 Did you know that the footprints of the astronauts who walked on the moon are still there? Because there's no wind or water on the moon to cause erosion, the first boot print from Neil Armstrong in 1969 to the last from Gene Cernan in 1972 remained to this day. Talk about a lasting impression. As a public speaker, you should also be concerned with the kind of lasting impression that you leave on the audience. That's one of several things that make conclusions so important in a speech. In this video, we'll discuss the functions, components, and tips for effective conclusions in public speaking. As we get started, let me ask you a question. What do you see as the function and importance of the conclusion in a speech? What does it do for the audience? What does it do for the speaker? I'll give you a moment to think about it. If you need more time to think those questions over, feel free to pause the video now. Otherwise, let's continue. In addition to leaving a lasting impression on the audience, the conclusion is a speaker's last chance to drive home the main points of their speech. Ending on a high note can also give the speaker confidence and positive momentum for the next time they speak in public. There are four things that speakers should look to accomplish in the conclusion of their speech. First, you want to signal the close of the speech. You don't want to surprise the audience with an abrupt ending. A simple signpost like, in conclusion, or as I conclude, will let the audience know that you're bringing your speech in for a landing. Next, you want to summarize the information you shared. Most often, this will take the form of a review statement in which you restate the main points of your speech. Much like the preview in the introduction, a review statement is typically a simple reworking of the central idea statement for a speech. The review gives you one last chance to drive home your main ideas with the audience. It's also important to remind the audience of the relevance of your topic and to issue a call to action when appropriate. Give them a reason to hold on to this information by reminding them of the importance it has in their own lives. If you're giving a persuasive speech, you may also want to give them some specific action steps that they can take to follow up on your rousing address. Finally, as we pointed out earlier, the conclusion is your last chance to leave a lasting impression on the audience. You want to keep the audience thinking about your speech even after you're finished speaking. A memorable quote or story are two effective methods for providing a memorable close to your speech. We have a few quick tips for creating effective conclusions that we'd like to share with you. First, keep the conclusion short. It should actually be a little shorter than the introduction, coming in at about 5-10% of your total speech time. For the same reason that we recommend that a brief introduction, the idea is to save as much time as possible for the body of your speech. Also like the introduction, it's a good idea to script out your conclusion. This will help ensure that you keep things short and also maximize the effectiveness of your information. Finally, be sure that you don't include any new information in the conclusion. This is a time for review and wrapping up, not starting a new line of discussion. In this video we discussed the functions, components, and tips for effective conclusions in public speaking. Check out some of our other videos for more insight into the public speaking process.