Openings and Conclusions

Teaching Openings and Conclusions and how to be more effective.

Writing the Presentation
Students often create a good opening; then they move on to the rest of the presentation and struggle to link the conclusion strongly back to the opening. A conclusion should ‘tie things up’; and the best way to do this is to refer back to the opening comments, which leaves the audience feeling satisfied and in no doubt as to what was the speaker’s message. While the opening plays a vital role in grabbing the audience’s attention, the part they will most likely remember is the conclusion. If there is not a strong tie-back, then those listening are likely to become confused, making it harder for the speaker to finish with confidence.
Some alternatives:
• Write the conclusion side-by-side with the opening. Ensure that there are key phrases repeated (or their antithesis) so the tie-back is obvious.
• Write the conclusion first – then make everything else in the speech lead up to this point.

What do you think of this approach?