How to deliver a powerful closing to a speech on any topic

They click to their last slide, deliver the information on the screen, and limp to the finish line by mumbling something such as:

1. “So feel free to call me with any questions you might have.”
2. “That’s the end of my presentation.”
3. “Thank you for listening.”
4. “Do you have any questions?”
5. “Ummm … thanks.”

A speech’s close is one of its most important parts, but it may also be the most neglected. The close is your final opportunity to accomplish your goal, whether it’s to inspire the audience, drive an action, inform a community, break the status quo, or change an opinion.

Here are five great ways to close a speech, each with an example.

(Note that you may want to also include a call-to-action in your close, which I’ve written about here.)

Close No. 1: Deliver a summary.

You may have heard the old public speaking adage that advises speakers to use a three-step approach: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you’ve told them.”