Volume IV, Issue 3          June

Presentation pointers: conclusions

The conclusion of your presentation is critical. It's your final chance to impress your audience and make sure they understand your key points, your most important ideas. Here are some pointers for a successful conclusion:

1. In the body of your presentation, you discussed your most important points in detail. In the conclusion, you should quickly summarize the main ideas. In a few sentences, remind your audience about the critical ideas, before you offer your final thoughts – your 'big finish.'

2. Perhaps you work for a market leader with a long history, and the company continues to increase its market share. You make a presentation to try to motivate your sales team. How can you summarize your critical points? Here's an example:

3.'To summarize, our long history means that our customers trust us. As far as company growth, we have become the market leader in just three years. We can easily increase market share by 15 percent next year, but that's not good enough.'

4.After you summarize your key points, offer your audience something memorable that will motivate them. It should be something they will remember after your presentation. One good method is to give your audience a 'next step' or 'an action item'; that is, something that you want them to do. For example, if you want your sales team to start thinking about how to increase sales, you can say something like:

5. 'As next steps, I want you all to think of ways to increase sales. We will offer a $1,000 award for the most innovative idea.'

6. After that, ask your audience if they have any more questions. Finally, thank them for coming.

7. During your presentation, don't just stare at your notebook – look around at the people in the audience. Emphasize your key points by saying them slowly and clearly. Emphasize key words by saying them more strongly than other words, particularly during your big finish.

8. Finally, as with the other parts of your presentation, practice the conclusion several times until you can say it smoothly. Then give your presentation with confidence.