Creating Memorable Closings

🤔Ever heard of the “primacy recency effect”? People tend to remember mainly how you start and end a meeting. Therefore, the way you conclude your session imprints on the memory of your participants and should not be a careless afterthought. 💡 Coming back to the 5E #experiencedesign model, the 4th stage is the #EXIT. WHAT NOT TO DO: 👎 End with a Q&A - it puts people in a questioning state of mind and does not help them feel the learning journey has landed 👎 End with logistics - these can be the 2nd to last thing you do but people remember emotional feelings like connection or ending on a fun / high so make the end count! WHAT TO DO INSTEAD: 👍 End with action steps - This can be as simple as asking everyone to type into the chat or share out loud how they will use this #experience and the learning outcomes moving forward 🎯It’s easy for participants to say they want to do EVERYTHING they learned, but that’s not how #behaviorchange happens. People can get overwhelmed trying to take on too much and eventually give up. It’s much more realistic to have participants pinpoint 1 or 2 key focus areas so they can manage to achieve their goals! 👍 End with #connection - leave the meeting on a high and memorable note! The mere act of ending with a connecting activity helps to foster a feeling of belonging in the group, which may very much encourage them to come back for another workshop! 🤝 For today’s #TrainerToolTuesday, here are some ideas for better closings: 💡Invite everyone to self-reflect with music to the question 🤔 What’s an observable behavior / actionable takeaway / intention / challenge / next step (pick your fav!) you want to be sure to put into practice after this event? 💡For small groups: Go around the Zoom circle and ask each person to share out loud their key takeaways or learning outcomes and at least one action they will take to apply their learning 💡For large groups: Encourage them to share in the chat their response to the prompt 💡 Create accountability partners to help them put the learning into practice Make breakout rooms for participants to share their next action steps and even find ways to support each other and/or set specific deadlines by when they will meet and report on their progress. 💡Have everyone pick an image card that describes how they are feeling leaving the training 💡End with a gratitude circle / chatterfall having participants share with one another what they appreciate about each other 💡 Collaborative drawing activity to re-create a collective visual image of the training (great for longer programs) 💡 1 minute Rampage of Appreciation for participants to celebrate themselves for their effort and growth throughout the learning process 💡 End with music, zoom waves (spirit fingers), virtual high fives, and even a dance party. Ask everyone to unmute and say goodbye all together before exiting. 🧐 What are YOUR favorite ways to end a #learningexperience? Let me know below👇

I've facilitated 500+ workshops. These 5 closing techniques are the only ones that stick. Most facilitators spend hours designing the opening and the activities. Then the last 10 minutes arrive and they panic. → "Let's share a final thought." → "Any last reflections?" → "Thanks everyone, great session!" The closing is where behaviour change gets locked in or evaporates. Most facilitators treat it like an afterthought. Here are the 5 that actually work: 1. The One Commitment Round Every participant states one specific thing they'll do differently this week. Out loud. To the room. → Not: "I'll communicate better." → Instead: "I'll start every Monday standup asking my team what's blocking them before giving updates." Vague commitments die on the drive home. Specific ones survive. Public commitment creates social accountability. Say it out loud and it costs something to not follow through. 2. The Accountability Partner Every participant pairs up. They exchange commitments. They set a check-in within 14 days. Calendar invite sent before they leave. → Not: "Let's all keep each other accountable." → Instead: "You and your partner have a 15-minute call on March 31st. One question: did you do it?" Accountability without a name and a date is just a wish. 3. The Letter to Yourself Each participant writes a short message to their future self. What they committed to. Why it matters. The facilitator collects them and emails them back in 2 weeks. A delayed mirror. When the workshop energy has faded, you get a message from yourself reminding you what you promised when you were most motivated. 4. The Team Contract The group co-creates 3-5 agreements about how they'll work together. One page. Everyone signs. Photographed and shared in the team channel before they leave. → Not: "Let's agree to be more open." → Instead: "If you disagree with a decision, raise it in the meeting, not after. If you don't speak up, you've agreed." Invisible norms become a visible artefact. When someone breaks the agreement, anyone can point to it. The contract does the confrontation so individuals don't have to. 5. The Pre-Mortem Close Instead of "how was the session?" ask: "It's 30 days from now and nothing has changed. Why?" Participants write down every reason the commitments might fail. Then for each, one thing that would prevent it. → "It'll fail because I'll get pulled into daily fires." → Prevention: "I'll block 30 minutes every Friday to review my commitment." Instead of hoping for the best, you design against failure before it happens. The pattern across all 5? Every closing that sticks has three things: → A specific commitment, not a feeling → A named person responsible for follow-up → A date on the calendar Without all three, it was a nice ending to a nice day. Nothing more. ___ Save this for later (three dots, top right). Share with friends → ♻️ Repost. Get consultant-grade workshops every Sat → https://lnkd.in/eSfeUapJ

I’m closing differently. For years, I thought ending a talk meant saying, “Thank you for listening.” Polite? Yes. Effective? Not really. Because nothing happens after that. No action. No follow-up. Just applause… and then everyone moves on. Lately, I’ve been rethinking how I end conversations, trainings, and meetings. Not as an ending - but as a launch point. Here’s the shift: Instead of closing with gratitude, I’m closing with direction. Not vague encouragement. But clear next steps people can actually act on. Here’s what that looks like in practice 👇 Instead of “Feel free to reach out,” I say: “I’ll be available Monday from 10–11 AM-come by if you want to discuss your branch challenges.” Instead of “Let’s stay in touch,” I say: “You can connect with me in three ways: a quick discussion, a training request, or a one-on-one problem-solving session.” Instead of blending into the room, I give a cue: “I’ll be the one in the blue blazer near the front.” Simple shifts. Big difference. Because people don’t act on abstract ideas. They act on clear, specific, low-friction opportunities. One story that stuck with me: A speaker didn’t just end her talk-she told people exactly where she’d be, when to meet her, and what they could get from the interaction. She didn’t chase people. People came to her. That’s the power of an action-oriented closing. If you’re leading a meeting, training, or even a client conversation, try this: → Give ONE specific time → Give ONE specific place → Give THREE simple options to engage And watch what changes. Because the goal of communication isn’t just to inform. It’s to move people to act. So next time you’re about to say “Thank you”… pause and ask yourself: “What will they actually do after this?” That’s where the real impact begins. 

You spent 20 years earning the right to be in that room. And you gave it away with THAT closing line? I don’t care how strong the opening was. Or how many people nodded along. If your last words don’t do anything, neither will your audience. This applies to the founder pitching for capital, the manager rallying a tired team, or the creative lead defending a bold concept. You get to the end… and then what? “So, that’s it” “Any questions?” “Thanks for you time.” That’s not an ending. That’s you backing out of the room. If you actually want your message to stick, you need to close with intent. Here of my favourite ways to do it: 1️⃣ The full-circle You opened with a question or a story. And then you never went back to it. Your closing lands hardest when it circles back to your opening, because now your audience is hearing the same words with completely new understanding. What felt like a setup becomes the whole point. 2️⃣ The challenge Don't let them leave inspired and idle. Convert the emotion of your talk into a specific action. Not "think about this." Something specific. Small enough to start today, meaningful enough to matter. "Open your phone right now. Block 15 minutes this week. That's it." To really provoke them, you could even challenge them by saying “98% of you won’t do it” A client of mine did this.... 15 minutes of focused prep later, he doubled the leads he generated from his next presentation. 3️⃣ The power quote Quotes get a bad reputation because most people reach for the same tired ones. That Steve Jobs quote isn't doing anything for you anymore. But the right quote, used well, can sharpen your point and give it more weight than your own words alone. (And yes, if there's a superhero quote that fits your message better than Aristotle or Einstein, use it) 4️⃣ The future vision Forget the “thank you” slide. This is where storytelling needs to shine. I’ve seen many presentations describe a problem thoroughly and then gesture vaguely at a solution. This close puts the audience inside the solution instead. Paint it specific enough that they can feel it - the numbers, the room, the relief. That's what moves people from "interesting" to "let's do this." Hope is a hook. Use it. 5️⃣ The question Not "any questions?". That's a handoff to the most talkative person in the room. Flip the script and ask them a question that continues working after your speech. Nothing grand, just genuinely unresolved. "What kind of company (or person) do we want to be in 10 years? One that took the easier road when things got hard, or one that didn't?" The kind of question that resurfaces in meetings and follows people home. __________ None of this matters if you don't do something with it. Old habits don't die from good advice, they die from doing something differently once and feeling what changes. Pull up your last deck right now and read your final slide out loud. If it doesn't land, you've got work to do. (See what I did there?)

Politeness does not make you a great speaker. Finish your talk with “Thank you”… and people will remember your politeness but immediately forget your message. Here is the truth: “Thank you” is how you end when you want to be liked, not when you want to be remembered. And in leadership settings like a townhall, a board review, a strategy presentation or a leadership talk, your closing is not a courtesy. It is a moment of influence. When you end with “Thank you” you unintentionally collapse your authority in the final seconds. You take all the energy you built and release it instead of directing it. You signal completion instead of conviction. You turn a leadership moment into a polite conclusion. That is why “Thank you” is a weak closing. Not because gratitude is wrong but because it dilutes the impact of everything you just said. So if you do not finish with “Thank you” how do you close? You close with the one thing your audience must walk away with: your main message. The line that carries the weight of your entire talk. You close with your call to action. What you want your audience, your leadership team, or your organisation to do next. This is the moment where you create lasting impact with your words. Don't soften it with a “Thank you.” Don't shrink it with a “Thank you.” Don't bury it under gratitude. If removing “Thank you” leaves you with nothing to close with, it means you never had a message or a call to action in the first place. That is the real problem. And that is what needs to be reworked. Close with clarity. Close with direction. Close with strength. Let your last words resonate and build a lasting impact.

“Have a good weekend.” We’ve all said it. We’ve all received it. But communications research suggests it often lands flat—it’s generic and forgettable. What works better? - Future pacing. Instead of a plain wish, invite the other person to imagine a positive state by Monday: - “I hope that by the time the weekend is over, you feel recharged and rejuvenated.” Why does this work? Studies show that painting a vivid picture of the near future creates positive anticipation, strengthens connection, and even improves well-being. Other research-backed ways to stand out: Personalized closings: “Enjoy your well-deserved downtime this weekend.” Encouragement + reconnection: “Take this weekend to reset and recharge—looking forward to tackling next week together.” Small changes in how we close conversations can transform routine interactions into moments of genuine connection.

I've spent 1000s of hours listing, observing and studying the top 0.1 % tech candidates who have mastered storytelling. People who came from big tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Atlassian, Okta you name it. Here is what I've learned: // Start with the end in mind. Decide what you want the listener to do or feel. • Recruiter: “Shortlist them.” • Panel: “Safe hands under pressure.” • Hiring manager: “I can picture week-4 impact.” →When the outcome is clear, your opening and middle funnel toward it. // Shape your story. Use a simple frame so your skill shines through. • STARL (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Learning) • SOARL (Situation, Objective, Action, Result, Learning) • CARL (Context, Action, Result, Learning) →Pick one and stick to it. Consistency beats flair. You see there is always a lesson at the end. // Lead with action. Skip the origin story. Start at the point of risk. “Prod outage hit Friday 4:12 pm. I led the incident bridge…” → Then add only the backstory needed to make the result land. // Make it emotional (the professional kind). You don’t need drama. You need stakes. Choose 1–2 feelings to anchor: relief, safety, momentum, trust. → Aim your story at them. // Build the world (fast) Let us “see” the constraints in two lines: - Team and scope: “8 engineers across Sydney/Welly.” - Rules: “Change freeze; 2-hour SLA.” - Shared language: “P1 incident, 99.95% target.” →Constraints make your result believable and tangible. // Sell the transformation Great stories show change. Use the delta: “From 83% to 99.97% uptime in 6 weeks, while cutting cloud spend 22%.” → Formula: From X → Y, because Z (your actions) + proof (metric). // Slow down before the close After you land the result, pause. Let it breathe. →Count to three. Then add the lesson that makes you memorable. // Build to one moment Design every line to amplify your headline win. “I once handled incidents. Now I run the playbook others follow.” // Develop your process Top candidates don’t wing it; they bank stories. All Careersy Coaching client have one. Keep a “Story Bank” of 12 wins and a few fails with a strong lesson gained. - Tag each by competency (leadership, ambiguity, stakeholder mgmt). - Prepare 90-sec, 3-min, and 6-min versions. - Rehearse out loud; trim fillers. - Refresh with fresh numbers before each interview. // Mini-example (how this sounds) “Traffic spiked 3× during a release. Error rate hit 12%. I led the incident bridge, rolled back within 8 minutes, added circuit breakers, and tuned connection pools. By Monday we cut peak errors to 0.4% and raised weekly uptime from 99.6% to 99.96%. The change was adding autoscaling rules tied to queue depth, not CPU. Lesson: measure the real bottleneck, not the noisy one.”

Everyone talks about Onboarding. Hardly anyone talks about Offboarding. Offboarding is not an administrative process. It’s your last brand impression. On Day 1, companies roll out the red carpet. - Welcome kits - Shiny laptops - Branded merchandise - Smiling photos But on the last working day? Just a resignation letter, a system logout, and… silence. Strange, isn’t it? Because that person once contributed to your growth, your targets, your culture. Here’s a thought: Why should exits be forgettable when entries are celebrated? What HR can do to make resignations more human and memorable: 1. A “The Last Chapter” instead of “Last Working Day. What the employee was known for. One impact they made. One habit or value they leave behind 2. A small keepsake (not expensive, just thoughtful) a notebook, a card, a desk souvenir 3. A 15-minute farewell ritual, not forced, just respectful 4. A “lessons learned” conversation, not just an exit interview. 5.Instead of “ex-employee”, make them alumni. People may leave roles, but they carry stories forever. And someday, they might return or recommend you or speak about you. Make it count.

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞. She is also not a seasoned speaker and was very anxious about an upcoming board presentation. Her boss summed it up perfectly, “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞.” By that, she meant audience-first language, a persuasive structure, and a close that lingers long after she leaves the room. 𝐈𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭. The transformation did not come from adding more content. It came from precision. 𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚.  An “Agenda” slide often feels like a warning label that says, “Here comes a meeting.” 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. I coached Sandy to say, “This is what you can look forward to hearing.” That single shift moves a board from endurance to attention. 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭, 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.  Many executives open with, “I’m excited to share…” That focuses on the speaker’s feelings, not the board’s priorities. We replaced it with, “You will be pleased to know…” Board members do not need excitement. They need confidence. 𝐖𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. Board presentations are never standalone events. They are chapters in an ongoing story. Anchoring the opening to the last meeting instantly created continuity and credibility. 𝐖𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞. If you read your slides, you become optional. Slides should support the spoken message, not replace it. We elevated what she would say out loud: the meaning, the implications, and the priorities. 𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰,” not just the categories. Without that, emerging topics like AI can sound like magic. Boards invest in strategy, not mythology. 𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬, sharpened vague language, strengthened transitions, and made the plan tangible by highlighting people. Then we engineered the close: a rhetorical question based on her main theme, a crisp recap, appreciation, and one final “Remember…” line designed to linger. My job is to help executives turn good content into communication that is clear, concise, credible, and delivered with a dash of flair. 𝐈𝐧 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐀𝐊𝐀, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞. #presentationskillsexpert #keynotespeaker #publicspeaking #frippvt

Every single sales team I have ever evaluated has their lowest score on the closing competency.    This really boils down to really crappy proposal meetings and sales pitches.    First we should never be doing a discovery meeting and a proposal meeting at the same time.     If a sales person does split their discovery and proposal meeting, they usually show up with a boiler plate deck completely focused on why the company is so great.    They present every single capability that the prospect doesn't care about, so somewhere within the first 5 minutes the deal is lost.    Here are five things I teach my clients to do when presenting a proposal:    1) Customized each proposal to the client.     2) Start with an objectives slide.     This should be the 3-5 problems you extracted from the discovery call.    After presenting this slide, ask the client if you captured their needs.    It's pretty amazing to see how prospects lean in immediately because you have summarized their challenges so well.    This is a sign you have them hooked.    3) Connect each problem the client has with one of your solutions.    You could sell a 250K piece of equipment that has 100 different "cool" things    The only cool things that matter are the ones that solve the prospects problems.    Only share a maximum of five solutions.    4) Add in a maximum of two slide about your company.    This should be your company's unique value proposition    5) Drop in a testimonial or two that is relevant to that prospect    Always have a strong testimonial on the slide right before you share the pricing    The key to deliver flawless pitches and improving your close rate is about stepping into the prospects world.    I can guarantee you if you follow only one of these steps you with see your close rate increase by a few percent.    If you follow them all you can easily double your close rate    You will realize the problem with your proposal meeting is you don't actually have the information you need to properly present your solution to your client.    And you need to go back and do real discovery meeting to extract the prospects challenges.    Closing starts at the beginning of your sales process, not the end.     #wesleynewisdom