A Speaking Tip: Give Your Audience One Clear Next Step

You’ve shared your ideas, told your stories, and reached the end of your presentation.

Then you say, “Well, that’s about it. Thank you.”

There’s nothing wrong with thanking your audience. But before you do, consider what you want them to carry into the rest of their day.

An ending is an opportunity to help people turn what they heard into something they can use.

Give them one clear next step.

If you’ve spoken about listening, you might invite them to ask one more question before offering advice in their next conversation.

If your topic is leadership, you might ask them to check in with someone on their team whose perspective they haven’t heard lately.

If you’ve shared an approach to handling difficult conversations, invite them to write down the first sentence of a conversation they’ve been avoiding.

Make the action specific and manageable. “Become a better communicator” is a worthwhile goal, but it’s hard to know where to begin.

“In your next meeting, let someone finish speaking before you prepare your response” gives people something concrete to practice.

Try this as you prepare your next talk:

Complete this sentence:

“After listening to me, one thing my audience can try is ______.”

Then build your closing around that action. Briefly connect it to your main message, offer the invitation, and give it a moment before thanking everyone.

You don’t need to recap every point you made. Choose the idea that matters most and help your audience take it with them.

What’s one small action you’d love your audience to take after your next presentation?