¡¡¡¡CONCLUSION FUNCTIONS

¡¡¡¡Your introduction creates an important first impression; your conclusion leaves an equally important final impression. A strong conclusion serves three purposes. First, it emphasizes the main idea in a memorable way. Second, it motivates the audience to act. And third, it provides closure to the whole speech.

¡¡¡¡1. Emphasize the Main Idea

¡¡¡¡The conclusions of a number of famous speeches are among the most memorable statements we have. For instance, General Douglas MacArthur concluded his farewell to the nation in these memorable words.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡¡°Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.¡±And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away - an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good-bye.

¡¡¡¡2. Motivate the Audience to Act

¡¡¡¡Motivation is one of the necessary components in an effective conclusion. If your speech is informative, you may want the audience to think about the topic or to further research the topic. If your speech is persuasive, you may want your audience to take some kind of feasible action.

¡¡¡¡In a speech on campus crime, the speaker concluded in the following words.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡The vast majority of crimes that take place on college and university campuses are completely avoidable. By simply remembering that more and more people are falling victim to campus crime because many times they feel too safe and don¡¯t take necessary precautions, you can keep yourself from becoming another in the growing list of victims of campus crime.

¡¡¡¡3. Provide Closure

¡¡¡¡A good conclusion provides a good sense of closure, letting the audience know that the speech has ended. You may achieve closure by referring to future events to take place. Notice how effectively John Silber uses this approach in a speech on higher education.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡Each of these three issues has relevance not only for Americans but for any country seriously concerned about higher education and its relation to democracy. They are not the only issues of importance I have raised today, but they form a basis for further discussion. I am looking forward to a fruitful exchange of ideas in the panels that will follow.

¡¡¡¡

CONCLUSION TECHNIQUES

¡¡¡¡You can develop an effective, memorable conclusion by applying one of these six common techniques: (1)using a summary,(2)telling a story,(3)using a quotation,(4)referring to the introduction,(5)asking a question, or (6)appealing to action. Many of these techniques echo those used in introductions. If you use the same technique for you conclusion as for your introduction, your speech will seem balanced and symmetrical. However, you can also be quite effective if you open with one technique and close with another. Of course, as with introduction techniques, not every conclusion technique is right for every speech or occasion.

¡¡¡¡1. Using a Summary

¡¡¡¡When you use a summary to finish your speech, you help your audience remember your major points and central ideas.

¡¡¡¡John summarized his speech on emissions tampering in an effective way, casting the summary as an expression of his fears about the problem and the actions that could solve those fears.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡I¡¯m frightened. Frightened that nothing I could say would encourage the 25 percent of emissions-tampering Americans to change their ways and correct the factors that cause their autos to pollute disproportionately. Frightened that the American public will not respond to a crucial issue unless the harms are both immediate and observable. Frightened that the EPA will once again prove very sympathetic to industry. Three simple steps will alleviate my fear: inspection, reduction in lead content, and, most importantly, awareness.

¡¡¡¡2. Telling a Story

¡¡¡¡A story makes an effective conclusion because it helps your listeners remember what your speech was about. This is a less direct technique than the summary, but it works well when you can connect a vivid or dramatic story with your central idea or topic. When audience members recall the story, they¡¯ll also remember your message.

¡¡¡¡Philip M. Burgess, president of the Center for the New West, concluded his commencement address to graduates of the University of Toledo in Ohio with a story. He spoke about Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in less than four minutes. After Bannister¡¯s 1954 achievement, runner after runner followed in Bannister¡¯s footsteps. Here¡¯s how Burgess tied this story to his central idea.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡Runners and coaches now believed in their objective. They now believed in themselves and gained confidence in their new methods of preparation and training. Armed with the knowledge that it could be done, they simply went out and did it - again ... and again ... and again¨Cimproving with each passing year. So that¡¯s my message to you today. Defend your legacy of freedom. Believe in our society and its capacity to provide new opportunities for those willing to take risks and accommodate change. But most of all, believe in youself. Have confidence in your preparation and training. And then, go out there and do it again ... and again ... and again - improving with each passing year.

¡¡¡¡3. Using a Quotation

¡¡¡¡You can also conclude your speech with a quotation that¡¯s appropriate for your central idea or topic. You can quote directly or you can paraphrase if you don¡¯t want to include the entire quotation. In all cases, be sure to show your audience how the quotation or the person being quoted relates to your message.

¡¡¡¡Consider how Meryl Irwin, a student at Concordia College in Minnesota, used a quotation to close her speech about the need for specialized emergency medical care for children.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡You now know that children need specialized emergency care, and that the present system isn¡¯t giving it to them. Through the solutions I presented, we can do our part to make sure that the children we care about don¡¯t become just additional testimonials for reform. I¡¯d like to leave you with the words of Dr. Richard Flyer as a reminder of why action is needed now. Dr. Flyer says,¡°The worst part about it is, after it¬ðs all over, a child is dead. And the parents come up and thank the doctor. They say,¡®We know you did everything you could.¬ðMy head is exploding, because I know, too often, it¬ðs not true.¡±

¡¡¡¡4. Referring to the Introduction

¡¡¡¡Another way to close your speech is by referring to your introduction in your conclusion. This technique brings your listeners full circle, ending your speechswheresyou began. In the process, you show your listeners how the major points you made in the body of your speech connect with what you said in your introduction.

¡¡¡¡You have already seen how student Gretchen Richter used a story to introduce her speech,¡°Health Care Combat Zones.¡±Now look at how she referred to her introduction during her conclusion.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡Tim Dufelmeier¡¯s heroic act in the California emergency room produced some healthy outcomes. All three wounded physicians will make full recoveries. Security in the emergency room has been upgraded by installing a wall of bullet-proof glass and card-key systems to restrict access. Assault in the medical arena is something we all need to combat. After all, the only thrills we need in the hospital are the life-saving efforts of our doctors and nurses.

¡¡¡¡5. Asking a Question

¡¡¡¡Just as you can ask a question to arouse your listeners- curiosity at the start of your speech, you can leave your audience with a question at the end of speech. This is a common way to end a persuasive speech, but it can be equally effective for informative, entertaining, or motivational speeches. By using a question in a persuasive speech, you help prod your audience to take action. In contrast, when you pose a question in other kinds of speeches, you give listeners food for thought.

¡¡¡¡For example, Norm Bertasavage used a rhetorical question to conclude a speech to a local American Legion post. His speech commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day in World War¢ò, the day that the Allied forces invaded Normandy to battle Hitler¡¯s forces. He ended this way.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡That day was a day of reckoning. It was a day when the bill came due. It was the day the price was paid for past failures. As we call to mind today those who paid that price on that day, we must ask ourselves one question. If we again let freedom and liberty slip through our fingers, who will come to pay the price to restore democracy and Western civilization? Remember this.

¡¡¡¡6. Appealing to Action

¡¡¡¡Earlier, you saw how John Ferguson introduced his speech to high school students during a Veteran¡¯s Day assembly. Now look at the way Ferguson concluded that speech.

¡¡¡¡Example:

¡¡¡¡Let me leave you with an idea. If you truly desire to honor Vietnam veterans don¡¯t stop with this assembly. Seek out those who served (perhaps your father, mother, uncle, aunt, teacher, or neighbor). Thank them for their service. Ask them to share their feeling and memories. That will bring them real honor, because in so doing you are telling them you understand and value their experiences and contribution. Again, from my heart, I thank you for the privilege of speaking to you this morning.

¡¡¡¡The first sentence of Ferguson¡¯s conclusion warned the audience that his speech was winding down. His next few sentences asked the audience to take action, something else a conclusion accomplishes. The last sentence signaled that he was finished speaking. In this way, Ferguson avoided an abrupt ending to the speech, and he left his audience with a sense of closure.