Conclusions

Just as the introduction is one of the most important aspects of a successful speech, so too is the conclusion. Remember that people are more likely to recall and formulate opinions based on the first and last pieces of information they listen to. While a well-crafted introduction and conclusion will not outweigh a poorly composed speech, the introduction and conclusion are key parts of a speech.  Especially if the content of a speech is complex and hard to follow, the conclusion gives the speaker a chance to summarize and condense the main points into a useful takeaway. And a strong conclusion will successfully crystallize the speech and leave the audience with motivation and inspiration to relate that speech’s ideas to their lives.

Purpose of a Speech Conclusion

The purposes of a conclusion are to:

1. re-state the topic
2. review your speech’s main ideas in a brief summary
3. provide a lasting thought, leaving the audience with a clear takeaway
4. signal the end of your speech

Ending a speech with “So…that’s it” or “OK, I’m done” is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable to introduce a new idea in your conclusion. A conclusion must summarize what you’re already said.

Conclusions also should be clear, memorable, and brief, no more than 5–10% of the total speech. In that time, you must achieve these goals.

Goal 1: Restate the topic

Repetition is a good thing in a speech. Just as you prepared your audience to listen to your speech in support of your controlling idea/thesis in your introduction, it is important to bring them back to the singular purpose and idea of your speech now that you have presented your key points and supporting ideas.

Goal 2: Review main points

A conclusion should include a clear review of the main points of the speech, to remind the audience of the speech’s main ideas. To bolster audience recall, follow these two rules:

1. Use the exact same language and name for each main point that was used in the overall preview from the introduction, avoiding the mention of any sub-points or digressions.
2. Review the main points in the order in which they were presented.

Goal 3: Provide a lasting thought

The last thing a speaker says should solidify the tone, motivation, information, or concept that the audience should take away from having listened to the presentation.

Goal 4: Signal the Speech’s End

You may want to use phrases such as “in conclusion,” or “to sum up.” You may want to thank your audience for listening.  You may want to have a slide with your contact information.  There are many simple ways to signal the end of a speech; you determine what’s best given your audience and context.

Types of Conclusions

As the famous saying goes, “it’s not over ‘til it’s over.” Losing focus and energy no matter how close to the finish line can lose a race. In those final moments, a poorly conceived and executed conclusion thought can break the spell of a good speech and cause the audience to disengage, losing confidence in the speaker and the importance of the speech itself. To keep the energy and focus of your speech until the very last word, use a type of conclusion appropriate to your purpose, audience, and context.

Rhetorical Question

A rhetorical question is one to which no reply is expected.  Rhetorical questions invite the audience to consider something.

• “The next time you see that spicy, smelly, fermented red dish of kimchi, will you pass or will you dig in?”

Quotation

A quotation uses the words of another person that relate directly to your topic. If the person you are quoting is not well known, it’s a good idea to provide information as to why that person is relevant in the context of your speech.

• As we’ve learned today, kimchi is so much more than a simple condiment or even meal. When you think about kimchi, consider the words of American novelist Jonathan Safran Foer: “Food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving, and identity.”

Call to Action

A call to action is just what it says – it’s an explicit appeal to your audience members to take specific action. Since no new ideas should be presented in your conclusion, it is important that the call to action stems from the ideas mentioned in the speech by concretizing and providing actionable steps that each audience member can perform. A good call to action has the following components:

1. Clear and direct: Begin with a strong action verb and state exactly what action the audience should take, when, where, and to or with whom.
2. Immediate: The longer that time elapses, the less likely the audience will be to act, regardless of how well you may have convinced them. A successful call to action will be an action they can perform before leaving the room or, if necessary, that day. Although it’s possible that the first, small action can lead later to more complex action, make the first action immediate.
3. Easy to Perform: In order to help the audience make the first step, you must make that action very easy to complete. Bring in any necessary forms, information, or products. Start a process, such as a petition or a form letter, so that the audience just needs to sign or join. Create a small task that is easily completed so audience members can act immediately and with little risk.
4. Focuses on the benefits to the audience: Surround the call to action with how it will improve the audience’s life by focusing on the same values you used in the introduction to provide a reason to listen.
5. Personalized to the power of various roles of audience members: In some speeches, the topic equally affects everyone in your audience. In others, audience members each have different roles that either contribute to or are affected by your topic. Asking employees to complete an action that only a top manager can enact will likely discourage those employees. Instead, use your audience analysis to consider the power and the limitations of the roles that comprise your audience, and provide actions for each role.

Of course, a call to action type of conclusion makes the most sense if your speech is persuasive, but you can also provide a call to action with an informative or ceremonial speech simply by providing a way for the audience to use or channel the information provided. This concluding device is a wonderful way to leave your audience empowered and motivated.

• “I’ve brought homemade kimchi with me today, already separated into single servings. Improve your gut health, build your spice tolerance, and taste the culture of Korea. Take one and try it. I’ve listed the ingredients in case of allergies. If you’ve got allergies, I’ve printed out recipes with substitutions that you can try at home. Take one, and let the class know how it turned out.”

In the following video, Andy Puddicombe talks about the power of mindfulness and meditation. Pay special attention to the conclusion, which starts at about 8:26 (the last minute or so of the speech).  Puddicombe ends with a call to action.

You can view the transcript for “All it takes is 10 mindful minutes | Andy Puddicombe” here (opens in new window).

Visualize the Future

Visualizing the future helps to set the tone that you want the audience to have at the end of your speech. By illustrating how the information provided can create a better or more interesting future to your specific audience, you can motivate your audience to act or to reflect on the importance of what was said in your speech. This was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s strategy in his famous speech to the House of Commons on June 18, 1940: “Let us, therefore, brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts for thousands of years, men will say: ‘This was their finest hour.'”^[1]

• In our hypothetical speech on Kimchi, we might envision future unity: “Imagine a world where a taste and a smell are a shared national experience. Where all it takes is a shared dish of kimchi to unite strangers.”

In the conclusion of Malala Yousafzai’s 2014 Nobel Price acceptance speech (start at 25:24), note how she combines a call to action with a vision of the future.

You can view the transcript for “Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 2014” here (opens in new window).

Here is the video with accurate captions: Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 2014 (opens in new window).

Writing and Revising the Conclusion

Write a conclusion, keeping in mind how important the conclusion is. After you write your first draft of the conclusion, revise it by asking and answering the following questions in order to evaluate the strength of your conclusion and refine it as needed.

Question #1: How long is my conclusion?

Begin by ensuring that your conclusion is no longer than 5–10% of your total speech. That means that in a five-minute speech, your conclusion will last between 15 and 30 seconds. In a ten-minute speech, your conclusion will last between 30 and 60 seconds.

Question #2: Have I included any new ideas in my conclusion?

A conclusion is not the place for new ideas. If you have an important idea that was not discussed in your speech, decide which main point it supports in the body of the speech and put it there.

Question #3: How easy is it to recall my review?

You should review points in the same order that each main point was presented in the speech.  Also use the same names you used in both the introduction and the speech itself – there should be consistency in naming your points throughout the speech.

Question #4: Is the thesis of the speech clearly articulated?

Since time has passed since the audience first heard your main idea, it is helpful to use the exact same language you used for your thesis in the introduction.

Question #5: Have I linked back to my attention-getter?

A good speaker will leverage the idea of the audience best remembering the first and last parts of the speech.  So reference the attention getting device in the conclusion. For example, you could reference an anecdote, revisit the hypothetical scenario or current event that you used to get attention, ask your rhetorical question again, and/or suggest how to view that rhetorical question in light of what the audience has learned from the speech. This type of linkage can reinforce a sense of familiarity in your audience for both the speaker and the speech.

Question #6: How effective is my lasting thought?

Does the type of conclusion I chose relate to my speech’s purpose, audience, and context?

Question #7: How well can I deliver my conclusion?

Since your conclusion is the shortest part of your speech, yet a very important one, it may be helpful to memorize it. You will want to ensure that you are maintaining eye contact and speaking emphatically, which means that you will want to avoid reading or glancing at your notecards when you offer your conclusion.