Thursday, July 03, 2008
The Presentation Grand Finale: 3 Ways to Close with a Bang!
Most fireworks presentations feature a super-explosive Grand Finale. After 45 minutes or so of eliciting audience oooohs and ahhhhs, a fabulous fireworks show ends with an overwhelming sensory display that excites and mobilizes the crowd.
The masses rise, stamp their feet, cheer wildly -- and go home feeling invigorated.
And maybe even a little hard-of-hearing!
You've made an emotional connection. Now what do you do to bring it on home? Close with a whimper or a bang? (Link & credit to "The Hollow Men" by TS Eliot.)
Whimper! Too many presentations end without a grand finale. Some wander off-topic with a closing statement that has nothing to do with the content of the presentation. And quite a few end with these stinkers:
Most fireworks presentations feature a super-explosive Grand Finale. After 45 minutes or so of eliciting audience oooohs and ahhhhs, a fabulous fireworks show ends with an overwhelming sensory display that excites and mobilizes the crowd.
The masses rise, stamp their feet, cheer wildly -- and go home feeling invigorated.
And maybe even a little hard-of-hearing!
photo credit: empressofdirt
- You see nodding. And smiles.
- You recognize eyebrows raised in that "aha" moment.
- You witness furious note-taking.
- And yeah, maybe you've actually heard ooohs or ahhhs!
You've made an emotional connection. Now what do you do to bring it on home? Close with a whimper or a bang? (Link & credit to "The Hollow Men" by TS Eliot.)
Whimper! Too many presentations end without a grand finale. Some wander off-topic with a closing statement that has nothing to do with the content of the presentation. And quite a few end with these stinkers:
- Wimpy. "I see my time is up. Thank you and goodnight."
- Whimper. "Are there any questions?"
- Whimpiest. "Well, if there aren't any more questions, thank you and good night." (Mike Aoki clearly explains why ending with Q&A is a terrible way to close a presentation.)
- Bang! Call to Action! "In a few minutes, you're going back to your offices. Here's the first thing I want you to do when you get back to your desks..."
- Bang! Summarize! "When you leave here today, remember these three main points..."
- Bang! The Final Story..."Let me share one final story with you..."
How else do you close your presentations with a bang? And let's dish -- what are some of the worst closings you've ever witnessed?
Labels: Presentation
¶ 7/03/2008 09:05:00 AM
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Great post! I totally agree that a presentation should have a "real" ending.
To my mind, the worst slide to end a presentation with is the "Thank you for your attention" one. Many of these "thank you" slides just reuse the title slide and put this statment on it - or even worse - put a clipart on it.
And, by the way, quite often there is really nothing to be thankful for: people did not pay attention to a dull presentation!
I prefer to use a final picture, without text or a very brief one. This picture should be stimulating (...or sometimes even a bit "cheeky"...) and I keep it on screen during eventual final discussions or questions.
Timo
To my mind, the worst slide to end a presentation with is the "Thank you for your attention" one. Many of these "thank you" slides just reuse the title slide and put this statment on it - or even worse - put a clipart on it.
And, by the way, quite often there is really nothing to be thankful for: people did not pay attention to a dull presentation!
I prefer to use a final picture, without text or a very brief one. This picture should be stimulating (...or sometimes even a bit "cheeky"...) and I keep it on screen during eventual final discussions or questions.
Timo
Wow, what you've said is soooo true. Many of us have been 'trained' to end with a whimper and have never given it a second thought. Your suggestions make so much sense and leave the audience hungry and enthused for more. Great post.
Laura,
Excellent tips. I personally like to close with the call to action. If I can, I like to sum it in 7 words or less like a newspaper headline - "Close strong to make the sale" would be an example of one I'd use on this subject.
Thanks for sharing,
James
blog.jvf.com
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Excellent tips. I personally like to close with the call to action. If I can, I like to sum it in 7 words or less like a newspaper headline - "Close strong to make the sale" would be an example of one I'd use on this subject.
Thanks for sharing,
James
blog.jvf.com
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