaker Series, will teach some effective methods to make your speech conclusion memorable; people remember longest, the last thing they hear!

4 Important Criteria

• Achieve a sense of closure
• Summarize main points
• Make an impact
• Take 5-10% of the entire speech

Closure: Words: “in conclusion”, “let me end by saying”, “in summary”

Summarize: Repeat and review key points

Impact: Speech will be forgotten but a meaningful conclusion will be remembered

Ending Techniques

• Quotation
• Story or anecdote
• Call to action
• Ask a rhetorical question
• Refer to the beginning of the speech
• Summarize your main points

Tips for Success

• Write out and memorize conclusion
• End on time
• Refrain from adding new content