Effective Methods to Start and End a Speech

Here are seven effective methods to open a speech or presentation:

1) Quote
Opening with a relevant quote can help set the tone for the rest of your speech. For
example, one that I often use to open a presentation dealing with public speaking:
“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
– Mark Twain

2) “What If” Scenario

Immediately drawing your audience into your speech works wonders. Asking a
“what if” question invites the audience to follow your thought process.
“What if we were all blunt? How different would our everyday lives be? What
would happen if we said what was on our minds, all day every day?”

3) “Imagine” Scenario
A similar method, but more relevant for sensational examples.  It puts your
audience members directly into the presentation by allowing each member to
visualize an extraordinary scenario.
“Imagine jumping out of a skydiving plane and discovering your parachute
doesn’t work. What memories would flash before you? Now imagine the parachute
opened. How differently would you act when you landed?”

4) Question
Ask a rhetorical or literal question. When someone is posed with a question,
whether an answer is called for or not, that person intuitively answers.
“Who wouldn’t want to live on an exotic island?”
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5) Silence
A pause, whether two seconds or 10 seconds, allows your audience to sit and quiet
down.  Most audiences expect a speaker to begin immediately. An extra pause
brings all the attention right where you should want it – on you.

6) Statistic
Use a surprising, powerful, personalized statistic that will resonate with the
audience to get your message across right away. It has the potential to trigger the
audiences’ emotional appeal.
“Look to your left. Now look to your right.  One of your seatmates will
___________.”
“In this room, over 90 percent of us are going to _________.”

7) Powerful Statement/Phrase
A statement or phrase can catch the audience’s attention by keeping them guessing
as to what you’re about to say next. Implementing the silence technique afterwards
also adds to the effect.
“We cannot win. We can’t win…”
(Pause)
“… That’s what every newspaper in the country is saying.”

How do you end a speech and get the standing ovation that you deserve?

Here are 9 tips and examples for concluding a speech.

1) Plan Your Closing Remarks Word for Word

To ensure that your conclusion is as powerful as it can be, you must plan it word
for word.

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Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this talk?”

Your answer should involve the actions that you want your listeners to take after
hearing you speak on this subject.

2) Always End a Speech with a Call to Action

It is especially important to tell the audience what you want it to do as a result

of hearing you speak.

A call to action is the best way to wrap up your talk with strength and power.

Here is a Speech Conclusion Call to Action Example

“We have great challenges and great opportunities, and with your help, we will
meet them and make this next year the best year in our history!”

3) End a Speech with a Summary

There is a simple formula for any talk:

1. Tell them what you are going to tell them.

2. Tell them.
3. Then, tell them what you told them.
As you approach the end of your talk, say something like,

“Let me briefly restate these main points…”

4) Close with a story

As you reach the end of your talk, you can say,

“Let me tell you a story that illustrates what I have been talking about…”

You then tell a brief story with a moral and then tell the audience what the
moral is.

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5) Make Them Laugh

You can close with humor.

You can tell a joke that loops back into your subject and repeats the lesson or
main point you are making with a story that makes everyone laugh.

6) Make It Rhyme

You can close with a poem.

There are many fine poems that contain messages that summarize the key points
you want to make.

You can select a poem that is moving, dramatic, or emotional.

7) Close with Inspiration

You can end a speech with something inspirational as well.

If you have given an uplifting talk, remember that hope is and has always been,
the main religion of mankind.

People love to be motivated and inspired to be or do something different and

better in the future.

8) Make it Clear That You’re Done

When you say your final words, it should be clear to everyone that you have
ended. There should be no ambiguity or confusion in the mind of your audience.
The audience members should know that this is the end.