how to end a presentation script

10 Powerful Examples of How to End a Presentation

By Illiya Vjestica
- January 23, 2023

a picture of a speaker ending his presentation facing towards the audience

Here are 10 powerful examples of how to end a presentation that does not end with a thank you slide.

How many presentations have you seen that end with “Thank you for listening” or “Any questions?” I bet it’s a lot…

“Thank you for listening.” is the most common example. Unfortunately, when it comes to closing out your slides ending with “thank you” is the norm. We can create a better presentation ending by following these simple examples.

The two most essential slides of your deck are the ending and intro. An excellent presentation ending is critical to helping the audience to the next step or following a specific call to action.

There are many ways you can increase your presentation retention rate . The most critical steps are having a solid call to action at the end of your presentation and a powerful hook that draws your audience in.

What Action do You Want Your Audience to Take?

Before designing your presentation, start with this question – what message or action will you leave your audience with?

Are you looking to persuade, inspire, entertain or inform your audience? You can choose one or multiple words to describe the intent of your presentation.

Think about the action words that best describe your presentation ending – what do you want them to do? Inspire, book, learn, understand, engage, donate, buy, book or schedule. These are a few examples.

If the goal of your presentation is to inspire, why not end with a powerful and inspiring quote ? Let words of wisdom be the spark that ignites an action within your audience.

Here are three ways to end your presentation:

Call to Action – getting the audience to take a specific action or next step, for example, booking a call, signing up for an event or donating to your cause.
Persuade – persuading your audience to think differently, try something new, undertake a challenge or join your movement or community.
Summarise – A summary of the key points and information you want the audience to remember. If you decide to summarise your talk at the end, keep it to no more than three main points.

10 Examples of How to End a Presentation

1. Asking your audience to take action or make a pledge.

Here were asking the audience to take action by using the wording “take action” in our copy. This call to action is a pledge to donate. A clear message like this can be helpful for charities and non-profits looking to raise funding for their campaign or cause.

2. Encourage your audience to take a specific action, e.g. joining your cause or community

Here was are asking the audience to join our community and help solve a problem by becoming part of the solution. It’s a simple call to action. You can pass the touch to your audience and ask them to take the next lead.

3. Highlight the critical points for your audience to remember.

Rember, to summarise your presentation into no more than three key points. This is important because the human brain struggles to remember more than three pieces of information simultaneously. We call this the “Rule of Three”.

4. If you are trying to get more leads or sales end with a call to action to book a demo or schedule a call.

Can you inspire your audience to sign up for a demo or trial of your product? Structure your talk to lead your prospect through a journey of the results you generate for other clients. At the end of your deck, finish with a specific call to action, such as “Want similar results to X?”

Make sure you design a button, or graphic your prospect can click on when you send them the PDF version of the slides.

5. Challenge your audience to think differently or take action, e.g. what impact could they make?

6. Give your audience actions to help share your message.

7. Promote your upcoming events or workshops

8. Asking your audience to become a volunteer.

9. Direct your audience to learn more about your website.

10. If you are a book author, encourage your audience to engage with your book.

6 Questions to Generate an Ending for Your Presentation

You’ve told an engaging story, but why end your presentation without leaving your audience a clear message or call to action?

Here are six great questions you can ask yourself to generate an ending for your presentation or keynote talk.

What impression would you want to leave your audience with?
What is the big idea you want to leave them with?
What action should they take next?
What key point should you remember 72 hours after your presentation?
What do you want them to feel?
What is the key takeaway for them to understand?

What to Say After Ending a Presentation?

When you get to the end of a book, you don’t see the author say, “thank you for reading my last chapter.” Of course, there is no harm in thanking the audience after your presentation ends, but don’t make that the last words you speak.

Think of the ending of the presentation as the final chapter of an epic novel. It’s your chance to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Close with an impactful ending and leave them feeling empowered, invigorated and engaged.

Leave a lasting impression.
Think of it as the last chapter of a book.
Conclude with a thought or question.
Leave the audience with a specific action or next step.

How to End a Presentation with Style?

There are many great ways you can end your presentation with style. Are you ready to drop the mic?

Ensure your closing slide is punchy, has a clear headline, or uses a thought-provoking image.

You want to capture the audience’s attention before closing the presentation. Make sure the fonts you choose and are clear and easy to read. And What are the Best Colours for Your PowerPoint presentation? Use them wisely.

Do you need to consider adding a link? If you add links to your social media accounts, use icons and buttons to make them easy to see. Add a link to each button or icon. By doing this, if you send the PDF slides to people, they can follow the links to your various accounts.

What Should you Remember?

💡 If you take one thing away from this post, it’s to lose the traditional ending slides. Let’s move on from the “Thank you for your attention.” or “Any questions.” slides.

These don’t help you or the audience. Respect them and think about what they should do next. You may be interested to learn 3 Tactics to Free Your Presentation Style to help you connect to your audience.

Create stunning presentations with our templates, toolkits and guides.

Illiya Vjestica

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5 Effective and powerful ways to end a presentation!

Learn about their importance, common mistakes, and examples to conclude your presentation successfully!

Supriya Sarkar

Delivering presentations

team discussing on effective and powerful ways to end a presentation

Presentations are not just about delivering information; they are about leaving a lasting impact on your audience. The conclusion holds immense significance as it's the final chance to reinforce key messages, prompt action, and make a memorable impression. Research indicates a 25% reduction in our attention spans , highlighting the need for powerful conclusions to enhance retention.

In this guide, we'll look into the importance of ending a presentation effectively. Also, we will explore five effective techniques for concluding presentations with examples to end and common mistakes to avoid during this critical phase.

Why are presentation conclusions important?

When we engage in a movie or a lengthy session, our memory often captures the beginning, end, and occasionally some highlights from the middle. This tendency arises from the brain's limited capacity for sustained attention.

Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman explained the profound concept that explains the difference between the experiencing self and the remembering self . According to Kahneman, the experiencing self perceives events in the present moment, while the remembering self reflects on them afterward. Importantly, he emphasizes that our recollection of events is significantly shaped by their endings.

In presentations, where specific objectives are central, the conclusion becomes important. If the end of your presentation fails to impress or facilitate retention, its purpose is compromised. Therefore, the conclusion of a presentation serves several critical purposes:

Reinforcing key messages: Summarizing the main points of your presentation reinforces them in the minds of your audience. Repetition aids retention, ensuring that your key messages are remembered long after the presentation ends.
Motivating action: A well-crafted conclusion includes a clear call to action (CTA) that prompts the audience to take specific steps. Whether it's signing up for a service, implementing a strategy, or simply reflecting on the presented information, a compelling CTA bridges the gap between knowledge and action.
Leaving an impression: The conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a memorable impression on your audience. It is the part of the presentation that lingers in their minds, shaping their perception of your message and your credibility as a speaker.

How to conclude a presentation? 5 Effective techniques:

When concluding a presentation, employing certain techniques can significantly strengthen your closing, thereby enhancing retention and impact levels. Let's explore five effective strategies to achieve this goal.

Summarization:

Summarizing the key points of your presentation reinforces them in the minds of your audience. Keep the summary concise, focusing on the most important takeaways. This technique ensures that your main messages stick with the audience long after the presentation is over.

Example of a short and crip summary: “In summary, our Q3 revenue surged by 20%, largely propelled by strong sales in the Asian market. However, to boost profitability, we must prioritize cost reduction efforts moving forward."

Emphasize a CTA:

A call to action is a powerful way to motivate your audience to take specific steps based on the information you've presented. Whether it's signing up for a service, making a purchase, or implementing a new strategy, a clear and compelling CTA guides your audience toward specific actions.

Example of a conclusion that motivates to take an action: "As we wrap up, I encourage all stakeholders to join us in this exciting journey. Let's collaborate to implement these strategies to cut carbon emissions by 42% by 2030. Together, we can drive meaningful change and propel our organization to new heights."

Audience engagement:

Engaging your audience in the conclusion helps maintain their attention and involvement until the end. This could involve asking thought-provoking questions, inviting feedback, or sharing relevant anecdotes that resonate with your audience.

Example of a feedback invitation before the conclusion: "Before we conclude, I would like to invite you to share one key takeaway from today's presentation. Let's take a moment to reflect on how we can apply these insights in our roles. Who would like to start?"

You can learn more about engaging your audience during a presentation in our detailed conversation with industry leaders and experts in this podcast.

Persuasion technique:

Employ persuasive language and storytelling techniques to drive home your message in the conclusion. You can make smart use of anecdotes, statistics, or testimonials to add credibility and emotional appeal to your presentation.

An impressive example of persuasion:

"In conclusion, I want to leave you with a powerful statistic: studies show that companies that prioritize employee well-being experience a 22% increase in productivity. By investing in initiatives that support our team's health and happiness, we're not just improving morale—we're driving tangible business results. Let's make employee well-being a top priority moving forward."

To learn more about advanced persuasion techniques you can explore our extensive guide here which dives into the topic in detail and provides examples for better understanding.

Conceptualization:

Conclude your presentation by effectively describing the future state or desired outcome. Help your audience visualize the benefits of implementing your ideas or solutions, inspiring them to action.

An example of a conclusion where conceptualization is used:

"In conclusion , let's envision the future with AI as our innovative solution. Imagine a scenario where AI streamlines our processes, enhances our decision-making, and drives unprecedented growth. By embracing AI technology, we empower our team to achieve remarkable results and stay ahead of the curve in our industry. Together, let's harness the power of AI to shape a brighter tomorrow."

What mistakes do you need to avoid at the end of a presentation?

Presenters sometimes make mistakes when wrapping up their presentations, which can weaken the impact they've built. By recognizing and avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure your presentation ends on a high note and leaves a lasting impression. Let's explore some common errors and how to steer clear of them to a strong conclusion.

Rushing to end a presentation:

One of the biggest mistakes presenters make is abruptly ending the presentation without a proper conclusion. This can throw off audience interest and leave them feeling disoriented.

Solution: Allocate sufficient time for the closing remarks to ensure a smooth and impactful conclusion. A well-paced conclusion allows for a seamless transition between points, keeping the audience engaged and focused on your message.

Overloading your conclusion:

Many presenters make the mistake of overloading the final slide with too much information, overwhelming the audience and detracting from the main message. Also, introducing new information at this stage can detract from the presentation's purpose.

Solution : To avoid this, focus on summarizing the key points concisely. Aim for a clear and concise conclusion that reinforces the main message without introducing new information. This ensures that your audience retains the information presented without feeling overwhelmed.

Avoid ending your presentation with Q&A:

While the Q&A session is valuable, using it as the conclusion can lead to an abrupt ending without proper closure for the audience.

Solution: Instead, provide the audience with a closing statement or a strong takeaway from your presentation. This helps you to provide clarity and direction, enhancing understanding and retention of the information presented.

Unaligned conclusions:

The conclusion should align with the presentation introduction to ensure a cohesive narrative. An unaligned conclusion makes the audience feel disoriented and impacts their ability to retain information.

Solution: To address this, create a sense of cohesion by referencing elements introduced at the beginning of your presentation. This could be a story, quote, or theme that ties your introduction to your conclusion. End your presentation with a memorable statement or compelling call to action to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Inability to adapt the presentation end:

Not paying attention to audience reactions can lead to a lackluster conclusion. It's essential to read audience cues and adapt the end of the presentation accordingly.

Solution: Adjust your tone, pace, and content based on the audience's nonverbal cues to maintain engagement. Ensure that you remain flexible and prepared to adjust your conclusion based on audience reactions. This will also ensure continued receptiveness from the audience. Flexibility is key to addressing unforeseen circumstances while maintaining the integrity of your message.

Did you know that 80% of human communication is conveyed through body language and other non-verbal cues? That's why mastering the art of reading your audience is essential if you want to make a lasting impression. Read our detailed article to learn more about effectively interpreting your audience's non-verbal cues and optimizing your communication skills.

Skipping the Call to Action (CTA):

If you skip suggesting any prompt action from the audience, it can result in unappealing endings to presentations. On the other hand, if your presentation includes a call to action or concludes with a compelling statement, that motivates your audience to take the desired steps.

Solution: Clearly state what you want your audience to do next, whether it's signing up, implementing a strategy, or reflecting on the presented information. Communicate what you want them to do next and why it's important. A strong call to action will help you reinforce the message and at the same time encourage your audience to act upon it, bridging the gap between information and implementation.

Overusing clichés as a way to end:

While expressing gratitude is important, relying on generic phrases like “Thank you for your time” is not a strong way to end your presentation. These clichés have been overused and trigger a default response from the audience, resulting in immediate disengagement.

Solution: Craft a unique and memorable closing that aligns with your message and leaves a strong impression on your audience. Express gratitude for their time and attention in a way that provides closure. For example, summarize the journey you've taken together throughout the presentation or conclude with a thought-provoking statement that leaves them with something to consider beyond the presentation.

Examples of how to end a presentation with conclusion slides:

Here are some examples of effective presentation conclusion slides that you can refer to for inspiration in crafting your next presentation's ending. Feel free to use them directly or adapt them to suit your specific needs and style. Downloading these templates can also help streamline your presentation creation process and save valuable time.

Key takeaways on presentation conclusion:

• End of presentations are crucial for leaving a lasting impact and ensuring audience retention. • Techniques like summarization, emphasizing a call to action, engaging the audience, employing persuasive language, and conceptualization can strengthen your core message. • Common mistakes to avoid in your powerpoint presentation include rushing to the end of your presentation, overloading it with information, ending with a Q&A, unaligned conclusions, and inability to adapt.

How can Prezent help to end your presentation with style?

Presentation software like Prezent can help you to conclude your business presentations effectively by providing a range of tools and features designed to enhance the closing stages of your presentations:

Templates: Prezent offers a variety of professionally designed slide templates that you can choose from. These templates include pre-designed conclusion slides covering various business scenarios with visually appealing layouts, making it easy for presenters to create impactful endings.

Auto-generate presentations: You can choose to generate an entirely new on-brand presentation if you don’t want to build one from scratch. This feature helps you quickly create presentations with impactful endings, which you can then refine and modify as per your requirements.

Training and resources : Prezent provides training materials and resources on effective presentation techniques , including tips for crafting compelling conclusions. You can access guides and industry best practices to improve your presentation skills and create more impactful endings.

Discover the full potential of Prezent's features and capabilities with our free trial today. If you prefer personalized guidance into our AI product, schedule a demo with our experts. We'll walk you through our platform, offering insights to streamline your business communications and presentation creation process effectively.