{"id":107112,"date":"2023-06-26T21:56:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T01:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=107112"},"modified":"2023-07-05T11:26:41","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T15:26:41","slug":"closing-your-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/closing-your-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing Your Speech Effectively: How to Leave Them Wanting More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How detailed should you be when you plan the ending<\/a> of your speech? Is it ever a good idea to close with a quote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his classic book Public Speaking for Success<\/em>, Dale Carnegie shares his essential teachings about crafting and delivering a memorable speech. He includes some guidelines on closing your speech effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more to learn how to close your speech in a way that leaves your audience wanting more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Closing Your Speech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Closing your speech in a memorable way requires that you leave the audience with a final, powerful, and clear restatement of your argument’s main thrust. According to Carnegie, there’s no perfect prescription for achieving this. You won’t do it that well in your first few speeches, but, over time, you\u2019ll develop a sense of when your point is clear and when the timing is right to end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, that point comes not long after the peak, or climax, of your speech. That is, once you’ve landed on the main, cumulative thrust of your argument, start looking to wrap the speech up. This works because you’ll stop while your audience is still enjoying your speech and leave them wanting more. If, in contrast, you drag things out, you’ll lose their interest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Another way to look at your peak or climax is as your main point<\/a>, which Joel Schwartzberg defines in Get to the Point!<\/em><\/a> as a clear assertion that you can explain and support. Many people, he argues, fail to get to the point\u2014often because they don\u2019t really know what it is\u2014and thereby lose their listeners. If you\u2019re still feeling fuzzy on your point, use Schwartzberg\u2019s strategy to identify a proper point<\/a>: State your point as an \u201cI believe that (your point)\u201d sentence. If it doesn\u2019t make sense (\u201cI believe that bad construction and zoning laws\u201d), it\u2019s not a point. Then, rewrite it to fit this formula\u2014\u201cI believe that bad construction and zoning laws lead to runaway development, inefficient use of resources, and ecological damage.\u201d)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carnegie asserts that, since endings are so important, you should plan yours out word for word.<\/strong> Write it out ahead of time, revise it, and try it out on friends and family to get feedback. Keep revising it and getting feedback until your helpers clearly feel roused by the ending. As you’re crafting your ending, consider Carnegie’s four techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n