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.
The “How Great It’s Going To Be” Speech Closing
When you use this speech closing technique, you use the ending of your speech to paint a mental picture of the future for your audience. The image that you are going to leave them with is one filled with unlimited possibilities.
In order to set the stage for this mental image, you are going to have to use the part of your speech that comes before the closing to paint an entirely different picture. During the body of your speech you are going to want to show your audience just how bad life is right now. We’re talking about serious doom and gloom.
In order to make this sequence work out, when you are creating your speech you are going to want to work out what your closing image is going to look like and then work your way back. By doing this you’ll be sure that your story is consistent.
The “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” Speech Closing
Sometimes you won’t have to convince your audience that things are bad right now – they already know it! In this case, you are going to want to take a different approach with your speech closing.
The challenges that your audience are currently facing probably seem insurmountable to them. It’s going to be your job to show them how they can overcome them.
When you are using the bridge over troubled waters closing, you’ll want to paint a clear picture of where your audience wants to get to. Next you’ll want to acknowledge the obstacles that are standing in their way of getting there. Finally, you’ll want to show how your idea or solution can offer them a bridge over the troubled waters that they are facing that will allow them to get to where they want to go.
What All Of This Means For You
Attend any course on public speaking or read any book on the subject and you’ll be told that it’s what you cover in your closing that your audience is going to walk away from your speech remembering.
This means that if you can leave them happy, your audience will have a positive impression of what you’ve told them. The “How Great It’s Going To Be” and the “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” closings are two ways of accomplishing this.
Having a selection of different ways to close your speech is like having the right tools to complete a wood working project. Sure you could do it with the wrong tools, but having the right tools makes it that much easier. Next time you are writing a speech, take a look and see if either of these two happy ending techniques can make your audience walk away remembering what you said.
