After the Speech: It’s Like You Were Never Here
How quickly busy people can forget. They can even forget who and what they’ve just heard at a civic or professional meeting! The followup comments by the group moderator can make a difference.
Sadly, most followup comments, or outros, are weak. They might include a thank you to the speaker. Or they may just remind members that there’s a meeting next week, and annual dues are now due.
A guest speaker can significantly impact how they are perceived by offering a written outro in advance of the speech.
Why a Powerful Outro is Necessary
* Audience members are distractible. Hearing a different voice repeat the name of the speaker they’ve just heard will further lock it in their minds. Same goes for hearing one or two key points repeated by another person’s voice.
* Volunteer program chairs have a lot to do during an event. Freeing them from having to creat a clever outro is very much appreciated.
* A call to action (Taylor’s books are available on the back table, Jeff’s website is easy, it’s . . . ) will remind the audience members to initiate contact with the speaker after the program.
How to Structure a Powerful Outro
* Carefully pronounce the speaker’s full name as you thank them.
* Mention a couple of points from the presentation, such as “Certainly we’ll all be looking out for . . . .”
* Mention how useful the information was to the group members. Use a phrase such as, “You have saved us lots of time and money . . .” .
* Conclude by turning to the audience with a call to action. “Megan will be in the lobby to answer questions.
* Initiate the clapping for the speaker one more time. THEN go on to official club business (dues, calendars).
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