7 Mistakes to Avoid During The Closing Remarks of a Speech

The goal of giving a speech is to impact everyone who listens to it. Sometimes one’s words can even be a total life changer for the listener. Thus, it is very important to structure a speech with strong content – no fluff – and the best closing remarks possible.

Speaking of closing remarks, many assume this to be the nonsignificant part of the speech, where the speaker simply bids adieu to the audience. But this is in fact one of the most important sections of the entire speech and has the capacity to make or break the entire speech.

How do you close a speech in a way that impacts the audience? What needs to be avoided, and how can one improve the end of their talk to close it with a bang?

Common Errors to Avoid While Closing a Speech

Often, individuals who write speech content focus on the beginning of the task and write out a mind-blowing introduction. They spend time – naturally – on the body, which is the primary content of the speech. But when it comes to the conclusion, it’s like all creativity has dried out. Many end it with a simple Thank You or a rushed summary.

What the listeners hear last leaves an impact on them and usually makes them think about the topic longer. Recalling the speech can eventually make them act on what they heard, which is often the main purpose of speeches.

Let us take a quick look at some common mistakes individuals make during their closing remarks whilst ending their speech.

1. Not summarizing the content of the speech

The speech that one gives must revolve around one central point, or a group of well-defined points or values. The individual giving the speech must be knowledgeable about the meaning of these points and values.

One should give the audience well-built content without them having to guess what the speaker is talking about. The points must be in sync with each other and be in chronological order. The closing remarks of the speech must be a summary of all the main points discussed in the speech.

This must include the important values and themes that were discussed during the speech. The closing remarks must recap everything presented, refreshing the minds of the listening audience. This is crucial, since the audience can’t necessary retain everything they just heard during a 2-hour speech.

What the speech ends with is usually the message that the audience leaves with. The ending must not be too complicated and needs to be worded so that the audience can relate to the content and retain it.

Also, one must not make the closing remarks too long. It shouldn’t be a speech in itself. Using a phrase or quote usually does the trick. If this feels too cliched, making up a quote can give a personal touch.

One should make sure the time spent on presenting the closing remarks of the speech is not a waste of time – for the speaker and for the audience.

2. Using complicated jargon during the closing remarks

One would assume that if they use fancy jargon and complicated terms during their speech, the audience will be impressed. While this may be true when giving a technical or scientific speech about a specific concept or product, jargon often makes the speech boring and challenging to understand.

When a speaker speaks to their audience, they must know what the mental understanding level of the audience is and match their speech up to it. This is especially true while imparting closing remarks to the audience.

Speaking over-complicated words and terms will not only bore the audience but will leave them even more confused and likely less informed about the topic of discussion.

If one is forced to use jargon, one should make sure that it is explained somewhere in the speech and that the audience knows what one is talking about. If one uses acronyms that are not explained, the audience will be left clueless at the end of the entire talk. This, in turn, may ruin the entire value of the speech.

The closing remarks must be clear, cohesive, concise, and complete. If one is prone to making closing remarks lengthy, one can consult a peer or a friend about how the closing remark sounds. Test them to ensure they are suitable.

In the case where the audience is filled with professionals who are well-versed in the field, the content of the speech and the closing remarks can contain technical terms and jargon. But still, one must keep it to a minimum.

3. Ending with a sign-off

A sign-off is a common way of ending a letter and many keynote speakers indulge in this when they impart their closing remarks. Though it might seem professional in rare situations, it is boring and mediocre to the listeners most of the time.

An example of a sign-off could be a simple “Thank You” or “Take Care.” The speech givers often tend to end the speech with “Have a nice day.” This adds no value to the speech and is not an actionable comment either. It doesn’t leave the audience thinking more about the content that was discussed.

For this reason, it is always best to end the speech with a sentence that actually matters. The sentence can also reflect the speech’s entire point in a single sentence. It can also be a quote said by a famous person that the audience can relate to – although one must ensure that it is relevant to the topic, and not selected at random.

A sign-off can also give the audience the impression the speech was interrupted abruptly. If not considered, the flow of the speech could come to a sudden end without a proper closing remark, leaving the audience feeling like they are attending a lecture at a university or college.

It is important to create an impact with the closing remarks with a strong summary. The sign-off can follow this, depending on how formal or informal the event is.

4. Preparation without practice

Though some people are naturally born with the talent of public speaking, others take time and practice to reach the stage where they can confidently give a speech without stuttering, fumbling, and stammering in the middle.

Though one can write out a speech and read it when on the podium, practicing it once before an audience or a closed intimate group is better than going and presenting it in front of thousands of people for the first time. The worst-case scenario is that one prepares a speech without practice and makes a mistake in front of the audience. This is especially the case during closing remarks, which must be presented in full confidence.

Mistakes radiate a negative impression of the speaker. The audience will also lose the connection that they otherwise should have been developing with the speaker throughout the course of the talk.

If an individual is new to the field of public speaking, assuming that they can wing it on the big stage is quite a huge risk that they would be taking. In addition to this, the risk would not be worth it if the individual loses their train of thought on the podium. This can be embarrassing for the speaker in addition to creating an awkward situation for the audience.

The closing remark of the speech is something that cannot be winged. In fact, it has to be practiced quite a few times before it can be performed in the best way possible. The audience should leave pleased and contemplative about what they have heard.

5. Leaving loose ends

A speaker is also human, and mistakes are bound to happen on stage. It may be due to nervousness or just due to them simply forgetting to mention some content of the priorly prepared speech. A well-skilled speaker would know how to correct him or herself in such situations.

For instance, if a speaker promises the audience that they will be providing 10 points and only speaks about 9, the audience will notice, as a majority of them take notes.

Thus, if the speaker realizes their fault while giving the speech or when they are nearing the end of the speech, they can correct themselves and mention it during the closing remarks. They can also cover up their mistake and address the missed points as a portion of their speech.

This tactic would leave the audience in awe of the speaker and save the speaker some embarrassment. This also eliminates any panic situation for the speaker on stage and regrets missing some important points in their content.

Tying up loose ends is an art that one develops in time. If one cannot recollect the missed point, making up a point smoothly in the end and adding it as part of the closing remarks is also a great way to deal with such a scenario.

In addition, being transparent with the audience by apologizing for the missed point/s helps the audience and the speaker connect. This is one of the best ways to present closing remarks.

6. Not focussing on inflection and body language

The speech one has prepared may be of the highest quality and one that the audience would love. However, not adding appropriate body language and inflection in the voice while giving a speech would put the audience to sleep.

Thus, no matter how great the speech is, it’s important to look into the previously mentioned factors, especially when one gives the closing remarks. This will create an impression on the audience.

The type of content, type of audience, how educated the audience is on the topic, are some factors that one must examine throughout the speech as well as while ending it.

Often, speakers and audiences alike have great energy at the beginning of the speech but tend to lose it as the speech extends. It’s better to have a higher amount of energy at the speech’s closing remarks to deliver the best closing remarks possible.

Energy, gestures, a louder voice, and inflections help gain the attention of the audience. One should put in all they’ve got just before one gives the closing remarks, since this will make the audience attentive and active. It will also indicate that something important and exciting is coming up.

To give the best closing remarks to the speech, one must ensure that the closing remarks are not spoken out in a monotone and have some life in them. Only then will the closing remarks reach the hearts and minds of the audience, and the speaker’s real message will also be conveyed to them.

7. Forgetting to add a Call To Action

A Call To Action or a CTA is a marketing term that is also used in the world of communication and public speaking. This term helps gain the audience’s attention by inviting them to take a particular action that will lead to a direct result.

The primary purpose behind public speaking is to instigate an idea and get some action from it. Including this within the speech is extremely important, as this part of the speech will get the audience motivated to implement what they gained from the talk. A CTA transforms a speech into real-life action.

Most experienced public speakers attach this Call To Action to their closing remarks. This helps improve the quality of the speech. The best closing remarks are those that affect and even reshape the audience in a beneficial way.

Furthermore, the Call To Action used here must be strong and come with actionable meaning. It should also be decisive and give the audience a lot to think about.

Being transparent and direct while imparting the Call To Action to the audience is also of the essence, especially if it’s a part of the closing remarks.

To top it all off, the Call To Action must tell the audience precisely what to do, i.e., the very next step after they leave. If the CTA is strong and clear enough, the audience might just end up doing it as soon as one finishes their speech, or even as they are leaving or on their way home.

Examples of Good Closing Remarks

Good closing remarks come in both a formal and informal way. These tend to vary depending on the occasion and situation in which the speech is given.

Impressive final remark examples include phrases such as “It has been an honor to be part of such an esteemed panel” or “I thank you for your precious time.” Formal final remarks would also include a quote, or a phrase related to the topic, or could be motivational in nature.

On the other hand, a good, funny final remark example could be “It’s time to end your excruciating pain as we have finally come to the close of the speech,” or “It has been quite a pleasure to torture you all with all the jargon.”

Apart from this, a suitable closing remark can also be personalized. This means that the speaker can come up with their own quote or witty statement. An example of this could go something like, “Take control of the power, but do not let the power take control of you.”

In the case of a speech being a motivational one, or even a formal one, using quotes by great famous motivational speakers can enhance the quality of the speech and motivate the audience to take action in their life, instead of forgetting what was departed to them over the course of the speech.

But one must always remember to keep the topic or subject of the speech in mind while choosing an appropriate final line in the closing remark.

The Takeaway

Giving a speech to a large audience can be quite overwhelming, mainly if one is not accustomed to delivering speeches. As the speaker approaches their closing remarks, they usually rush ahead to be done with the speech, instead of honing and presenting a tight summary.

Nervousness and lack of practice are common factors that make for poor closing remarks.

For the best closing remarks, one must not miss a conclusion or a summary. The speaker should present and summarise the gist of the principal values and tie up loose ends. A speech is not a script of a movie – the audience has no use for any cliffhangers.

The best closing remarks are confident, concise, and high in energy. A CTA is of utmost importance and must not include complicated jargon. Preparation and practice lead to perfection – one must spend energy on not just the intro and body, but also on the closing remarks.