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- Brendan
- I am a professional educator by trade, but by my definition, I am much more than that. I wear many hats; including, but not limited to, Father, Husband, Son, Step-Father, Ex-Husband, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Super Geek (love technology), Trainer, Coach, Student, Writer, Dreamer, and Leader. For fun I am an avid golfer and consider myself a blessed individual because I have the greatest wife in the world that loves to golf with me.
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Showing posts with label developing a conclusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label developing a conclusion. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Lesson 15 Developing a Memorable Conclusion
The purpose of this lesson is to help you develop a conclusion that will make you and your speech memorable. There is nothing more disappointing when giving a speech and no one remembers you or the speech, or they do remember it because it was LAME!
Basic Function of Conclusion
An Ending Signal that the END IS NEAR!
Examples of concluding transitional words or phrases:
Finally…
Looking back…
In summary...
In conclusion...
To wrap it up...
To put this all in perspective…
Let me close by saying…
Once you've given the closing "signal" wrap it up and finish.
DO NOT do a "wait a minute, I forgot to say…"
Doing this does not create closure for the audience. It's like sitting down and having a nice enjoyable dinner and then you have 30 seconds to scarf down your dessert and leave. Just doesn't feel good.
Summarize the Main Points and Reiterate the Topic and Main Points
As stated in earlier lessons (and grade school), you will tell them (audience) what you are going to tell them (the introduction), then tell them what you said you were going to tell them (the body), and finally, tell them what you told them (the conclusion).
By reiterating the main points, you help the audience remember the "good stuff" of your speech.
Challenge the Audience to Respond
What does this mean exactly? It means that whatever your speech is about you can challenge the audience members to put to use what you have taught them. This applies to both persuasive and informative speeches.
It is a call to action, whether to explore further what you shared (informative) or to change thinking/habits or go along with what you shared (persuasive).
A "Memorable" Checklist
In closing I would like to sum up some areas to remember when preparing for a conclusion (Hey, did you catch that? I just used a transition statement to move into the conclusion of this lesson).
Ask yourself these questions: Does my conclusion...
Questions
BE MEMORABLE IN ALL THE RIGHT WAYS!!!
Basic Function of Conclusion
- It's a signal to the audience that the speech is coming to an end.
- It gives you a chance to summarize main points and goals.
- It allows you to reiterate the thesis or central idea of the speech.
- It can allow you to challenge the audience to respond.
- Alert your audience that you are coming up to the end of your speech.
- Use transitional words or phrases to help your audience know that the end is near.
Examples of concluding transitional words or phrases:
Finally…
Looking back…
In summary...
In conclusion...
To wrap it up...
To put this all in perspective…
Let me close by saying…
Once you've given the closing "signal" wrap it up and finish.
DO NOT do a "wait a minute, I forgot to say…"
The biggest mistake I see in speeches is poor time management and you (the speaker) realize that you're out of time so you quickly wrap it up.
"Oh it looks like I'm out of times, so I hope you enjoyed the presentation, I know I have, and…..thank you."
Doing this does not create closure for the audience. It's like sitting down and having a nice enjoyable dinner and then you have 30 seconds to scarf down your dessert and leave. Just doesn't feel good.
Summarize the Main Points and Reiterate the Topic and Main Points
As stated in earlier lessons (and grade school), you will tell them (audience) what you are going to tell them (the introduction), then tell them what you said you were going to tell them (the body), and finally, tell them what you told them (the conclusion).
By reiterating the main points, you help the audience remember the "good stuff" of your speech.
What does this mean exactly? It means that whatever your speech is about you can challenge the audience members to put to use what you have taught them. This applies to both persuasive and informative speeches.
It is a call to action, whether to explore further what you shared (informative) or to change thinking/habits or go along with what you shared (persuasive).
A "Memorable" Checklist
- Use quotations (similar to what you learned in Lesson 14). Quotes can come from poetry, lyrics, and pertinent statements from others.
- Pose rhetorical questions to make your audience think about the speech topic and your speech purpose/intention.
- Tell a story that illustrates or sums up a key speech idea or ideas.
- Use appropriate humor.
- Issue a challenge.
- Make a startling statement.
- Link back to the introduction to give the audience a sense of having come full circle.
In closing I would like to sum up some areas to remember when preparing for a conclusion (Hey, did you catch that? I just used a transition statement to move into the conclusion of this lesson).
Ask yourself these questions: Does my conclusion...
- alert the audience the the speech is coming to an end?
- actually come to an end when I give the signal? (Remember a conclusion should only take about 6-10% of you speech time).
- reiterate the main points?
- reminds the audience of the speech topic and purpose?
- challenge the audience to respond to your ideas or appeals?
- provide a sense of closure and make a lasting impression?
If you have done these things well, you will be memorable!
Questions
- How can posing a rhetorical question help your speech be memorable?
- Think of a time that you listened to a speech that ended abruptly or someone that just quickly ended a conversation with you. How did it make you feel? Why is this important to understand?
- What's more important, a first impression or a last impression? Explain.
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