How do you close a speech? The worst thing you can do with a speech is just sort of finish abruptly. That's it. Any questions act like you're nervous and scurry off the stage or away from the front of the room. Now you don't have to have some big, overly dramatic ending. You don't have to get down on bended knee.

You don't have to bring a tear to people's eyes. But you do need to conclude with some finality. Simply restate your main point or your main couple of points or maybe even have a story that fleshes out your main point? Let people know exactly what you want them to do. And to remember, and finish on purpose. Finish as though you planned it.

You don't want to be like a car that's going down the highway 70 miles an hour simply runs out of gas pump. That's what many speeches seem like You want to sum up a big main point, stop, pause, step back. Wait a second or two and then say I'll be happy to take questions. If there's time for that. That way you'll come across as polished like you've put thought into it, it leaves a good final taste in the mouth of your audience, you'll be a much stronger closing