when to end the speech
A speaker should not begin his speech without knowing how he would end the same. He should always save some appropriate portion from the main body of the speech, in order to clinch it effectively at the end. Obviously, the
easiest type of conclusion will be to just sum up, if your talk is on a technical subject.
If the purpose of your speech is inspirational, a mere recapitulation of what you have been saying will weaken its final impact. It will be more appropriate to end the speech with a general re-statement of your theme in a strong inspirational tone. The closing is really the most strategic point in a speech. What one says last are the final words that keep ringing in the ears of the audience long after the speech was concluded. They are likely to be remembered for quite sometime. Hence an ending has to be planned beforehand.
When you are facing the audience, under the stress and strain of talking, you cannot suddenly decide on the closing words. While preparing the speech, always remember to write down the concluding words. But do not memorize them.
Do not stop the speech too abruptly. This will lack smoothness and proper finish. It has no message to convey. It merely ceases suddenly, jerkily. The effect will be unpleasant. It would look as though your entire speech had not conveyed anything.
The following are the suggestions for closing the speech:
Summarise your points: If you are covering a vast subject in a talk for five minutes, there is a chance that you might leave the audience a little hazy about all your main points. These main points may be crystal clear in your mind; but may not be so in the minds of the audience. Hence always summarise the points as a conclusion.
Appeal for action: If your speech centers around a topic that needs action from the audience, close the speech with an 'appeal for action'. An apt, sincere compliment: This will leave the audience pleased, happy and optimistic. In order to be effective, it must be sincere. Avoid flattery. This kind of closing, if it does not ring true, would sound false, very false.
A humorous close: It is good to leave the audience laughing, if you have the ability and material to do it. Please remember that this has to be done in your own individual way.
Closing with a poetical quotation: Of all the methods of ending, none are more acceptable when well done, than humor and poetry. In fact, if you can get the proper verse of poetry for closing, it would be the best. It will give the desired impact, individuality and dignity for your conclusion. It will certainly be beautiful.
The climax. This is a popular way of ending. This is to be managed well as the speech will work out to a crest and reach the peak. It will be getting stronger sentence by sentence. If this is well done, no doubt, it will leave a very great impact on the audience.
Hence while practicing, hunt, search and experiment until you get a good beginning and a very good ending. You can develop the speech in-between.
Stop while the audience is eager to hear you more. Do not forget the fact that the average audience, even though they may be polite and restrained, dislike long speeches.
easiest type of conclusion will be to just sum up, if your talk is on a technical subject.
If the purpose of your speech is inspirational, a mere recapitulation of what you have been saying will weaken its final impact. It will be more appropriate to end the speech with a general re-statement of your theme in a strong inspirational tone. The closing is really the most strategic point in a speech. What one says last are the final words that keep ringing in the ears of the audience long after the speech was concluded. They are likely to be remembered for quite sometime. Hence an ending has to be planned beforehand.
When you are facing the audience, under the stress and strain of talking, you cannot suddenly decide on the closing words. While preparing the speech, always remember to write down the concluding words. But do not memorize them.
Do not stop the speech too abruptly. This will lack smoothness and proper finish. It has no message to convey. It merely ceases suddenly, jerkily. The effect will be unpleasant. It would look as though your entire speech had not conveyed anything.
The following are the suggestions for closing the speech:
Summarise your points: If you are covering a vast subject in a talk for five minutes, there is a chance that you might leave the audience a little hazy about all your main points. These main points may be crystal clear in your mind; but may not be so in the minds of the audience. Hence always summarise the points as a conclusion.
Appeal for action: If your speech centers around a topic that needs action from the audience, close the speech with an 'appeal for action'. An apt, sincere compliment: This will leave the audience pleased, happy and optimistic. In order to be effective, it must be sincere. Avoid flattery. This kind of closing, if it does not ring true, would sound false, very false.
A humorous close: It is good to leave the audience laughing, if you have the ability and material to do it. Please remember that this has to be done in your own individual way.
Closing with a poetical quotation: Of all the methods of ending, none are more acceptable when well done, than humor and poetry. In fact, if you can get the proper verse of poetry for closing, it would be the best. It will give the desired impact, individuality and dignity for your conclusion. It will certainly be beautiful.
The climax. This is a popular way of ending. This is to be managed well as the speech will work out to a crest and reach the peak. It will be getting stronger sentence by sentence. If this is well done, no doubt, it will leave a very great impact on the audience.
Hence while practicing, hunt, search and experiment until you get a good beginning and a very good ending. You can develop the speech in-between.
Stop while the audience is eager to hear you more. Do not forget the fact that the average audience, even though they may be polite and restrained, dislike long speeches.