The conclusion is a vital part of a speech. It is a place of peril to
many a public speaker. Countless speeches have been ruined by a bad
conclusion.
The most important thing here is that having decided beforehand upon the
particular ideas or message with which you intend to conclude your
speech, not to let any influence lead you away from this preconceived
purpose.
Some speakers are about to conclude effectively but are unwilling to
omit anything which they have planned to give in their speech, and so
continue in an endeavor to recall every item. At last such a speech has
a loose and straggling ending.
The words of the conclusion need not be memorized, but the ideas should
be definitely outlined in the mind and fixed in the memory, not as
words, but as ideas.
The knowledge that you can turn at will to these definite ideas, and so
bring your speech to a close, will confer upon you a degree of
self-confidence which will be of immense service to you.
You should ever bear in mind this golden rule for the conclusion of your
speech: When you have finished what you have of importance to say, do
not be tempted to wander off into by-paths, or to tell an additional
story, or to say "and one word more," but having finished your speech,
stop on the instant and sit down.
PRACTICAL HINTS FOR SPEAKERS
Cultivate as the most desirable thoughts those which are definite,
clear, deep, logical, profound, strong, precise, impressive, original,
significant, explicit, luminous, positive, suggestive, comprehensive,
and practical.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64