Presentation Skills
Articles for Speakers

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Closings

Tom Antion
Washington, D.C.

One of the worst mistakes you can make as a presenter is talking
too long. Not only will you send some folks to never, never land,
you will make some of them downright mad. It doesn't matter if
your entire talk was brilliant and the audience came away with
information that will change their lives. If you talk too long,
they will leave saying, "That speaker just wouldn't quit." Don't
let this happen to you! Say what you have to say and sit down.
Before you do, give them a well thought out closing.

The last thing you say may be the most remembered. You must put
as much time into selecting and practicing your closing as you
put into any other part of your presentation. Just like your
opening, your closing does not have to be humorous. It could be
motivational, challenging, thoughtful, respectful of the length
of the presentation, or it could restate your point in a
different way. This ending segment will have a strong influence
on what the audience takes home with them when you are done.
Please, at sometime during your talk ask the audience to do
something. Many a great NO ZZZZZs talk went no further than the
walls of the meeting room because the audience wasn't moved to
action. If you haven't ask them to do something by now, the
closing is your last chance.

If the subject is appropriate, I happen to be fond of humorous
closings for several reasons. If you leave them laughing and
applauding, you will exit, but an extremely positive impression
about you will remain. Another good reason to leave them laughing
is that the room will not be deadly silent as you are walking
back to your seat. I hate when that happens. I do love laughter
and feeling good; finishing a talk humorously gives me and the
audience an opportunity to feel great. Talks that are for
entertainment purposes only should generally leave the audience
laughing.

Finally, if the subject is not appropriate to end with laughter,.
you could end with a touching story or quotation that leaves the
audience thoughtful and quiet. Even the most serious subjects can
benefit from humor, but the humor should be sprinkled throughout
the body of the presentation. Don't put it at the end because
closings are powerful and the audience will think your overall
attitude toward the subject is flippant.

This same technique can be very effective in ending a mostly
humorous presentation. Have them laughing all along while you
make your points. Then finish seriously. This contrast will
create a great impact. It will convey the fact that you believe
in a lighthearted approach to the subject, but the results are
very serious to you.

Next issue learn how to make a point with humor.

"When I recruited Tom Antion to play for the West Virginia
University Mountaineers in the early 70's, he was an exciting
high school football player. It doesn't surprise me that he's
turned into such an exciting professional speaker. His Book Wake
em Up will teach you how to create excitement when you speak to
any size group. I use some of his tips in my own speaking
engagements."
Bobby Bowden, Head Football Coach
Florida State University

Note: This article is part of an eleven part series excerpted from
Tom Antion's new book, Wake em Up: How to Use Humor and Other
Professional Techniques to Create Alarmingly Good Business
Presentations. Anchor Publishing, 336 page softcover, $24.95 +
$4.00 S&H, (800) 448-6280 x 1 or FAX to (757) 431-2050 To Order Click Here