When it comes to wrapping up a speech that you are giving, you want to do it rightand not leave your audience wondering why you stopped talking all of a sudden. Two great ways to do this are to use the “jigsaw puzzle” and the “future vision” closing techniques. For the right speech, using one of these closings can make the difference between a so-so speech and a real crowd pleaser.
The Jigsaw Puzzle Close
The jigsaw puzzle close is one of my favorites. It’s not easy to do correctly, but if you take the time to plan it out, thenyou can create a very powerful speech.
When you are using this type of closing, you start by identifyinga major problemthat your audience is dealing with. In this case, the bigger the problem, the better. As you discuss the problem, you really want to get the entire room nodding in agreement with you that it’s a big, big problem.
An example of such a large problem would be if you were addressing an audience who worked for a companywho had outgrown their current offices. You could detail all of the difficulties that they were currently facing because they were out of room.
The next thing that you want to do is to break the probleminto multiple pieces. Continuing our example, this is where you would break an office overcrowding situation into multiple issues such as the lack of available parking, not enough offices, and not enough conference rooms to meet with customers.
Once you’ve done this, you then start to identify how your solution can solveeach of the separate issuesthat you’ve brought up. In our example, if you had a larger workspace that you were trying to get the audience to move into, then you’d show how it would solve each of their individual problems.
Finally, in your closing you bring it all together and show how your solutionsolves each of the pieces of their problemand thereby solves the entire problem.
The Future Vision Close
The future vision close is easy to use and is almost always a sure fire hit with your audience. Let’s talk frankly here for just a moment: nobody can really predict the future. However, when you use this closing for your speech, you boldly claim that you can see the future.
When you are using this closing, you need to make sure that your opening and the body of your speechall lead up to the closing. In the closing, you make your predictions about the future.
These predictions show that by adopting your point of view, your audiencecan make the most of what is coming their way. This type of closing is hard to argue with because of two things: it hasn’t happened yet and you seem so certain about how it’s all going to turn out.
What All Of This Means For You
How you choose to end your speech is one ofthe most important decisionsthat you’ll make when you are designing your speech. If you do it correctly, then your speech can make a lasting impression on your audience.
If you choose to usethe jigsaw closing technique, then you’ll have to break the audience’s big problem up into multiple smaller issues that your solution can solve. If you use the future vision closing then your vision of how the future is going to turn out should lead your audience to adopting the points that you are trying to convince them about.
Both of these closing arevery powerful toolsin the hands of a public speaker. Make sure that you use them, but be careful and make sure that you use them with care!
– Dr. Jim Anderson
Blue Elephant Consulting –
Your Source For Real World Public Speaking Skills™
Question For You: How far into the future do you think your audience will believe that you can see?
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What We’ll Be Talking About Next Time
When you are designing your next speech, you’re going to have an important decision to make: how do you want your audience to feel once you’re done talking? More often than not, you’re going to want them to be in a happy, positive mood. This means that you’re going to have to end your speech in a way that makes this happen. Say hello to the Great and Bridge speech closing techniques.