How can you create a memorable closing statement during a presentation?

Call to action (CTA) defines the purpose of your presentation. It tells your audience why they should care and what they can do about it. It provides direction in a sea of information. It's the nudge that transforms passive listeners into active participants. By offering a specific action, you're tapping into their motivation to make a difference or gain something valuable If you're working towards a goal or want to track your presentation's effectiveness, a CTA with quantifiable outcomes is essential. It allows you to measure success and adjust your approach. A CTA keeps your audience engaged beyond the presentation's end. It extends the conversation, encourages questions, and fosters a sense of involvement.

Sometimes I used Jeff Bezos' (amazon founder) statement "It's still day one" in the context of change, which resonated with the audience because it speaks to the idea of continuous development, innovation and a forward-looking mindset. Choose an easy to remember and concise quote and it can carry an inspirational message, uplift and energize the audience, leaving a positive impression of your presentation and trigger good conversations later. Quotes should support and enhance your own message, not cover it up. Quotes from well-known and respected individuals, can lend authority and credibility to your key points.

"In order for any type of change to occur, one must be willing to think on a different level and view from a different perspective" is my quote. This quote and others center on the topic that I'm speaking about. You can do the same. The most memorable quotes have 3 essential elements: 1-Originality; 2-Relevant; 3-Timely. For originality dig deep to think about what is a phrase that will come naturally to you and your audience. Keep it relevant to the topic for the target audience. Be mindful of at what point you use the quote. Pro Tip: I begin and end with a quote.

Whenever possible, I try to introduce a thought or image in the intro that I don't refer back to again until the very end. It might be a story about some life lessoned learned as a child. Then, at the end, I will reference back to the life lesson learned early on and make a connection to the content of the speech itself. Or, for example, I gave a eulogy once for a man named Mike, and in the beginning mentioned an old popular commercial about Michael Jordan with the tagline "Be like Mike." After talking about the positive aspects of the deceased man's life, I concluded with a suggestion to the people at the funeral that they honor the departed whenever they, too, "be like Mike."

I often like to end my presentations (and many of the articles I write) with a bit of irony or a relevant twist. For example, if speaking on the topic of "don't blindly take advice without fact checking," you might end your talk with a joke about whether the audience should trust a speaker who just told them not to blindly trust anyone.