4 fantastic ways to close a speech

For non-sports fans, the walk-off home run happens when a player hits a home run in the bottom of the final inning that instantly ends the game. It’s called a “walk-off” because both teams walk off the field immediately after it happens—the game is over.

It’s as exciting a finish as you can have.

That’s the type of excitement you should strive for when you deliver a speech. You want to walk off that stage with your audience blown away by what just happened. You want to leave the audience wanting more. You want to, as George Costanza once said, “leave on a high note.”

That’s often easier said than done. Many people struggle to cap off their speeches with a bang. Instead, they risk undoing everything they said up until that point by ruining the ending.

A bad ending truly can negate everything else. People remember what you said last, and if you don’t get it right, the rest of your speech might not matter all that much.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you close your speech in the best way possible:

1. Make your point with a story.

I’m a big fan of using personal anecdotes in speeches for a couple of reasons.