Page 106 - Today’s Business Communication; A How-to Guide for the Modern Professional

WhY MUST I gIvE A MEMORABLE PRESENTATION? 95

1. If you told a story at the beginning of the presentation, return to that story and tie
it to the major point(s) you want your audience to remember.
2. Find a short verse that refers to the beginning of your presentation and that gains
the audience’s attention through humor, empathy, sympathy, or inspiration.
3. Find a short quote from a famous person that reinforces the major points of your
presentation.
4. give a signal that you are closing. For example, “To recap the major points of my
presentation, I ask you to remember. . . ” or “In conclusion, please remember. . .”
5. Deliver a call to action. For example, “I challenge you to. . . ” or “Join me in . . . ”
makes it easy for people to comply with your requests and ask them to respond
quickly. The greater the distance between your request and the audience’s action,
the more likely they are to do nothing.
Figure 7.4 Tips for delivering a memorable closing

a memorable presentation—one that the audience will recall and be influ-
enced by well after you leave the stage, dais, or lectern. In our classes, we
have adopted harsh penalties for student presentations that end in the
expected way of “thank you” or “are there any questions.” We encourage
our students, and we encourage you, to push the limits of your com-
fort zone to develop memorable closing statements that summarize your
major points (telling the audience what you’ve already told them) and
reference the beginning of your presentation (tying the bow on top of the
gift-wrapped box). The tips in Figure 7.4 are just a few of the many ways
you can deliver a memorable closing.

Achieving Conversational Delivery Style

Search your memories for the most boring lecture, sermon, speech, or
presentation you ever heard. We’re willing to bet that one of the reasons
you found it boring was the speaker didn’t present in a conversational
style. Public speaking blogger Olivia Mitchell and researchers Mayer,
Fennell, Farmer, and Campbell (2004) agree that a conversational style,
rather than a formal style, helps people learn better. The late Steve Jobs,
6
co-founder of Apple Computers, was very nearly a genius at presenting
in a conversational style. We’ve considered the effectiveness of three addi-
tional individuals who are typically believed to have been great 20th and

21st century communicators and have gleaned tips from their style to
share with you. Our tips are based on the speaking success of Jobs, the
Rev. Billy Graham, President Barack Obama, and the late President Ron-
ald Reagan. The lessons have been packaged into the six simple ideas in
Figure 7.5 that anyone can use.