Your conclusion is very important. It can either add to or subtract from your audience's opinion of your entire speech. Your conclusion may well determine the overall success of your speech.

1. Signals the End of your Speech
   audience needs sense of conclusion, sense of finality, sense that all the loose ends are tied up. Signal your conclusion by telling your audience that it is coming—say "in conclusion," raise your voice, intensify facial expressions and gestures
2. Summarizes Key Ideas
   attention of audience picks up when you signal conclusion, good opportunity to reinforce your message, good way to do this is by summarizing. Restatement of key ideas helpsaudience to remember them. Summary should be brief
3. Reinforces the Central Idea with A Clincher
   citing a quotation, issuing an appeal or challenge, giving an illustration, referring to the introduction

• Do not drag out the ending
• Do not end weakly
• Do not end apologetically—apologies make you look incompetent
• Never bring in new main points

• Overview
• Selecting Your Topic
• Organization
• Introduction
• Conclusion
• Informative Speeches
• Persuasive Speeches
• Listening Skills
• Example Speeches
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