How to Write Opening & Closing Remarks of a Speech

When writing a speech the introduction and the ending are just as important as the body of your speech. The first 30 seconds of your speech must grab your audience immediately. Your ending should be strong and powerful and leave your audience with something to remember, whether it be a thought, idea, or feeling.

Things You'll Need

• computer or paper and pen

Instructions

1. Define for yourself who you are giving the speech to, what is the topic and focus and how long does it need to be. Make a outline of your ideas for the speech. Be specific and clear about each point that you wish to speak about. Identify what the theme and purpose is.

2. Create a statement that captures your audience's interest immediately. Make it dramatic or humorous, depending on the type of talk you are giving. The opening statement should capture your audience's attention or "hook" them. An example is Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, in which he references both Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson in the opening paragraphs, tying African-American rights to cherished American values.

3. Go back to your main ideas and review what result you wish to have by the end of your speech. What do you want the audience to feel in the beginning, middle and end? Where are you taking your audience and how will you be doing this? Write your introduction based on the answers you get from these questions.

4. Begin writing your ending by identifying the call to action. You may have to go back to your purpose to figure this out. What is it that you wish to leave your audience with? Is it to motivate or inspire? To persuade them to adapt a certain point of view? To celebrate a person or event? Share your expertise on a subject?

5. Choose one of the many ways to end a speech, some of which include: a summary of your most important points, ending with a strong quotation, a challenge, or a call-back; a humorous ending; a personal anecdote; or a human interest story. There are many more ways to end your talk; see the Resources section for a website with other ideas. To choose which ending will be the best for you, ask yourself again what you want your audience to feel as a result of listening to your speech.

6. Summarize the main points of your speech and provide some further food for thought for your listeners. Leave your audience with positive memories of your speech. End with a final thought or emotion
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Tips & Warnings

• There are different ways to write a speech. Some prefer to begin with an outline and then proceed to the main points, introduction and ending. Others write the outline and flesh it out with key points, then write the ending, then the introduction. Both ways can be effective and it is more a matter of preference than rule as to which works best.

References

• Speech Tips
• How to Write a Speech

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• 20 Ways to End a Speech and Closing