When ending a PowerPoint presentation, you need to know that your audience will remember your last statement more than any other part of your presentation. This means that you need to make it count and be sure that it’s memorable. This is why having a strong “call-to-action” at the end is crucial.
Below are some ideas about how to end your PowerPoint presentation in order to leave your audience with something that they will remember. I hope these will be helpful for you to get your point across! Let’s get started.
An insightful question is a very popular way to end your PowerPoint presentation because it provides the audience with food for thought and will help them remember your speech better than anything else. By asking an insightful question, you will be able to leave them thinking about the issue for a while.
You can also use your questions to get feedback from others on their opinions and ideas. This is especially useful if they do not agree with yours or have different views than you do.
2. Give a memorable analogy.
An analogy can help people understand your point of view and leave them thinking about it for a while, even after you end your presentation. When choosing an analogy, keep in mind that two things need to be the same (i.e., both must have something in common or one might go with the other), but they also need to be different in some way.
You can use this as a way to explain your point of view on the subject and show how it relates to theirs. This is also helpful if there is a gap between your ideas and theirs. For example, suppose you’re trying to make them understand the importance of social media for business, and they don’t see this. In that case, you can use an analogy such as – Building a brand on social media is the same as building a house. It would be best if you had a solid foundation for them to work.
3. Ask for advice/help.
You can end your presentation by asking the audience for their input on fixing an issue or what you should do next because it will make them feel like part of your presentation and leave them wanting more. After all, they are involved in your speech. This way, you continue the discussion well after the presentation is over.
It is also helpful because you are trying to solve a problem or deal with an issue that your audience may be having as well. This, in turn, helps them see that you are trying to help them out and will make them more likely to trust you. Asking for help can be especially helpful if you need to gain their trust and validation because it will help you persuade them more easily.
4. Summarize the key points.
Creating a list of the most important points in your speech and reading it out loud will improve audience retention because you just condensed all of the key parts into one segment. This also works well if you have mentioned things that may be helpful to re-emphasize such information related to safety or instructions. Also, providing the next steps or follow-up suggestions based on what was discussed during the presentation can be an excellent way to end the presentation on time and let your audience know what you plan to do next.
Summing up your presentation can also be helpful because it allows you to make sure that all of the key points and points of discussion are analyzed and considered. This way, your audience will see your presentation as complete and thoughtful, making them more likely to agree with what you’re saying.
5. Close with a quote from a famous person or an expert.
Popular quotes from famous people are excellent closing statements because they leave the audience with something memorable, especially if you finish off by saying who the quote is from and how it ties into your presentation. You can also use an expert to end your PowerPoint presentation because it will give people a sense of authority and expertise to the things that you have said.
A quote also works well because it ties everything together and makes sense of all the information that you have given throughout your presentation. It will leave people thinking about what they heard and will make them think about or research what was said more in-depth in their own time.
6. Provide a takeaway message.
The best way to end your speech is by giving them something they can take away, such as a checklist for self-improvement, an important life lesson, or information that they can use later on. This will not only help them remember your closing statement but also what you said earlier in your speech.
Checklists are especially practical because it makes your speech more helpful and meaningful. It will make people feel like they have got something out of the presentation, which might make them go away feeling happy with what you said. A checklist also implies that you don’t expect them to remember everything immediately, but they will start to remember the main points over time.
7. Praise and thank the audience.
You can also finish with a good compliment for your audience. This will leave them feeling more satisfied, and they will be grateful to you for it. Thanking the audience is vital because it shows that you acknowledge them and respect what they have to say. It also shows the audience that you care about them and their opinions. It can also be an excellent way to end the presentation on a light-hearted note so they will have a better idea of how much you care about what you’re talking about.
Thanking those who helped you prepare also shows the audience how much time and effort was put into making sure that your PowerPoint presentation went as smoothly as possible. It tells them that you care about your topic and the people who have come to listen. It can also be a good way to let them know how much you appreciate their interest in the presentation and what they have come for.
8. End with a call to action.
A call to action step is just as important as the beginning, so end on time by telling your audience what they should do next. This will also help them with tasks that need to be completed later on. The last thing that you want to happen is people leaving the presentation and forgetting to act on what they’ve just learned.
Of course, you don’t want to sound presumptuous, so instead of telling them what they should do next, ask a question that leaves the answer up to them. This way, it is their choice whether or not they follow through on your suggestions, and it will help motivate them because you have left the ball in their court.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the key to a successful PowerPoint presentation is to keep your audience engaged. It’s important to take time to prepare your material, use humor, and share what you’ve learned with the world so they can learn too.
As previously stated, people will remember the last statement that you make in your presentation more than any other quote or fact that you provide them with. This means that it is also essential to end on a good note and leave them with a final statement that will help them remember everything.
The main objective when ending your presentation is to give people enough information so that they will remember you and what you talked about, but not so much that it overpowers any other speaking points in the presentation.
