Shaharuddin Mohamad

New speakers make the mistake of focusing all their creative efforts on the body of their talk, and maybe the opening. But guess what? The ‘close’ is just as important as the ‘opening’ of your talk.

In fact, your audience may remember you more from your close than from your opening. If you think about it, the close is probably even more important than the opening.

If your opening wasn’t the huge success you’d hoped for, you have the rest of your talk and your close to remedy the situation.

Think of your close as your last chance to make an impression. And while you’re working on creating the perfect close for your talk, realize that it is still possible to ruin your entire presentation by making this one little mistake… not knowing when to stop.

Many a well planned ‘close’ has been ruined by
a speaker who never knew when to shut up.

Like a CD playing with a loop, they go on and on and on and on. It’s as if they love the sound of their own voice. Naturally, they haven’t noticed people yawning in the audience. That’s because they’re too busy admiring how clever they are and how exhilarating their talk must be.

That being said, one of the worst things you can do as a speaker is talk for too long.

There comes a point in every great speech where thrilling and informative commentary turns into Charlie Brown’s teacher going “Blah-blah-blah” as people start to get bored and tune out.

They start to day dream about the trip home, dinner, their workload at the office tomorrow, their cat or their children or anything other than your talk.

You see, the sad truth is it doesn’t matter if your talk was the most amazing, amusing, informative speech in the history of amazing, amusing, informative speeches if you leave your audience thinking

“Good grief! When is he ever going to finish?”

When they leave, instead of remembering how brilliant and witty you were or how poignant and wise your talk was… they’ll leave remembering how you rambled on and on and on, never knowing when to quit. Rather than remembering you as entertaining… they’ll remember you as annoying.

Then the next time your name pops up as a speaker, they won’t look forward to your presentation with enthusiasm, they’ll be thinking, oh, no, not him again, and maybe make other plans that don’t include listening to you! Word spreads. Who needs that kind of word of mouth referral!?

So do know when to stop… but before you stop, make sure you leave them with a brilliant ‘close’ – something they will remember and talk positively about when they do leave.

Another truth is that the very last words you utter may well be the most remembered part of your presentation, and for this reason, you must really put some thought into the close.

It isn’t enough to have a great start and a brilliant middle and then taper off to a dull or awkward finish. Think about your close, and there is more than one way to close – what way would be most effective with your presentation and topic?

Your close doesn’t have to be humorous or even witty.

Depending on your topic, your close could be something inspirational or motivational, or even deep and meaningful.

You might move your audience from wiping tears of mirth from their eyes to wiping tears of heartfelt emotion from their eyes and moving their hands to their wallets to buy something or donate something.

Your close might reflect upon and summarize your presentation. Your close might be a combination of all these things… but one thing it should not be is too long or boring.

Remember, your parting words are most likely to have the most impact on your audience when they leave.
How do you want them to remember you and your talk? Being a comedian and humorist, naturally, I have a tendency to prefer closings that include humor.

That’s just me. That’s my style. Although, of course I pick my moments and subjects. Common sense must prevail at all times. However, when it is appropriate, I find closing with humor leaves a lasting and positive impression on my audience.

Actually, I am not the only speaker who uses humor who has found this to be true, which is probably why this is a popular speaking technique.

There are a couple of good reasons for this. The obvious one is an audience that you leave feeling good, laughing and applauding wildly while you take your bow, is an audience who is going to take those ‘feel good’ memories home with them, and talk about them with others.

This happy and rewarded audience is going to give you great feedback and help build your successful career. The other reason is I, like many other humorous speakers, or any entertainers for that matter, simply feel better leaving the stage amid laughter and enthusiastic applause. (As apposed to morose silence or the sound of polite clapping echoing around the walls.)

Remember: An enthusiastic ending signals success.

And apart from those topics that do not lend themselves to humor, a humorous ending is a great ‘high’ for everyone. It’s the perfect way to leave your audience feeling great.

Of course, it depends on the theme of your talk. Sometimes you want to leave your audience in a more sober, thoughtful state, especially if the subject matter is of a serious nature, in which case, any humor in the closing might be misunderstood and not appreciated.

Maybe then you could close with an appropriate anecdote, or a famous quotation to suit the mood and topic. In the words of that great dead philosopher…

You can even mix and match your presentation for a greater audience impact.

You can engross your audience in your talk using humor, having them eating out of your hand all the way, listening to your every word and laughing in all the right places, and then right at the end, finish on a sober, more serious note.

This contrast is a popular technique used to great advantage by speakers who want to engage their audience and entertain them, (but who have a serious agenda.)

It’s as if you’re saying, it’s okay to have fun while we talk about this, and I’m here to inform and entertain, but at the end of the day, the reality is this. You gave a very serious talk and I want you to think carefully about it and respond appropriately.

An example might be doing a talk that is aimed at those from whom your sponsors wish to receive donations for a good cause, such as building a new wing for the children’s hospital.

Speaking of which, don’t forget closings are also a perfect time to ask your audience to take action, that is, if you haven’t already asked them to do so at some point during your talk.

Whether you are asking for donations or you sell back of room product, maybe you might mention it earlier on in your talk, and then in the close is your opportunity to remind them… move them to take action… now!

By Peter “The Reinvention Guy” Fogel

Whether you’re a professional public speaker or someone occasionally called upon to speak at company meetings… or to prospective clients… you want to make sure your audience quickly “gets” your message.

The way to do it is to brand yourself. In other words, to sum up your message with a brief, slogan-like phrase — and build your presentation around that phrase. Sort of like the way Rodney Dangerfield built his act around the hook “I don’t get no respect.”

Surf the websites of successful marketers and you’ll see how they are branding themselves — and their messages — for their fans and customers.

Yes, big companies like Coke do it (Coke is it!)… but that doesn’t mean the little guy can’t do it too!

For instance, I’ve branded myself as The Reinvention Guy and my message as Business Success Through Reinvention.

My fellow author and speaker, Dr. Matthew Norton, has branded himself as America’s Holistic Doctor. My colleague Mark Mayfield uses the slogan Solid Business Wisdom, Brilliant Comedic Style.

The beauty of using tag lines/slogans in your speeches and marketing materials is that your targeted audience will retain more of your message. Best of all, they will remember you.

Simply put, effective branding allows you to get into their hearts and minds!

Okay, let’s say you’re not a professional speaker. Let’s say you’re a hardworking staff member in an information marketing company. You’re spearheading an important sales promotion. And TODAY, you’re presenting your ideas to your tough-as-nails CEO.

You know your boss is a no-nonsense guy who’s not easily impressed. You also know that if you can communicate your ideas effectively to your boss, that can open more doors for you at the company… especially if the sales promotion is a — CHA-CHING! — success.

You have only has few moments to make an impact on your boss before he heads off to a jujitsu class and punishes an unsuspecting soul into submission. That means you have to come up with a phrase that instantly gets your message across.

Here are seven ways to accomplish your mission:

1. Ask yourself “What’s the main point I want to make?”

Let’s say you’re trying to sell a copywriting program to people who don’t know anything about the copywriting profession. You want to make the point that good marketing copy is vital to a company’s success. So your slogan could be something like “Remember — when it comes to making sales… Copy Is King!

2. K.I.S.S. (not the rock band)

The best slogans use five words or less. Think of “Ahnold” saying “I’ll be back!” or Dirty Harry saying “C’mon, make my day!”

In other words, K.I.S.S. — Keep It Simple, Stupid!

You might remember that when Bill Clinton campaigned against George Bush, he used a slogan that was roughly based on that K.I.S.S. acronym: I.T.E.S. — It’s the Economy, Stupid! And if you were, say, selling a marketing program, you might do something similar…

“If you want to exponentially grow your company year and year out, if you want a fail-safe method to accomplish this… you absolutely must adhere to the I.T.M.S principal — It’s the Marketing, Stupid!”

3. Use rhythm.

“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”

Slogans with a musical rhythm to them are easier to grasp, remember, and internalize. You know how easy it is to remember nursery rhymes — and how hard it is to get a favorite song out of your head. (“Everybody was kung-fu fighting!” Yes, I am aging myself now.) Same idea.

4. Create a slogan that fits your message — and only your message — like a glove.

Try not to use a slogan that’s been done to death — even if it is perfect for your message. Giving a speech on how to improve self-confidence in the competitive business world? How about “First Believe… Then Achieve”? Giving a speech on nutrition? How about “Look Before You Eat!”?

5. Play with words.

Reinforce your core message by expressing it in an unusual or fun way.

Words that begin and end with consonants, for example, seem to stick in the brain. One of my favorites: Wassssuuuuuuppp! Or Tony the Tiger’s: “They’re grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!”

Giving a speech on leadership to your local Chamber of Commerce? Try repetition: Be Accountable… Be Straightforward… Be Consistent!

Presenting a new dog re-training manual to the head of a pet store franchise? Try a branding line that brings a smile to his lips: Give Your Dog a Whole New Le

ash on Life!

Speaking of humor… for some reason, “k” sounds and “p” sounds are funny. “Ketchup” and “cantaloupe” are funny words. And God bless you if you can somehow incorporate them into your slogan.

6. Tell ‘em what you want ‘em to do.

Your speech should inspire BUT also have a call to action. You want to motivate your audience to take the action that will give them the results you’re talking about. So if you can, try incorporating a call to action in your slogan. Nike’s “Just Do It” is a great example.

Brainstorm with verbs like “seize,” “capture,” “conquer,” and “grasp” to come up with a slogan with a powerful call to action. (Now, YOU can Master the Art of Persuasive Public Speaking and Earn High Speaking Fees!)

7. Tell ‘em once and tell ‘em again.

You should incorporate your branding phrase about six times in a 60-minute presentation. Always begin with it — and definitely end with it.

Brand yourself, brand your message. Rinse and repeat for continued success.

Oh, and don’t be surprised if, at the end of your presentation, when you’re mingling with members of your audience, folks start approaching you, slapping you on the back, and repeating your phrase over and over again. That’s when you’ll know you’ve done your job!

By Peter “The Reinvention Guy” Fogel