Thank You, Next!
Drive your most powerful ideas home at the end of your presentation
Saying goodbye hurts, doesn’t it? Well, if you’ve been to a presentation and saw the Thank You slide, you know that’s your cue to leave. However, that always left me with an empty feeling. Goodbyes are hard but they matter and there are ways to overcome the separation anxiety.
Experiments show that when people are presented with information, they tend to remember the first and last few and more likely to forget those in the middle. That’s why an ineffective conclusion — or no conclusion at all — takes away the energy that you’ve put into the presentation and leaves your audience confused and disappointed. Do not underestimate the power of last moves.
The best thing to do is to plan ahead so that your conclusion is effective. If you’re presenting to decision makers, you are in a powerful positions to drive some ideas home.
One of the best ways to end your presentation is through Call-to-Action.
Your CTA should be clear, specific and actionable. Avoid generic questions like “ask me anything about the product”; instead, ask them if the product will appeal to certain demographics, for example. CTAs don’t have to come in the form of a question; they can be in the form of an action, just as the name implies.
If you’re an entrepreneur trying to drive certain actions, defining clear next steps can keep the ball rolling. It is easier to say yes to someone who’s prepared. For example, you can ask your audience to fill up a survey.
The most important part of any presentation is . . .
Your energy, enthusiasm and what you bring to the table. However, presentations with the audience in mind bring your ideas home. Remember to always finish your presentation with a bang!!
Thoughts?
When was the last time you replaced the Thank You slide with something else? What did you replace it with?
Read more about strong presentation conclusions in our LinkedIn article. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for more stories.
