3 Keynote Endings to Get You Booked for Future Talks

Let’s start with a little trivia:

Who said, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending?”

Well look at you! That’s right, Henry Wordsworth Longfellow.

Longfellow was a remarkable writer but an average speaker.

Maybe he should have subscribed to this newsletter. 😂

Let’s dive in.

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3 Unforgettable Endings For Your Next Keynote ↓🎤

When I first started speaking, I gauged the success of my keynote by one metric.

Did I get a standing ovation or not?

A decade in the business has taught me that claps are great but referrals are golden.

I’m in Tokyo for two keynotes.

Then I head to Mauritius for another before heading back to the States.

All three talks originated from referrals.

I’ll take one referral over 1,000 claps any day of the week.

📞 > 👏🏾

Here are three ways to end your keynote that will position you for a pipeline filled with referrals.

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#1: The “Run It Back” Ending

How It Sounds: "Remember when I told you about that company that needed to find $500K in revenue or they would have to file for bankruptcy? Well, today…”

MECHANICS:

1. Embed a vague teaser to the story at the beginning of your keynote

2. Switch gears to another topic

3. Tee the story back up (in a subtle way) as you move through the last third

4. Give the crowd a conclusion to the story at the end of your talk

COACHING POINTS:

This closing takes a fair amount of practice, so here’s my suggestion: Try this out on some small audiences first.

And once you start hearing the “Aha’s” from the audience at the end of your talk, you’ll know that you nailed it. 👊🏾

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#2: “Let Me Tell You a Story” Ending

How It Sounds: "I’ll leave you with one story. Back in 1987 there was a woman who had a choice...”

MECHANICS:

[Note: This ending differs from the “Run It Back” because you don’t reference anything that you said at the beginning of your speech]

1. In the last ten minutes of your speech, take a deep breath and pause

2. Use storytelling language like “Let me tell you a story” or just jump right in

3. The story should encapsulate your main theme (examples: risk-taking, courageous leadership, etc.)

COACHING POINTS:

This ending allows you to be creative, because the story could be:

• fictional

• true

• feature you or someone else

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#3: “We Want You” Ending

How It Sounds: "And now it’s your turn. Right now, at this very moment, you have an important decision to make...”

MECHANICS:

1. In the last five minutes of your speech, scan the room slowly and pause

2. Shift your tense to the second person (i.e., “You”)

3. Speak directly to the audience, urging them to act and…

4. Describe both the costs of inaction and the benefits of taking a stand

COACHING POINTS:

This CTA (call to action) pairs well with advocacy talks where your end goal is to convince the audience to do something now.

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The Mic Drop 🎤

• PLATFORM 2024: Block off this date on your calendar and get ready to throw some ⛽️ on your speaking business.

  Registration details coming soon…👊🏾

• Our “Get Paid to Speak” course shows you, step-by-step, how to build a speaking business. These seven modules will put you in position to monetize your message.

• Looking for 1-on-1 coaching? Schedule a discovery call with our co-founder, Will Baggett.

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