Finishing Strong - 10 Ways to Conclude Your Online Presentation
Photo by Teddy Yang from Pexels
By Scott J. Allen & Maria Soriano Young
What if the “William Tell Overture” just fizzled out right before the grand finale?! No drums, no cymbals, no flutes…just fizzled away into a quiet, melodic ending or, worse, a chord or harmony of notes across the orchestra that just “sounds” incomplete. In these moments, the audience is confused—is there more music coming? Will the piece resolve into the dominant key to feel complete? Are we supposed to applaud now?! We see this similar deflation happen all the time for presenters. A great presentation fizzles away. The speaker’s voice trails off, their eye contact diminishes, and they say, “so….that’s all I’ve got for you…maybe we can move to questions…” At these moments, the audience feels let down and, like the music-lovers mentioned earlier, also wondering if they’re supposed to applaud.
Your conclusion is the audience’s final opportunity to hear from you. In many ways, it’s just as important as the introduction. Just as you would with an in-person presentation, you must clearly signal to the audience that you are finished with your portion. You will either end your time together or move on to questions, conversation, or the next portion of the session. We gave you some great ideas for introduction strategies in an earlier blog post; the same techniques would work great for your conclusion: a quote, a story, or an inspirational video can each be a way to end on a poignant and thoughtful note (see what we did there?).
Other good options for a meaningful conclusion for your online presentation include:
Ask Participants for “A Word” – Scott concludes by asking participants to share one word or a phrase in the chat box. In particular, he hopes to read a word or phrase from each participant that captures their feelings at that moment. If the session has gone well, words like “insightful,” “motivational,” or “thought-provoking” begin to pop up in the chat. Scott reads those words aloud (or, if Scott and Maria are presenting together, Maria will read them aloud as the co-pilot), and everyone leaves on a high, feeling good about their time and the experience.
Return to Mission – If the organization has a mission/vision statement or principles that publicly communicate its aspirations, use their words to conclude. For instance, if you’ve presented an innovative solution and “always innovates” is a value held by the organization, it’s a great way to align your idea or perspective with the organization’s aspirations.
A Better Future – Paint a picture for the audience. Help participants see how your solution will impact them and their work. Help them understand how your intervention will lead to a better future—one that is free from some of their current challenges and roadblocks.
The Bookend – Return to your introduction to help the audience see how the situation or story could have turned out differently, how your idea would have helped, or how your solution will yield a better future. Perhaps your bookend also charts a new path that will help the organization meet its mission. In her presentations, Maria always likes to recall an image, topic, or key word/phrase/theme that she mentioned initially to come full-circle with the session rhetorically.
Call to Action – Provide listeners with a “next step,” way to engage, or plea for action. For instance, after a presentation on sustainability, call on listeners to recycle and begin a composting program at home. The call to action is a great way to encourage action, participation, and the opportunity to make a difference.
A Powerful Quote – Conclude with a powerful quote that synthesizes your main point or key takeaway. A powerful quote from a well-respected person in your domain can align your presentation with seminal thinkers who share your perspective.
Story/Anecdote – Concluding with a well-told story is a powerful way to solidify your main point in listeners' minds. Be sure the story is well-structured, delivered with mastery, and matches your primary objective. Doing so will leave your audience with a solid and lasting impression of you.
Rhetorical Question – Challenging the audience to think critically about their perspectives, opinions, or assumptions can be a powerful way to move people beyond their current way of being. Likewise, rhetorical questions cause listeners to reflect on their behaviors, actions, or lack of action. Ending with a question like “I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today, and I have one final question - What will you do to help your organization live all of the concepts we have discussed today?”
Summarize Your Main Points – Tell them what you told them. Doing so at the very end is your final opportunity to ensure that listeners walk away from your presentation with a strong command of your main points. You want them to be able to recall your most essential prompts and ideas when they are recapping or conversing about your session with a coworker or a loved one at the end of the evening.
Signal the End With Instructions – Rhetorically signal the end of the presentation portion and indicate that Q & A will begin or that you will look at any questions raised in the chat box. If you have a co-pilot, you can call on that person to summarize or start asking you some of the questions: “Sarah, I know you have been monitoring the chat during this presentation. Are there any specific topics or questions that have come up for me to address?”
You must design a powerful conclusion (there’s that “design” word again!). Your audience deserves it, because they have set aside time in their day to listen to and interact with you. Thus, your conclusion represents their final impression of you and their final opportunity to hear what you want them to know, feel, or do. Doing so requires intentionality, and it requires design. So as you work on deciding what your conclusion will consist of, be sure the cymbals are ready, the bassoons are prepared, the flutes are in position, and even the triangle is held up high and ready to go!
We explore this topic and others in our new book Captovation: Online Presentations by Design.