best ending of presentation

30 Examples: How to Conclude a Presentation (Effective Closing Techniques)

By Status.net Editorial Team on March 4, 2024 — 9 minutes to read

Ending a presentation on a high note is a skill that can set you apart from the rest. It’s the final chance to leave an impact on your audience, ensuring they walk away with the key messages embedded in their minds. This moment is about driving your points home and making sure they resonate. Crafting a memorable closing isn’t just about summarizing key points, though that’s part of it, but also about providing value that sticks with your listeners long after they’ve left the room.

Crafting Your Core Message

To leave a lasting impression, your presentation’s conclusion should clearly reflect your core message. This is your chance to reinforce the takeaways and leave the audience thinking about your presentation long after it ends.

Identifying Key Points

Start by recognizing what you want your audience to remember. Think about the main ideas that shaped your talk. Make a list like this:

• The problem your presentation addresses.
• The evidence that supports your argument.
• The solution you propose or the action you want the audience to take.

These key points become the pillars of your core message.

Contextualizing the Presentation

Provide context by briefly relating back to the content of the whole presentation. For example:

• Reference a statistic you shared in the opening, and how it ties into the conclusion.
• Mention a case study that underlines the importance of your message.

Connecting these elements gives your message cohesion and makes your conclusion resonate with the framework of your presentation.

30 Example Phrases: How to Conclude a Presentation

• 1. “In summary, let’s revisit the key takeaways from today’s presentation.”
• 2. “Thank you for your attention. Let’s move forward together.”
• 3. “That brings us to the end. I’m open to any questions you may have.”
• 4. “I’ll leave you with this final thought to ponder as we conclude.”
• 5. “Let’s recap the main points before we wrap up.”
• 6. “I appreciate your engagement. Now, let’s turn these ideas into action.”
• 7. “We’ve covered a lot today. To conclude, remember these crucial points.”
• 8. “As we reach the end, I’d like to emphasize our call to action.”
• 9. “Before we close, let’s quickly review what we’ve learned.”
• 10. “Thank you for joining me on this journey. I look forward to our next steps.”
• 11. “In closing, I’d like to thank everyone for their participation.”
• 12. “Let’s conclude with a reminder of the impact we can make together.”
• 13. “To wrap up our session, here’s a brief summary of our discussion.”
• 14. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to present to you. Any final thoughts?”
• 15. “And that’s a wrap. I welcome any final questions or comments.”
• 16. “As we conclude, let’s remember the objectives we’ve set today.”
• 17. “Thank you for your time. Let’s apply these insights to achieve success.”
• 18. “In conclusion, your feedback is valuable, and I’m here to listen.”
• 19. “Before we part, let’s take a moment to reflect on our key messages.”
• 20. “I’ll end with an invitation for all of us to take the next step.”
• 21. “As we close, let’s commit to the goals we’ve outlined today.”
• 22. “Thank you for your attention. Let’s keep the conversation going.”
• 23. “In conclusion, let’s make a difference, starting now.”
• 24. “I’ll leave you with these final words to consider as we end our time together.”
• 25. “Before we conclude, remember that change starts with our actions today.”
• 26. “Thank you for the lively discussion. Let’s continue to build on these ideas.”
• 27. “As we wrap up, I encourage you to reach out with any further questions.”
• 28. “In closing, I’d like to express my gratitude for your valuable input.”
• 29. “Let’s conclude on a high note and take these learnings forward.”
• 30. “Thank you for your time today. Let’s end with a commitment to progress.”

Summarizing the Main Points

When you reach the end of your presentation, summarizing the main points helps your audience retain the important information you’ve shared. Crafting a memorable summary enables your listeners to walk away with a clear understanding of your message.

Effective Methods of Summarization

To effectively summarize your presentation, you need to distill complex information into concise, digestible pieces. Start by revisiting the overarching theme of your talk and then narrow down to the core messages. Use plain language and imagery to make the enduring ideas stick. Here are some examples of how to do this:

• Use analogies that relate to common experiences to recap complex concepts.
• Incorporate visuals or gestures that reinforce your main arguments.

The Rule of Three

The Rule of Three is a classic writing and communication principle. It means presenting ideas in a trio, which is a pattern that’s easy for people to understand and remember. For instance, you might say, “Our plan will save time, cut costs, and improve quality.” This structure has a pleasing rhythm and makes the content more memorable. Some examples include:

• “This software is fast, user-friendly, and secure.”
• Pointing out a product’s “durability, affordability, and eco-friendliness.”

Reiterating the Main Points

Finally, you want to circle back to the key takeaways of your presentation. Rephrase your main points without introducing new information. This reinforcement supports your audience’s memory and understanding of the material. You might summarize key takeaways like this:

• Mention the problem you addressed, the solution you propose, and the benefits of this solution.
• Highlighting the outcomes of adopting your strategy: higher efficiency, greater satisfaction, and increased revenue.

Creating a Strong Conclusion

The final moments of your presentation are your chance to leave your audience with a powerful lasting impression. A strong conclusion is more than just summarizing—it’s your opportunity to invoke thought, inspire action, and make your message memorable.

Incorporating a Call to Action

A call to action is your parting request to your audience. You want to inspire them to take a specific action or think differently as a result of what they’ve heard. To do this effectively:

• Be clear about what you’re asking.
• Explain why their action is needed.
• Make it as simple as possible for them to take the next steps.

Example Phrases:

• “Start making a difference today by…”
• “Join us in this effort by…”
• “Take the leap and commit to…”

Leaving a Lasting Impression

End your presentation with something memorable. This can be a powerful quote, an inspirational statement, or a compelling story that underscores your main points. The goal here is to resonate with your audience on an emotional level so that your message sticks with them long after they leave.

• “In the words of [Influential Person], ‘…'”
• “Imagine a world where…”
• “This is more than just [Topic]; it’s about…”

Enhancing Audience Engagement

To hold your audience’s attention and ensure they leave with a lasting impression of your presentation, fostering interaction is key.

Q&A Sessions

It’s important to integrate a Q&A session because it allows for direct communication between you and your audience. This interactive segment helps clarify any uncertainties and encourages active participation. Plan for this by designating a time slot towards the end of your presentation and invite questions that promote discussion.

• “I’d love to hear your thoughts; what questions do you have?”
• “Let’s dive into any questions you might have. Who would like to start?”
• “Feel free to ask any questions, whether they’re clarifications or deeper inquiries about the topic.”

Encouraging Audience Participation

Getting your audience involved can transform a good presentation into a great one. Use open-ended questions that provoke thought and allow audience members to reflect on how your content relates to them. Additionally, inviting volunteers to participate in a demonstration or share their experiences keeps everyone engaged and adds a personal touch to your talk.

• “Could someone give me an example of how you’ve encountered this in your work?”
• “I’d appreciate a volunteer to help demonstrate this concept. Who’s interested?”
• “How do you see this information impacting your daily tasks? Let’s discuss!”

Delivering a Persuasive Ending

At the end of your presentation, you have the power to leave a lasting impact on your audience. A persuasive ending can drive home your key message and encourage action.

Sales and Persuasion Tactics

When you’re concluding a presentation with the goal of selling a product or idea, employ carefully chosen sales and persuasion tactics. One method is to summarize the key benefits of your offering, reminding your audience why it’s important to act. For example, if you’ve just presented a new software tool, recap how it will save time and increase productivity. Another tactic is the ‘call to action’, which should be clear and direct, such as “Start your free trial today to experience the benefits first-hand!” Furthermore, using a touch of urgency, like “Offer expires soon!”, can nudge your audience to act promptly.

Final Impressions and Professionalism

Your closing statement is a chance to solidify your professional image and leave a positive impression. It’s important to display confidence and poise. Consider thanking your audience for their time and offering to answer any questions. Make sure to end on a high note by summarizing your message in a concise and memorable way. If your topic was on renewable energy, you might conclude by saying, “Let’s take a leap towards a greener future by adopting these solutions today.” This reinforces your main points and encourages your listeners to think or act differently when they leave.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some creative strategies for ending a presentation memorably.

To end your presentation in a memorable way, consider incorporating a call to action that engages your audience to take the next step. Another strategy is to finish with a thought-provoking question or a surprising fact that resonates with your listeners.

Can you suggest some powerful quotes suitable for concluding a presentation?

Yes, using a quote can be very effective. For example, Maya Angelou’s “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” can reinforce the emotional impact of your presentation.

What is an effective way to write a conclusion that summarizes a presentation?

An effective conclusion should recap the main points succinctly, highlighting what you want your audience to remember. A good way to conclude is by restating your thesis and then briefly summarizing the supporting points you made.

As a student, how can I leave a strong impression with my presentation’s closing remarks?

To leave a strong impression, consider sharing a personal anecdote related to your topic that demonstrates passion and conviction. This helps humanize your content and makes the message more relatable to your audience.

How can I appropriately thank my audience at the close of my presentation?

A simple and sincere expression of gratitude is always appropriate. You might say, “Thank you for your attention and engagement today,” to convey appreciation while also acknowledging their participation.

What are some examples of a compelling closing sentence in a presentation?

A compelling closing sentence could be something like, “Together, let’s take the leap towards a greener future,” if you’re presenting on sustainability. This sentence is impactful, calls for united action, and leaves your audience with a clear message.

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• By Illiya Vjestica
• - January 23, 2023

10 Powerful Examples of How to End a Presentation

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.

Think about colours. You want to capture the audience’s attention before closing the presentation. Make sure the fonts you choose are clear and easy to read.

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.

Illiya Vjestica

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How to End a Presentation The Right Way (+ 3 Downloadable Creative PowerPoint Conclusion Slides)

Ausbert Generoso

Ever been in a presentation that started strong but fizzled out at the end? It’s a common frustration. The conclusion is where your message either sticks or fades away.

But how often have you left a presentation wondering, “Was that it?” A lackluster ending can undermine the impact of an entire presentation. In the digital age, a strong conclusion isn’t just a courtesy; it’s your secret weapon to make your message unforgettable.

In this blog, we’re diving into the art of crafting a powerful ending, making sure your audience doesn’t just understand but gets inspired. Let’s explore the key on how to end a presentation in a way that lingers in your audience’s minds.

Table of Contents

Why having a good presentation conclusion matters.

Understanding why a conclusion is not merely a formality but a critical component is key to elevating your presentation game. Let’s delve into the pivotal reasons why a well-crafted conclusion matters:

🎉 Lasting Impression

The conclusion is the last note your audience hears, leaving a lasting impression. It shapes their overall perception and ensures they vividly remember your key points.

🔄 Message Reinforcement

Think of the conclusion as the reinforcement stage for your central message. It’s the last opportunity to drive home your main ideas, ensuring they are understood and internalized.

📝 Audience Takeaways

Summarizing key points in the conclusion acts as a guide, ensuring your audience remembers the essential elements of your presentation.

💬 Connection and Engagement

A well-crafted conclusion fosters engagement, connecting with your audience on a deeper level through thought-provoking questions, compelling quotes, or visual recaps.

🚀 Motivation for Action

If your presentation includes a call to action, the conclusion plants the seeds for motivation, encouraging your audience to become active participants.

🌟 Professionalism and Polishing

A strong conclusion adds professionalism, showcasing attention to detail and a commitment to delivering a comprehensive and impactful message.

6 Unique Techniques and Components to a Strong Conclusion

As we navigate the art of how to end a presentation, it becomes evident that a powerful and memorable conclusion is not merely the culmination of your words—it’s an experience carefully crafted to resonate with your audience. In this section, we explore key components that transcend the ordinary, turning your conclusion into a compelling finale that lingers in the minds of your listeners.

1. Visual Storytelling through Imagery

What it is:  In the digital age, visuals carry immense power. Utilize compelling imagery in your conclusion to create a visual story that reinforces your main points. Whether it’s a metaphorical image, a powerful photograph, or an infographic summarizing key ideas, visuals can enhance the emotional impact of your conclusion.

How to do it:  Select images that align with your presentation theme and evoke the desired emotions. Integrate these visuals into your conclusion, allowing them to speak volumes. Ensure consistency in style and tone with the rest of your presentation, creating a seamless visual narrative that resonates with your audience.

2. Interactive Audience Participation

What it is:  Transform your conclusion into an interactive experience by engaging your audience directly. Pose a thought-provoking question or conduct a quick poll related to your presentation theme. This fosters active participation, making your conclusion more memorable and involving your audience on a deeper level.

How to do it:  Craft a question that encourages reflection and discussion. Use audience response tools, if available, to collect real-time feedback. Alternatively, encourage a show of hands or open the floor for brief comments. This direct engagement not only reinforces your message but also creates a dynamic and memorable conclusion.

3. Musical Closure for Emotional Impact

What it is:  Consider incorporating music into your conclusion to evoke emotions and enhance the overall impact. A carefully selected piece of music can complement your message, creating a powerful and memorable ending that resonates with your audience on a sensory level.

How to do it:  Choose a piece of music that aligns with the tone and message of your presentation. Introduce the music at the right moment in your conclusion, allowing it to play during the final thoughts. Ensure that the volume is appropriate and that the music enhances, rather than distracts from, your message.

4. Intentional and Deliberate Silence

What it is:  Sometimes, the most impactful way to conclude a presentation is through intentional silence. A brief pause after delivering your final words allows your audience to absorb and reflect on your message. This minimalist approach can create a sense of gravity and emphasis.

How to do it:  Plan a deliberate pause after your last sentence or key point. Use this moment to make eye contact with your audience, allowing your message to sink in. The strategic use of silence can be particularly effective when followed by a strong closing statement or visual element.

5. Narrative Bookending

What it is:  Create a sense of completeness by bookending your presentation. Reference a story, quote, or anecdote from the introduction, bringing your presentation full circle. This technique provides a satisfying narrative structure and reinforces your core message.

How to do it:  Identify a story or element from your introduction that aligns with your conclusion. Reintroduce it with a fresh perspective, revealing its relevance to the journey you’ve taken your audience on. This technique not only creates coherence but also leaves a lasting impression.

6. Incorporating Humor for Memorable Impact

What it is:  Humor can be a powerful tool in leaving a positive and memorable impression. Consider injecting a well-timed joke, light-hearted anecdote, or amusing visual element into your conclusion. Humor can create a sense of camaraderie and connection with your audience.

How to do it:  Choose humor that aligns with your audience’s sensibilities and the overall tone of your presentation. Ensure it enhances, rather than detracts from, your message. A genuine and well-placed moment of humor can humanize your presentation and make your conclusion more relatable.

[Bonus] Creative Ways on How to End a Presentation Like a Pro

1. minimalist conclusion table design.

One of the many ways to (aesthetically) end your PowerPoint presentation is by having a straightforward and neat-looking table to sum up all the important points you want your audience to reflect on. Putting closing information in one slide can get heavy, especially if there’s too much text included – as to why it’s important to go minimal on the visual side whenever you want to present a group of text.

Here’s how you can easily do it:

• Insert a table. Depending on the number of points you want to reinforce, feel free to customize the number of rows & columns you might need. Then, proceed to fill the table with your content.
• Clear the fill for the first column of the table by selecting the entire column. Then, go to the Table Design tab on your PowerPoint ribbon, click on the Shading drop down, and select No Fill.
• Color the rest of the columns as preferred. Ideally, the heading column must be in a darker shade compared to the cells below.
• Insert circles at the top left of each heading column. Each circle should be colored the same as the heading. Then, put a weighted outline and make it white, or the same color as the background.
• Finally, put icons on top each circle that represent the columns. You may find free stock PowerPoint icons by going to Insert, then Icons.

2. Animated Closing Text

Ever considered closing a presentation with what seems to be a blank slide which will then be slowly filled with text in a rather captivating animation? Well, that’s sounds specific, yes! But, it’s time for you take this hack as your next go-to in ending your presentations!

Here’s how simple it is to do it:

• Go to Pixabay , and set your search for only videos. In this example, I searched for the keyword, ‘yellow ink’.
• Insert the downloaded video onto a blank PowerPoint slide. Then, go to the Playback tab on the PowerPoint ribbon. Set the video to start automatically, and tick the box for ‘Loop until stopped’. Then, cover it whole with a shape.
• Place your closing text on top of the shape. It could be a quote, an excerpt, or just a message that you want to end your PowerPoint presentation with.
• Select the shape, hold Shift, and select the text next. Then, go to Merge Shapes, and select Subtract.
• Color the shape white with no outline. And, you’re done!

3. Animated 3D Models

What quicker way is there than using PowerPoint’s built-in 3D models? And did you know they have an entire collection of animated 3D models to save you time in setting up countless animations? Use it as part of your presentation conclusion and keep your audience’ eyes hooked onto the screens.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Design a closing slide. In this example, I’m using a simple “Thank You” slide.
• Go to Insert, then click on the 3D Models dropdown, and select Stock 3D Models. Here, you can browse thru the ‘All Animated Models’ pack and find the right model for you
• Once your chosen model has been inserted, go to the Animations tab.
• In this example, I’m setting a Swing animation. Then, set the model to start with previous.
• For a final touch, go to Animation Pane. From the side panel, click on the Effect Options dropdown and tick the check box for Auto-reverse. Another would be the Timing dropdown, then select Until End of Slide down the Repeat dropdown.

Get a hold of these 3 bonus conclusion slides for free!

Expert Tips on How to End a Presentation With Impact

🔍  Clarity and Conciseness

Tip:  Keep your conclusion clear and concise. Avoid introducing new information, and instead, focus on summarizing key points and reinforcing your main message. A concise conclusion ensures that your audience retains the essential takeaways without feeling overwhelmed.

⏩  Maintain a Strong Pace

Tip:  Control the pacing of your conclusion. Maintain a steady rhythm to sustain audience engagement. Avoid rushing through key points or lingering too long on any single aspect. A well-paced conclusion keeps your audience focused and attentive until the very end.

🚀  Emphasize Key Takeaways

Tip:  Clearly highlight the most critical takeaways from your presentation. Reinforce these key points in your conclusion to emphasize their significance. This ensures that your audience leaves with a firm grasp of the essential messages you aimed to convey.

🔄  Align with Your Introduction

Tip:  Create a sense of cohesion by aligning your conclusion with elements introduced in the beginning. Reference a story, quote, or theme from your introduction, providing a satisfying narrative arc. This connection enhances the overall impact and resonance of your presentation.

🎭  Practice, but Embrace Flexibility

Tip:  Practice your conclusion to ensure a confident delivery. However, be prepared to adapt based on audience reactions or unexpected changes. Embrace flexibility to address any unforeseen circumstances while maintaining the overall integrity of your conclusion.

📢  End with a Strong Call to Action (if applicable)

Tip:  If your presentation includes a call to action, conclude with a compelling and actionable statement. Clearly communicate what you want your audience to do next and why. A strong call to action motivates your audience to take the desired steps.

🙏  Express Gratitude and Closure

Tip:  Express gratitude to your audience for their time and attention. Provide a sense of closure by summarizing the journey you’ve taken together. A gracious and thoughtful conclusion leaves a positive final impression.

Final Thoughts

In wrapping up your presentation, the conclusion serves as the final touch, leaving a strong and lasting impression. Think of it as the last puzzle piece that completes the picture. Ensure your conclusion goes beyond a simple summary, using visuals and engagement to make it memorable. Express gratitude sincerely as you bring your talk to an end, acknowledging the shared experience and setting the stage for what follows.

In these closing moments, aim for more than just a conclusion; create a connection that lingers in the minds of your audience.

About Ausbert Generoso

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How To End A Presentation & Leave A Lasting Impression

By Krystle Wong , Aug 09, 2023

So you’ve got an exciting presentation ready to wow your audience and you’re left with the final brushstroke — how to end your presentation with a bang. 

Just as a captivating opening draws your audience in, creating a well-crafted presentation closing has the power to leave a profound and lasting impression that resonates long after the lights dim and the audience disperses.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the art of crafting an impactful conclusion that resonates with 10 effective techniques and ideas along with real-life examples to inspire your next presentation. Alternatively, you could always jump right into creating your slides by customizing our professionally designed presentation templates . They’re fully customizable and require no design experience at all! 

Click to jump ahead:

Why is it important to have an impactful ending for your presentation?

10 effective presentation closing techniques to leave a lasting impression, 7 things to put on a conclusion slide.

• 5 real-life exceptional examples of how to end a presentation

6 mistakes to avoid in concluding a presentation

Faqs on how to end a presentation, how to create a memorable presentation with venngage.

People tend to remember the beginning and end of a presentation more vividly than the middle, making the final moments your last chance to make a lasting impression. 

An ending that leaves a lasting impact doesn’t merely mark the end of a presentation; it opens doors to further exploration. A strong conclusion is vital because it:

• Leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
• Reinforces key points and takeaways.
• Motivates action and implementation of ideas.
• Creates an emotional connection with the audience.
• Fosters engagement, curiosity and reflection.

Just like the final scene of a movie, your presentation’s ending has the potential to linger in your audience’s minds long after they’ve left the room. From summarizing key points to engaging the audience in unexpected ways, make a lasting impression with these 10 ways to end a presentation:

1. The summary

Wrap up your entire presentation with a concise and impactful summary, recapping the key points and main takeaways. By doing so, you reinforce the essential aspects and ensure the audience leaves with a crystal-clear understanding of your core message.

2. The reverse story

Here’s a cool one: start with the end result and then surprise the audience with the journey that led you to where you are. Share the challenges you conquered and the lessons you learned, making it a memorable and unique conclusion that drives home your key takeaways.

Alternatively, customize one of our cool presentation templates to capture the attention of your audience and deliver your message in an engaging and memorable way

3. The metaphorical prop

For an added visual touch, bring a symbolic prop that represents your message. Explain its significance in relation to your content, leaving the audience with a tangible and unforgettable visual representation that reinforces your key concepts.

4. The audience engagement challenge

Get the audience involved by throwing them a challenge related to your informational presentation. Encourage active participation and promise to share the results later, fostering their involvement and motivating them to take action.

5. The memorable statistic showcase

Spice things up with a series of surprising or intriguing statistics, presented with attention-grabbing visual aids. Summarize your main points using these impactful stats to ensure the audience remembers and grasps the significance of your data, especially when delivering a business presentation or pitch deck presentation .

Transform your data-heavy presentations into engaging presentations using data visualization tools. Venngage’s chart and graph tools help you present information in a digestible and visually appealing manner. Infographics and diagrams can simplify complex concepts while images add a relatable dimension to your presentation. 

6. The interactive story creation

How about a collaborative story? Work with the audience to create an impromptu tale together. Let them contribute elements and build the story with you. Then, cleverly tie it back to your core message with a creative presentation conclusion.

7. The unexpected guest speaker

Introduce an unexpected guest who shares a unique perspective related to your presentation’s theme. If their story aligns with your message, it’ll surely amp up the audience’s interest and engagement.

8. The thought-provoking prompt

Leave your audience pondering with a thought-provoking question or prompt related to your topic. Encourage reflection and curiosity, sparking a desire to explore the subject further and dig deeper into your message.

9. The empowering call-to-action

Time to inspire action! Craft a powerful call to action that motivates the audience to make a difference. Provide practical steps and resources to support their involvement, empowering them to take part in something meaningful.

10. The heartfelt expression

End on a warm note by expressing genuine gratitude and appreciation for the audience’s time and attention. Acknowledge their presence and thank them sincerely, leaving a lasting impression of professionalism and warmth.

Not sure where to start? These 12 presentation software might come in handy for creating a good presentation that stands out. 

Remember, your closing slides for the presentation is your final opportunity to make a strong impact on your audience. However, the question remains — what exactly should be on the last slide of your presentation? Here are 7 conclusion slide examples to conclude with a high note:

1. Key takeaways

Highlight the main points or key takeaways from your presentation. This reinforces the essential information you want the audience to remember, ensuring they leave with a clear understanding of your message with a well summarized and simple presentation .

2. Closing statement

Craft a strong closing statement that summarizes the overall message of your presentation and leaves a positive final impression. This concluding remark should be impactful and memorable.

3. Call-to-action

Don’t forget to include a compelling call to action in your final message that motivates the audience to take specific steps after the presentation. Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, trying a product or conducting further research, a clear call to action can encourage engagement.

4. Contact information

Provide your contact details, such as email address or social media handles. That way, the audience can easily reach out for further inquiries or discussions. Building connections with your audience enhances engagement and opens doors for future opportunities.

Use impactful visuals or graphics to deliver your presentation effectively and make the conclusion slide visually appealing. Engaging visuals can captivate the audience and help solidify your key points.

Visuals are powerful tools for retention. Use Venngage’s library of icons, images and charts to complement your text. You can easily upload and incorporate your own images or choose from Venngage’s library of stock photos to add depth and relevance to your visuals.

6. Next steps

Outline the recommended next steps for the audience to take after the presentation, guiding them on what actions to pursue. This can be a practical roadmap for implementing your ideas and recommendations.

7. Inspirational quote

To leave a lasting impression, consider including a powerful and relevant quote that resonates with the main message of your presentation. Thoughtful quotes can inspire and reinforce the significance of your key points.

Whether you’re giving an in-person or virtual presentation , a strong wrap-up can boost persuasiveness and ensure that your message resonates and motivates action effectively. Check out our gallery of professional presentation templates to get started.

5 real-life exceptional examples of how to end a presentation 

When we talk about crafting an exceptional closing for a presentation, I’m sure you’ll have a million questions — like how do you end a presentation, what do you say at the end of a presentation or even how to say thank you after a presentation. 

To get a better idea of how to end a presentation with style — let’s delve into five remarkable real-life examples that offer valuable insights into crafting a conclusion that truly seals the deal: 

1. Sheryl Sandberg 

In her TED Talk titled “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders,” Sheryl Sandberg concluded with an impactful call to action, urging men and women to lean in and support gender equality in the workplace. This motivational ending inspired the audience to take action toward a more inclusive world.

2. Elon Musk

Elon Musk often concludes with his vision for the future and how his companies are working towards groundbreaking advancements. His passion and enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries of technology leave the audience inspired and eager to witness the future unfold.

3. Barack Obama

President Obama’s farewell address concluded with an emotional and heartfelt expression of gratitude to the American people. He thanked the audience for their support and encouraged them to stay engaged and uphold the values that define the nation.

4. Brené Brown 

In her TED Talk on vulnerability, Brené Brown ended with a powerful quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.” This quote reinforced her message about the importance of embracing vulnerability and taking risks in life.

5. Malala Yousafzai

In her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Malala Yousafzai ended with a moving call to action for education and girls’ rights. She inspired the audience to stand up against injustice and to work towards a world where every child has access to education.

For more innovative presentation ideas , turn ordinary slides into captivating experiences with these 15 interactive presentation ideas that will leave your audience begging for more.

So, we talked about how a good presentation usually ends. As you approach the conclusion of your presentation, let’s go through some of the common pitfalls you should avoid that will undermine the impact of your closing:

1. Abrupt endings

To deliver persuasive presentations, don’t leave your audience hanging with an abrupt conclusion. Instead, ensure a smooth transition by providing a clear closing statement or summarizing the key points to leave a lasting impression.

2. New information

You may be wondering — can I introduce new information or ideas in the closing? The answer is no. Resist the urge to introduce new data or facts in the conclusion and stick to reinforcing the main content presented earlier. By introducing new content at the end, you risk overshadowing your main message.

3. Ending with a Q&A session

While Q&A sessions are valuable , don’t conclude your presentation with them. Opt for a strong closing statement or call-to-action instead, leaving the audience with a clear takeaway.

4. Overloading your final slide

Avoid cluttering your final slide with too much information or excessive visuals. Keep it clean, concise and impactful to reinforce your key messages effectively.

5. Forgetting the call-to-action

Most presentations fail to include a compelling call-to-action which can diminish the overall impact of your presentation. To deliver a persuasive presentation, encourage your audience to take specific steps after the talk, driving engagement and follow-through.

6. Ignoring the audience

Make your conclusion audience-centric by connecting with their needs and interests. Avoid making it solely about yourself or your achievements. Instead, focus on how your message benefits the audience.

What should be the last slide of a presentation?

The last slide of a presentation should be a conclusion slide, summarizing key takeaways, delivering a strong closing statement and possibly including a call to action.

How do I begin a presentation?

Grabbing the audience’s attention at the very beginning with a compelling opening such as a relevant story, surprising statistic or thought-provoking question. You can even create a game presentation to boost interactivity with your audience. Check out this blog for more ideas on how to start a presentation . 

How can I ensure a smooth transition from the body of the presentation to the closing? 

To ensure a smooth transition, summarize key points from the body, use transition phrases like “In conclusion,” and revisit the main message introduced at the beginning. Bridge the content discussed to the themes of the closing and consider adjusting tone and pace to signal the transition.

How long should the conclusion of a presentation be?

The conclusion of a presentation should typically be around 5-10% of the total presentation time, keeping it concise and impactful.

Should you say thank you at the end of a presentation?

Yes, saying thank you at the end of a PowerPoint presentation is a courteous way to show appreciation for the audience’s time and attention.

Should I use presentation slides in the concluding part of my talk? 

Yes, using presentation slides in the concluding part of your talk can be effective. Use concise slides to summarize key takeaways, reinforce your main points and deliver a strong closing statement. A final presentation slide can enhance the impact of your conclusion and help the audience remember your message.

Should I include a Q&A session at the end of the presentation?

Avoid Q&A sessions in certain situations to ensure a well-structured and impactful conclusion. It helps prevent potential time constraints and disruptions to your carefully crafted ending, ensuring your core message remains the focus without the risk of unanswered or off-topic questions diluting the presentation’s impact.

Is it appropriate to use humor in the closing of a presentation?

Using humor in the closing of a presentation can be appropriate if it aligns with your content and audience as it can leave a positive and memorable impression. However, it’s essential to use humor carefully and avoid inappropriate or offensive jokes.

How do I manage nervousness during the closing of a presentation?

To manage nervousness during the closing, focus on your key points and the main message you want to convey. Take deep breaths to calm your nerves, maintain eye contact and remind yourself that you’re sharing valuable insights to enhance your presentation skills.

Creating a memorable presentation is a blend of engaging content and visually captivating design. With Venngage, you can transform your ideas into a dynamic and unforgettable presentation in just 5 easy steps: 

• Choose a template from Venngage’s library: Pick a visually appealing template that fits your presentation’s theme and audience, making it easy to get started with a professional look.
• Craft a compelling story or outline: Organize your content into a clear and coherent narrative or outline the key points to engage your audience and make the information easy to follow.
• Customize design and visuals: Tailor the template with your brand colors, fonts and captivating visuals like images and icons, enhancing your presentation’s visual appeal and uniqueness. You can also use an eye-catching presentation background to elevate your visual content. 
• Incorporate impactful quotes or inspiring elements: Include powerful quotes or elements that resonate with your message, evoking emotions and leaving a lasting impression on your audience members
• Utilize data visualization for clarity: Present data and statistics effectively with Venngage’s charts, graphs and infographics, simplifying complex information for better comprehension.

Additionally, Venngage’s real-time collaboration tools allow you to seamlessly collaborate with team members to elevate your presentation creation process to a whole new level. Use comments and annotations to provide feedback on each other’s work and refine ideas as a group, ensuring a comprehensive and well-rounded presentation.

Well, there you have it—the secrets of how to conclude a presentation. From summarizing your key message to delivering a compelling call to action, you’re now armed with a toolkit of techniques that’ll leave your audience in awe.

Now go ahead, wrap it up like a pro and leave that lasting impression that sets you apart as a presenter who knows how to captivate, inspire and truly make a mark.

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How to End a Presentation with Punch (17 Techniques)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Presentation Design
• March 5, 2019

In this post you’ll learn 17 different ways for how to end a presentation that you can test out.

Why worry about the ending?

Because how you end your presentation is just as important as how you start your presentation ( details here ).

If you start strong but flounder at the end of your presentation, what feeling are people going to be walking away with?

Not a good one, that’s for sure! That’s why the ending your presentation is so important.

1. Call to action

2. Skip the Q&A at the end your presentation

3. End your presentation with a rhetorical Question

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4. Conclude your speech with a story

As you can learn in our post on the best ways to start a presentation ( details here ), emotional listeners retain more information. An emotional story, whether it’s funny, sad, or thought-provoking, is a sure fire way to engage your audience.

If you can, try to tie the beginning and end together with your stories, like Heather Lanier does here:

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5. The power of 3 for your conclusion

6. Come full circle at the end of your presentation

• Pose a question which you answer at the end
• Tell a story and either refer to it or finish it at the end
• Repeat the first slide, this work especially well with powerful images or quotes

7. Demonstrate your product

8. End with an either / or scenario

9. End your presentation on a high note

10. A sound bite

11. End with a provocative question

12. Use the title close technique

13. A quick presentation recap

14. End with a powerful quote

15. End with a strong visual image

16. Close with a clear cut ending

17. End your presentation on time

What’s Next?

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How to End a Presentation? [Top 8 Strategies with Examples]

Guru - May 9, 2023 - Leave your thoughts. 9 min read

animaker deck , presentation , presentation ideas , Presentation Software , presentation tips

How you end a presentation is just as crucial as its opening. It can make or break the impression that you leave on your audience.

A strong conclusion can reinforce your key message and ensure that your audience remembers it even after the presentation is over.

A well-concluded presentation can leave your audience impressed, energized, and motivated to take action.

So now, are you wondering what’s the best way to conclude your presentation? Don’t worry! You have come to the right place!

To help you make a powerful ending to your presentation, we have compiled a list of 8 different strategies in this blog post.

Each of these strategies is designed to help you create a memorable and impactful conclusion to your presentation.

By choosing the most appropriate one for your presentation, you can ensure that your audience remembers your key message and feels motivated to take action.

Let’s jump right in,

1. Emphasize the core message 2. Mirror your opening statement 3. Pose an open-ended question 4. End with a Call to action 5. Thank the audience 6. End with a powerful quote 7. Acknowledge your contributors 8. Ask for feedback

1. Emphasize the core message:

One of the most important aspects of any presentation is ensuring your audience understands your core message.

Reiterating your main points and summarizing your message at the end of your presentation can reinforce this and leave a lasting impression.

It helps to ensure that your audience understands the purpose of your presentation and has a clear takeaway from the information you have provided.

In this video, the speaker restates her topic to conclude her speech firmly and gives a pause, resulting in tremendous applause from the audience.

Similarly, by restating your core message, you can also create a sense of cohesion and give your presentation a firm closure.

This can be particularly important if you want to motivate your audience to take action or influence their behavior in some way.

However, it's important not to repeat EVERYTHING you have said. Instead, focus on the most crucial elements and highlight them in a concise and clear manner.

2. Mirror your opening statement:

A great way to end your presentation is by mirroring your opening statement in your conclusion.

Highlighting your presentation's key message at the end and emphasizing the central idea you aimed to communicate will help your audience to retain it in their memory.

During the conclusion of the presentation, the speaker effectively utilized the technique of mirroring the opening example she had presented - ordering a pizza on the phone by herself.

The speaker demonstrated the remarkable transformation she had undergone in terms of personal growth and confidence, which strongly reinforced her message to the audience.

By mirroring her opening example, she created a sense of familiarity and connection with her audience while simultaneously driving home the key message of her presentation.

This technique allowed the audience to understand better and relate to the speaker's personal journey and the message she was conveying.

Similarly, you can also use this strategy to conclude your presentation. This can be particularly effective if you are trying to reinforce a specific theme or idea throughout your presentation.

3. Pose an open-ended question:

One of the best ways to conclude your presentation is to elicit a response from your audience using an open-ended question that can effectively engage them and make your presentation more memorable.

Look at how the speaker concludes her speech with an open-ended question in this video.

Similarly, you can also raise open-ended questions to help your audience look from a different perspective and encourage them to investigate more thoroughly on the information presented.

Most importantly, ensuring that your question is relevant to your presentation and doesn't detract from your overall message is essential when eliciting a response.

So make sure that you kindle your audiences’ thoughts and ideas with the open-ended question at the end. This helps create a good long-lasting impression of your presentation.

4. End with a Call to action:

One of the best ways to end your presentation is by concluding with a call to action slide.

Incorporating a call to action into your presentation can be a powerful way to encourage your audience to take the next step.

Whether it's signing up for a program, making a purchase, or supporting a cause, a clear call to action is essential to achieving your desired outcome.

Similarly, according to your type of presentation, you can include a relevant call to action.

For example, this might involve providing specific instructions or offering an incentive for taking action, such as a discount or free trial.

It's essential that you understand their pain points and make your call to action compelling. Ensure that your core message and the needs of your audience are aligned so that they are motivated enough to act.

5. Thank the audience:

At the end of your presentation, it's essential to recognize that your audience has taken time out of their busy schedules to attend and listen to your message.

Thanking your audience for their time and attention can create a positive impression and make them feel appreciated.

It's essential to make your gratitude genuine and sincere rather than a superficial gesture. For example, consider expressing your gratitude with a personal anecdote or acknowledging specific individuals in the audience.

This simple act of gratitude can also create a sense of personal connection and signal to your audience that the presentation has reached its conclusion, paving the way for future interactions with them.

6. End with a powerful quote:

One effective strategy to end your presentation on a high note is by leaving the audience with a powerful quote.

However, it's crucial to choose a quote that is not only impactful but also unique and relevant to your topic.

Using a commonly known quote may come across as unoriginal and irrelevant, losing the attention and interest of your audience in most cases.

In this presentation, Steve Jobs concludes his speech with an inspiring and powerful message, “Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish”. Thereby emphasizing that you should never stop learning, pursue more goals, and never stop being satisfied.

Similarly, in your conclusion, consider using a relevant quote to make an impact.

7. Acknowledge your contributors:

Another best way to conclude your presentation is by showing gratitude to your contributors.

For example, if you deliver a business presentation on behalf of a team or a department, it's essential to recognize the collective effort that went into creating the presentation.

The concluding moments of your speech are the perfect opportunity to acknowledge your team members' hard work and dedication.

You can express gratitude to your team as a whole, thanking them for their contribution to the presentation.

However, if you want to ensure that the individual efforts of team members are recognized, highlighting specific contributions may be a better approach.

Some examples include:

"Join me in giving a round of applause to my incredible team, who played a significant role in arranging this pitch deck."

"Finally, I would like to mention that my tech team experts provided me with insight into the technical nuances, and without their contribution, this presentation would not have been as informative as it is now."

"As I conclude, I want to express my gratitude to Mark and Serene from the Marketing team, whose assistance in gathering the data and designing the slides was invaluable."

By acknowledging individual team members, you are demonstrating your appreciation for their work and giving them the recognition they deserve.

This will not only make them feel valued but also motivate them to continue contributing to the success of future presentations.

So be sure to end your presentation with the required acknowledgment for all the contributions.

8. Ask for feedback:

You can conclude your presentation seamlessly by thanking the audience and asking for feedback from them.

Encouraging feedback from your audience can greatly benefit your future presentations. It allows you to understand how your message was received and how you can improve for the next time.

So, how can you gather feedback effectively?

Firstly, ask attendees to share their thoughts on your presentation after you finish speaking. This can be done by initiating a Q&A session or by approaching individuals directly.

Another option is to set up a QR code near the exit and ask people to scan and jot down their thoughts on the online form as they leave. This allows attendees to provide their feedback in a confidential and hassle-free manner.

Also, consider having a suggestion box for handwritten feedback notes or creating an anonymous online survey that links to your presentation slides. This method is beneficial if you want to gather feedback from a large audience or if you prefer to have quantitative data.

By actively seeking feedback, you show your audience that you value their input and are committed to improving your presentation skills.

However, this strategy does not apply to all the general presentations. So use this way of concluding your presentation where it makes more sense to you and the audience.

In summary, an impactful conclusion is vital to wrap up your presentation successfully.

Each of these strategies serves a unique purpose, and by combining them, you can create a conclusion that is both engaging and impactful.

By incorporating the 8 critical strategies mentioned in this guide, you can leave a lasting impression on your audience, ensuring that your message stays with them even after the presentation has ended.

Now that you have learned the pro strategies of how to end a presentation, take a look at this guide on “How to start a presentation” as well and nail your presentation from start to end!

If you are still uncertain about how to make a presentation from the ground up, we suggest checking out Animaker Deck - the world's first avatar-driven presentation software.

With over 40 distinct and creatively designed templates at your disposal, we are confident you will find it worth trying!

We hope this article was helpful. Do let us know your thoughts on which strategy worked best for you, and also suggest your own ways of ending a presentation.

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How to End A Presentation in 2024 | Tips and Examples

Astrid Tran • 08 Apr 2024 • 6 min read

How to end a presentation successfully ? First impression matters all the time, and the ending is no exception. Many presentations make mistakes in putting a lot of effort into designing a great opening but forget the closing.

With that in mind, the article aims to equip you with useful ways to have a complete presentation, especially on having an impressive and engaging ending. So let’s dive in!

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Table of Contents

• The Importance of Presentation Ending

Recapping Key Points

Incorporating a call to action, ending with a powerful quote, asking a thought-provoking question, avoiding new information, when to end the presentation perfectly, final thoughts, frequently asked questions.

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The Importance of Presentation Ending?

Why care about your presentation’s conclusion? It’s not just a formality; it’s critical. The conclusion is where you make a lasting impression, reinforce key points for better retention, motivate action, and ensure your audience remembers your message.

Plus, a strong conclusion reflects your professionalism and shows you’ve thoughtfully considered how to leave a lasting impact. In essence, it’s your final opportunity to effectively engage, inform, and persuade, ensuring your presentation achieves its objectives and is remembered for the right reasons.

How to End A Presentation Successfully: A Complete Guide with Examples

Effectively ending a presentation is essential to leave a lasting impression on your audience and drive your message home. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to effectively end a presentation

One of the primary functions of a conclusion is to summarize the main points you’ve covered in your presentation. This recap serves as a memory aid, reinforcing the key takeaways for your audience. It’s essential to do this succinctly and clearly, ensuring that the audience can easily recall the core ideas. For example:

• “We’ve delved into the factors that drive motivation – setting meaningful goals, overcoming obstacles, and fostering a positive mindset. These are the building blocks of a motivated life.”
• “Before we conclude, let’s come back to our core theme today – the incredible power of motivation. Our journey through the elements of inspiration and self-drive has been both enlightening and empowering.”

* This step also is a great place for leaving a vision . A phrase that is commonly used is: “Visualize a world where people are empowered, pursuing their passions, and breaking barriers. It’s a world where motivation fuels progress and dreams become reality. This vision is within reach for all of us.”

How to write the end of the presentation? A powerful conclusion that motivates your audience to take action can be an excellent idea. Depending on the nature of your presentation, this could involve encouraging them to make a purchase, support a cause, or implement the ideas you’ve presented. Be specific in your call to action, and make it compelling and achievable. An example of a CTA ending can be:

• “Now, it’s time for action. I encourage each of you to identify your goals, create a plan, and take the first step toward realizing your dreams. Remember, motivation without action is just a daydream.”

How to end a presentation impressively? “As the great Maya Angelou once said, ‘You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.’ Let’s remember that we have the power to rise above challenges.” Conclude with a relevant and impactful quote that relates to your topic. A well-chosen quote can leave a lasting impression and inspire reflection. For example, Julius Caesar utilized this technique when he said, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Some best phrases to use on your ending are:

• Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.”
• “For more information, head to the link on the screen.”
• “Thank you for your time/attention.”
• “I hope you found this presentation informative/useful/insightful.”

How to end a presentation without using the Thankyou slide? Pose a question that encourages your audience to think or reflect on the material you’ve presented. This can engage the audience and stimulate discussion.

For instance: You can start a statement like: “I’m here to address any questions or listen to your thoughts. Do you have any questions, stories, or ideas you’d like to share? Your voice is important, and your experiences can inspire us all.”

💡Using live Q&A features from interactive presentation tools like AhaSlides to increase your audience engagement. This tool is integrated into PowerPoint and Google Slides so you can show it to your audience instantly and update the response in real-time.

The conclusion is not the place to introduce new information or ideas. Doing so can confuse your audience and dilute the impact of your core message. Stick to what you’ve already covered and use the conclusion to reinforce and emphasize the existing content.

💡Check out Thank You Slide For PPT | Create a Beautifully One in 2024 to learn about creating innovative and appealing Thank-You Slides to end any type of presentation, whether it is for academic or business purposes.

In summary, an effective conclusion serves as a concise recap of your presentation, encourages your audience to take action, and refrains from introducing new information. By accomplishing these three objectives, you’ll create a conclusion that reinforces your message and inspires your audience to respond positively.

The timing for concluding a presentation depends on various factors, including the nature of your content, your audience, and any time constraints. Here are some general guidelines to help you determine when to conclude your presentation:

• Avoid Rushing : Avoid rushing through your conclusion due to time constraints. Ensure that you have allocated sufficient time for the conclusion so that it doesn’t feel abrupt or hurried.
• Check Time Limits : If you have a specific time limit for your presentation, keep a close eye on the time as you approach the conclusion. Be prepared to adjust the pace of your presentation to ensure you have ample time for the conclusion.
• Consider Audience Expectations : Consider the expectations of your audience. If they anticipate a specific duration for your presentation, try to align your conclusion with their expectations.
• Wrap Up Naturally : Aim to conclude your presentation in a way that feels natural and not abrupt. Provide a clear signal that you’re moving into the conclusion to prepare your audience for the end.

How to end a presentation? The key is to balance the need to convey your message effectively with the available time. Effective time management and a well-planned conclusion will help you wrap up your presentation smoothly and leave a positive impression on your audience.

🎊 Learn: Best Q&A Apps to Engage With Your Audience | 5+ Platforms For Free in 2024

How to end a presentation impressively in your opinion? As mentioned, there are many ways to engage your audience until the last minute, from a strong CTA, a captivating ending slide, thoughtful Q&A session. Don’t force yourself to make an ending that you might not be comfortable with, act as naturally as possible.

💡Want more inspiration? Check out AhaSlides right away to explore more innovative methods to enhance audience engagement and collaboration!

What do you say at the end of a presentation?

At the end of a presentation, you typically say a few key things:

•   Summarize your main points or key takeaways to reinforce the message.
•   Provide a clear call to action, motivating your audience to take specific steps.
•   Express gratitude and thank your audience for their time and attention.
•   Optionally, open the floor for questions or comments, inviting audience engagement.

How do you end a fun presentation?

To conclude a fun presentation, you can share a light-hearted, relevant joke or humorous anecdote, encourage the audience to share their own fun or memorable experiences related to the topic, end with a playful or uplifting quote, and express your excitement and appreciation for the enjoyable presentation experience.

Should you say thank you at the end of a presentation?

Yes, saying thank you at the end of a presentation is a courteous and appreciative gesture. It acknowledges your audience’s time and attention and adds a personal touch to your conclusion. It can be especially important in thank-you presentations and is generally a polite way to wrap up any type of presentation.

Ref: Pumple

Astrid Tran

I've got my rhythm with words

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How to Close Your Presentation in English Powerfully [+ FREE Presentation Checklist]

May 9, 2018 | Business Professional English , Free Resource , Public Speaking & Presentations

This lesson has been updated from its original posting in 2016.

You’re giving your presentation in English. You have just two minutes left. And it’s time for the conclusion …

Did you know most people only remember the first and last things you tell them? It’s true.

If you are giving a presentation in English, then you definitely want people to remember what you say at the end. And this means your closing must be powerful!

You’ve worked hard on your presentation. You searched for information online. You couldn’t sleep at night. You felt nervous about making mistakes. You spent hours preparing. You reviewed the grammar and vocabulary. You worried about someone asking a question. You practiced and practiced and practiced.

And now it’s the last two minutes. This is the last opportunity for your audience to hear your key points. It is the last chance you have to help your audience remember your comments.

A closing in a presentation should be short and clear. It should summarize your key points. And, most importantly, it should be powerful.

In today’s lesson, you’re going to learn about 3 ways to make your closing more powerful. Plus you’ll learn useful key expressions you can use in your presentation.

3 steps to a powerful closing in your presentation.

Lesson by Annemarie

3 Strategies to Close Your Presentation Powerfully

Use these 3 strategies in your conclusion to:

• recapture your audience’s attention
• get your audience to focus and remember your key points
• help your audience connect with you and your topic
• end your presentation powerfully

One: Include a Call to Action (CTA)

Is there something you want your audience to do or think after your presentation. Do you want them to take action? Tell your audience exactly what you want them to do with a Call to Action.

Here’s my example:

“ After you finish today’s lesson, please take 2 minutes to  leave a comment about your experience with presentations. You can share your thoughts or ask questions in the comments section at the bottom of this lesson – it’s the perfect place to join a discussion on this topic.”

A couple useful expressions to help you introduce your CTA is:

• To close, I’d like to ask you to do this one thing…
• And finally, before you leave the conference today, please take two minutes to…

Two: End with a Powerful/Inspirational Quote

Is there one thing you really want your audience to remember? Or is there a specific feeling you want your audience to have after your presentation?

Using a powerful quote can help you do that. You could introduce a great quote or interesting statistic with:

• I’d like to finish with this powerful/interesting/wonderful/inspiring/ quote from …
• And finally, let’s finish up today’s discussion with this surprising/useful/shocking/hopeful statistic …

Here are some example quotes that might help people be prepared to take action or to think differently. But remember! Always match the quote or statistic to your topic:

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”  – Martin Luther King, Jr. “Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.”  – Alexander Graham Bell

Three: Add a Surprising Fact or Statistic

Is there something you’d love for your audience to think about after your presentation? Is there a statistic or fact that will help someone remember your key points?

A surprising fact can also help re-engage your audience, it will snap their attention back to you.

For example:

Did you know that the human brain’s capacity is limitless – that’s great new right? BUT … did you also know that a person is likely to remember only 25% of a presentation after 24 hours?

Uh oh. That is why it’s SO important to have a powerful ending! Remember: the key is to find a statistic or fact that connects directly to your topic.

Useful Language to Close Your Presentation

Summarize Your Key Points & Close Your Presentation

• That brings us to the end of the presentation. I’d like to summarize by saying …
• That concludes my presentation. However, I’d like to quickly summarize the main points or takeaways.
• And on that final note, that concludes my presentation.
• To quickly recap, I’d like you to remember these key points …
• To summarize …
• In conclusion …
• I’d like to bring this presentation to a close with …
• I’d like to close this talk with …
• So, this concludes the focus of discussion today. To end, I’d like to highlight …
• This concludes [name/title of the section] so let’s move on to the final comments.

Thank Your Audience

• I sincerely appreciate your attention today/this evening/this morning.
• And that brings us to the end. I’d like to thank you for your time and attention today.
• Thank you so much for your interest and attention.
• At this time, I’d like to have my colleague speak so I’ll finish up by saying thank you for your attention.
• I can see that our time is just about up so to finish I’d like to say thank you.
• I sincerely appreciate that I’ve had this opportunity to present to you.
• If there is one thing I would like you to remember from today’s presentation it’s …

Take Questions

• If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to open up the discussion.
• If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask now and I’ll do my best to answer.
• Would anyone like to ask any questions?
• I would now be interested to hear from you with your thoughts or questions.
• Now let’s move on to some Q&A. (Q&A = Questions and Answers)

Provide Next Steps or Contact Information

• If you would like more information, here is a list of useful resources/websites.
• If anyone who like more information or has questions, please feel free to contact me at: [include contact info]
• Here is a list for further reading on this topic. (Include the list of books or websites.)

Get the complete Presentations in English Series:

Part 1: How to Prepare for Your Presentation in English

Part 2:  How to Start with a Great Introduction in Your Presentation

Part 3:  How to Organize Your Presentation in English

Part 4: How to End Your Presentation Powerfully

After you’ve watched the video and reviewed the lesson, I’d love to hear from you!

Tell me about the best presentation you ever heard. Who gave the presentation? And why do you remember it? Share what you remember in the comments section below.

And for the bonus question!! Have you given a presentation in English? What tips or advice would you like to share with others? You can add your advice in the comments section.

Thank you so much for joining me!

~ Annemarie

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I accidentally found your page while working on my English video presentation. It’s really helpful. Thanks soooo much 🙂

I’m very glad to know it was helpful!

Hi! I found your page very insightful. Thank you very much!

I’m glad to hear it!

great video series. thank you so much. you mentioned that you had a downloadable checklist in the final video. where could I find this thanks?

Hi Ellie, I’m glad the series was helpful.

When you visit the lesson, there should be an image that pops up with an opportunity to get the download. If you don’t see it, please let me know so I can fix it.

Helped a lot! Thank you very much <33

thank you so much

I love your method

Hello, I have a 5 minute oral presentation of a fictional book, w/the main focus on the leadership traits of the characters. I enjoyed the book, and suspect others might, so to that end, is it OK to NOT share the ending? Thank you

Thanks for your help 🙂

Great website. I found a typo in on the presentation closings page “Useful Langauge to Close Your Presentation”.

Good eyes! Thanks so much for the note. We’ve fixed the typo.

Dear Annemarie, thank you so much for sharing. 

Dear Annemarie, thank you so much for sharing. I learned so much from your 4 videos and I will work on improving my presentation skills. Love your spirit of excellence. For me as a presenter, its important i am passionate about the topic i share and audience will be able to apply some of the learnings in their life. Thank you Annemarie. I love your voice too. Stay blessed.

I watch continuously watched ur 4 videos and U r a great teacher.Thanks for making such purposeful videos.

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Thanks, Jasmin! I’m so glad to know my lessons are helpful to you.

hey Annemarie could you help me in ending my presentation on mental health. it is a school presentation for MUN

If you’d like editing help, please see our options for 1:1 classes .

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Hi Nancy, Wonderful! I’m glad they’re helpful to you!

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do you have Presentation course

Hi Hammad, I don’t at this time but it’s definitely something I’m thinking about.

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How to End a Presentation (+ Useful Phrases)

Table of Contents

Most people are aware of the power of first impressions.

However, our appearance and the first words we utter are only one part of the impact we have on others.

Arguably, the final words we exchange during an interaction can have an even more lasting effect . And that applies to public speaking, too.

Obviously, the way you introduce yourself and the topic you’ll be discussing is important.

However, the end of a presentation should also be recognized as a crucial part of the experience .

With that in mind, this article will walk you through some:

• Things you should consider before drafting your conclusion,
• Tips for ending a presentation memorably,
• Mistakes you should avoid, and
• Phrases you can use to wrap up your speech.

But, before we discuss how to end a presentation, let’s establish why having an impactful conclusion is so essential.

Why is it important to have an impactful ending for your presentation?

In our article about starting a presentation , we explained how the steps of the motivated sequence framework correspond to the structure of the average presentation or speech.

As we have established, the introduction of a presentation mirrors the first step of that model. That means that one of its main goals is to get the listeners’ attention .

The central part of the speech, or the body , corresponds to the second, third, and fourth steps of the motivated sequence framework. In other words, it has to:

• Introduce the audience’s need (or identify a problem the listeners are having),
• Offer a way to satisfy (or resolve) that need, and
• Help the listeners visualize the successful implementation of the speaker’s solution.

Having checked off these points, we arrive at the conclusion , i.e., the subject of this article.

That stage of a presentation corresponds to the final step of the motivated sequence model — which consists of the call to action .

So, the conclusion of a presentation allows the speaker to drive their point home and nudge the audience toward performing a specific action.

However, that’s not the only purpose of a conclusion.

According to the authors of Business Communication: Process & Product , the final section of a presentation should achieve 3 goals . It should:

• Summarize the main themes of the presentation,
• Leave the audience with a specific and noteworthy takeaway (i.e. propose a specific course of action), and
• Include a statement that allows the speaker to leave the podium (or pass the mic) gracefully.

Above all, the ending of a presentation should be memorable , akin to the punchline of a joke.

Having said that, let’s talk about some factors you should consider as you’re writing the conclusion of your speech.

Things to consider before crafting the conclusion of your presentation

If you’re trying to figure out how to end a presentation, knowing the goals of a conclusion should help.

However, those objectives are only one part of the puzzle. To get the others, you should also consider:

• Your audience’s demographic breakdown,
• The general purpose of your presentation ,
• The specific purpose of your presentation , and
• Your thesis statement .

With that in mind, let’s see how each of these factors can help you develop an impactful conclusion for your presentation.

Factor #1: The demographic breakdown of the audience

As we have noted in our article about starting presentations, understanding the demographic breakdown of one’s audience is a crucial part of drafting a speech .

After all, the audience affects all of the choices we make — from the way we present ourselves to the vocabulary and the supporting materials we use during our presentations.

In our quest to learn more about the effect an audience can have on a presentation, we spoke to Persuasion Strategist Juliet Huck .

Having spent a significant portion of her professional career preparing people to take the witness stand, Huck knows a thing or two about adjusting one’s messaging to fit the preferences of one’s audience. She says:

“[The] ending [of] every presentation should be different and always based on the background of your audience. This should not be a blanket statement.  It also depends on if you are educating your audience or persuading them to make a decision in your favor.  You must do the homework on your audience prior to giving a presentation and end by leading them to your desired conclusion by giving them a conclusion they can relate to.”

But, if you’re not entirely sure how to take your audience into account when drafting your conclusion, consider the following questions:

• How will your audience connect to the topic you’re discussing?
• How can you relate the information you’re sharing to the listeners’ needs?
• What would make your audience think back on your presentation in positive terms?
• What would be the most effective way to get your point across to this specific audience?

Knowing whether your audience is friendly, neutral, uninterested, or hostile will also help you adjust your approach.

If nothing else, it’ll tell you whether you should stick to the facts or feel free to deliver a more casual or rousing speech.

Examples of different audience breakdowns

In our article about starting a presentation, we demonstrated our tips through 3 fictional speakers. So, let’s use the same presenters to illustrate this point.

• Nick Mulder is talking about the dangers of phishing. He introduced himself as the head of the security department. So, we can assume that he’s speaking to an audience of fellow employees, perhaps even through video conferencing software. Therefore, he was addressing an internal problem the company was having in front of a fairly receptive audience.
• Joan Miller is talking about how artificial intelligence is changing the future of the marketing industry. In her introduction, she mentioned having over four decades of experience in marketing. Consequently, we can infer that she’s speaking to an audience of marketing specialists who were previously unaware of her credentials.
• Milo Green is talking about employee retention. In his introduction, he indicated that the audience may know him as the founder of Green & Co. So, he’s probably famous enough to be recognized by at least a portion of his audience. Between that and the subject of his presentation, we can assume that he’s talking to the upper management of other companies.

From our examples, we can see how the identity of the speaker and their level of familiarity with the listeners might affect the way they prepare their presentations .

Factor #2: The general purpose of your presentation

Understanding the general purpose of a speech brings you one step closer to knowing how to end a presentation.

According to the authors of Communicating at Work , most presentations can be sorted into one of 3 categories based on that factor. In that regard, your presentation could be:

• Informative , aiming to expand the listeners’ knowledge and/or help them acquire a specific skill,
• Persuasive , with the goal of changing the listeners’ opinions or encouraging them to behave a certain way, or
• Entertaining , which is good for getting the audience to relax and look forward to upcoming speakers or events.

The general purpose of your presentation will naturally affect your conclusion because it will change what you choose to emphasize.

💡 Pumble Pro Tip

The basic goal of your presentation could correspond with the type of presentation you’re giving. To learn more about presentation types and styles, check out this article:

• Presentation types and styles explained

Examples of defining the general purpose of a presentation 

Let’s see how our imaginary presenters would define the general purpose of their presentations.

• The general purpose of our phishing expert’s presentation is informative . The speaker’s primary goal is to teach his coworkers how to recognize and defend themselves against phishing attempts.
• Our marketing expert’s presentation is persuasive . She wants to change her listeners’ minds and make them more open to using AI in their marketing campaigns.
• The last speaker’s presentation about employee retention is also persuasive . After all, the speaker is attempting to show his listeners how they can increase the employee retention rate at their own companies. However, depending on the circumstances surrounding the speech, it could also take on some entertaining qualities.

Factor #3: The specific purpose of your presentation

The specific purpose of a presentation is essentially the outcome you’re looking to achieve with your speech. Defining this goal will require you to know the answers to the following questions :

• Who do you want to influence?
• What do you want them to think or do?
• How, when, and where do you want them to do it?

Ideally, the specific goal you come up with should be realistic and highly specific .

To that end, the authors of Communicating at Work recommend setting measurable goals . So, for example, instead of thinking: “ I want to get approval for my project. ”,

“I want my manager to let me set aside one day per week to work on this project. I also want them to let me ask one or two other people to help me with it.”

Having this kind of goal in mind will help you figure out how to wrap up your presentation.

Examples of defining the specific purpose of a presentation

So, how would our 3 speakers specify the desired outcomes of their presentations in measurable terms? Let’s see:

“I want the people in my company to understand the dangers of phishing attacks. They should learn the exact steps they need to take when they see a suspicious email in their inbox.”

“I want these marketing experts to be more knowledgeable about the way artificial intelligence works right now and understand how they can incorporate that software into their professional practice.”

“I want managers and HR professionals to know how they can make their companies a better place to work so they can keep their employee retention rate high.”

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Factor #4: Your thesis statement

Ultimately, defining the general and specific goals of your presentation is a great way to keep yourself on track when crafting your speech.

However, the audience doesn’t need to know those goals.

Instead, they can hear your thesis statement — a summary of your overall message .

You can treat this statement as the throughline of your presentation. It will appear at least once in the introduction, followed by a few repetitions throughout the body of the presentation.

Finally, you’ll also want to include that same idea in your conclusion at least once.

In addition to keeping you, as the speaker, grounded, that repetition also keeps your audience from wondering what your presentation is about .

Examples of defining the thesis statement of a presentation

So, what would a thesis statement look like in practice? Let’s hear it from our fictional presenters:

“Identifying and reporting phishing emails will save the company’s information and money in the long term.”

“Right now, artificial intelligence isn’t as advanced as people think it is. However, we can still use it for marketing purposes as long as we make sure the process doesn’t begin and end with AI.”

“Improving your employee retention rate makes employees more engaged with their work and saves the company time and money that would otherwise go to training new personnel.”

How to end a presentation with a bang: 10 tips + examples

Now that we know why having an impactful conclusion is so crucial, it’s time to find the right way to achieve your goals.

To that end, we have highlighted 10 tips that might help you wrap up your presentation .

• Reiterate the key points and your core message.
• Mirror your opening statement.
• Elicit a response.
• Engage the audience.
• Call to action.
• Hand out materials.
• Acknowledge your contributors.
• Provide contact information.
• Thank the audience.
• Ask for feedback.

Of course, many of these methods we’ll discuss can be combined. However, your choices may be limited depending on the factors we have previously mentioned.

Tip #1: Reiterate the key points and your core message

Making sure the audience remembers your main points is one of the most important objectives your conclusion should accomplish.

With that in mind, you should dedicate some time at the end of your speech to reinforcing what you were trying to say throughout your presentation.

Take it from Mark Beal , Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication, at Rutgers University:

“Every presentation should deliver and consistently reinforce three key message points. Most audience members will not recall more than three messages. Some may only recall one or two. With that [in mind], an engaging and effective presentation should conclude with the three messages the presenter wants the audience to take away.”

In essence, you’ll want to summarize your presentation by reiterating up to 3 key points and then repeating your thesis statement.

You could even translate this tip to your presentation slides. As Juliet Huck says:

“Your last slide should always draw your audience to your desired conclusion. [It] should be your billboard message , as we remember 70% of what we see and 20% of what we hear.”

We can see what that might look like through the example of our imaginary presentation on the dangers of phishing, below.

Tip #2: Mirror your opening statement

According to the authors of Communicating at Work , splitting a narrative between the introduction and the conclusion of your presentation is a good way to keep your audience’s attention.

Assistant Professor of Rhetorical Communication at the State University of New York, Dr. Lee M. Pierce , agrees:

“Psychological closure is looping back to the beginning to give the audience a sense of a closed circle. Don’t add new information in the conclusion, just tie the presentation up with a bow. [For example,] I always customize my closings based on the opening of the speech. During a TEDx Talk on Beyoncé’s ‘Formation,’ I began by walking out to the introduction to the song, and then I ended by walking off to the end of the song.”

The above quote demonstrates that this tip can be useful no matter which method you used to start your presentation .

You can use it to put a new spin on a statistic you shared in the introduction, give a story you told a different ending, or finish the punchline of a joke you started with.

Overall, coming back to the theme you introduced at the beginning of your speech should make your presentation seem more complete and intentional .

Phrases you can use to reflect the introduction of your presentation in the conclusion

With all that being said, let’s see how our imaginary speakers would mirror the opening lines of their presentations in their conclusion.

Having started with a phishing statistic, our first speaker might say:

“Going back to the number we started with, remember that the Anti-Phishing Working Group has recorded 1,270,883 individual phishing attacks in the third quarter of 2022 — and that number is always on the rise. Luckily, you now have all the information you need to avoid becoming a part of that statistic.”

Our second speaker would have announced her plans to survey her listeners at the beginning of her presentation. In her conclusion, she might say:

“At the beginning of my presentation, I asked you to answer a quick survey on whether you’d be willing to work with AI. If you look back at your phones, you’ll see a different link in the #general channel on Pumble . Let’s see if this talk has managed to sway some opinions!”

Lastly, our final speaker might refer back to a humorous statement he made about chaining one’s employees to their desks to ensure that employee retention rates stay high.

“Once you start making your company a better place to work, your employees will happily perform their daily tasks — without being glued to their desks.”

Tip #3: Elicit a response

Making an audience experience strong emotions is always a good thing, but especially as the presentation comes to a close.

Putting the listeners in a contemplative mood or, even better, a cheerful one, means that they’ll be more likely to remember you and the points you made after your presentation ends.

On top of that, concluding your presentation in this manner would allow you to step off the stage gracefully, which is one of the main goals your conclusion should accomplish.

Now, depending on the type of presentation you’re delivering and, indeed, your style of presenting, you could elicit a response by:

• Ending with a short but powerful statement ,
• Asking a thought-provoking rhetorical question ,
• Relying on an impactful statistic or a quote , or even
• Inserting a funny picture or a meme on your final presentation slide.

Any one of these methods could help you solidify yourself and your message in the minds of the audience.

Phrases you can use to elicit a response from the audience

So, how would our 3 presenters try to get a response from their audiences? Well, they might use the following statements.

“Ultimately, the best defense against phishing attacks is human intelligence. You, alone, can ensure that your information remains secure by implementing the checklist I’ve shared today.”

“So, let me ask you again. Would you be willing to incorporate AI into your marketing campaign?”

“Hey, if the conditions you’re offering to your employees are good enough — there’s no need to keep them glued to their desks.”

Tip #4: Engage the audience

As we’ll discuss later on, having a Q&A session at the end of your presentation doesn’t always pan out the way you want it to.

Even so, getting your audience — or at least a few select listeners — to verbally respond to you can go a long way toward making you seem like a more engaging speaker.

Still, you can’t implement this tip without a strategy. You want to lead your audience to a certain type of response .

Professional speaker, career change consultant, and host of the Career Relaunch® podcast, Joseph Liu , had this to say:

“I often invite attendees to share what action they’re going to take amongst the potential ones I’ve covered throughout the presentation or to at least commit to taking some sort of action.”

Speaker, author, and editorial producer at CNN, Nadia Bilchik , agrees:

“If time allows, I always ask participants to share their biggest takeaway.”

The quote above also highlights the importance of being aware of the time as you are concluding a presentation — which is another thing we’ll talk about later.

For now, we’ll just boil this tip down to the following statement: if possible, try to make people verbalize or at least think about the knowledge they’re taking away from your speech .

Phrases you can use to engage the audience

Going back to our imaginary speakers, let’s see how this tip might work in practice.

“As we approach my conclusion, I’d like for us to reflect on everything we’ve learned here today. So, let me turn the spotlight on you all. Does anyone remember how to recognize a phishing email without opening it?”

“Now, I’m sure everyone here has some idea of how they might incorporate AI into their next marketing campaign. Is anyone willing to share their strategy?”

“Alright! Pop quiz time — don’t worry, I won’t grade you. Can you all shout out the main 3 ways to increase employee retention? Number 1?”

Tip #5: Call to action

Once you have finished reiterating your core message and making sure you have your audience’s attention, you need to be able to direct the listeners to the next step.

As Michelle Gladieux , author of Communicate with Courage and President of Gladieux Consulting, an employee coaching provider, would put it:

“What can the audience DO with the information you’ve shared? Suggest a positive, fruitful next step or, even better, suggest several, and let your presentation participants choose among options that have panned out well for others.”

In her workshops, Gladieux says:

“We ask participants to document at least one goal for behavior change that is specific, measurable, and time-based, and take a bonus step of inviting them to name one person they’ll tell about their goal for added accountability.”

According to the authors of Communicating at Work , there are 2 ways to deliver a call to action at the end of your presentation. Namely, you can either phrase it as:

• An appeal or a question (e.g. “If any of this sounds interesting, you can learn more by signing up for our newsletter through the link on the screen behind me.” ), or
• A challenge or a demand (e.g. “Now, you can keep doing what you’re doing and getting lackluster results. Or, you can sign up for our newsletter to receive tips that will help you upgrade your strategy.” ).

As always, your choice will depend on the factors we have listed at the top of this article.

Phrases you can use to call the audience to action

Let’s see what our fictional speakers’ calls to action might look like.

“Remember, even if you happen to open a phishing email, you’ll be able to deal with it easily by forwarding it to this email address. That’s the main thing you need to remember from this talk.”

“I bet many of you could come up with even more creative ways to incorporate AI into your marketing campaigns. So, how about this: if you fill out the form I’m about to send you, I’ll check in with you in about three months. Those of you who succeed in using AI in a meaningful way will get a chance to share your insights on this very stage next year!”

“I have a challenge for those of you who are ready to meet me at my level. I want you to sign a pledge, promising to boost your employee retention rate by 10% in the next year. We had a similar experiment at one of my talks a couple of years back, and even I was surprised by the results.”

If you decide to accompany this part of your speech with a call to action slide, keep Juliet Huck’s advice in mind:

“A call to action slide is not always persuasive. Persuasion is not a call to action — it is a directed action. To ‘call’ means someone can say no, but to ‘persuade’ [is to] direct your audience to your desired conclusion based on a number of steps.”

In effect, that means that your call to action should be the final step of your persuasion strategy.

You should start building to that desired outcome well before you get to the end of your presentation.

Tip #6: Hand out materials

The ending of a presentation is the perfect time to give the audience a keepsake of your speech .

But, keep in mind that a memento doesn’t have to be a physical item. As Michelle Gladieux would say:

“I like to direct my audiences to free downloadable resources on our website for those who want to continue their personal and professional growth as leaders and communicators.”

So, sharing resources through email or a business messaging app would work just as well.

Of course, you don’t have to hold off until the conclusion of your presentation to give your audience something to remember you by. Gladieux also shared a method she used in her workshops: 

“[Most of our] participants have our high-quality original workbooks in hand during the presentation and available later as a tangible resource. Folks add notes, take short assessments, and work on case studies when we teach using workbooks. If we use presentation slides, we keep the content as engaging visually as possible and short on words.”

If your budget allows you to do something similar, that might be a good way to make the audience remember you.

Phrases you can use before handing out materials

In the scenarios we have conjured up, the speakers might introduce their additional materials like so.

“If you’re interested in learning more about phishing and how you can defend yourself from future attacks, you’ll find more information by following the link on the screen.”

“Now, at this point, I see that my associates have already started delivering some additional materials and miscellaneous goodies to you. I hope you’ll use them to workshop further ideas for using AI in your marketing strategies.”

“I’ll go ahead and forward these presentation slides as well as some additional resources for improving employee retention to you all.”

If you’re looking for a convenient way to deliver additional resources to the attendees of your speech, Pumble is a great option. This article offers some practical tips for using business messaging software for educational purposes — including online conferences:

• Using Pumble for teaching and learning  

Tip #7: Acknowledge contributors

If you’re delivering a business presentation as a representative of a team or a department, you can also use the final moments of your speech to acknowledge everyone who worked on the presentation with you.

On the one hand, you could simply thank your team in general terms and leave it at that.

Alternatively, you could highlight the individual contributions of specific team members if you want to make sure their effort doesn’t go unnoticed.

Phrases you can use to acknowledge your contributors

Here’s how our fictitious presenters might acknowledge the people who helped them create their presentations:

“Before I sign off, I’d like to take a moment to thank Jill and Vanessa from the security team, who helped me compile the data and create the slides you just saw.”

“Finally, I’d like to acknowledge that this presentation wouldn’t be half as informative without the experts who helped me understand the technical side of AI.”

“Now, let’s all give it up for my wonderful team, who helped me organize this lecture.”

Improve communication and collaboration for increased team efficiency with Pumble.

Tip #8: Provide contact information

Business presentations often double as networking opportunities , both for presenters and for audience members.

With that in mind, you might want to put your contact information on one of your closing slides.

For one, doing so would show the audience how they can get in touch with you after your presentation ends. After all, they may have additional questions or even interesting business opportunities for you.

On top of that, putting your contact information on the last slide is also a good way to remind the audience of your name and credentials .

For that reason, our second imaginary speaker might have “Joan Miller — Chief Marketing Officer at Happy Media” on her final slide.

Phrases you can use to provide contact information

So, how would our presenters encourage their audience to keep in touch? Well, they might say: 

“I’m always happy to answer any of your security or phishing-related questions on Pumble. You’ll find me by clicking the plus sign next to the direct messages section and searching my name, Nick Mulder.”

“If you all have any follow-up questions for me or one of the AI experts I’ve spoken to, you’ll find all of our contact information on this slide.”

“If you want to stay up to date on Green & Co’s latest news, follow us on LinkedIn.”

Tip #9: Thank the audience

Many presenters find a way to incorporate a “ thank you ” slide at the end of their presentations.

If you want to express your appreciation to your audience members , you could do the same thing.

However, as we’ll soon discuss, many of the experts we’ve spoken to would advise against having pointless visuals at the end of your presentation.

After all, you want to leave the audience with something memorable to take away from your speech.

Still, if you want to thank the audience, you could always make that final slide serve multiple functions .

For example, a “thank you” slide can also contain the speaker’s contact information, as well as additional resources.

This example “thank you” slide above features a QR code (you can create one using a QR code generator ) leading to more resources — it prompts the audience to find the speaker on various social media platforms.

Tip #10: Ask for feedback

Lastly, some speakers might benefit from knowing what the audience thinks about their delivery and other aspects of their presentation.

That’s why some of the experts we’ve spoken to suggest that conducting a brief survey of the audience could be a good activity to end a presentation with.

Rutgers University professor, Mark Beal, says that:

“Offering audience members the opportunity to take a concise survey at the conclusion of a presentation will result in valuable insights that will inform how to consistently evolve and improve a presentation. […] We use the last few minutes of seminars to allow participants to answer a few questions about what was most useful in our content and delivery, and what, in that individual’s opinion, could improve.”

Michelle Gladieux is also an advocate for audience surveys, saying:

“I’ve delivered thousands of training workshops and keynotes and never miss an opportunity to ask for feedback formally (in writing), informally (in conversation), or both. As you might guess, I advise every presenter reading this to do the same.”

You could encourage this type of feedback by:

• Asking attendees to share their thoughts on your presentation after you step off the stage,
• Setting up a notebook near the door and asking people to jot down their thoughts as they exit,
• Having a suggestion box for hand-written feedback notes, or
• Creating an anonymous survey online and linking to it on your presentation slides.

Most presenters nowadays tend to rely on technology to compile audience feedback, but the method you use will depend on the circumstances surrounding your presentation.

If you’ve never had to ask for feedback before, you might find this article interesting:

• How to ask your manager for feedback  

The worst ways to end a presentation

Having gone through the best practices for concluding a presentation memorably, we also wanted to know what are some of the mistakes speakers should avoid as they reach the end of their speech.

The experts we have spoken to have identified 5 of the worst ways to end a presentation :

• Overloading your final slide.
• Settling for a lackluster closer.
• Ending with a Q&A session.
• Not having time for any questions at all.
• Going over your time.

So, let’s see what makes these mistakes so bad.

Mistake #1: Overloading your final slide

Overloading your presentation slides isn’t a mistake you can make only at the end of your presentation.

Professional speakers know that slides are only there to accompany your speech — they shouldn’t be the main event.

As Nadia Bilchik says:

“Slides are only there to support your message. Towards the end of the presentation, I may even stop the slideshow entirely and just have a black screen. At the very end of the presentation, my suggestion is to have a slide up with the next steps or a call to action.”

Dr. Lee M. Pierce also tends to use blank slides:

“I always end and begin with blank slides. As a speaker, you’re trying to build connection and rapport between you and the audience, not between the audience and your slide deck.”

Therefore, putting too much information onto a single slide can make the speaker seem unprepared, in addition to overwhelming the audience.

When in doubt, remember Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule :

• No more than 10 slides per presentation,
• Keep your presentations under 20 minutes, and
• The text on your slides should never be smaller than 30-point font. 

Mistake #2: Settling for a lackluster closer

If your goal is to become a proficient speaker, you’ll have to stop using uninspired closers like:

• “Well, I guess that’s it.”
• “That’s pretty much all I had to say.”
• “That’s about it from me. Can we get some applause?”

The audience will respond if you say something deserving of a response.

Instead of using these bland lines, remember Juliet Huck’s advice:

“Never end your presentation without closing the loop of your beginning theme and being specific when asking for your desire conclusion.”

As we have established, it’s best to conclude your speech by bringing back your thesis statement and key points.

Finishing with weak visuals is similarly offensive — and here we’re not just talking about presentation slides.

Remember, body language is an important component of our communication .

Fidgeting as your presentation comes to a close or slumping your posture as soon as you’re finished speaking won’t do.

As Michelle Gladieux would say:

“Never end a presentation seeming happy to be done, even if you are! Be certain you’re happy to be the presenter before you begin, or find someone else to do it.”

In other words, try not to show signs of anxiety during your presentation .

Maintain a confident demeanor for as long as you remain on stage or as long as you’re on camera, in the case of virtual meetings .

Mistake #3: Ending with a Q&A session

One of the experts we have spoken to, Nadia Bilchik, was particularly adamant about not ending presentations with Q&A sessions.

“Never ever end a presentation on a question-and-answer session. I have seen numerous presenters end by asking ‘Any questions?’ Too often there are no questions, and the presenter is left looking deflated and muttering ‘Thank you.’ [If there are] no questions, you can always say ‘A question I’m often asked is…’ or ‘Something I would like to reiterate is…’ Never end your presentation without your audience being clear about what they are expected to do with the information you have just shared.”

Adding that you can:

“Ask for questions, comments, and concerns, and only then end with a quick wrap-up. The goal is to end with your audience being clear on their next steps.”

Even if the listeners do have questions, there’s a good reason not to have a Q&A session at the very end of your presentation.

Namely, there’s always a chance that someone will ask a question that completely derails the conversation.

If you have the Q&A portion right before your conclusion, you’ll have time to reiterate your core message and proceed with a memorable closing statement .

For reference, you can ask for questions by saying:

“Before I close out this lecture, do you guys have any questions for me?”

Then, if there are no questions, you can still proceed to your conclusion without losing face. 

A Q&A session is one of the best ways to make your presentations more interactive — but it’s not the only way to go about it. To learn more, check out this article:

• 18 Ways to make presentations more interactive and engaging

Mistake #4: Not having time for any questions at all

Ending with a Q&A session could be a problem — but, perhaps, not as big of a problem as not taking questions at all.

As Mark Beal would say:

“Not giving the audience the opportunity to participate in the presentation via a question and answer session is another ineffective way to end a presentation. Audiences want to have a voice in a presentation. They will be more engaged with the presentation content and recall it more effectively if given the opportunity to participate in the presentation and interact with the presenter.”

Dr. Lee M. Pierce adds:

“It’s always good to leave at least 15 minutes for questions. Leaving 5 minutes is annoying and pointless. Also, be prepared that the audience may not have questions or not feel comfortable just jumping in, so have some of your own questions ready to offer them. You can say something like, ‘Just to put it out there, if I were going to ask me a question, I’d ask…’ ”

Now, both Nadia Bilchik and Lee M. Pierce have mentioned phrases you can use if no one comes forth with a question.

You’ll notice that the sentences they have come up with will require you to consider the questions you may be asked ahead of time .

In addition to helping you create a better presentation, doing this will also allow you to answer any questions effortlessly.

Mistake #5: Going over your time

Last but not least, many of the professional speakers we have interviewed have stressed the importance of ending one’s presentation on time.

Michelle Gladieux said it best:

“The best way to end a presentation is ON TIME. Respect others’ time commitments by not running over. You can always hang around for a while to speak with people who have more to say or more to ask.”

Dr. Lee M. Pierce agrees:

“The worst thing you can do is run over time. If you were given 45 minutes for a presentation plus 15 minutes for Q & A, you should end at 45 minutes — better if you end at 35 or 40.”

Then again, according to Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule, even going over the 20-minute mark could risk boring and alienating one’s audience.

Useful phrases for ending a presentation

In the course of our research, we’ve found many practical phrases one might use to wrap up a presentation.

We even had experts send in their suggestions. For example, Nadia Bilchik says:

“I always end with a very quick summary of the content, a definitive call to action, and a reiteration of the benefits to the audience. This is a superb model, and I have shared it with thousands of individuals who have found it immensely valuable. Use this as your framework: What I have looked at today… What I am asking you to do… The benefits are…”

Other phrases you might use at the end of your presentation include:

“To recap, we’ve discussed…”

“Throughout this presentation, we talked about…”

“In other words,…”

“To wrap up/conclude,…”

“In short, I’d like to highlight…”

“To put it simply,…”

“In conclusion…”

“In summary, the goal of my presentation…”

“If there’s one thing you take away from my presentation…”

“In bringing my presentation to a close, I wanted to…”

If you’d like to incorporate a call to action, you might say:

“I’m counting on you to…”

“After this presentation, I’d like to ask you to…”

“Please take a minute to…”

“Next time you (see a suspicious email), remember to (forward it to this email address).”

To end with a quote, you could say:

“Let me leave you with this quote…”

“That reminds me of the old saying…”

Lastly, more useful phrases include:

“Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.”

“For more information, head to the link on the screen.”

“Thank you for your time/attention.”

“I hope you found this presentation informative/useful/insightful.”

Remember: the last words you say should make it abundantly clear that your presentation has ended.

What should your final slide look like?

If you don’t want to leave your final slide blank as some of the experts we have talked to would recommend, there are other ways to fill that space.

Joseph Liu told us:

“I tend to make it very clear the presentation is coming to an end by having a slide that says, ‘Closing Thoughts’ or something to that effect. I recommend ending with a recap of your content, reconnecting with the initial hook you used at the start, and finally, some sort of call to action.”

Mark Beal has a similar formula for his closing slides, saying:

“The final slides of my presentation include: A slide featuring three key messages/takeaways, A question and answer slide to engage the audience at the conclusion in the same manner a presenter wants to engage an audience at the start of a presentation, and A final slide including the presenter’s contact information and a website address where they can learn more information. This slide can include a QR code that the audience can screenshot and access the presenter’s website or another digital destination.”

Between these two suggestions and the many examples we have included throughout our guide, you ought to have a clear picture of what your final slide might look like.

End your presentations with a bang on Pumble

Knowing how to end a presentation effectively is a skill like any other — you’re bound to get better through practice and repetition.

To get the most out of your presentations, make sure to give them on Pumble.

Pumble — a team communication and collaboration app — allows you to have the most interactive, efficient presentations thanks to:

• The video conferencing feature that allows you to share your knowledge with a large group of people,
• The screen sharing feature that allows you share your presentation,
• The in-call message feature, to ensure your audience can participate (and send questions for the FAQ partition of the presentation, for example), and
• The blur background feature, that ensures your audience’s attention is always on you and you alone.

Secure, real-time communication for professionals.

Olga Milicevic is a communication researcher and author dedicated to making your professional life a bit easier. She believes that everyone should have the tools necessary to respond to their coworkers’ requests and communicate their own professional needs clearly and kindly.

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How to end a presentation in english: methods and examples.

• By Matthew Jones

Naturally, the way you end a presentation will depend on the setting and subject matter. Are you pitching an idea to your boss? Are you participating in a group presentation at school? Or are you presenting a business idea to potential investors? No matter the context, you’ll want to have a stellar ending that satisfies your audience and reinforces your goals.

So, do you want to learn how to end a presentation with style? Wondering how to end an informative speech? Or do you want to know how to conclude a Powerpoint presentation with impact? We’re here to help you learn how to end a presentation and make a great impression!

How to End a Presentation: 3 Effective Methods

Every presentation needs a great beginning, middle, and end. In this guide, we will focus on crafting the perfect conclusion. However, if you’d like to make sure that your presentation sounds good from start to finish, you should also check out our guide on starting a presentation in English .

Though there are many ways to end a presentation, the most effective strategies focus on making a lasting impression on your audience and reinforcing your goals. So, let’s take a look at three effective ways to end a presentation:

1. Summarize the Key Takeaways

Most presenters either make an argument (i.e. they want to convince their audience to adopt their view) or present new or interesting information (i.e. they want to educate their audience). In either case, the presentation will likely consist of important facts and figures. The conclusion gives you the opportunity to reiterate the most important information to your audience.

This doesn’t mean that you should simply restate everything from your presentation a second time. Instead, you should identify the most important parts of your presentation and briefly summarize them.

This is similar to what you might find in the last paragraph of an academic essay. For example, if you’re presenting a business proposal to potential investors, you might conclude with a summary of your business and the reasons why your audience should invest in your idea.

2. End with a CTA (Call-To-Action)

Ending with a Call-To-Action is one of the best ways to increase audience engagement (participation) with your presentation. A CTA is simply a request or invitation to perform a specific action. This technique is frequently used in sales or marketing presentations, though it can be used in many different situations.

For example, let’s say that you’re giving an informational presentation about the importance of hygiene in the workplace. Since your goal is to educate your audience, you may think that there’s no place for a CTA.

On the contrary, informational presentations are perfect for CTA’s. Rather than simply ending your presentation, you can direct your audience to seek out more information on the subject from authorities. In this case, you might encourage listeners to learn more from an authoritative medical organization, like the World Health Organization (WHO).

3. Use a Relevant Quote

It may sound cliche, but using quotes in your closing speech is both memorable and effective. However, not just any quote will do. You should always make sure that your quote is relevant to the topic. If you’re making an argument, you might want to include a quote that either directly or indirectly reinforces your main point.

Let’s say that you’re conducting a presentation about your company’s mission statement. You might present the information with a Powerpoint presentation, in which case your last slide could include an inspirational quote. The quote can either refer to the mission statement or somehow reinforce the ideas covered in the presentation.

Formatting Your Conclusion

While these 3 strategies should give you some inspiration, they won’t help you format your conclusion. You might know that you want to end your presentation with a Call-To-Action, but how should you “start” your conclusion? How long should you make your conclusion? Finally, what are some good phrases to use for ending a presentation?<br>

Examples of a Good Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe that we can increase our annual revenue this year. We can do this with a combination of increased efficiency in our production process and a more dynamic approach to lead generation. If we implement these changes, I estimate that annual revenue will increase by as much as 15%.

The example above shows a good conclusion for a business presentation. However, some people believe that the term in conclusion is overused. Here’s how to end a presentation using transition words similar to in conclusion .

Transition words help your audience know that your presentation is ending. Try starting your conclusion with one of these phrases:

• To summarize

However, transition words aren’t always necessary. Here are a few good ways to end a presentation using a different approach.

• Summarize Key Takeaways : There are two things that I’d like you to remember from today’s presentation. First, we are a company that consults startups for a fraction of the cost of other consultation services. And second, we have a perfect record of successfully growing startups in a wide variety of industries. If anything was unclear, I’d be happy to open the floor to questions.
• Make a Call-To-Action : I am very passionate about climate change. The future of the planet rests on our shoulders and we are quickly running out of time to take action. That said, I do believe that we can effect real change for future generations. I challenge you to take up the fight for our children and our children’s children.
• Use a Relevant Quote: I’d like to end my presentation with one of my favorite quotes: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

As you can see, your conclusion does not need to be very long. In fact, a conclusion should be short and to the point. This way, you can effectively end your presentation without rambling or adding extraneous (irrelevant) information.

How to End a Presentation in English with Common Phrases

Finally, there are a few generic phrases that people frequently use to wrap up presentations. While we encourage you to think about how to end a presentation using a unique final statement, there’s nothing wrong with using these common closing phrases:

• Thank you for your time.
• I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today.
• I’ll now answer any questions you have about (topic).
• If you need any further information, feel free to contact me at (contact information).

We hope this guide helps you better understand how to end a presentation ! If you’d like to find out more about how to end a presentation in English effectively, visit Magoosh Speaking today!

Matthew Jones

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Best Ways to Conclude a Presentation

Last Updated: October 4, 2023 Fact Checked

Strategies for Wrapping up a Presentation

Other best practice presentation tips, public speaking advice, how should you end a presentation.

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz and by wikiHow staff writer, Ali Garbacz, B.A. . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 5,500 times.

You’ve just spent the last hour or so preparing a super thorough and detailed presentation. Now it’s time to add the finishing touches and come up with an attention-grabbing and memorable closer. What strategies can you use to make sure that people really remember what you've said? Keep reading to learn all the most effective methods you can use to conclude your presentation in a way that’ll really stick with your audience. We'll cover different strategies you can mix and match to end your presentation with a bang, then follow up with public speaking tips. Let's dive in!

Things You Should Know

• Bring your presentation to a close by first giving a clear indication that you’ll be wrapping up, followed by a short summary of your main ideas.
• Grab your audience’s attention with a strong call to action and an explanation of what good things will happen when they listen to your message.
• Make your presentation memorable by embellishing it with a powerful quote, a story, or a surprising statistic or fact.
• Get your audience involved by running a poll or survey at the end of your presentation.

• “In conclusion…”
• “In summary…”
• “As I conclude my presentation, let me ask you a question.”
• “This brings me to the end of my presentation today.”
• “In respect of time, allow me to wrap up my last comments.”

• “That brings me to the conclusion of my presentation. If you’re to take anything away from my presentation today, let it be the three Cs of credit that we talked about: character, capacity, and capital.”
• "Above all else, remember the acronym RAM: redesign, application, and management."

• “When you volunteer for this program, you will build your skills and gain valuable experiences.”
• “You will participate in the increased profitability of our company by joining this new program.”
• “Make this company a more inclusive and healthy place to work by taking just a few minutes out of your day to do these small actions.”

• “As the Greek historian Plutarch once said, ‘The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.’ Let’s kindle the fire within our minds and make the changes we want to see.”
• “I’ll leave you today with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt: ‘Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.’”
• “Work hard to inspire not only those around you, but yourself as well.”

• Pair this statistic or fact with a memorable visual, such as an illustrated graph, a video, or a picture. The more visual your presentation is, the more memorable it will be to your audience.

• Another way to go about telling a story is to start it in your presentation’s intro and end it during the conclusion. Your audience will be curious to know how the story ends.

• “What do you think the word ‘success’ means?”
• “How can we make an impact every day through the work we do?”
• “Why do you think people are so afraid of change and questioning the way things have always been done?”
• Asking a question at the beginning of your presentation and answering it during the conclusion is another strategy to consider. Just be sure that you don’t forget to answer this question and accidentally leave your audience hanging.

• “What’s your usual mood during the workday?”
• “Have you ever presented your supervisor with a new idea or suggestion?”
• “Do you see yourself participating in this new program?”

• What they liked and disliked about the presentation
• What improvements could be made
• One memorable thing they took away from your presentation

• Before your presentation, go and talk with some of the audience members. This will give them a chance to warm up to you and can help you feel more relaxed once you get up and start presenting.

• Using hand gestures also shows the audience that you’re in control of the space around you, and makes you appear much more confident and at ease.

Expert Q&A

• Keep in mind that your presentation gives you the chance to be a messenger. Give your audience something meaningful to walk with at the end of your speech. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-ways-to-end-a-presentation-2014-7
• ↑ https://www.washington.edu/doit/presentation-tips-0
• ↑ https://www.wilmu.edu/edtech/documents/the-science-of-effective-presenations---prezi-vs-powerpoint.pdf
• ↑ https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/awesome-presentations/ways-to-end-a-presentation-and-tools
• ↑ https://www.niu.edu/presentations/organize/index.shtml
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/11/02/15-methods-of-every-effective-public-speaker/?sh=3a911bdd3047
• ↑ https://youtu.be/VRJzvJ5XPQI?t=11

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7 Brilliant Ways to End Any Presentation: When to Use a Presentation Thank You Address

I like building and growing simple yet powerful products for the world and the worldwide web.

Published Date : December 4, 2020

Reading Time :

As important as an introduction is to a speech presentation, the end of your presentation is what you leave your audience with.  Giving a proper presentation thank you address is a helpful public speaking skill .

When is it appropriate to simply say “thank you” and close your presentation?

In what moments does a presentation require more from you? 

How do you tell your audience to thank you for watching my presentation if you made a visual presentation?

What is the importance of saying thank you to your audience for listening?

We intend to answer all these questions in this article, and we hope you read the whole page to understand the complete concept of the presentation. Thank you. 

How Should I End a Presentation? Different Ways of Ending a Speech Or a Presentation

As a speech expert who has attended many presentations and orations, I can tell that each presenter concludes their speech in different ways. Most speakers will showcase presentation thank you images as a visual aid at the end of a PowerPoint, while others give a summary. 

Irrespective of the speaker’s methods, here are seven ways to end a presentation or speech .

1. Closing with a Summary

 Summarizing key points of your speech when concluding an oration is an age-old method of finishing your address. It is a technique speakers and writers use to close and ensure their audience remembers their main point.

Using a summary for closure is common with lectures and the traditional presentation thank-you addresses.

2. Closing with the Power of Three

The Power of Three uses a pattern of three words, phrases, or more to emphasize a point and make it more memorable. A typical phrase Julius Caesar uses is “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

3. Closing with Metaphors

Metaphors are a figure of speech that compares two entities figuratively and makes it seem like they are the same. In basic English Language, the definition of metaphors indicates a form of comparison without using comparative words (for example, like and as).

It is ideal for motivational speech presentations and graduation speeches . This type of closing works perfectly if you use an analogy, anecdote, or reference to the comparative subject during your presentation.

4. Using Facts to Recreate Engagement

Some of the most memorable speech presentations end with things that regain the audience’s attention. If you search Google, you will find facts related to your discussion and share them to surprise your audience.

5. Using an Illustration or Image

Similar to metaphors, you can finish with stories or use an illustration to close. This method is quite common because many orators can use it to start and end their speeches.

Visual aids are essential to help drive your point across when you present, and you can also use them to close effectively.

6. Closing with a Quote or a Short Sentence

If you can condense your summary to a less wordy, short sentence, it tends to leave a longer-lasting impression on your listeners. It is essential to ensure that the short message conveys your authenticity and the importance of your message.

Using a quote is a timeless way to conclude any type of speech or presentation. However, it is essential to have a quote relevant to your address; if not, you can make a quote out of a point you made while presenting.

7. Making a Provocative Closing

Closing provocatively uses calls to action to move your audience toward a particular goal. An example of this type of conclusion is usually observed with preachers, activists, and advertisers.

Many preachers make altar calls at the end of their sermons, and activists usually end with a wake-up call to move the audience to action.

What is the Best Way to End a PowerPoint Presentation?

PowerPoint presentations take a lot of time and can take an audience almost no time to forget. Figuring out how to make a strong closing will help give your audience something to remember. 

The way you close each ppt depends on the nature of your discussion. 

Closing a Persuasive PPT

Your thank you note for the presentation after a persuasive PowerPoint should win the members of your audience over. To convince them ultimately, you can include:

• A call-to-action
• Verified facts

Closing an Informative PPT

Informative PPTs share data, so the ideal closure for them is a presentation thank-you images that show:

• A summary of all the ideas you shared
• A conclusive concept map
• Bulleted key points
• A recap of the objectives of the presentation

Closing an Introductory PPT

The general concept of introductory speech presentations is to:

If you give an initial pitch, the best presentation thank you images will give your audience a proper means to contact you or follow up on your next program. 

Note: When concluding any PowerPoint, your thank you for watching my presentation slide will naturally need to follow the same pattern as the entire PPT. It is also helpful if you are creative with the presentation. Thank you.

The General Importance of Saying Thank You

Saying thank you means expressing gratitude for an action completed or a gift. In any setting, your ability to express gratitude, irrespective of whether or not you deserved the service you got, goes a long way.  

Some advantages of expressing gratitude include:

What is the importance of presenting thank you images?

As a part of the audience, after listening to a speaker talk all day, especially when you can leave but stay, a minute presentation thank you would suffice.

It’s no secret that some presenters do not say thank you after their speech , so what do you gain by thanking your audience?

• It helps you reinforce already established values. 
• Strengthens speaker-audience relationships. 
• Serves as a foundation for trust.
• Stimulates conversation by question and answer strategies.
• It makes you unique in numerous places.

How to Say Thank You at the End of Your Presentation: Simple Tips and Tricks

Saying thank you is not only about expressing gratitude. Often, saying thank you is a business strategy, and presenting thank you images must  prove their worth for your business.

Some simple pointers to remember are:

• Remain professional
• Avoid grammatical errors as much as possible.
• Try not to seem salesy; instead, be polite.
• Employ perfect timing

Using the Right Voice Tone

Every type of presentation setting demands a specific tone type. You will need to adjust your tone to avoid being misunderstood.

Personalize It and Try to Maintain Relevance

It is rather rude to use a copy-and-paste post-presentation thank you message. Instead, it’s best to make a unique, personalized thank-you note that is audience-specific.

Additionally, it’s best to remain within the subject matter for the conclusion by sharing relevant information.

Ask Questions and Answer Previous Ones

If you have any questions before the presentation, it is best to answer them now. If you used an “any questions slide,” you can also answer questions from there.

When your time starts finishing, and you cannot answer any more questions, try to provide contact details or follow up with their concerns.

Practice the perfect end to your presentation with Orai

When to Use and When to Avoid a Thank You Presentation Slide

Using tact is a vital tool when facing public speaking opportunities. Knowing when it is okay to share a thank you presentation slide and when it isn’t necessary is essential.

Some of the times when saying thank you for listening to my presentation is appropriate and essential are:

• When you have an audience that shows up voluntarily, it is essential to express gratitude.
• If you are expressing gratitude to your team for putting in hard work
• If your audience needed to travel to attend your presentation

On the other hand, there are some situations when presentation thank you images are either inappropriate or unnecessary:

• If you plan to answer questions after your presentation or host an interactive session, presentation thank you images will prompt your audience to leave the meeting.
• If your presentation has terrible news, a presentation thank you will be insensitive and inappropriate.
• When you need to assign a task or follow up on anything, it’s better to end with that than a thank you slide.

Potential Alternatives to a Presentation Thank You Image

Ending with a simple presentation, thank you, is often seen as a weak presentation. It is usually best to complete your presentation creatively or using a call-to-action. 

So, in what ways can you effectively end your speech using visual aids without needing to use presentation thank you images?

Using a “One More Thing” Slide

This type of presentation thank you option introduces (for lack of a better term) the final bomb or the hidden gem. For example, if you were introducing a new product, your one more thing slide would probably show an unexpected benefit of purchasing the product to woo your audience.

This type of slide is inappropriate for every presentation, so you will have to consider the nature of your audience when inputting this idea.

A Slide that Continues the Conversation

This type of ending could feature a form of presentation thank you that continues the discussion. It may be a bunch of arguments that gear your audience’s communication with each other or with you.

Ideally, you will need to provide them with contact information so they can communicate with you after you finish. If you are searching for new prospects for partnership or employment, this is the best slide to include such details.

Closing with “Any Questions?”

This type of closing is the most common aside from the mainstream presentation thank you images. As I stated earlier, it isn’t appropriate to include a presentation thank you if you hope to continue any discussion. 

Asking for questions boosts audience engagement and serves as a memory aid so they remember your presentation. However, it isn’t uncommon to have no one asking you questions while you present. 

If you want to avoid the awkwardness of an unanswered no-questions slide, here are some things you can try:

• Asking the first question yourself is an icebreaker.; your inquiry has the potential to open room for more questions
• Ask a friend in the audience to break the ice with the first question.
• Asking your audience to prepare for questions in advance by providing them with the necessary materials
• Distributing pre-presenting writing material to the audience to motivate them to write down questions they might have had during your speech so that you can answer them effectively.

Practice your presentations with Orai. Get feedback on your tone, tempo, confidence , and consciousness to help you get your presentation on point.

Thank You Letters: Taking it A Step Further

Numerous presentations, especially business idea pitching, hardly lead to immediate sales. In such a case, ending with a presentation, thank you, and contact information isn’t enough. 

You will need to take it further by sending a thank you letter so they can remind you, mostly if they have already forgotten. So, how do you follow up on a potential client or previous sponsor with a presentation? Thank you.

Elements of a Good Thank You Letter

When writing an excellent thank you letter, you must consider elements to ensure that your recipient reads it and carries out the appropriate action. 

You do not require a soothsayer to tell you that people do not read every letter. So, how do you beat the odds and make your message worthwhile? Here are some elements you can include to that effect.

A Strong Subject Line

If you can remember the times you intentionally opened spam mail, I am sure it had something to do with the subject. Most companies treat letters like this as spam and have no reason to read them.

However, if you can create a subject line that clearly states your intentions, you have a better chance of having your mail read.

Clearly Expressed Gratitude

Start the letter by expressing gratitude for attending your presentation and giving you time. You can also include other factors in your message that you need to express gratitude for.

A Summary of Your Presentation 

They aren’t likely to have any reason to remember all the points you made during your presentation. Now is the perfect time to remind them and highlight the issues you presented they could have missed. 

It’s best to use bullet points to give them room for skim reading. Additionally, if you have reached an agreement, you should include it in the letter for clarity .

Answers to Prior Questions 

If they had questions you could not answer while presenting, now is the perfect time to answer them. It is a gesture that shows potential clients that you care about their concerns.

Additionally, you can encourage more questions to keep the conversation going.

A Professional Closing Note

Most people have customized closing remarks that they send with each mail that usually have the following characteristics in small icons:

• Your name and position in the company
• The company’s name (and logo, if possible)
• The company’s website URL

Practice with Orai and become an expert

Final Tips For Thank You Letters and Speeches 

Irrespective of how you decide to make your presentation thank you slide, these six tips will help you:

• Include a call to action for your audience.
• Try not to end with questions.
• Refer to the opening message.
• Use anecdotes to summarize.
• Incorporate the rule of three where you can.
• Avoid leaving your audience confused about whether or not your presentation is over.

Examples of Presentation Thank You Letter

Subject line: A follow-up on (topic or product)

Hi (insert name)

Express gratitude: I am grateful you took the time to attend today’s program. (Include gratitude for any other sacrifice they made.

Here is a quick recap (___) 

Concerning your questions on ___, here is an attachment with detailed answers. Feel free to ask further questions.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regard,

Business Signature

How should you make a clear call to action to the audience at the end of a presentation?

A powerful presentation ends with a clear, direct call to action. Don’t hope your message inspires action – explicitly tell your audience what you want them to do, why it matters, and its impact. Make it specific, compelling, and relevant, using examples or statistics to drive home the importance. Leave them knowing exactly what steps to take next and the benefits or consequences involved, maximizing your chances of a positive response.

When is it beneficial to ask a rhetorical question at the end of a talk?

Want your talk to linger? End with a powerful rhetorical question! It sparks reflection, reinforces key points, and piques curiosity, leaving your audience captivated long after the presentation ends. Use it to challenge, inspire, and make your message truly unforgettable.

How can you utilize a cartoon or animation to conclude your presentation effectively?

Utilizing a cartoon or animation to conclude your presentation effectively involves integrating visuals that complement your message. Consider incorporating a relevant cartoon that conveys a metaphor or key idea of your presentation. Using humor in the cartoon can also help engage your audience and make your message more memorable. By ending on a visual note, you can leave a lasting impression and reinforce the main points you want your audience to remember.

How should you end a presentation without a “Questions?” slide?

To wrap up a presentation without a designated “Questions?” slide, it is beneficial to encourage audience interaction throughout the presentation by allowing questions to be asked at any point. This ensures that the questions and answers are directly related to the content being discussed. However, if questions are to be fielded at the end of the presentation, a powerful technique is to conclude with a striking image that reinforces and encapsulates the central message or theme addressed during the talk. This visual aid should be a memorable takeaway for the audience, leaving a lasting impression that harmonizes with the presentation’s content. Utilizing this method, you can successfully conclude your presentation on a strong note without needing a specific “Questions?” slide.

Why is it recommended to use a summary slide instead of a “Thank You” slide at the end of a presentation?

Skip the “Questions?” slide! Encourage real-time engagement throughout, then end with a powerful image that resonates with your message. It’ll be a memorable takeaway; no dedicated question slide is needed!

How can quotes and interesting anecdotes be effectively integrated into the conclusion of a speech?

Spice up your speech conclusion: ditch the tired quotes and choose fresh voices relevant to your audience and topic. Share authentic anecdotes that resonate personally, and weave them seamlessly with your reflections for deeper impact. Memorable endings leave audiences thinking long after your final words.

When used as a closing statement, what impact can a short, memorable sentence or sound bite have on the audience?

Short and sweet: Ditch lengthy closings! Craft a concise, magnetic sentence that captures your message. In today’s attention-deficit world, it’ll linger long after your speech , leaving a powerful impression and resonating with your audience. Remember, short and impactful embodies your voice and drive home your key points. Boom!

In what situations is it appropriate to acknowledge individuals or companies at the end of a presentation?

Say thanks! Publicly acknowledging collaborators, data sources, and presentation helpers in research, information use, and preparation scenarios shows respect, professionalism, and gratitude. Use both verbal mentions and presentation software credits for maximum impact. Remember, a little appreciation goes a long way!

How can visual aids, such as a running clock or images, be employed to emphasize key points during the conclusion of a speech?

End with a bang! Use visuals like a ticking clock to build urgency or powerful images to solidify your message. Leave them on display for reflection, letting the visuals do the final talking and ensuring your key points leave a lasting impression.

How can surprising facts be used to re-engage the audience’s attention at the end of a presentation?

Surprise them! When attention fades, drop a shocking fact with stats. Use online resources to find fresh info, keeping sources handy for Q&A. It’ll re-energize them, offering new insights and solidifying your credibility. Boom!

What role can storytelling play in concluding a presentation and engaging the audience?

Storytime! Wrap up with a short, impactful story – personal or relevant to your topic. Think customer experience or a case study with heart. Make it relatable, spark empathy, and tie it back to your key points. Boom – a memorable, engaging ending that sticks!

How can I make my presentation memorable using the “power of three” communication method?

Rule of three! Organize your conclusion in trios: points, examples, and stories. Brains love patterns and threes stick! Memorable, impactful, and resonating – that’s your ending goal. Keep it simple, repeat key points, and leave them with a lasting impression.

How can I effectively end a presentation or speech to leave a lasting impression on the audience?

Nail your ending! Use the power of three: storytelling, surprising facts, or visuals to grab attention. Acknowledge others, craft a short & memorable closing, summarize key points, repeat key messages, and end with energy to inspire action. Leave a lasting impression, not a fade-out!

How can you ensure that your audience understands when your presentation has concluded?

End strong! Rule of three for impact, clear closing cue (no guessing!), confident “thank you,” and wait for applause. No fidgeting, no weak exits. Leave them wanting more, not wondering if it’s over!

Final Notes: Saying Thank You is a Vital Life Skill

As far as life goes, saying thank you properly is essential. Even if you are giving a paid lecture or presentation, thank you notes give your audience a sense of importance for participating in your work process. 

An asset every public speaker has after overcoming the fear of public speaking is their ability to express gratitude to their audience for the time they spent listening.

I hope you remember to say thank you creatively!

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• 5 Effective Strategies To End A Presentation

By Paola Pascual on Feb 7, 2022 5:15:00 AM

You just gave a great presentation in English… And it’s time to conclude.

If you think all the work is done –watch out! Did you know that the beginning of your presentation , together with the end of it, are the most important parts of your speech? This is what your audience will remember best, so it’s important to make the introduction and the conclusion as memorable as possible.

The last few minutes of your presentation are your best opportunity to make a long-lasting impression on your audience. This last part will help your audience remember the key points and help you get across the main idea .

In this article, you will learn 5 strategies to end your presentation in a powerful way. You’ll also learn useful expressions you can use to transition from one point to the next.  One great tip is to prepare both the beginning and the end of your presentation:

5 Effective Strategies to Close Your Presentation

Choosing the right strategies to conclude your presentation will help you bring your audience back to the main point. We all get distracted sometimes, and our attention span keeps getting shorter. 

The goal is for you to connect with your audience and make them feel connected to your topic. Your presentation should always be about them –not you. Make it easy for them to remember key points and bring their attention back to them.

Download this great effective presentation checklist and check the strategies below. Pick the ones you feel most comfortable with and dare to combine them –some of them work great together!

1. Restate your main idea 🔁

The most effective way to make your key points stick? Repeat them. Once again. And again. 

You may feel that restating your key message throughout the presentation can be repetitive. However, adding recaps after each section and summarizing your main points in your conclusion will really make it stick in the minds of your audience members.

When you restate your main idea, make sure you paraphrase the points in a slightly new and refined way. You can change the word category, use synonyms, or use a simpler version.

Use these closing words and useful phrases to summarize your key points:

• In other words, today we went over ...
• To put it simply, this presentation examined ...
• What I mean to say is, throughout this presentation, we explored ...
• As we/I understand it, 
• By and large, we discussed ...
• Overall, today's presentation covered ...
• To recap, we examined ...
• In conclusion, 
• To conclude,
• In short, I’d like to highlight…
• To quickly recap,
• In a nutshell, 
• In summary,
• To sum up,  I’d like you to remember…
• To summarize, 
• All things considered, 
• All in all, 
• To put it briefly, 

2. Include a Call To Action or next steps ➡️

Your presentation has a goal and some next steps. When you give a speech, you expect something else to happen. Whether that may be for your audience to provide feedback, for them to buy your product, for you to send them a brochure…

What are your future actions? It’s what we call our “ Next ” in our WHAT-WHY-NEXT framework . This should be one of the first things should consider when preparing your presentation. What do you want your audience to do after your speech? Do they need to take action or will you follow up with them? 

Clearly tell your audience what they need to do after your presentation –or what they can expect.

Introduce your Call To Action and present how your findings will impact the future:

• To wrap this up, I’d love to ask you to…
• After today’s session, please take a minute to…
• I’m counting on you to…
• Looking forward,
• To this end, it would be great to…
• As a consequence, we must …
• If you would like more information, please…
• Please reach out to me if you have any questions…
• I will send you a list of great resources that will help you…
• So, next time you…, remember to…

3. Close the loop ⏺️

The "Loop Technique" is a popular technique in which you return to the subject you opened with at the start of your presentation. It’s especially effective because it creates a perfect circle and a satisfying sense of completion. Skillful speakers often build up audience anticipation at the beginning of their talk and then keep them in suspense until the end when they finally finish their story, give the punchline to their joke, or answer the question they posed right at the start.

Closing a presentation referring back to your opening message is a very common speech structure in many TED Talks . It is a great way to round off your story and remind your audience why they were there in the first place. It is also commonly used in comedy and marketing.

To approach this technique, you can finish a story or an anecdote you started or set up a question at the beginning of your talk and wait until the end to answer it. 

4. End with an inspirational quote or surprising statistic 📊

I must be honest with you –quotes are not my favorite way of ending a presentation, but I see how it can work in some contexts.

If you want to make your audience feel in a particular way or there is something you want your audience to remember, a quote or a surprising fact can be your best ally. It is an effective way to reengage your audience and help them remember your main point.

Always remember to add a quote or statistic that is related to your topic.

Oh, an impactful image could work just as well!

Use these phrases to introduce great quotes or statistics:

• I’d like to finish with this inspiring quote from…
• This reminds me of a wonderful quote from…
• Let me leave you with this surprising statistic…
• Let’s finish this session with an interesting quote…
• Did you know that…?
• It reminds me of the words of…
• In the end, this is what matters...

5. Thank your audience 💙

Before you go, remember to always thank your audience. After all, they’ve stayed until the end, right? A simple sentence will suffice, and it will make a difference by making you more likable.

Phrases to thank your audience:

• Thank you so much for your attention today.
• I’d like to thank you for your interest today.
• I truly appreciate your interest and attention this morning.

Keep improving your presentation skills

Continue improving your communication skills for professional situations with our  free resources . If you are serious about improving your business English skills,   get in touch with Talaera . We will help you take your professional English communication skills to the next level.

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• Presentation Skills for Non-Native English Speakers
• 101 Must-Know Transition Phrases for Engaging Presentations Online
• 21 Helpful Tips For Remarkable and Outstanding Presentation Skills
• How To Start a Presentation: Follow These 4 Easy Steps
• How To Bring Across Your Main Idea In A Presentation Effectively
• 6 Public Speaking Tricks To Captivate Your Audience
• How To Do Effective Business Storytelling According To Former Prosecutor
• 8 Little Changes That'll Make A Big Difference With Your Presentations
• 3 Quick Public Speaking Tips For Your Next Presentation
• Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are [TED Talk Lesson]

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Business | Storytelling

How to end your presentation with style.

Written by Kai Xin Koh

“I’ve come to the end of my presentation. Any questions?” you ask, hoping to hear a response from your audience. Unfortunately, you get nothing but an awkward silence.You think you pulled off a pretty great presentation, but then find yourself falling flat at the end. In this article, we endeavor to de-mystify how to end a presentation with style.

Let’s face the truth. Unless you present like Steve Jobs , the likelihood of an audience remembering your public speaking performance from start to end is extremely low. But this doesn’t mean that it is impossible to make a lasting impression. Studies have shown that when an audience is given a series of information, they have a tendency to remember the first and last items best. So use this to your advantage, and make an impact with your closing statement. Not only will you create a memorable moment, but your audience will also have an easier time retaining the message you’re trying to bring across.

We’ll show you 5 proven ways on how to end your presentation.

1. Inspire Your Audience with a Quote

Quotes are one of the most commonly used methods and with good reason. It has been a tried-and-tested way to reach out to your audience and connect with them on a deeper level. But here’s the thing: You need to figure out what resonates with them, and choose one that fits the presentation theme. If you’re up to it, you can round off the quote with your own thoughts as well.

For a great example, take a look at Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk, ‘How to escape education’s death valley’. When he was concluding his presentation, he used Benjamin Franklin’s quote:

There are three sorts of people in the world: Those who are immovable, people who don’t get it, or don’t want to do anything about it; there are people who are movable, people who see the need for change and are prepared to listen to it; and there are people who move, people who make things happen.

However, instead of ending it there, he then continued, “And if we can encourage more people, that will be a movement. And if the movement is strong enough, that’s, in the best sense of the word, a revolution. And that’s what we need.”

Not only did he use the quote to inspire the audience, he also added his own thoughts to provide perspective and illustrate his point further.

The quotes you share do not have to be from well-known authors. In fact, unusual quotes that have been rarely used can work in your favor by providing a different perspective. Just remember, it pays to exercise caution, as an inappropriate quote in the wrong situation may backfire instead.

2. End with a Compelling Image

We all know the saying, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. It’s pretty cliché, but true – Images do help to bring your message across in an impactful way. Ever heard of the ‘The Burning Monk’? In 1963, photographer Malcolm Browne captured a stunning photo of a monk who self-immolated in protest against the persecution of Buddhists. That award-winning photo sparked outrage around the world, and brought the situation into focus for many who were previously unaware of the situation.

Image Credit: rarehistoricalphotos.com

If the news had been reported without this image, would it have the same impact? Unlikely. Of course, information can’t be shared without text, but ultimately, images are the ones that leave the biggest impression.

When you’re selecting an image to put on your final slide, ask yourself these questions to guide you along.

• What do you want to show your audience?
• What are you trying to illustrate?
• How should they feel after looking at the image?

3. Leave With a Question

While it is not often encouraged to leave your audience hanging, suspense can be a fantastic way to create a memorable ending if you use it appropriately. Round off with a question that they can reflect on after the presentation, to keep them thinking about what you’ve shared. Keep it closely related to your topic, and use it to put the spotlight on a point you which to bring across.

Take a look at Scott Dinsmore’s TEDx talk, ‘How to find and do work you love’. In his presentation, he talked about discovering what matters to us, and then start doing it. For his conclusion, he ended by asking the audience, “What is the work you can’t not do?”

This ending can also useful if you know that you will be following up with a second presentation that will answer the question. Pose a thought-provoking question, then hint that you will be answering it in your next presentation, to give them something to look forward to.

4. Encourage Action

Sometimes, it’s great to be straightforward, and tell the audience what you’d like them to do. Would you like them to try doing something? Buy a product you’re selling? Commit to an event?

When you’re inviting the audience to act on something, be sure to make a clear statement. Ensure that your words are not vague or misleading, and bring your point across in a confident and firm manner.

Don’t make it tough for your audience to do an action. Who likes to leap through dozens of obstacles to get things done? Get your audience moving by starting slow. For example, if you’re presenting about environmental protection, don’t ask them to cut out all wastage immediately, that’s an impossible task. Instead, ask them to start by recycling whenever they can.

Alternatively, if you’re daring enough, make a bold statement. Share your belief in something, and involve the audience in it.

Not sure how you can do it? Watch Kakenya Ntaiya’s talk, ‘A girl who demanded school’. In her concluding statement, she passionately declared:

“I want to challenge you today. You are listening to me because you are here, very optimistic. You are somebody who is so passionate. You are somebody who wants to see a better world. You are somebody who wants to see that war ends, no poverty. You are somebody who wants to make a difference. You are somebody who wants to make our tomorrow better. I want to challenge you today that to be the first , because people will follow you. Be the first. People will follow you. Be bold. Stand up. Be fearless. Be confident. ”

5. Reiterate Your Message

You’ve spent a lot of time preparing the message you’re sharing, and now it’s time to reinforce it. To do that, summarize the key points of your presentation, and repeat them so that your audience remembers it once more.

A great technique to use when you’re repeating your message is the Rule of Three, a rule that suggests that people generally tend to remember concepts or ideas presented in threes better. Some commonly used examples would be ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ and ‘Mind, Body and Spirit’. Think of your presentation, and distil your key message into three words, phrases or sentences, before structuring your conclusion.

Neil Pasricha’s TEDx talk, ‘The 3 A’s of awesome’, is a fantastic example to learn from. In it, he talks about 3 secrets to lead an awesome life, i.e., Attitude, Awareness and Authenticity, which form the message for his entire presentation. But to further strengthen his message, he then repeats it at his conclusion by saying:

“And that’s why I believe that if you live your life with a great attitude , choosing to move forward and move on whenever life deals you a blow, living with a sense of awareness of the world around you, embracing your inner three year-old and seeing the tiny joys that make life so sweet and being authentic to yourself, being you and being cool with that, letting your heart lead you and putting yourself in experiences that satisfy you, then I think you’ll live a life that is rich and is satisfying, and I think you’ll live a life that is truly awesome.”

Sounds great, isn’t it? Not only did he reinforce his points, but he also captured his audience’s attention with a positive statement.

As presenters, we always hope that our presentations will end off on a high note. So now that you know how to end a presentation with style, take some time to prepare and practice, and you’re good to go. All the best!

Article Written By: Kai Xin Koh

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Different Ways to End a Presentation or Speech

November 6, 2017 - Dom Barnard

The beginning and ending of your presentation are the most important. The  beginning  is where you grab the audience’s attention and ensure they listen to the rest of your speech. The conclusion gives you a chance to leave a lasting impression that listeners take away with them.

Studies show  that when people are tasked with recalling information, they “best performance at the beginning and end”. It’s therefore essential you leave an impact with your closing statement. A strong ending motivates, empowers and encourages people to take action.

The power of three

The rule of three is a simple yet powerful method of communication and we use it often in both written and verbal communication. Using information in patterns of three makes it  more memorable  for the audience.

Examples of the power of three being used:

• This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning – Winston Churchill
• Blood, sweat and tears – General Patton
• I came, I saw, I conquered – Julius Caesar

A compelling story

Ending your presentation on a short story, especially if that story is personal or illustrates how the content presented affects others is the best way to conclude.

If you want to talk about a customer experience or successful case study, think about how you can turn it into a meaningful story which the audience will remember and even relate to. Creating empathy with your audience and tying the story back to points made throughout the presentation ensures your presentation will be well received by the audience.

A surprising fact

A surprising fact has the power to re-engage the audience’s attention, which is most likely to wane by the end of a presentation. Facts with  statistical numbers  in them work well – you can easily search online for facts related to your speech topic. Just make use you remember the source for the fact in case you are questioned about it.

A running clock

Marketing and advertising executive Dietmar Dahmen ends his Create Your Own Change talk with a running clock to accompany his last statement. “Users rule,” he says, “so stop waiting and start doing. And you have to do that now because time is running out.”

If you’re delivering a time-sensitive message, where you want to urge your listeners to move quickly, you can have a background slide with a  running timer  to add emphasis to your last statement.

Acknowledging people or companies

There are times when it’s appropriate to thank people publicly for helping you – such as

• Presenting a research paper and want to thank people involved in the project
• Presenting data or information obtained from a company or a person
• When someone helped you build the presentation if it’s a particularly complex one

You can even use the  PowerPoint credits  feature for additional ‘wow’ factor.

A short, memorable sentence

A sound bite is an attention magnet. It cuts to the core of your central message and is one of the most memorable takeaways for today’s  Twitter-sized  attention spans. Consider Steve Jobs’ famous last line at his commencement address at Stanford University: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

Think about how you can distil your message down to a crisp, memorable statement. Does it represent your authentic voice? Does it accurately condense what your core message is about? Listeners, especially business audiences, have a radar that quickly spots an effort to impress rather than to genuinely communicate an important message.

An interesting quote

A relatively easy way to end your speech is by using a quote. For this to be effective, however, the quote needs to be one that has not been heard so often that it has become cliché.

To access fresh quotes, consider searching current personalities rather than historical figures. For example, a quote on failing from J.K. Rowling: “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

You need to figure out what resonates with your audience, and choose a quote that fits the presentation theme. If you’re up to it, you can round off the quote with your own thoughts as well.

A visual image

Make use of this power by ending your presentation with a riveting visual that ties to your take-home message. Leave this slide on when you finish your presentation to give the audience something to look at and think about for the next few minutes.

Use a summary slide instead of a ‘thank you’ slide

‘Thank You’ slides don’t really help the audience. You should be verbally saying ‘Thank you’, with a smile and with positive eye contact, putting it on a slide removes the sentiment.

Instead of a ‘Thank You’ slide, you can use a  summary slide  showing all the key points you have made along with your call to action. It can also show your name and contact details.

This slide is the only slide you use that can contain a lot of text, use bullet points to separate the text. Having all this information visible during the Q&A session will also help the audience think of questions to ask you. They may also choose to take photos of this slide with their phone to take home as a summary of your talk and to have your contact details.

Repeat something from the opening

Closing a presentation with a look back at the opening message is a popular technique. It’s a great way to round off your message, whilst simultaneously summing up the entire speech and creating a feeling of familiarity for the audience. Comedians do this well when they tie an earlier joke to a later one.

Doing this will signal to the audience that you are coming to the end of your talk. It completes the circle – you end up back where you started.

There are a few ways to approach this technique:

• Set up a question at the beginning of your speech and use your ending to answer it
• Finish a story you started, using the anecdote to demonstrate your message
• Close with the title of the presentation – this works best with a provocative, memorable title

Link the main points to the key message

At the beginning of your talk, it’s important to map out the main ideas you will talk about. An audience that doesn’t know the stages of the journey you are about to take them on will be less at ease than one that knows what lies ahead. At the end of your talk, take them back over what you’ve spoken about but don’t just list the different ideas you developed, show how they are related and how they support your main argument.

Finish with enthusiasm

It’s only natural that you’ll feel tired when you get to the end of your talk. The adrenaline that was racing through your body at the beginning has now worn off.

It’s crucial that the audience feels that you are enthusiastic and open for questions. If you’re not enthusiastic about the presentation, why should the audience be?

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Don’t end with audience questions

When the  Q&A session  is over, stand up, get their attention and close the presentation. In your closing give your main argument again, your call to action and deal with any doubts or criticisms that out in the Q&A.

A closing is more or less a condensed version of your conclusions and an improvised summary of the Q&A. It’s important that the audience goes home remembering the key points of the speech, not with a memory of a Q&A that may or may not have gone well or may have been dominated by someone other than you.

If possible, try and take questions throughout your presentation so they remain pertinent to the content.

Getting rid of the “questions?” slide

To start, let’s talk about what you shouldn’t do. You shouldn’t end a presentation with a slide that asks “Questions?” Everyone does and there is nothing memorable about this approach.

Ideally, you should take questions throughout the presentation so that the question asked and the answer given is relevant to the content presented. If you choose to take questions at the end of your presentation, end instead with a strong image that relates to your presentation’s content.

Worried about no audience questions?

If you’re afraid of not getting any questions, then you can arrange for a friend in the audience to ask one. The ‘plant’ is a good way to get questions started if you fear silence.

Chances are that people do want to ask questions, but no one wants to be the first to ask a question. If you don’t have a ‘plant’, you might need to get the ball rolling yourself. A good way to do this is for you to ask am open question to the audience. Ask the most confident looking person in the room for their opinion, or get the audience to discuss the question with the person sitting beside them.

A cartoon or animation

In his TED talk on  The Paradox of Choice  , Barry Schwartz ends his presentation with a cartoon of a fishbowl with the caption, “You can be anything you want to be – no limits.” He says, “If you shatter the fishbowl, so that everything is possible, you don’t have freedom, you have paralysis… Everybody needs a fishbowl”. This is a brilliant ending that combines visuals, humour and a metaphor. Consider ending your presentation with a relevant cartoon to make your message memorable.

Ask a rhetoric question

So, for example, if you’re finishing up a talk on the future of engineering, you might say, “I’d like to end by asking you the future of manufacturing, will it be completely taken over by robots in the next 30 years?”

The minute you  ask a question  , listeners are generally drawn into thinking about an answer. It’s even more engaging when the question is provocative, or when it touches potentially sensitive areas of our lives

Thank the audience

The simplest way to end a speech, after you’ve finished delivering the content, is to say, “thank you.” That has the benefit of being understood by everyone.

It’s the great way for anyone to signal to the audience that it’s time to applaud and then head home.

Call your audience to action and make it clear

It’s not enough to assume your message will inspire people to take action. You need to actually tell them to take action. Your call to action should be clear and specific. Your audience should be left with no doubt about what it is you’re asking.

Use the last few minutes of the presentation to reinforce the call to action you seek. Examples of strong calls to actions include:

• Retain 25% more employees with our personal development solution
• Save your business 150% by using this framework
• Donate today to save millions around the world

Make it clear that you’ve finished

Nothing is more uncomfortable than the silence of an audience working out if you’ve finished or not.

Your closing words should make it very clear that it’s the end of the presentation. The audience should be able to read this immediately, and respond. As we mentioned previously, saying “thank you” is a good way to finish.

If the applause isn’t forthcoming, stand confidently and wait. Don’t fidget and certainly don’t eke out a half-hearted, ‘And that just about covers it. Thank you’.

6 Stylish ways to close your presentation

Emily Bartlett Feb 1, 2022 1:56:54 PM

All good things must come to an end, including your presentation. The way you close will affect how your audience responds and remembers.

A weak ending will leave them unenthused and uninspired, within a few hours they may even have forgotten your message.

But a strong ending will fire them up. A strong ending motivates and empowers. A strong ending encourages people to take action. 

So how do you end on a high? Here are 6 tips to ensure you go out with a bang.

1. Call your audience to action

It's not enough to assume your message will inspire people to take action. You need to actually tell them to take action.

I asked Dee Clayton, motivational speaker, public speaking trainer and author of Taming Your Public Speaking Monkeys to share her insight and experience. The call-to-action is Dee's preferred method of closing a speech.

"Summing up the action you want your audience to take is a great way to finish up. To do this, it's best to use a two-pronged approach:

• Start with a negative motivation – help them see how bad things will be if they don't do what you are suggesting.
• Finish with a positive motivation – paint a picture of how good things will be when they do what you recommend."

Dee stresses the importance of following this pattern.

Always give the negative first, followed by the positive. You'll end on a motivating high and will maximize your chances of inspiring the audience into action.

2. Refer back to the opening message

Closing a presentation with a look back at the opening message is a popular technique. It's a neat way to round off your message, whilst simultaneously summing up the entire speech.

There are a few ways to approach this technique:

• Set up a question at the beginning of your speech and use your ending to answer it.
• Finish a story you started, using the anecdote to demonstrate your message.
• Close with the title of the presentation – this works best with a provocative, memorable title.

Do you know who's really good at this technique? Stand up comedians. They often make jokes early in the set that they unexpectedly refer back to (in a different context) at the end.

This is known as callback comedy and it often generates the biggest laugh of the night. It's a powerful move because it creates a feeling of familiarity and camaraderie with the audience, making them feel like they're in on the joke.

3. Practice the rule of three

The rule of three is a simple yet powerful and effective method of communication. We use it in written and spoken communications all the time (did you notice I used it just then?).

The rule of three is the understanding that ideas, concepts and beliefs are more memorable and interesting when presented in threes. It's a very persuasive number, three.

Here are three excellent real-world examples of the rule of three.

First, Winston Churchill: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

Now, Julius Caesar: "Veni, vidi, vici"

And Benjamin Disraeli: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

4. Close with a summary

"If you've already explained your content well and in an engaging way, there is no need to summarize the content again at the end," Dee Clayton says.

She's right. There are far more powerful ways to end your presentation.  However, it might be necessary if your message is particularly complicated or your speech is a long one.

Summarizing content can be a little dry – both for you and your audience. Make your summary more palatable with humor, a fascinating anecdote or interesting linguistic devices (like repetition, rhyming, and the rule of three).

5. Don't end with questions

If Dee has one absolute speechwriting no-no, it's this:

"Never end with the questions. Too many people make this mistake. If you get a negative question, you've dulled the whole presentation and the audience leave on a negative note. Always do the questions before the wrap up."

Too many people end with questions and it often goes off track. This is memorable for no one. By the time you've answered a handful of semi-relevant questions, the audience have forgotten most of what you've told them.

Take questions throughout your presentation so they remain pertinent to the content.

6) Make it clear that you've finished

Nothing is more uncomfortable than the deafening silence of an audience working out if you've finished.

Your closing words should make it very clear that it's the end of the presentation. The audience should be able to read this immediately, and respond (hopefully with applause).

If the applause isn't forthcoming, stand confidently and wait. Don't fidget and certainly don't eke out a half-hearted, 'And that just about covers it. Thank you'.

Dee used her two-prong approach to explain the importance of making your ending clear:

"If you don't spend some time considering how to end your presentation, you may find yourself floundering at the end. You may wonder why few people actually action what you suggest and why there's no reassuring applause! But when you do put a bit of thought, planning and practice into your ending, you will look confident, inspire the audience into action and be able to leave the stage with your head held high."

And isn't that all we really want from our presentations?

Ace the Presentation

6 Remarkable Ways to End Your Presentation

Before delving in how to end your presentation tips, let me ask you this: Have you ever experienced a speaker or a presentation which went on for long and the speaker abruptly ends on an awkward note leaving the audience hanging with no thank you or closing remark to cue the audience in that the presentation has come to an end? Such presentations end with awkward silence making the speaker himself or herself feel embarrassed.

Situations like this are sadly common and are mostly found within speakers who do not present for a living but were occasionally asked to speak to the crowd. Sometimes in cases like this, we may not really count them or even forgive them for the oversight.  However, it is essential for every speaker to know the importance of planning how to start and end their presentations well.

No matter how well a speech is introduced and well presented, all efforts will go to waste as soon as the presenter ends it badly.  It is crucial to start a topic or presentation on an excellent note, but it is essential you end well as a speaker. The better you finish,  the more the ovation and recommendation you get from your audience. Your closing statements need to be strong and in some cases, stronger than your introduction.

A good introduction will wow the audience and make them pay attention to what you have to say but when you leave them with a weak conclusion that’s most probably what they are going to remember about you. They won’t remember how good your introduction was or the visuals and the jokes you made, but they will instead remember how you left them hanging at the end while some would even forget your presentation altogether based on the poor way in which you concluded your presentation.

It’s not that hard to end your presentation on a high note and wow your audience with your closing remarks and even leaving them yearning for more. Check below six great tips on how to end your presentation with a bang, and I will elaborate on them as I go.

6 Remarkable ways to end your Presentation

1. a call to action:.

There are two ways you can call them to action. You start by letting them see the negative downfalls and consequences that could arise if they do not do it then you finish by making them see the benefits they would gain from it once they take action towards doing it. This is the best method of motivating your audience at the end. End on a high motivation, and you will maximize your chances of sending the audience into action.

2. End with a summary:

One of my favorite ways to end a presentation is to summarize the key points of the speech and then add in the call to action. It allows you to go over what you have been saying since you started in a short form.  Seize the opportunity and make it short but memorable.

Most especially when you made a presentation with so many points covered,  a summary helps you caption it all in a few sentences. Some points that the audience skipped will be brought to their memories again.

Be firm on points you want them to note at the end while making your summaries. Try to put in humor while stating your summary to give them a good impression of you. Also, make sure your summary isn’t lengthy else it loses its purpose of being a summary in the first place. Remember, it’s meant to be short and memorable.

Just as your creativity was vital in starting your presentation,  making sure you are as creative as possible with your final remarks at the end of your presentation is also critical.  Most presentations end with “thank you” or “thanks for listening ” at the end of the slide, but a spectacular presenter or speaker strives to be unique. The more creative you are,  the more respected you will become in the eyes of your audience.

3. The Questioning technique :

Starting your presentation with a question and ending it with an answer is a neat way to end your presentation.  When you refer to the beginning of your presentation by saying “I asked a question at the beginning of my presentation which I promised to answer when I am about to round up..” this reminds the audience of how good you are and how creative you were at the beginning for your presentation.  Referring to your opening message is a very good strategy to keep them intrigued. 

It doesn’t have to be a question; it could also be a story.  The point here is that you kept your audience glued from start to finish and impressing them at the same time.

I am not an advocate of ending your presentation with a question. You will only end up making your audience puzzled, making the miss the whole point of your presentation in the first place if they still have unanswered questions lingering on their minds. They came for solutions, not problem compounding. Dee Clayton, a motivational speaker, had something to say on this :

“Never end with the questions, too many people make this mistake, if you get a negative question,  you have dulled the whole presentation, and the audience leave on a negative note.  Always do the questions before the wrap-up.”

4. They must be aware that you have finished :

Always make it clear that you have finished.  It is always uncomfortable to the audience when you suddenly go quiet, leaving them puzzled to guess whether you are trying to remember or you are actually done.

Nothing is more awkward than the deafening silence of an audience working out if you have finished. Your closing words should make it evident and clear that you have finished which will make the audience respond hopefully with applause or an ovation. If the applause doesn’t come,  don’t fidget,  stand confidently and look at the crowd like you meant to do it and wrap it up with a confident thank you, a smile and if you intend to humor,  a bow.

5. Inspirational and Motivational endings:

Ending with a catchphrase by Robert W. Service, for instance, “Don’t Quit, Carry on! ” is one which would meet the audience in high spirits. This phrase could be the one single thing they will remember for long from your presentation, and it would serve as a morale booster to most. 

You could end your presentation with something inspirational as well if you had given a motivational talk before you will be familiar with the fact that hope is the main religion of humankind. Dwell on that as a presenter and work on it. Inspire your audience (check our solid tips on how to become a motivational speaker here ), leave them with inspirational quotes.

Remember that everyone is dealing with problems, setbacks, difficulties, and temporary failures in every aspect of their lives and need assurance. For this reason, everyone appreciates a poem, inspirational words, words of advice, quotes, or encouragement that gives them strength or courage to carry on.

6. Proper planning :

To ensure that your closing remark will be a bang as you want it to be,  you must plan for it word for word.  Remember if you fail to plan,  you plan to fail. When you are certain and sure about the kind of ending you desire,  then it will even easier for you to be able to achieve such a result.

The best way you can have a great ending is to plan for the ending before you prepare for the rest of your speech, then go back and design the opening introduction, so it goes Hand in hand with your conclusion. 

Remember, your presentation is the sum of all its part,  from the introduction to the body down to the conclusion. Everything must work seamlessly together to ensure there are no flops. Please make the most of it.

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

Brian tracy. 9 tips to end a speech with a bang. https://www.briantracy.com/blog/public-speaking/how-to-end-a-speech-the-right-way/ . accessed on 06/30/2019..

Eric Holtzclaw. The Most Powerful Way to End a Presentation. https://www.inc.com/eric-holtzclaw/the-most-powerful-way-to-end-a-presentati on.html. Accessed on 06/30/2019.

Paul Petrone. The 6 Best Ways to Close a Presentation. https://learning.linkedin.com/blog/communication/the-6-best-ways-to-close-a-presentation . Accessed on 06/30/2019.

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50 quotes to enhance your presentations

• Written by: Shay O’Donnell
• Categories: Sales presentations , Visual communication
• Comments: 6

Whether you’re looking to inspire your audience, need a strong presentation starter, or want a concise soundbite to end your presentation with, using a quote in your presentation can be a great way to support your slides’ story and enhance your presentation’s flow. Presentation quotes give you – as the presenter – a moment to breathe, while the audience is reading the slide ( a reminder of why you shouldn’t be reading your quotes aloud is here ). They enable your audience to quickly and concisely understand your presentation’s key message, and give you an extra boost of credibility to boot.

The struggle comes when you have to find presentation quotes that fit your story, come from a reputable source, and have an attribution to get you through legal and compliance checks. But worry not: BrightCarbon have done the hard work for you!

We have compiled 50 presentation quotes and categorized them into 10 themes so that you can easily find a quote that resonates with your message, be it in a sales presentation, keynote speech, or training deck. All the quotes include references and attributions, so that you can sail through compliance and get on with creating a stunning presentation!

Pop this in your bookmarks tab (you’ll thank us later!), then dig in and find the perfect presentation quotes below:

Innovation quotes for presentations

• “Innovation, as I understand it, is both about doing different things as well as doing things differently.” Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biotech Entrepreneur From an interview with Dr. Bhavana Weidman on nature.com (January 04, 2014)
• “Innovation is more than having new ideas: it includes the process of successfully introducing them or making things happen in a new way. It turns ideas into useful, practicable and commercial products or services.” John Adair, Writer on Business Leadership. Effective Innovation (2009), Revised Edition ch. 11
• “Every new thing creates two new questions and two new opportunities.” Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon From ‘The electricity metaphor for the web’s future’, presented at TED2003 (February 2003)
• “Innovation is fostered by information gathered from new connections; from insights gained by journeys into other disciplines or places; from active, collegial networks and fluid, open boundaries. “Innovation arises from ongoing circles of exchange, where information is not just accumulated or stored, but created. Knowledge is generated anew from connections that weren’t there before.” Meg Wheatley, Author and Management Consultant Leadership and the New Science (2001)
• “We are all looking for the magic formula. Well, here you go: Creativity + Iterative Development = Innovation.” James Dyson, Founder of Dyson ‘James Dyson on Innovation’,  Ingenia , Issue 24 (September 2005)

Design quotes for presentations

• “Good design begins with honesty, asks tough questions, comes from collaboration and from trusting your intuition.” Freeman Thomas, Automobile and Industrial Designer Reviving Professional Learning Communities: Strength Through Diversity, Conflict, Teamwork, and Structure (2012) p. 63
• “The urge for good design is the same as the urge to go on living. The assumption is that somewhere, hidden, is a better way of doing things.” Harry Bertoia, Artist and Designer As quoted in 1000 Chairs , Carlotte and Peter Fiell (2005) p. 66
• “People think it’s this veneer — that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs, Chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. As quoted in ‘The Guts of a New Machine’, Rob Walker, The New York Times Magazine (November 30, 2003)
• “Design is redesign.” Jan Michl, Professor Emeritus, Phdr. History and Theories of Design ‘On seeing design as redesign’,  Scandinavian Journal of Design History , Issue 12 (2002) p. 7-23
• “Design is not about products, design is about relationships.” Hella Jongerius, Industrial Designer ‘Beyond the New: a search for ideals in design’, a manifesto by Hella Jongerius and Louise Schouwenberg (2015) 

Education and learning quotes for presentations

• “We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet.” Margaret Mead, Anthropologist and Author As quoted in How They Work In Indiana : Business-Education Partnerships , Andrew L. Zehner (1994)
• “The most important thing any teacher has to learn, not to be learned in any school of education I ever heard of, can be expressed in seven words: Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners.” John Holt, Author and Educator Growing Without Schooling , Issue   40 (1984)
• “True education means fostering the ability to be interested in something.” Sumio Iijima, Physicist ‘About myself, To the younger generation’,  Innovative Engine  (September 25, 2007)
• “If you think education is expensive — try ignorance.” ‘Ask Ann Landers’ Syndicated Advice Column (October 4, 1975)
• “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” Plutarch, Greek Historian, Biographer, and Essayist On Listening to Lectures

Success quotes for presentations

• “Success is fucking up on your own terms.” Guillermo del Toro, Director and Producer From Portland Mercury Q&A (September 29, 2010)
• “We cannot say what brings us success. We can only pin down what blocks or obliterates success. Eliminate the downside, the thinking errors, and the upside will take care of itself. This is all we need to know.” Rolf Dobelli, Author and Businessman The Art of Thinking Clearly (2013)
• “The secret to success is the willingness to serve without aspiring for rewards.” Cham Joof, Gambian Historian Gambia, Land of our heritage,  p IV
• “Failure and success are not episodes, they are trajectories. They are tendencies, directions, pathways. Each decision, each time at bat, each tennis serve, each business quarter, each school year seems like a new event, but the next performance is shaped by what happened last time out, unless something breaks the streak. The meaning of any particular event is shaped by what’s come before.” Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Author and Management Consultant Confidence (2006)
• “Success is more than a good idea. It is timing.” Anita Roddick, Founder of The Body Shop From an interview on bookbrowse.com

Creativity quotes for presentations

• “Relaxed, playful and harmonious moments are the birth place of creativity.” Amit Ray, Author and Spiritual Master Meditation: Insights and Inspiration (2010) p. 58
• “Originality is going back to the origin and finding an empty chair. Would you gladly sit on it? No thank you. It is empty for a reason. That’s where my ass was. Not where my head is now.” Giannina Braschi, Puerto Rican Poet, Novelist, and Essayist World Literature Today (2012)
• “Creativity isn’t about the advantage or disadvantage of a specific time or culture. Creativity is something that comes internally from a human being having a genuine mistrust of rules. And that may be the constant. It’s almost like there’s some rebellion in it.” Paula Scher, Graphic Designer From an interview conducted by Neal Shaffer (2006)
• “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple of them and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” John Steinbeck, Author Conversations with John Steinbeck , ed. Thomas Fensch (1988)
• “Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem.” Rollo May, Psychologist and Author The Courage to Create (1975) p. 115

Teamwork and collaboration quotes for presentations

• “In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions.” Margaret Wheatley, Management Consultant As quoted in 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself , Steve Chandler (2004) p. 123
• “Life is not a solo act. It’s a huge collaboration.” Tim Gunn, Fashion Consultant and Author ‘Postings | Recent Entries From Our Blogs’, Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times (December 21, 2010)
• “Collaboration is important not just because it’s a better way to learn. The spirit of collaboration is penetrating every institution and all of our lives. So learning to collaborate is part of equipping yourself for effectiveness, problem solving, innovation and life-long learning in an ever-changing networked economy.” Don Tapscott, Business Executive and Consultant ‘The spirit of collaboration is touching all of our lives’, The Globe and Mail (June 7, 2013)
• “As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” Amy Poehler, Actress, Comedian, Director and Producer From The Joy of Success: What It Means to Transform Success Into Excellence,  Tochukwu O. Okafor MPA (2013) p. 53
• “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Michael Jordan, Basketball Hall of Fame Player and Businessman As quoted in The Victory Letters : Inspiration for the Human Race , Cheri Ruskus (2003) p. 68.

Knowledge quotes for presentations

• “While knowledge is increasingly being viewed as a commodity or intellectual asset, there are some paradoxical characteristics of knowledge that are radically different from other valuable commodities. These knowledge characteristics include the following: Using knowledge does not consume it. Transferring knowledge does not result in losing it. Knowledge is abundant, but the ability to use it is scarce. Much of an organization’s valuable knowledge walks out the door at the end of the day.” Kimiz Dalkir, Director at McGill School of Information Studies Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice, 2nd ed . (2011)
• “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” Carl Sagan, Astronomer and Popular Science Writer From That’s Weird!: Awesome Science Mysteries , Kendall F. Haven (2001)
• “Investing in people is the single most important thing in the knowledge economy. Traditionally, wealth was defined by land and natural resources. Today the most important resources is between our ears.” Barack Obama Remarks by President Obama at Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Town Hall, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (April 27, 2014)
• “You can’t manage knowledge – nobody can. What you can do is to manage the environment in which knowledge can be created, discovered, captured, shared, distilled, validated, transferred, adopted, adapted and applied.” Chris Collison and Geoff Parcell Learning to Fly – Practical Knowledge Management from Leading and Learning Organizations (2005) p. 24-25
• “The Information Age offers much to mankind, and I would like to think that we will rise to the challenges it presents. But it is vital to remember that information — in the sense of raw data — is not knowledge, that knowledge is not wisdom, and that wisdom is not foresight. But information is the first essential step to all of these.” Arthur C. Clarke, Science Fiction Writer, Inventor, Futurist As quoted in ‘Humanity will survive information deluge — Sir Arthur C Clarke’, OneWorld South Asia (December 5, 2003)

Leadership quotes for presentations

• “Successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others.” Marshall Goldsmith, Leadership Coach What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (2010) p. 72
• “Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.” Martin Luther King, Jr. From an address at the Episcopal National Cathedral, Washington D.C. (March 31, 1968)
• “You can’t lead from behind your desk, you’ve got to get out in front, be visible, for your customers as well as for your employees. During a crisis, you’ve got to be calm and confident. You’ve got to always tell the truth. And you’ve got to be willing to face a crisis, not shy away from it, embrace it.” Geisha Williams, Fortune 500 Businesswoman ‘Geisha Williams: Set Your Sights High, Take Charge and Keep the Lights On’, Leadership California , Carol Caley (February 17, 2014)
• “Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk — especially in new undertakings. Courage to initiate something and to keep it going, pioneering and adventurous spirit to blaze new ways, often, in our land of opportunity.” Walt Disney As quoted in The Disney Way Fieldbook,  Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson (2000) p. 147
• “Embrace what you don’t know. What you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everyone else.” Sarah Blakely, Founder of Spanx ’10 Lessons I Learned from Sara Blakely That You Won’t Hear in Business School,’ Forbes , Kathy Caprino (May 23, 2012)

Mistakes and failure quotes for presentations

• “We tell our young managers: ‘Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice’” Akio Morita, Co-Founder of Sony Corporation As quoted in The Sony Vision , Nick Lyons (1976) p. 101
• “There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.” Oprah Winfrey Commencement address at Harvard University (30 May 2013)
• “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Suzy Kassem, Author Rise Up And Salute The Sun (2010)
• “Don’t put limitations on yourself. Other people will do that for you. Don’t do that to yourself. Don’t bet against yourself. And take risk. NASA has this phrase that they like, “Failure is not an option.” But failure has to be an option. In art and exploration, failure has to be an option. Because it is a leap of faith. And no important endeavor that required innovation was done without risk. You have to be willing to take those risks. … In whatever you are doing, failure is an option. But fear is not.” James Cameron, Film Director From ‘Before Avatar … a curious boy’, presented at TED2010 (February 13, 2010)
• “I view this year’s failure as next year’s opportunity to try it again. Failures are not something to be avoided. You want to have them happen as quickly as you can so you can make progress rapidly.” Gordon Moore, Engineer and Co-Founder of Intel Corporation ‘An Interview with Gordon Moore’, Ingenuity 5 (2), Laura Schmitt (May 2000)

Planning and strategy quotes for presentations

• “Chance favours the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur, Microbiologist, Chemist and Inventor Lecture, University of Lille (December 7, 1854)
• “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. ” Michael Porter, Economist, Researcher, Author ‘What is strategy?’ Harvard Business Review  (November 1996) p. 70
• “Business strategy is the battleplan for a better future.” Patrick Dixon, Author and Business Consultant Building a Better Business (2005)
• “Managers who extensively plan the future get the timing wrong. Sometimes they arrive to market too early and so must wait for the demand to catch up. Sometimes they are too late and so must accelerate to rejoin the future.” Shona L. Brown and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt Competing on the Edge: Strategy as Structured Chaos (1998) p.135
• “Strategy is about stretching limited resources to fit ambitious aspirations.” K. Prahalad, Organizational Theorist As quoted in The Wal-Mart Way , Don Soderquist (2005) p. 178

We hope you found what you needed from our list of presentation quotes! If you’re about to paste that quote onto your deck, but want to know how to format it to perfection, check out our guide to advanced typography in PowerPoint .

Have an idea for a quote we should add to the list? Is there a key theme you want some presentation quotes for? Let us know in the comments below!

Shay O’Donnell

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Thanks for this post.It’s a helpful quotes for enhance slides.

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Amazing Quotes. Really Good. These quotes help me making my presentation perfect Thanks & Regard vinita

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37 Final Movie Lines So Good, They Have Gone Down In History As The Best Ever

Featuring more than one Morgan Freeman ending narration.

BuzzFeed Staff

Recently, we asked the BuzzFeed Community what their favorite final lines of movies are. Here are some of the agreed-upon best of all time!

— thehautefriend

2. The Princess Bride

3. Black Swan

4. some like it hot.

"No contest."

— aaronweeks101

6. Back to the Future

— matthewschonmorgan

7. The Usual Suspects

— brandy_lollis

8. Casablanca

— Maggie Shannon

"I second this! Such an iconic line from such a great movie."

9. Fight Club

— punchandpie

10. Toy Story 3

"WHY DID THEY END IT LIKE THAT?!"

— am6261410

11. Avengers: Endgame

12. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2

— a43920c533

13. Silence of the Lambs

14. shutter island.

16. Stand by Me

"A great movie that leaves you numb and nostalgic. Sticks with you for a long time."

— mrmclovin36

17. Sky High

"Such an underrated movie. Sure, it's totally cheese-filled, but some days that's just what you need. Turn off the rest of the world and just be silly."

18. Kill Bill Vol. 1

— trevorjdawson

"I planned on only watching the first Kill Bill that night, but I literally HAD to rent the second film immediately with a fantastic cliffhanger line like that."

— loulabelson

19. The Shawshank Redemption

— littleredshoes

20. It: Chapter 2

"I cry every time. It’s a horror movie and I’m sitting just sobbing!"

— PennywiseSav

21. Chinatown

22. the lost boys.

"Epically hysterical ending line/scene."

— suzannewarden

23. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure

24. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

25. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men's Chest

"All the Black Pearl 's crew looks toward the staircase as they hear the thud of heavy boots while the music swells. The mysterious 'captain who knows those waters' comes into view. It's the magnificent Geoffrey Rush's Barbossa. 'So tell me, what's become of my ship?' *Yaaaarrghing and general swashbuckling intensifies🤩🤩*"

— thefirsthovis

26. The Italian Job

27. The Crow

— greyladybast

28. Avengers: Infinity War

"'Oh god.' Steve Rogers in Infinity War. I got chills in theaters the first time I saw the ending. The gravity of what happened seemed to hit Captain America in that moment. It was perfect."

29. The Hunt for Red October

"Far too underrated a movie, IMHO."

— scottaaronm

30. Before Sunset

"The two characters spend the whole movie talking about how they can't spend too long hanging out because Jesse has a plane to catch. Then, in the last scene...

"Celine: 'Honey, you are gonna miss that plane.'

"Jesse: 'I know.'"

— emilym4e8497a33

31. Gone With the Wind

"Though Rhett says arguably the most famous line in film history ('Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn'), Scarlett gives us one of the finest closers (and mantra to millions for generations)."

— Mr. Spanky

32. The Apartment

— kirstyr435f741a2

33. Army of Darkness

— Phoenix97

34. Pirates of the Caribbean

35. secret window.

"I know it's not a super-popular movie, but I love it. The last scene of Secret Window , with Mort (Johnny Depp) quoting the line from his original story ... as the camera pans outside to a bunch of cornstalks, then down through the ground, basically confirming that's where the dead bodies were. Such a great movie; definitely worth watching."

— Michael David

"This is kind of controversial because I know not a lot of people like this movie, but I loved it."

37. And Finally, The Prestige

"A little longer than a last line, but I LOVE the last portion of The Prestige ."

"Goddammit, I love this movie! The way he says 'fooled' at the very end...amazing."

What closing lines didn't make the list? Let us know in the comments!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Share This Article

Screen Rant

10 most satisfying movie endings of all time.

Sometimes the best way to end a movie is by giving audiences the uplifting conclusion that they want, and this can turn good movies into great ones.

• Endings can make or break a movie, leaving a lasting impact on audiences for years to come.
• From defeating monsters to surprising twists, a good ending can elevate a movie from good to great.
• Whether happy or mysterious, a satisfying finale can create a cathartic release for audiences feeling invested in the story.

A good ending can improve how people see an entire movie, and some of the best endings live long in the memory. Conversely, disappointing endings can ruin a movie . It's important to leave an audience on a high note, whether that means crafting a mysterious movie ending that will keep people thinking about it for a while, or simply giving audiences a happy ending. Sometimes there's no way to beat an uplifting, satisfying finale.

As much as people enjoy a good puzzle, there are times when an unequivocal happy ending is the best option. These endings can create cathartic releases for audiences who have been empathizing with the protagonists throughout their journey. Even some depressing movies can leave the audience with a completely different feeling if they end on an optimistic note

10 Movie Endings That Took The Film From Good To Great

10 the untouchables (1987), al capone is found guilty and prohibition is repealed.

The ending of The Untouchables reveals the true depth of Ness' apathy toward the laws of Prohibition. For him, the fight was all about stamping out gang violence.

Based on the true story of Eliot Ness' pursuit of Al Capone during the Prohibition era, The Untouchables stars Kevin Costner as the leader of a band of misfits who team up to lay down the law. Each with their own motivations, the men are drawn together by a firm adherence to the law, even if the law that they are trying so desperately to uphold isn't unanimously respected. Some of the cops sneak a drink on occasion, but they are still committed to stopping Capone's bootlegging empire.

The ending of The Untouchables reveals the true depth of Ness' apathy toward the laws of Prohibition. For him, the fight was all about stamping out gang violence. Having seen his own men die in the line of duty, and having pushed one of Capone's men off of a rooftop in a fit of rage, Ness wins his court case against the gangster . Soon afterward, he is told by a reporter that Prohibition has been officially repealed. The reporter questions what he'll do next, and he delivers one of the best final lines in movie history , "I think I'll have a drink."

9 Inglourious Basterds (2009)

The basterds kill hitler and several other high-ranking nazis at the movie theater.

*Availability in US

Not available

Quentin Tarantino changes history in Inglourious Basterds, which makes the ending feel like a huge twist, even though it's a fairly straightforward development within the context of the story.

Quentin Tarantino changes history in Inglourious Basterds, which makes the ending feel like a huge twist, even though it's a fairly straightforward development within the context of the story. After constructing an elaborate plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler at a movie screening in Paris, the shocking twist is that the plan works. As the movie theater goes up in flames, one of the American undercover soldiers tears Hitler apart with incessant fire from his machine gun.

Hitler's death is a cathartic fantasy , a brief moment that lets the audience believe that the end of the Second World War came a little sooner and with a more picturesque moment of triumph. It may be typical of Tarantino's love of overblown violence, but the massacre in the movie theater pales in comparison to some of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis on a daily basis during the war. There is just one loose end to tie up. Hans Landa strikes a deal to ensure his safety after the Allied victory, so Aldo Raine etches a swastika into his forehead, marking him forever as a despicable villain.

8 Jaws (1975)

Brody and hooper defeat the shark.

Jaws is ostensibly a monster movie, but it gets most of its narrative thrust from the captivating dynamic between its three main characters.

Jaws is ostensibly a monster movie, but it gets most of its narrative thrust from the captivating dynamic between its three main characters. As they go out to sea together to try and catch the shark that has been terrorizing Amity Island, the wait for it to appear lets them slowly reveal more about themselves, and they form a strange bond despite their obvious differences. The dramatic climax sees Brody and Hooper team up to finally kill the shark, although Quint doesn't make it out alive.

As the action subsides and morning breaks, the two surviving men paddle away from their wrecked boat and back to shore. It's an optimistic ending after such a violent finale. Both men know that they have ensured the safety of the local people, but they have also conquered their personal demons in the process. Brody comments that he has gotten over his fear of the ocean , and the men enjoy their brief swim, knowing that the waters are peaceful once again.

7 Groundhog Day (1993)

Phil breaks the cycle and starts a new day.

Groundhog Day 's ending shows that the mysterious time loop was probably some kind of test for Phil, making the entire story an obscure moralistic fable.

Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray as Phil, a misanthropic weather reporter who is forced by some unseen power to live the same day over and over again. Phil essentially grieves his own death throughout the movie, flipping between deep depression and nihilistic hedonism. The main through line of his chaotic non-linear story is his love for his coworker Rita, played by Andie MacDowell.

Groundhog Day 's ending shows that the mysterious time loop was probably some kind of test for Phil, making the entire story an obscure moralistic fable. Phil only gets to wake up the following day when he spends enough time improving himself and breaking down his arrogant, isolated front. The intense repetition of Groundhog Day makes every little difference in the final scene feel like a miracle , and after Phil has slowly become a character who people might actually want to root for, he finally gets a moment of unfettered happiness.

6 The Incredibles (2004)

The parr family suits up for another fight.

The Incredibles pulls off the difficult trick of making a cliffhanger ending feel completely satisfying.

The Incredibles pulls off the difficult trick of making a cliffhanger ending feel completely satisfying. After the Parr family celebrate Dash's expertly restrained third-place finish at his track meet, a new villain pops up from beneath the ground to once again plunge the city into chaos. The heroes put on their masks, ready to fight together as a family, but the credits roll before showing what happens to the Underminer.

The Incredibles is all about the tension of whether superheroes will ever be allowed to exercise their powers again, and it's especially focused on how the Parr family can function in a world where they have to conceal the most remarkable parts of themselves. The fact that they can fight the Underminer is a huge triumph, no matter how the fight actually goes. The sudden appearance of another outlandish villain also mimics the Saturday morning cartoons which inspired so much of the visual style of The Incredibles.

5 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Andy and red reunite on a beach in mexico.

The Shawshank Redemption is extremely downbeat at times, but it has an unequivocally happy ending.

The Shawshank Redemption is extremely downbeat at times, but it has an unequivocally happy ending. After serving 20 years in prison for a crime he insists he did not commit, Andy finally breaks out by tunneling from his cell to the outside. Later, Red is released from prison having served his time, and he follows Andy's carefully laid breadcrumbs to a small town in Mexico, where the two reunite as free men for the first time.

The Shawshank Redemption 's ending is key to the movie's enduring appeal. It's a hopeful message that good people can still triumph in a corrupt system designed to keep them down. The different ways Andy and Red reach Mexico are also important. Red does his time and comes out the other side, which is more than can be said for some other characters. Andy rejects the system entirely and lives life by his own rules. Both men get to enjoy the warm sunshine on the beach in the end, despite all the horrific injustices they have been forced to endure.

4 The Life Of Brian (1979)

Brian is crucified and has to endure a singalong in his final moments.

Brian's death is the ultimate punch line to his ridiculous ordeal, just as death is the ultimate punch line to anyone's life.

After trying to convince everyone that he isn't the messiah, Brian only manages to do the exact opposite. He becomes the center of a frenzy, with his followers begging him for pieces of wisdom and the Romans seeking to suppress the rising tide of religious fervor. Ultimately, he is sentenced to death by crucifixion, and he becomes a reluctant martyr for a cause he doesn't believe in or even understand.

The Life of Brian is the most popular of Monty Python's movies , and the ending is a big reason for this. Brian's death is the ultimate punch line to his ridiculous ordeal, just as death is the ultimate punch line to anyone's life. The Life of Brian constructs an uplifting finale about a man who is being unjustly executed by the state. The song, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," is the cherry on top , with a whistling section that just seems custom-made for audience participation.

3 Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)

Indy and his friends ride off into the sunset after defeating the nazis.

The ending enshrines Indy as one of the great cinematic action heroes, and it completes his arc as a pulp adventurer who gradually reveals more emotional depth with the introduction of his father.

The original trilogy for the Indiana Jones franchise ends in style, with Indy and his friends riding off into the sunset after cheating death and foiling another Nazi plot. This is a brilliant ending to the movie, but it's also a fitting end to the trilogy. It enshrines Indy as one of the great cinematic action heroes, and it completes his arc as a pulp adventurer who gradually reveals more emotional depth with the introduction of his father.

Very few franchises, trilogies or eras have ended so perfectly. The Harry Potter franchise, the Star Wars original trilogy and Phase Three of the MCU are three notable exceptions, but there are far more franchises which fizzle out with a whimper. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull faced a tough challenge trying to continue the story after such a perfect ending.

2 When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Harry and sally realize they are meant to be together.

Over the course of 12 years, Harry and Sally go from polar opposites to friends, and eventually to lovers when they recognize their deep connection.

When Harry Met Sally is a perfect rebuttal to anyone who carries a cynical view of love. Over the course of 12 years, Harry and Sally go from polar opposites to friends, and eventually to lovers when they recognize their deep connection. Harry, originally a cold-hearted cynic with sex constantly on his mind, has an epiphany on New Year's Eve and rushes to see Sally. He delivers one of the most emotional speeches in romcom history , and they kiss at midnight.

When Harry Met Sally almost had a different ending , which would have been much less satisfying than the final version. In Rob Reiner's original vision, Harry and Sally remain friends. This anticlimactic ending was inspired by the director's personal life. At the time he wrote the original draft, he had been single for a decade and didn't believe that he would find love again, but he met his next wife while filming When Harry Met Sally.

1 The Truman Show (1998)

Truman takes his final bow and escapes seahaven.

The Truman Show 's ending suggests that life may be messy, but it's a ride worth taking.

The Truman Show is a masterclass in dramatic irony, with the entire plot revolving around the fact that Truman is the only person who doesn't know that his entire world is the set of an elaborate TV show. This makes him very easy to root for, as the audience wants to see him break free from his strange imprisonment and live an authentic life. Nobody in Truman's world is free from blame for his perverse circumstances, so his eventual escape is an extremely satisfying moment of victory.

As Truman takes his final bow and leaves Seahaven, his future is uncertain, but he has managed to break free from the picture-perfect artifice of his own reality show. This constitutes a triumph, no matter what happens next. The Truman Show 's ending suggests that life may be messy, but it's a ride worth taking. As for Truman's viewers, they simply wonder what else is on TV , showing that they haven't been deeply affected by anything they've just witnessed.