II.3.A Content

The end or the conclusion of your talk should include four parts:

1) a brief reminder of what you tried to show in your speech and how you tried to do so,

2) a short conclusion,

3) thanks to the audience for listening,

4) an invitation to ask questions, make comments or open a discussion.

At the end you should briefly summarize your speech in a few lines to make sure the audience has retained the main points. Alternatives are: to state the point of the speech; give the essential message to retain; list the main points and what you want the audience to remember; review informally or indirectly by using a quote, a comparison or example.

Then you should give some kind of conclusion. That is to say you should give a message that logically comes out of the ideas developed in your speech. This could be a commentary, the lessons learned, some recommendations, or the next steps. You could also make a call to action; the audience should have to do something.

Thirdly, thank the audience for being there.

Naturally you need to signpostthe end of your talk. This may take the form of a recapitulation of the main points:

I'd like to summarize/sum up

At this stage I would like to run through/over the main points...

So, as we have seen today....

As I have tried to explain this morning BT finds itself in....

Or there may be recommendations or proposals that you wish to make:

As a result we suggest that…

In the light of what we have seen today I suggest that...

My first proposal is...

Above all when you conclude do not do it abruptly or as if surprised to get to the end of your talk:

In conclusion I would like to say that...

My final comments concern...

I would like to finish by reminding everyone that...

You may at this point wish to distribute a vocabulary list or more detailed information that you wish to make available:

I've prepared a slim folder of the proposals...

In the sheets that are now being distributed you will find a breakdown of the...

And finally you may well have to deal with questions:

I'd be happy to answer any questions....

If there are any questions please feel free to ask.

Thank you very much for your attention and if there are any suggestions or comments