Like introductions, conclusions consist of several elements that work together to make the end of a speech as memorable as the beginning. Conclusions serve to:

As with the introduction, prepare the conclusion after you’ve completed the speech body. Keep it brief—as a rule, no more than 10 to 15 percent, or about one-sixth, of the overall speech. And, just as you should outline the introduction in full-sentence and then key-word form (see Chapter 14), do so for the conclusion. Carefully consider your use of language in the conclusion. More than other parts of the speech, the conclusion can contain words that inspire and motivate (see Chapter 16).

Signal the Close of a Speech and Provide Closure

People who listen to speeches are taking a journey of sorts, and they want and need the speaker to acknowledge the journey’s end. The more emotional the journey, as in speeches designed to touch hearts and minds, the greater is the need for logical and emotional closure.

One way to alert the audience that a speech is about to end is by using a transitional word or phrase to signal closure: in sum, finally, looking back, in conclusion, as I bring this to a close, or let me close by saying (see Chapter 11). You can also signal closure by adjusting your manner of delivery; for example, you can vary your tone, pitch, rhythm, and rate of speech to indicate that the speech is winding down (see Chapter 18).

Few things annoy listeners more than hearing a speaker say “in conclusion,” and then having to sit through another twenty minutes of the speech. Once you’ve signaled the end of your speech, conclude in short order (though not abruptly).

Summarize the Key Points

One bit of age-old advice for giving a speech is “Tell them what you are going to tell them (in the introduction), tell them (in the body), and tell them what you told them (in the conclusion).” The idea is that emphasizing the main points three times will help the audience to remember them.

Summarizing the main points in the conclusion accomplishes the last step of “telling them what you’ve told them.” However, the summary or review should be more than a rote recounting. Consider how Holger Kluge, in a speech titled “Reflections on Diversity,” summarizes his main points:

I have covered a lot of ground here today. But as I draw to a close, I’d like to stress three things.

First, diversity is more than equity. . . .

Second, weaving diversity into the very fabric of your organization takes time. . . .

Third, diversity will deliver bottom line results to your businesses and those results will be substantial. . . . ¹

As the speaker reiterates each point, audience members are able to mentally check off what they’ve heard during the speech. Did they get all the key points? A restatement of points like the one above brings the speech full circle and helps give the audience a sense of completion.

Reiterate the Topic and Speech Purpose

Another function of the conclusion is to reinforce your message by reiterating the topic and speech purpose—to imprint them in the audience’s memory. In the conclusion to a persuasive speech about the U.S. immigration debate, Elpidio Villarreal reminds his listeners of his central idea:

Two paths are open to us. One path would keep us true to our fundamental values as a nation and a people. The other would lead us down a dark trail; one marked by 700-mile-long fences, emergency detention centers and vigilante border patrols. Because I really am an American, heart and soul, and because that means never being without hope, I still believe we will ultimately choose the right path. We have to.²

Reminding listeners of your speech purpose links their frame of reference to yours, thus allowing your audience to determine how well they’ve comprehended your central idea.

Challenge the Audience to Respond

A strong conclusion challenges audience members to put to use what the speaker has taught them. In an informative speech, the speaker challenges audience members to use what they’ve learned in a way that benefits them. In a persuasive speech, the challenge usually comes in the form of a call to action. Here the speaker challenges listeners to act in response to the speech, see the problem in a new way, change their beliefs about the problem, or change both their actions and their beliefs about the problem.

A concluding challenge is important because it shows audience members that the problem or issue being addressed is real and personally relevant to them. In the introduction, part of the goal is to show audience members how the topic is relevant to them; the call to action is a necessary part of completing that goal in the conclusion.

Hillary Rodham Clinton makes a strong call to action in her conclusion to an address presented to the United Nations World Conference on Women:

We have seen peace prevail in most places for a half century. We have avoided another world war. But we have not solved older, deeply rooted problems that continue to diminish the potential of half the world’s population. Now it is time to act on behalf of women everywhere. If we take bold steps to better the lives of women, we will be taking bold steps to better the lives of children and families too. . . . Let this conference be our—and the world’s—call to action.³