Presentation Closing Clunker: How To Avoid Just Fizzling Out at the End
We’ve all seen it happen. A presenter hasn’t practiced closing statements, so he or she says something along the lines of, “Any questions?” Read more
Presentation Closing Clunker: Should You Save Q&A for the End?
At professional conferences, the question-and-answer session is an integral portion of many presentations. I’ve spoken at events where it was mandatory to save time for questions from the audience, and the allotted time can be anywhere from five minutes to sometimes 30 minutes. Read more
Presentation Closing Clunker: How to Avoid Going Over Time
At an all-hands meeting for an organization’s sales force, I personally witnessed the regional manager take almost one hour to talk when he was scheduled on the agenda for 15 minutes. He totally destroyed the schedule for the meeting, and he ate into the next two presenters’ time. Read more
Presentation Closing Clunker: DON’T Promise This to Your Audience
We’ve experienced it countless times. An executive speaker reaches the end of a business presentation, even signals the audience with the words “in closing,” yet suddenly decides to tell another story or review a previous point—or even introduce new information. Then, the presenter will promise the ending again by saying, “So in conclusion,” repeating the vicious cycle. Read more
Presentation Closing Clunker: Should You Thank Your Audience?
Yes, I know some executive speaking coaches admonish never thank an audience because they should be the ones thanking you. If I were 10 years old, I would say “Puh-leeeze!” That’s ridiculous—and arrogant. Read more
