Crafting a captivating speech requires careful attention to both the opening and the conclusion. These two sections are crucial for grabbing your audience’s attention from the start and leaving a lasting impact. In this blog, we will explore effective techniques to engage your listeners right from the beginning and create a strong and memorable conclusion.
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Quotations: Commence your speech with a thought-provoking quote that relates to your topic. For instance, if your speech revolves around self-awareness, you could start with Shakespeare’s timeless line, “To be or not to be.” Later in your speech, when you restate the quote, it will evoke a sense of recognition in your audience.
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Questions: Pose a stimulating question at the beginning of your speech to actively involve your audience. By asking a question that relates to your topic, such as, “What would you do if someone you loved asked you to help them to die?” for a speech on euthanasia, you encourage the audience to reflect on their own stance. Remember to allow a pause after asking the question to give them time to consider their answer.
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Personal Statements: Grab attention with brief and impactful personal statements. These statements should be strong and concise, like “I hate Rhubarb” or “In my opinion, those who shoot ducks should be re-incarnated – as a duck!” They can be adapted to fit various topics, but always ensure they lead to your main theme or topic.
With your audience now focused on your main theme, it’s time to conclude your speech with confidence. The closing section provides an opportunity to reinforce your arguments and tie all the points together into a powerful conclusion.
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Reinforce Your Arguments: Use the conclusion to reiterate your main points and solidify your arguments. Remind the audience of the aim of your speech and how your points support it. For example, you could say, “Considering the difficulties in understanding some of the recent legal decisions, perhaps it is natural to believe that Justice and Law have very little in common!”
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Call to Action: Encourage your audience to consider, change their opinion, or take action. Prompt them to reflect, as in, “Doesn’t this make you think that in a country as rich in resources as we are…” or to reconsider their choices, such as, “Perhaps what I have said will make you think again about just lying around in the sun this summer.” You can also inspire action by concluding with a call to make a resolution, like, “Let us all make a resolution to recycle all our household waste from now on!”
Remember, the conclusion is not the place to introduce new material. It is the culmination of your speech, where you summarize your main points and leave a lasting impression. Practice your speech diligently, ensuring you stay within your allotted time. If necessary, trim the body of your speech to fit. By rehearsing and refining your delivery, you will be well-prepared to deliver an informative and captivating presentation, earning yourself a well-deserved round of applause.
To delve deeper into the art of public speaking, consider attending our one-day workshop on effective communication. For more details, reach out to Trish – info@trischel.com.au