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6 Ways to Close Your Presentation With Style (& Tools to Use)

Written by: Ashish Arora

Looking for ways to end your presentation with style?

Here are some ways to achieve that:

• Include a strong call-to-action (CTA)
• Don't end with a question and answer slide
• Conclude with a memorable quote
• Say thank you to the audience
• ... and more!

In this article, we'll take a look at six different ways to close a presentation or speech, along with examples. Let’s see them in more detail.

6 Ways to Close Your Presentation With Style

There’s no question grabbing your audience’s attention at the very beginning of your presentation is important. But how you end can make all the difference in your presentation’s overall impact.

Here are some ways to ensure you end powerfully:

Way #1: Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)

Way #2: Don't End With a Q&A

Way #3: End With a Memorable Quote

Way #4: Close With a Story

Way #5: Drive Your Main Points Home

Way #6: Thank and Acknowledge

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1. Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)

If you’re a business owner, the primary purpose of your presentation is to inspire the audience to action. Don’t assume they will take it, move them to it.

Use powerful words that are definitive and instructional. Calls-to-action like “Begin the journey” or “Join the fight” are to-the-point and let the audience know what to do.

2. Don’t End with a Q&A

You’ve just spent 20-30 minutes wowing your audience and now you’re going to let your presentation fizzle out with a Q&A? Beyond the fact that you are never in full control of what questions you will be asked, Q&As are just not memorable.

So how do you end a presentation with a bang? It is better to take questions throughout the presentation. This way the questions asked are relevant to the particular information being shared and you can ensure your audience is keeping up with you.

If you have been forced to structure your presentation so that questions are taken at the end, make sure to allow yourself a minute or two after the Q&A. Use this time to close the presentation with your final takeaways and messages of inspiration.

3. End with a Memorable Quote

Sometimes, if you can’t find the perfect words to end with, use someone else’s words.

“Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”  –Charles Swindoll

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” –John Lennon

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” –Steve Jobs

These are pretty powerful words, no? Use quotes like these when you wrap up your presentation, or add them in your final slide to leave a strong impression.

4. Close with a Story

If opening with a compelling story works, there’s a very good chance that closing with one will as well. While a story at the beginning was an effective lead-in to your message, a story at the end can creatively sum up the information you have shared.

A word of caution: don’t end with a case study. Many business owners do this. Case studies are great for the middle of your presentation. But for the conclusion, you want a meaningful story that affects your audience emotionally and causes them to remember your message for a long, long time.

5. Drive Your Main Points Home

Your audience will appreciate some form of summation at the end that will act as a linear representation of what they’ve just heard.  There is a simple summary formula that many professional speakers use:

• Tell them what you are going to tell them.
• Then, tell them what you told them.

You can simply say something like, “Before I leave you with my final thoughts about XYZ, let me briefly restate my main takeaways…” Don’t just list your key points but show the audience how each links to the other points.

Giving a successful presentation takes a lot of work and commitment. By creating a powerful opening and closing, you will ensure that your message is not only fully received but impactful as well.

6.  Thank and Acknowledge

If you're finding it hard to signal to your audience that your presentation has ended and it's time to applaud, thanking them can be a great way to do so.

At the end of your presentation, you can also acknowledge any companies or people who helped you put together your presentation, such as a website you used as a data source.

Tools to Help You Create a Presentation

Now that you know how to end a presentation effectively, let's find out how you can create one that speaks for itself.

A well-designed slide deck can not only help you better convey your message, it can also make you feel more confident about your presentation.

Here are four tools you can use to create stunning and effective presentations.

Visme is an all-in-one content creation tool that also lets you create stunning presentations using 1,000+ premade slides and templates.

The drag-and-drop presentation maker lets you fully customize each slide by changing colors and fonts, uploading your own brand assets, adding free visual images,  creating charts and graphs , and more.

You can get started at zero cost with our free presentation software , or upgrade to a Business plan to access team collaboration and brand management features.

The master of non-linear presentations, Prezi, lets you create slide decks that are bound to stand out from others.

While the learning curve of Prezi can be steep for some people, it's worth it if you're looking to get creative with your presentations.

3. Slidebean

If the most important thing to you when making a presentation is saving time, Slidebean might be a great fit.

The best thing about this tool is it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you create stunning layouts for your content.

Slidebean is ideal if you're not looking for extensive customizability; just ease of use and time-saving features like templates and content blocks.

4. Google Slides

Sometimes, the most basic tools are enough for creating a great presentation, especially if the industry you're operating in requires simplicity and seriousness.

The best part about Google Slides is that you can use it from anywhere and from any device. For example you can create your entire presentation on your phone using the mobile application.

Presentations made in Google Slides can also be opened with Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote, which makes it quite a versatile tool.

Bonus 1: How to Start a Presentation

According to bestselling author, Malcolm Gladwell, in  Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking , "Snap judgments are ... enormously quick: they rely on the thinnest slices of experience."

In other words: first impressions are real, and they happen really quickly. Think about those presentations you have sat in the audience for.

How quickly did you sum a presenter up when they took the stage? Did you judge them on their posture? What they were wearing? How they addressed the audience? What their voice sounded like?

Most likely, you took all of these factors into account and quickly decided whether you were going to give them your full attention or think about what you should make for dinner.

As a presenter, you must understand that your audience members will make a snap decision about you within the first few moments after taking that stage. Your job at the very beginning of your presentation is to grab their attention.

Here are some ways you can start your presentation strong.

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1. Make a Bold Claim

Imagine being in the audience when a presenter opens his mouth and the first words out are, “When I’ve finished here today, you will have the knowledge to increase your revenue by 200% this year.” Um… would you sit forward in your chair and listen to every single word? You bet you would!

You have been asked to speak because you are an expert in your field and have valuable information to share. So why be shy about it? Start your presentation with a bold claim, and then overdeliver.

2. Give Them the Unexpected

Another powerful way to grab attention right up top is to contradict audience expectations. Some people refer to this as "applied unpredictability principle."

Giving people what they expect is not very exciting. Imagine a roller coaster that had no sudden drops or turns. It wouldn’t thrill you. Well the same can be said for presentations. The unexpected hooks the audience instantly.

Here’s an example. Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting , starts off her presentation by scanning the audience and then saying, “Okay, I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar! Also the person to your left is a liar.”

Well, the audience laughs, getting her intended joke, but you can tell that this unexpected statement has hooked them, and they are ready to give their full attention.

3. Pique Curiosity

Humans like to have their curiosity piqued. We love the feeling of being presented with information that makes us curious and wonder about something.  Research actually shows that curiosity prepares our brain to learn something new. How does it do this?

Well, when we are curious about something, we give that something our full attention. We look for clues and assess situations. This is how we operate and it’s how our ancestors stayed alive.

If you want to grab the audience’s attention right off the bat, ask a question or pose an idea that piques their curiosity. You’ll see many Ted Talk presenters do this by “confessing” they have to share a secret or an apology.

Speaker Dan Pink does this in his famous  T e d Talk  when he says:

“I need to make a confession, at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I am not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wished no one would ever know, but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school.”

The minute someone says they have something to confess, we HAVE to know what it is, and so we are forced to pay attention.

4. Ask Questions

This technique is an oldie but a goodie. By posing a thoughtful question to your audience, their brain is forced to THINK about the answer. You have engaged them from second one. The key is to make the question one that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, but rather one that plants the seed of an idea.

“What scares you the most?”

“How do human beings constantly reach goals we all believe can never be reached?”

“When was the last time you allowed yourself to feel powerful?”

5. Tell a Story

“When I was nine, I met a homeless man who said he could see my entire future. He told me that when I turned 12, I would die. And I did.”

Okay, I am FULLY listening.

Stories are powerful. The human brain seems to have been wired to listen to stories. No matter how old we get, when someone starts to tell us a story, we instantly become 5-years-old, wide-eyed, ready to go on an adventure.

The story you tell can be personal or professional, just make sure it ties into your overall message.

Bonus 2: Top Presentation Mistakes to Avoid

If we’re going to discuss a presentation success formula, we’ve got to first tackle some of the biggest public speaking mistakes that guarantee your presentation is unsuccessful. Are you guilty of any of these?

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1. not being prepared.

We’ve all seen those presenters who make it look so effortless. Steve Jobs was like that. He seemed to glide onto the stage, open his mouth and instantly captivate everyone.

But the truth is, even Steve Jobs had to prepare.

Thoughtful preparation is essential for any level of public speaker. Doing the work ahead of time will not only help you feel and sound more confident, it will ensure you deliver the right message to the right audience.

2. Being Robotic

Beyond being comfortable with your material, you must be comfortable in your own body. Have you seen presenters who just stand in one spot and barely move at all? While they’re not very good at exciting their audience, they do have a keen knack for lulling listeners to sleep.

Granted, there may be those rare situations where, because of a lack of robust technology, you have no choice but to stand behind a podium. But even then, be sure to use gestures to punctuate your message. Gestures communicate on a level that words don’t. Don’t be flamboyant but try and use natural gestures as much as you can – you’ll seem human instead of machine-like.

And, when technology does allow you free movement, by all means move around that stage. Steve Jobs was great with using movement purposefully during his presentations.

3. Avoiding Eye Contact

We can’t talk about body language and not mention one of the biggest mistakes that many speakers make, and that is avoiding eye contact. How many presentations have you seen where the speaker spent the entire time staring at her notes or PowerPoint presentation? How did you feel? Perhaps invisible?

Meeting a person’s gaze establishes a real connection and keeps listeners engaged. If you audience is small enough, try to make eye contact with everyone at least once. If the audience is too large, do your best to scan each section of the audience, landing on a few people. This will give everyone a general impression that you are doing your best to connect.

4. Starting and Ending Weak

If there is one no-no a presenter can make, this is it.

You should think of your presentation as a delicious meal you have painstakingly prepared for your guests. What do you remember most about a great meal? If you’re like most people, you remember the appetizers and the dessert – everything in between is kind of a good-tasting blur.

When you begin and end your presentation strong, you gain the audience’s attention quickly and leave a positive and lasting impression. These are two skills that cannot be emphasized enough.

Let’s look at some of the ways you can ensure you start your presentation strong:

Ready to Level-Up Your Presentation?

Whether it's a business presentation or a motivational speech, knowing how to give a closing statement and ending your talk on a high note is important.

The last thing you say in front of a crowd can help you leave a memorable impression, whether it's a recap of your presentation content or a rhetorical question.

If you're ready to take your presentations to the next level, use Visme's presentation software  to put together engaging and interactive slides.

Which of these expert tips on how to end a presentation have you tried lately or plan on using in your upcoming talk? Let us know in the comments section below.

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About the Author

Ashish Arora is the Co-Founder of SketchBubble.com , a leading provider of result-driven, professionally built presentation templates. Travelling the world to gather new creative ideas, he has been working in the digital marketing space since 2007 and has a passion for designing presentations. You can also find him on  Twitter or  LinkedIn .

Home Blog Presentation Ideas Key Insights on How To End a Presentation Effectively

Key Insights on How To End a Presentation Effectively

A piece of research by   Ipsos Corporate Firm  titled “Last impressions also count” argues that “our memories can be governed more by  how an experience ends than how it begins .” A lasting final impression can be critical to any presentation, especially as they make our presentation goals more attainable. We’re covering  how to end a presentation , as it can certainly come through as an earned skill or a craft tailored with years of experience. Yet, we can also argue that performing exceptionally in a presentation is conducting the proper research. So, here’s vital information to help out with the task.

This article goes over popular presentation types; it gives suggestions, defines the benefits and examples of different speech closing approaches, and lines all this information up following each presentation purpose.

We also included references to industry leaders towards the end, hoping a few real-life examples can help you gain valuable insight. Learn from noted speakers and consultants as you resort to SlideModel’s latest presentation templates for your efforts. We’re working together on more successful presentation endings that make a difference!

A presentation’s end is not a recap

We need to debunk a widespread myth to start. And that’s that ending a presentation calls for an appealing action or content beyond just restating information that the speaker already provided. 

A presentation’s end is not a summary of data already given to our audience.  On the contrary, a wrap-up is a perfect time to provide meaningful and valuable facts that trigger the desired response we seek from our audience.

Effective ways to end a presentation stem from truly seeking to accomplish – and excel – at reaching a presentation’s primary objective. And what are the benefits of that?

Benefits of ending a presentation uniquely

Considering the benefits of each closing approach, think about the great satisfaction that comes from giving an excellent presentation that ends well. We all intuitively rejoice in that success, regardless of the kind of audience we face. 

That feeling of achievement when an ending feels right is not a minor element, and it’s the engine that should drive our best efforts forward. And going for the most recommended way of ending a presentation according to its primary goal and presentation type is one way to ensure we achieve our purpose. 

The main benefit of cleverly unlocking the secret to presentation success is getting the ball rolling on  what we set ourselves to achieve . Whether that’s securing funding round, delivering a final project, presenting a quarterly business review, or other goals; there is no possible way in which handling best presentation ending approaches fails to add to making a skilled presenter, improving a brand or business, or positively stirring any academic or commercial context. 

The best part of mastering these skills is the ability to benefit from all of the above time and time again; for any project, idea, or need moving forward.

How to end a PowerPoint Presentation?

PowerPoint Presentations differ by dimensions. They vary not only tied to the diverse reasons people present, but they also separate themselves from one another according to: a- use, b- context, c- industry, and d- purpose. 

We’re focusing on three different types of presentation pillars, which are: 

• Informative
• Calls to action

As you can guess, the speaker’s intent varies throughout these types. Yet, there’s much more to each! Let’s go over each type’s diverse options with examples. 

The power of closing in persuasive presentations

In 2009,   “The new rules of persuasion,”  a journal article published by The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, determined that commercial persuasion was missing “the ability to think clearly about behavior goals and the mindset of starting small and growing what works.” Incorporating these thoughts is still equally valid in persuasive presentations today.

What hasn’t changed since, however, is this society’s good reminder that “the potential to persuade is in the hands of millions.” As they stated in that publication, “ordinary people sitting in dorm rooms and garages can compete against the biggest brands and the richest companies.” The proven reality behind that concept can be pretty inspiring.

According to this source, “ the first critical step in designing for persuasion is to select an appropriate target behavior. ” And, for behavior to occur, in their opinion, “three elements must converge at the same moment […]:  Motivation ,  Ability,  and  Trigger .” This theory signals a person is motivated through sensation, anticipation, or belonging when they can perform a particular action. This concept is at the backbone of setting the correct trigger to allow a group of people to react a certain way.

The above is of utmost importance as we seek to gear persuasive efforts. The more insight we get on the matter, the easier it is to define the precise actions that will effectively trigger a certainly required response – in any scenario.

Here are options on how to deliver a final punch in a persuasive presentation during different types of objectives:

Investment presentations

Whenever you seek funding,  that need  should be expressly clear during a pitch. Investors need to know what’s in it for them on a given investment. Highlight what interests them, and add what the  return for the investor  is. Mention dividends, equity, or the return method selected, for instance. Your final ask slide should show the exact amount you’re looking for during this funding stage.

Throughout, explain what an investor’s return on investment (ROI) will be. And make sure you do so according to provable calculations. Here, the goal is to display current figures and future opportunities in your speech.

You mustn’t make up this data. In this setting, presenters are naturally assessed by their ability to stay within real options fully supported by proven and concise reliable information.

Focus on showing an ability to execute and accomplish expected growth. Also, be precise on how you’re using any trusted funds . For that, mention where they’ll be allocated and how you foresee revenue after investing the funds in your idea, product, or company.

Pitch Presentations

Pitches are also another form of persuasive presentation. Presenters are expected to wow in new ways with them, be engaging in their approach, and deliver valuable, market-impacting data. When someone delivers a pitch, it seeks a particular kind of action in return from the audience. Being fully engaging towards a presentation’s end is crucial.

Make sure you give the presentation’s end a Call to Action slide in sales. You’re certainly looking to maximize conversion rates here. Bluntly invite your audience to purchase the product or service you’re selling, and doing so is fair in this context. For example, you can add a QR code or even include an old-fashioned Contact Us button. To generate the QR code, you can use a QR code generator .

Informative presentations: the kind set out to convey

According to  Sage Publishing , there are “four types of informative speeches[, which] are definition speeches, demonstration speeches, explanatory speeches, and descriptive speeches.” In business, descriptive speeches are the most common. When we transport these more specifically to the art of presenting, we can think of project presentations, quarterly business reviews, and product launches. In education, the definition and demonstration speeches are the norm, we can think in lectures and research presentations respectively.

As their name suggests, these presentations are meant to inform our audiences of specific content. Or, as  SAGE Flex for Public Speaking  puts it in a document about these kinds of speeches, “the speaker’s general goal is always to inform—or teach—the audience by offering interesting information about a topic in a way that helps the audience remember what they’ve heard.” Remember that as much as possible, you’re looking to, also in Sage’s words, give out “information about a topic in a way that’s easy to understand and memorable.” Let’s see how we manage that in the most common informative presentation scenarios mentioned above.

Project Presentations

For projects, presentations should end with an action plan . Ensure the project can keep moving forward after the presentation. The best with these conclusion slides is to define who is responsible for which tasks and the expected date of completion. Aim to do so clearly, so that there are no remaining doubts about stakeholders and duties when the presentation ends. In other words, seek commitment from the team, before stepping out of these meetings. It should be clear to your audience what’s expected next of them.

As an addition, sum up, your problem, solution, and benefits of this project as part of your final message.

Quarterly Business Review Presentations (QBR)

By the end of this presentation type, you would’ve naturally gone over everything that happened during a specific quarter. Therefore, make sure you end this quarterly review with clear objectives on what’s to come for the following term. Be specific on what’s to come.

In doing so, set figures you hope to reach. Give out numbers and be precise in this practice. Having a clear action plan to address new or continuing goals is crucial in this aspect for a recent quarter’s start out of your QBR. Otherwise, we’re missing out on a true QBR’s purpose. According to  Gainsight , “If you go into a QBR without a concrete set of goals and a pathway to achieve them, you’ll only waste everyone’s time. You won’t improve the value of your product or services for your customer. You won’t bolster your company’s image in the eyes of key stakeholders and decision-makers. You won’t better understand your client’s business objectives.” As they put it, “Lock-in solid goals for the next quarter (or until your next QBR)” and secure your way forward as the last step in presenting these kinds of data. Visit our guide on  How to Write an Effective Quarterly Business Review  for further tips on this type of presentation.

Research presentations

Your research has come this far! It’s time to close it off with an executive summary.

Include the hypothesis, thesis, and conclusion towards the presentation’s end.

How do you get the audience to recall the main points of all this work? Let this guiding question answer what to insert in your final slide, but seek to reinforce your main findings, key concepts, or valuable insight as much as possible. Support your statements where necessary.

Most commonly, researchers end with credits to the collaborating teams. Consider your main messages for the audience to take home. And tie those with the hypothesis as much as possible.

Product Launch Presentation

Quite simply, please take out the product launch’s roadmap and make it visible for your presentation’s end in this case.

It’s ideal for product launch presentations to stir conversations that get a product moving. Please don’t stick to showcasing the product, but build a narrative around it.

Steve Jobs’ example at the bottom might help guide you with ideas on how to go around this. A key factor is how Apple presentations were based on a precise mix of cutting-edge, revolutionary means of working with technology advancements and simple human touch.

Elon Musk’s principles are similar. People’s ambitions and dreams are a natural part of that final invitation for consumers or viewers to take action. What will get your audience talking? Seek to make them react.

Lecture for specific classes / educational presentation

When it comes to academic settings, it’s helpful to summarize key points of a presentation while leaving room for questions and answers.

If you’re facing a periodic encounter in a class environment, let students know what’s coming for the next term. For instance, you could title that section “What’s coming next class,” or be creative about how you call for your student body’s attention every time you go over pending items.

If you need to leave homework, list what tasks need to be completed by the audience for the next class.

Another option is to jot down the main learnings from this session or inspire students to come back for the following class with a list of exciting topics. There’s more room for play in this setting than in the others we’ve described this far.

Call to Action Presentations: trigger actions or kickoff initiatives

Harvard Business Review  (HBR) concisely describes the need at the end of a call to action presentation. HBR’s direct piece of advice is that you should “use the last few moments of your presentation to clarify what action [an audience] can take to show their support.” And what’s key to HBR is that you “Also mention your timeframe” as, for them, “a deadline can help to urge [the audience] into action.” Having a clear view of specific timelines is always fruitful for a better grasp of action items.

In her book Resonate,  Nancy Duarte  explains that “No matter how engaging your presentation may be, no audience will act unless you describe a reward that makes it worthwhile. You must clearly articulate the ultimate gain for the audience […] If your call to action asks them to sacrifice their time, money, or ideals, you must be very clear about the payoff.”

Business plan presentations

Here, we need to speak of two different presentation types, one is a  traditional approach , and the second is what we call a  lean-approach .

For the traditional business plan presentation, display each internal area call to action. Think of Marketing, Operations, HR, and even budgets as you do so. Your PowerPoint end slide should include the rewards for each of the areas. For example, which will benefit each area when achieving the targets, or how will the company reward its employees when attaining specific goals. Communicating the reward will help each of the responsible entities to trigger action.

On the other hand, for your lean business plan, consider a business model canvas to bring your presentation to an end. 

Job interview presentations

You can undoubtedly feel tons of pressure asking for a specific position. For a great chance of getting that new job, consider closing your case with a  30 60 90 day plan  as a particular hiring date. The employer will see its reward in each of the 30 days milestones.

Also, show off what you’ll bring to the role and how you’ll benefit the company in that period, specifically. Again, to a certain extent, we’re seeking to impress by being offered a position. Your differentiator can help as a wrap-up statement in this case.

Business Model Presentation

The pivot business model fits perfectly here for a presentation’s grand finale. The reward is simple; the business validated a hypothesis, and a new approach has been defined.

Though the setting can be stressful around business model presentations, you can see this as simply letting executives know what the following line of steps will need to be for the business model to be scalable and viable. Take some tension off this purpose by focusing on actions needed moving forward.

Your call to action will center around a clear business model canvas pivot here.

A final word on CTA presentations

We need to work hard at ending presentations with clear and concise calls to action (CTA) and dare be creative as we’re doing so! Suppose you can manage to give out a specific CTA in a way that’s imaginative, appealing, and even innovative. In that case, you’ll be showing off priceless and unique creative skills that get people talking for years!

Think of  Bill Gates’ releasing mosquitoes  in a TED Talk on malaria, for example. He went that far to get his CTA across. Maybe that’s a bit too bold, but there’s also no limit!

Real-life examples on how to end a presentation

Now that we can rely on a broader understanding of how to conclude a presentation successfully, we’ll top this summary off with real-life examples of great endings to famous speakers’ presentations. These people have done a stellar job at ending their presentations in every case.

We’re also going back to our three main pillars to focus on a practical example for each. You’ll find an excellent example for an informative speech, a persuasive pitch, and a successful investor pitch deck. We’re also expanding on the last item for a guiding idea on ending a pitch directly from Reid Hoffman.

Informational Presentation: A product launch of a phone reinvention

The first is what’s been titled “the best product launch ever.” We’re going back to  iconic Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch  dated more than a decade ago. You can see how to end a presentation with a quote in this example effectively. The quote resonates with the whole presentation purpose, which was not “selling” the iPhone as a “hardware phone” but as the “hardware” platform for “great software.” Closing with a quote from a famous personality that summarizes the idea was a clever move.

Little words are needed to introduce Steve Jobs as a great speaker who effectively moved the business forward every time he went up on a stage to present a new product. No one has ever been so revolutionary with a calm business spirit that has changed the world! 

Persuasive Presentation: The best pitch deck ever

We’re giving you the perfect example of a great pitch deck for a persuasive kind of presentation. 

Here’s  TechCrunch’s gallery on Uber’s first pitch deck . 

As you can see, the last slide doesn’t just report the status to date on their services; it also accounts for the  following steps moving forward  with a precise date scheduled. 

Check the deck out for a clearer idea of wrapping up a persuasive business presentation. 

Call to Action Presentation: LinkedIn’s series B pitch deck by Reid Hoffman

As mentioned before,  here’s  an expanded final sendoff! Reid Hoffman is an established entrepreneur. As a venture capitalist and author, he’s earned quite a remarkable record in his career, acting as co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn. 

We’re highlighting LinkedIn’s series B pitch deck to Greylock Partners mainly because these slides managed to raise a $10 M funding round. Yet, moreover, we’re doing so because this deck is known to be well-rounded and overall highly successful. 

LinkedIn may be famous now for what it does, but back in 2004, when this deck made a difference, the company wasn’t a leader in a market with lots of attention. As Reid highlights on his website, they had no substantial organic growth or revenue. Yet, they still managed to raise a considerable amount. 

In Reid’s words for his last slide, “The reason we reused this slide from the beginning of the presentation was to indicate the end of the presentation while returning to the high line of conceptualizing the business and reminding investors of the value proposition.” In his vision, “You should end on a slide that you want people to be paying attention to,” which he has tied with the recommendation that you “close with your investment thesis,” as well. A final note from him on this last slide of LinkedIn’s winning pitch is that “the end is when you should return to the most fundamental topic to discuss with your investors.” Quite a wrap-up from a stellar VC! Follow the linked site above to read more on the rest of his ending slides if you haven’t ever done so already.

Succeeding with an effective presentation’s ending

The suggestions above are practical and proven ways to end a presentation effectively. Yet, remember, the real secret is knowing your audience so well you’ll learn how to grasp their attention for your production in the first place.

Focus on the bigger picture and add content to your conclusion slides that’s cohesive to your entire presentation. And then aim to make a lasting final impression that will secure what you need. There is a myriad of ways to achieve that and seek the perfect-suiting one.

Also, be bold if the area calls for it. As you see above, there is no shame, but an actual need in stating the precise funding amount you need to make it through a specific stage of funding. Exercise whatever tools you have at your disposal to get the required attention.

Also, being sure about whatever decision you make will only make this an easier road to travel. If your head is transparent about what’s needed, you’ll be more confident to make a convincing case that points your audience in the right direction.

Check out our step-by-step guide on how to make a presentation .

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How to End Your PowerPoint Presentation With a Strong Close (In 2023) + Video

How to end your powerpoint presentation with a strong close (video), 4 types of powerpoint presentations - that conclude differently, final powerpoint slide styles to avoid, how to quickly make great end (last) powerpoint slides with ppt templates, 5 quick tips to end your powerpoint presentation strong, how to quickly customize the end slide with a premium powerpoint template, more great powerpoint templates, learn more powerpoint presentation skills, end your presentation with impact.

In this tutorial, I'll share ideas for how to end your PowerPoint presentation powerfully. Depending on the type of talk that you're giving, there's a tried and true technique that'll bring it to a strong close. 

This tutorial will help you nail the finish of your presentation and leave your audience with a lasting impression. I'll also show you do's and don'ts for finishing your presentation with attractive final concluding slides. Let's dive in.

Are you ready to jump ahead and create your strong PowerPoint presentation close? The video below tells you what you need to know to get started quickly:

To learn even more about the various types of PowerPoint closes, read the detailed guide below.

To finish a presentation strong, it helps to start by thinking about your presentation's goal. Your actions must align with the goal of the presentation to succeed. How you'll approach a persuasive conclusion is different than an inspirational speech conclusion.

In this tutorial I cover four main categories that you can divide presentations into. You could sub-divide these into more specific categories, but I think these basic groups are a useful way to think about your presentation and the approach to take:

• Persuasive Presentations . A persuasive presentation is designed to share your point of view and influence the views of your audience. 
• Informative Presentations . Informative presentations share facts and ideas about a subject. They're less prescriptive than a persuasive presentation. 
• Decision Driven Presentations . In a decision driven presentation, you're in the spotlight to provide a recommendation or plan to your audience. These often take place in the work environment.
• Introductory Presentations . These are also very popular in the business world. Maybe this is your chance to introduce your company to potential investors, customers, or a future employee. 

Let's talk about specific approaches for each of these presentation types. Throughout this tutorial, I'm going to use premium PowerPoint templates from Envato Elements to create closing slides. These templates give you plenty of ideas for attractive slides and are professionally designed and easy to work with.

Grab some popular PowerPoint themes from Envato Elements. Elements is a special offer that gives you unlimited access to creative resources, such as  presentation templates , web themes, photos, and more. 

Browse through the best trending designs from both sites: 

Let's look into more detail on concluding each presentation type strongly, from closing strategies to ideas on mastering your final PowerPoint slide. That way, you'll know the best way to end your PowerPoint presentation—regardless of its type and your goals.

1. Persuasive Presentations

Persuasive presentations are designed to change your audience's mind or to impart your viewpoint on them. Maybe you've had to give one of these presentations as part of a school presentation designed to influence your classmates on a hot-button issue.

There are many techniques to persuade an audience, ranging from connecting emotionally with the audience to presenting pure facts. Great presentations will contain a combination of all these to appeal to a broad audience. 

Here's one idea for a persuasive conclusion: give the audience a key chart or graph that reinforces your idea. 

In the example below, let's pretend that the presentation would persuade an audience member to invest in our company. The key data statistics in a slide like below are ideal for this:

A closing slide for a persuasive speech is the ace up your sleeve. Save one last key point and present it with a chart or graph to win over the data-driven members of your audience.

2. Informative Presentations

Informative presentations are designed to share fact-driven information. Your goal is to present a new idea in a memorable way that the audience will remember.

For an informative presentation, the closing slide should recap the information that you've shared. It's a good chance to illustrate a concept with a graphic or key bullet points.

It's also a great idea to share the slides from an informative presentation with your audience via email or post them online. If you've taught an important skill, the audience can use this as reference material.

3. Decision Driven Presentations

For a decision driven presentation, your audience is waiting to hear your big recommendation. You should use the final slide in your PowerPoint presentation to make a recommendation so that your project or idea can proceed

Use the closing slide to make your recommendation clear. It's fine to use the supporting points to mention why you arrived at that conclusion. But focus on having a singular recommendation and be prepared to defend it.

4. Introductory Presentations

An introductory presentation is often used in business to help build trust and establish a relationship with an audience. Remember, the introductory presentation is your best chance to make a first impression. Whether you're pitching your business or asking people to join your company, the last slide can be the first step in the business relationship.

Maybe you aren't quite ready to give a full sales pitch. Instead, this is your first point of contact to start explaining your business. 

To end your introductory presentation, I think it's a great idea to give the audience a means to follow-up with a Contact slide. If you think of an introductory presentation as the start of a conversation, you should give the audience the chance to continue that conversation.

When you're preparing to close out your PowerPoint presentation, there are certain strategic steps that you'll want to avoid. There are also final PowerPoint presentation slide styles that aren't on target for closing strongly. You need both the right closing technique and final slide design to work together. Let's look at what  not  to do for each of the key presentation types:

1. Persuasive Discussions

For persuasive presentations, the strategy should change. For these presentations, don't simply restate the points that you've already made. 

You need to give a new angle or a new perspective that could win the audience over. Your last slide should support the presentation's overall perspective but shouldn't simply rehash the original points.

In a persuasive presentation, make sure that your final slide isn't a simple recap of your original points. The audience may resent having heard the same ideas repeatedly and find them less believable.

Information presentations often lead to a discussion with the audience, often called a "Q&A session." If your presentation is meant to be an open discussion, it can be tempting to throw up an "Any questions?" slide for the last part of your deck. 

But if this is the only step you take to spark a conversation, your audience is unlikely to engage. I've seen many presentations breeze past this stage so quickly that no one works up the courage to ask a question.

For a more complete round-up on soliciting questions at the end of your presentation, check out the tutorial below.

You've been asked to share your findings and make a recommendation in the form of a decision driven presentation. The information that you share will help guide a decision maker or give you the feedback you need to proceed.

In these situations, I think it's important to not overwhelm the audience with too many options. Sometimes, presenters tend to give every possible option for a team to take. Make sure you avoid this in your final presentation slide.

That shouldn't be the goal of a persuasive presentation. It's fine to present many ideas. But the presentation should ultimately culminate in a singular, decisive recommendation in the final slide in a PowerPoint presentation. 

An introductory presentation seeks to build familiarity with the audience. For this type of presentation, there's one key step to avoid: don't try to close a deal too quickly.

Marketing and teaching potential customers about your business is a process, and it's one that takes time. The final slide shouldn't contain graphics or requests that the audience buy from you or engage you right away.

Asking for a sale or commitment at the end of an introductory presentation could be off putting and ultimately harm your chances of gaining customers.

If you’re looking for the best PowerPoint templates with amazing end slides, look no further than Envato Elements. The subscription gives you access to thousands of unlimited download PowerPoint templates with attention-grabbing designs. You also get access to thousands of other creative assets such as stock photos, fonts, icons, and more.

Envato Elements is the best choice for all your creative needs. Thanks to unlimited downloads, you can experiment with different creative styles and templates to find the perfect PowerPoint template for your presentation.

Tempting as free PowerPoint templates might be, they usually come with a limited number of slides and fewer customization options. Professionally designed templates such as those found on Envato Elements are the better choice. 

PowerPoint templates from Envato Elements have key features such as: 

• a variety of slide styles and types to create a compelling and memorable presentation
• easy to use image placeholders so you can quickly customize the images
• charts, graphs, icons, and other visual elements to present your ideas in style
• bold text and noticeable calls to action so you can make an impact with your closing

You've learned that the final PowerPoint slide design can be a powerful way to end your presentation. Also, we've dived into some problematic ways to end your presentation, which you should avoid.  

Now let's now jump into a few important tips on how to end a PowerPoint presentation so that it's memorable and makes an impact: 

1. Be Clear, Concise, and On Message

A strong presentation closing brings your key message to the forefront and aligns with your objective. You want to distill your final message down to a single memorable point or small set of points. That way the audience can easily walk away with your most important ideas on their mind. 

2. Use the Best Final PowerPoint Slide

Depending on the type of presentation you're delivering your final slide will differ. 

Make sure you're using a powerful final PowerPoint graphic slide to showcase your concluding information. Or, transition into an easy to read Contact Us or Any Questions slide. 

If you're unsure which slide fits your presentation type best, re-read the sections above. Don't miss out on those graphic examples of best last slides for various PowerPoint presentation types.

3. Include a Call to Action  With Appeal

Depending on your goal, you may want to motivate the audience to ask a question or take an immediate action on the information you're presenting. Make sure your final slide helps motivate the audience to do that. 

Your final points need to align with your argument and give them a good reason to act. Be clear on what you're trying to do with your presentation and bring it forward in your final slide. 

Also, make sure you practice delivering your conclusion. You want to put your notes aside, make eye-contact with the audience, and engage with emotion as you wrap up. 

Learn more presentation strategies, so you not only open with interest, but end the presentation memorably:

4. Use Animation For a Big Reveal

Much like Apple's famous "one more thing" segue, you can save a punchline for the end of your presentation.

One of the best ways to do this is to add a bit of animation that'll bring a key element onto your slide at the perfect time. While PowerPoint features some built-in animations, there are custom templates that can really take animations to the next level. For example, use the  Business Animate template to animate a key point at the end of your presentation.

To learn more about customizing animated PowerPoint templates, check out the link below:

5. Add a Video Clip

Video clips add a completely different perspective to a presentation. In sticking with the idea of closing with a strong idea, sometimes it helps to add a video to bring a sense of variety or change of pace in your presentation.

It's a great idea to have the video auto play when you switch to the PowerPoint last slide for a smooth finish. Try out the tip below to do just that:

Now that you know how to end your PowerPoint presentation with a strong close, let’s look at how you can use one of our premium PowerPoint templates and customize the end slide. 

For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll use the Yukee template . This PowerPoint template from Envato Elements has a modern design and can be used for all kinds of presentations. 

Let's get started:

1. Decide On Your Close

The first step is to decide what type of close and call to action you'll use for your presentation. For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll use a persuasive close with numbers that backup the ideas presented in the presentation. Slide #13 from the Yukee template fits perfectly for this occasion.

2. Add An Image

The top part of the slide has an image placeholder so we can easily add an image. Just click the picture icon and locate the image on your computer. Then, press Insert . 

Once the image has been added, right-click on it. Then choose the Send to back option.

3. Replace the Content

Once the image is in place, it’s time to customize the content of your slide. Double-click the text and press CTRL+A to select everything. Then type in your own information.

4. Customize Fonts

As you’re customizing the content, you can customize the fonts used in the presentation. Select the text and then choose a different font from the drop-down menu on the Home tab.

5. Customize Colors

Finally, to make your points stand out more, customize the colors. Double-click on the rectangle and choose a different color under the  Fill > Solid Color option. 

To see even more great PowerPoint templates for your inspiration, check out the following PowerPoint template roundups: 

Giving presentations is a skill. That means that you can learn and improve your ability giving presentations over time. Try out some of the presentations below to ease the process of building a presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint :

Need Help? Grab Our Making Great Presentations eBook (Free)

You can find more information in our new  eBook on making great presentations . Download this PDF eBook now for FREE with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

It'll help you master the presentation process, from initial creative ideas, through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

This tutorial can serve as your guide for ending a presentation with a compelling finish. The last 30 seconds of your presentation may be the difference between changing your audience's mind and your presentation being forgotten. Learning how to end a presentation can keep your audience talking about your presentation long after.

Editorial Note : This tutorial has been comprehensively updated with the help of Brenda Barron . A video has been added by Andrew Childress . 

The Full Guide To Ending Your Presentation With Impact

If you’ve ever asked the question, “ How do you close a PowerPoint presentation? ” or the more generic “ How to wrap up a presentation? ”, then you’re reading the right article. Today, you’re finally getting the answers to your questions. In this article, you’ll learn how you can go about ending your presentation with impact. You’ll also find out everything there is to know about closing and concluding presentations.

Benefits Of Ending Your Presentation With Impact

Have you ever had the misfortune of watching a presentation that went on and on with seemingly no end in sight? Or have you ever witnessed a presenter who awkwardly ended a presentation and then left the audience hanging ( not even a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘any questions’ slide to clue you in )?

Presentations like these are, unfortunately, extremely common. Especially among casual presenters, that is, those who don’t present for a living. We may even be willing to forgive them for their oversight. But, the truth is, EVERYONE should know the importance of knowing how to start and end a presentation.

Practically everyone knows presentation introductions are important. But it doesn’t mean to say that you shouldn’t pay attention to how your presentation ends. Your closing needs to be just as strong, or in some cases, maybe even stronger than your introduction.

So, here are a few reasons why you need to put a lot of work on the conclusion of your PowerPoint presentation:

1.    It’s your last chance to make a strong, final impression

A good introduction will leave a good impression on your audience. It will give them the incentive to continue paying attention to what you’re saying. However, if you leave them with a weak conclusion or ending for PowerPoint, then that’s most probably what they’re going to remember about you.

They won’t remember how good your introduction was, or how awesome your presentation slides were. But rather, they’ll remember how you kept them hanging at the end. Or even worse, they’ll just forget your entire presentation because your weak ending basically canceled all their positive impressions of you.

If you’ve ever watched movies that involved the courtroom, you’ll notice how lawyers spend a lot of time crafting their case’s closing statements. They don’t just “wing” it, and then hope the judge or jury is going to decide in their favor. Lawyers understand just how important their case’s ending is. They know a strong closing statement can help persuade the judge or jury to side with them.

In a similar vein, your presentation’s ending has to be spot on as well so you can leave a strong and powerful impression on your audience. This is important if you want them to remember the main points in your presentation and make it easy for them to follow your presentation’s call to action.

2.    It’s your opportunity to persuade your audience to follow your call to action

Every presentation needs a call to action. Without a call to action, your audience is going to wonder what you want them to do. To begin with, your call to action will depend pretty much on your presentation’s objective. This means that before you can decide on your call to action, you should decide first on what your presentation is all about. Then ask yourself what you want your audience to do after watching your presentation.

You can deliver a great presentation in front of a highly-engaged audience, but if you don’t have a call to action, then they’re going to leave very much confused. If you want them to invest in your company’s products, then don’t be afraid to ask them to. If you want them to apply what they’ve learned in your presentation, then say it. Your audience chose to spend their time listening to you instead of doing something else, so make it worth their while!

3.    It gives you a chance to summarize your presentation

A summary is useful if you’ve had a long presentation with plenty of points covered. While the ideal presentation should be short and straight to the point, it’s often unavoidable for some types of presentations.

Now the thing is, when giving your presentation summary, you should remember to keep it short and simple. Don’t give the same full-length explanations you did in the earlier parts of your presentation. You’re going to be redundant.

When presenting your summary, make it short, sweet, and memorable. Perhaps you can use a mnemonic or an acronym to make it easy for your audience to remember. If you can inject humor into your summary, do it. Humor is great for making things easy to recall and will leave your audience with a better impression of you.

How To End Different Types Of Presentations With Impact

Your presentation’s ending will depend on the kind of presentation you have (more on this below). While it’s common to use a ‘ thank you’ or ‘ any questions’ slide as the last slide of a PowerPoint presentation, sometimes these aren’t going to cut it. If you truly want to make an impact, you need to think outside the box and come up with a more creative presentation conclusion.

So, here are the most common types of presentations and the methods you can follow to end your presentation on a positive note.

Informative Presentations

Technically, all presentations are informational in nature. That’s why you’re presenting in the first place – you want to share the information that you have with your audience. This means that this type of presentation simply presents facts and ideas about a particular topic.

You’re basically just laying out the information about a subject. A good example of an information presentation is research presentations. When you present in front of your students, colleagues, and/or mentors, you’re basically presenting information about whatever topic’s been assigned to you. While many researchers do their due diligence, many still don’t know how to end a research presentation.

A good way to end an informative presentation, like a research presentation, is to present a summary slide summing up the major points. That way your audience will be able to recall what you’ve talked about during your entire presentation.

You can download our free ‘ General Agenda Presentation Template .’ Just edit the word ‘Agenda’ on the templates and replace it with ‘Summary,’ as well as the rest of the information you want to change. That’s it! You’ll have your summary slide in just a few minutes!

Sales/Persuasive Presentations

In the sales world, it’s important to have an introduction that will hook your audience. However, what’s even more important is knowing how to end a sales presentation. Strong closings in sales presentations are a must if you want to close and make those sales!

The stakes are much higher in a sales presentation. You want to maximize your conversion rates. You want everyone in your audience to follow your call to action, whether it be signing up for a trial package or buying your company’s actual products.

While a 100% conversion rate is extremely difficult to achieve, it’s not entirely unheard of. Especially if you vetted your audience properly and they’re in the last stages of your sales funnel .

Pitching products and services isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Knowing how to end a pitch presentation or a sales PowerPoint presentation can lead to huge success for you and your business.

The most effective salesmen are very good at storytelling. All throughout your presentation, you’re telling your audience a story about how your product can change their lives.

Now, the most effective sales presentations conclude by extending an invitation to prospects. You’re basically inviting them to join you (and your entire customer base) to live a better life (or whatever your product’s value proposition is).

Another ending option you can use is by challenging your audience to take action . Just make sure you don’t become too aggressive and salesy as that can quickly turn off even the most interested buyer.

To help you focus on creating the best ending for your sales presentation, you can download our free ‘ Product Hunt Pitch Deck Template .’ You simply need to edit the file and customize it according to your presentation requirements. Here’s what the ‘cover’ and ‘thank you’ slides look like:

Onboarding Presentations

Training presentations are highly valuable, especially in corporate and workplace settings. Onboarding new employees, new clients, and new customers into your system is essential to your company’s overall growth. Do it wrong, and you could end up scaring new people away.

You don’t want them to think they made the wrong decision about joining your company. Instead, what you want to do is to build people’s confidence and cement their belief that they made the right choice trusting your organization.

While onboarding presentations are usually not as pressured and high stakes like sales presentations, you still need to try your best to end your presentation with a bang.

As an example, you can have a simple ‘Welcome’ slide as your presentation’s last slide. Or you can list down the different ways your new employees and clients can get some support.

If you need help designing your onboarding presentation slides, you’re in luck. Our ‘ Corporate Package Template ’ may be a good fit for your needs. Customizing this template is a breeze. Simply swap the template elements you want to replace with your own content. Here are some screenshots:

4 Additional Tips To Conclude Your Presentation With Impact

No matter the type of presentation you have, you can use these techniques to help you conclude your presentation with an impressive bang!

1.    Conclude your story

While sales presentations can benefit greatly from storytelling, other types of presentations can employ the same technique. It’s best to have a running narrative throughout your presentation. For instance, you can introduce your story’s hero or heroine in the early stages of your presentation.

By the time you get to the conclusion, your hero’s story will also end and tie-in nicely with your presentation. If you do this correctly, your audience will remember your story long after your presentation has ended.

2.    Refer to your opening message

For this technique to work, you need to ask a question at the beginning of your presentation. A question that will make your audience curious. What usually works is asking something that appears to be non-related to your topic. It gets your audience thinking.

When you end your presentation, ask the question again and this time present them with the answer. You can even ask your audience if they were able to figure out your little brain teaser – it’s a great way to leave an impact on your audience!

3.    Don’t forget your call to action

Your presentation won’t be complete without a call to action. Of course, your entire presentation is basically a prelude to your call to action. This means the meat of your slides should be persuasive enough to get people to follow you by the time you end your presentation.

Without the necessary buildup and anticipation, it will be hard to convince your audience to follow your call to action, no matter how simple it may be.

4.    Make it clear your presentation is finished

You don’t want to leave your audience hanging and wondering if your presentation is done or not. One of the best ways to conclude is by adding a ‘thank you’ slide as the last slide of your PowerPoint.

Of course, you can’t just show the last slide and then not express gratitude to your audience. Knowing how to thank your audience for listening is important as it shows you respect and appreciate them choosing to spend their time listening to you.

You can also use quotes to end your PowerPoint presentation. You can head on over to BrainyQuotes and other similar sites to look for quotes and anecdotes relevant to your subject. Having a list of presentation conclusion sample phrases saved on your computer would also be handy.

If you need ideas on how to make the perfect ‘thank you’ slide, here’s a ‘ Thank You Slides PowerPoint Template ’ you can download and use for free. Check out these screenshots:

Final Words

Your presentation is the sum of all its parts. From the introduction to your conclusion to your speech, everything must work seamlessly together. However, the ending is your last chance to make an impression on your audience. Make sure you make the most of it!

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How to End a Presentation with Punch (17 Techniques)

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

1. Call to action

2. skip the q&a at the end your presentation, 3. end your presentation with a rhetorical question, 4. conclude your speech with a story, 5. the power of 3 for your conclusion, 6. come full circle at the end of your presentation, 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, if(typeof ez_ad_units='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'nutsandboltsspeedtraining_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_15',658,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-nutsandboltsspeedtraining_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); conclusion, what’s next, related articles, work with us, find a tutorial.

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End Slides For Presentations

As soon as the presentation is over, majority of the audiences don’t even remember it once they walk out. You should leave the audience with something to remember if you’re going to devote the time and effort to give a presentation. An ending slide can be your call to action, an inspirational quote, your contact details, a summary of your key points or even a simple gratitude like Thank You to your audience for attending your presentation. SlideUpLift has a great collection of closing slides to end your presentation with a bang! Our designs are not only eye-catchy but they are also informative. SlideUpLift’s End Slides collection is a 100% customizable and ready to use. Browse through our collection of ppt templates to build stunning presentations.

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Blog / Storytelling / How to end a PowerPoint presentation and leave an impression.

How to end a PowerPoint presentation and leave an impression.

By the time you reach the end of your PowerPoint presentation, it’s tempting to turn the last slide into a standard ‘thank you’ or ‘questions?’ slide. Don’t give into the temptation. Read these five tips, and make the last slide of your presentation as impactful as the first.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “you don’t get a second chance to make a great first impression”, but when it comes to presentations, the first impression is only half the story.

Serial-position effect  is the tendency of the human brain to only remember the first and last items in a series. If you consider your presentation as a series of incredible messages, that whole middle section is going to look a little fuzzy to your audience after just a few short hours. In fact, researchers testing presentation recall found that only 50% of information is remembered immediately following the last slide of the presentation. This number reduces to 25% by the next day and just 10% the following week.

For those of you reading this right before a big presentation, don’t throw your laptop against the wall in despair. There are ways to manipulate your narrative to take advantage of the serial-position effect and end your PowerPoint presentation with impact. 

In this article, we’re going to be focusing on just one aspect of the serial-position effect: the recency effect. This is how to capture your audience’s imagination, up to the very last slide of your presentation.

For storytellers, it’s often beneficial to start from the end and work backwards, making sure every message is pointing towards that end goal. Once you get back to the beginning, take a look at our tips for hooking your audience from the first sentence. 

We know you guys are dedicated followers of all things Buffalo, and we’re not here to teach your grandma how to suck eggs. There are probably YouTube tutorials for that. 

If you’ve been keeping up with our  storytelling tips and tricks , you’ll already know that you should use the end of your presentation to summarise all your key messages and tie up any loose plot points.  

We’re talking about what happens after that.

We’re talking about levelling up. 

5 ways to end a PowerPoint presentation

1. start a revolution.

You wouldn’t put together a PowerPoint presentation in preparation for a Friday night catch up with your best friend. Ok,  outside of lockdown  you wouldn’t. Presentations are designed to encourage fundamental change. If done correctly, a presentation is just a series of messages that speak to the audience emotionally, backed up by logic and cemented with credibility. And they have to end with a rallying cry. 

The call to action is how you communicate to the audience the first step towards their better future. Whatever it is you want them to think, feel, or do at the end of your PowerPoint presentation, needs to be clear when you reach the last slide. 

Of course, you could just tell them what you want them to do. But, as any parent, manager, or Prime Minister will tell you, people don’t like being told what to do. In fact, they actively revolt against it. It’s much more effective for them to reach that conclusion themselves, with just a little gentle guidance from you.

This all sounds like witchcraft, but there are plenty of ways to manipulate your audience without them catching on, if that’s what you’re worried about.

2. Pull a stunt

You need to do something different to make an impact.

Imagine yours is just one presentation in a whole string of slideshows. By the last slide of the last presentation, they’re all going to have blended into one. If you can’t flirt your way to being placed as the first or last of the day, you’re going to have to go bigger and better for your finale. Bring out the dancers.  

Too many people think of their slides as a box to contain their ideas. We say, think outside the box. I know, we’re probably the first people to ever say that. But seriously, break down that wall between digital and physical. Show your audience what you mean. And use your slides as support. 

Your impactful moment doesn’t have to be acted out or over the top, just something out of the norm, and out of the slide. People are 30% more likely to retain information when there’s a visual aid to accompany the audio. This could be in the form of a statistic, an animation, or an image, or it could be something you do.

For example, say you want to end your presentation with a shocking statistic. Big numbers can become meaningless, as the sheer size is difficult to comprehend. Make your point digestible with context.

Say you want to communicate the number of coffee farmers in Kenya who can’t make a living wage, as a way to illustrate the importance of fair trade. You could just say 150,000, or you could bring out a clear container with 150,000 coffee beans in it. And pour them slowly out on the stage.

Dramatic? Maybe.

Messy? Sure.

Impactful? Definitely.

Gimmicks and tricks can feel forced but, if cohesive with your story and your messaging, they can create a buzz around your presentation, reinforce your message and be impossible to forget.

In 2009, Bill Gates was campaigning for Malaria relief awareness and aid. Mid presentation, he reached for a jar, unscrewed the lid, and released a cloud of mosquitos into the room, saying: “Not only poor people should experience this.”

Jaws dropped, the room was buzzing – in more ways than one – and no one has forgotten that moment. What a way to end a PowerPoint presentation.

I’m not suggesting you give your audience Malaria, but by moving away from traditional presentation practice, you can shake your audience out of their PowerPoint coma, make an impact and coerce them into action.

3. Go full circle

I know we said we were only going to talk about recency effect today, but what can we say? We’re all give.

Primary effect is the other half of the whole. The explanation for why we remember the start of the list. By making both these halves work seamlessly together, we can create a calming effect in the brains of our audience. Let me explain.

Humans like things to be neat. We like a question to have an answer. We like a pen to have a lid. We hate when a mystery key shows up with no sign of a lock. And we need stories to have an end.

Give your audience a sense of completion by starting with a story, and picking it back up on the last slide of the presentation. Not only will this keep them engaged throughout, wondering whether the hero will ever overcome the villain, but they will feel enormous relief and accomplishment when they finally find out. 

The start of your story should set up the challenge. The characters in the story should reflect the people in your audience, they should be able to see themselves in your story and relate to the characters’ struggles.

When you pick the story back up at the close, you should regale your audience with their triumphs. And the reason behind this turnaround? Well, they took your advice, obviously.

This is a more human way to integrate case studies into your presentation. You want to show your audience that your solution has worked for others like them, but case studies can be so cold, so focused on facts and numbers. Stories are emotional, persuasive, and easy for our brains to understand.

4. Turn the tables on your audience

Think about the last five presentations you saw. How many of them ended with a Q&A? Yawn.

We’re not saying you shouldn’t give your audience the chance to ask questions, but by ditching the obligatory ‘questions?’ end to your PowerPoint presentation, you create the opportunity to do something different for your close. 

We believe presentations should be  interactive throughout . Regularly checking in with your audience, or encouraging them to get involved with activities, polls, or games, will keep them engaged from start to finish. Breaking down the barrier between presenter and speaker allows you to connect with your audience. They’ll feel valued, part of the process, and are more likely to be persuaded by your message. 

So, that’s what you shouldn’t do for the last slide of a presentation, but I bet very few of you were searching for  how not to end a PowerPoint presentation .

Flip the script. Don’t ask for questions to close, ask a question yourself. By ending on a provocative and rhetorical question, your audience will be thinking about your presentation for hours afterwards. Pitch them a hypothetical situation, where they have the power to control their future. How are they going to make this dream a reality? Coincidentally, the answer happens to be exactly what your product or service is offering.

5. Get handsy

Speaking of breaking down the barrier between speaker and audience, our final tip is to give them something to get their mitts around. 

Since Primary School, we’ve all understood the sentiment ‘show, don’t tell’. It’s unlikely your pet hamster, Scratchy, or the collection of Roman coins your grandma bought you on a trip to a real amphitheatre are going to seal the deal in your business presentation, but the Show and Tell philosophy still stands. 

If your product is as good as you’ve been telling them it is for the last 20 minutes, let them have a go and see for themselves. And if it’s not a physical product you’re selling, this would be the perfect time to slip in some success examples from your  creds deck .

No one likes goodbyes, but by implementing one of these powerful conclusions, you’ll end your PowerPoint presentation with metaphorical fireworks and your audience will be unable to get you out of their heads. 

If you’re struggling with more than just the final slide, our talented team have plenty of tricks up their collective sleeve for banging beginnings and memorable middles too. Why not get in touch to talk about your next presentation project?

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