One of the privileges of my work is that I get to see presentations from a unique perspective.
As an emcee, moderator and former CNBC Asia anchor, I’ve spent more than two decades on stages across Asia-Pacific, interviewing CEOs, government ministers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Today, through Oake Media’s presentation training and media training programmes in Singapore, I coach executives to communicate with confidence both on stage and in front of the camera. Having introduced hundreds of speakers, moderated countless panel discussions and watched thousands of presentations unfold from just a few metres away, I’ve noticed something fascinating.
People spend weeks preparing their presentations. They agonise over their opening slide. They rehearse the difficult questions they might be asked. They carefully structure the body of their presentation.
Then, when they reach the end, it’s as though they simply run out of energy.
The last thirty seconds—the part the audience is most likely to remember—are often treated as an afterthought.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen a confident, articulate speaker finish with something like, “Well… I guess that’s it from me,” before rushing off stage almost as though they’re trying to escape.
It’s understandable.
Presenting requires an enormous amount of mental energy. Even the most experienced speakers experience a rush of adrenaline. Once the final slide appears, there is an overwhelming sense of relief that the hard part is over.
Our instinct is to leave the stage as quickly as possible.
The problem is that the audience doesn’t experience your presentation the same way you do.
For them, your final words are still part of your presentation. In fact, they often become the lasting impression.
Don’t Let Your Presentation Fade Away
This is one of the techniques I spend time on during presentation training in Singapore because it has such a significant impact on executive presence.
There are a few endings that I hear again and again.
“So… yeah… that’s it.”
“Anyway, thanks everyone.”
“I think that’s all I’ve got.”
None of these are disastrous, but none of them project confidence either.
Instead of ending with authority, they create the impression that the speaker simply ran out of things to say.
It’s a little like watching a great film that suddenly stops halfway through the final scene.
The audience is left wondering whether that was really the ending.
Move the Story Forward
One of the biggest mistakes speakers make is assuming the audience will automatically arrive at the same conclusion they have.
Often they won’t.
Your job is to do the work for them.
After you’ve presented the facts, the research or the strategy, tell the audience what it means.
What should they take away from what they’ve just heard?
Why does it matter?
What should they do differently tomorrow because of your presentation?
As speakers, we’re often so close to our subject matter that we forget the audience is hearing it for the first time. They appreciate being guided towards the key message rather than being left to interpret everything themselves.
A strong ending doesn’t simply summarise your presentation.
It interprets it.
This is a principle I also teach during media training. Whether you’re speaking to an audience of five hundred people or answering questions from a journalist, don’t leave your audience to decide what matters most. Tell them. Clear communicators don’t simply provide information—they provide meaning.
Then Become the Bridge to What’s Next
This is something I particularly notice as an emcee.
Many speakers seem to believe that once they’ve finished talking, their job is over.
In reality, there is one final opportunity to demonstrate professionalism.
If another speaker is following you, don’t simply say, “Our next speaker is Jane.”
Build anticipation.
Help the audience understand why they should stay engaged.
For example:
“We’ve explored why this issue matters. Our next speaker is going to show us how organisations are already putting these ideas into practice. Jane has spent more than twenty years advising multinational companies on digital transformation, and I’m delighted she’ll now share some of the lessons she’s learned. Please join me in welcoming Jane…”
Notice what happens.
You’ve reinforced your own message.
You’ve highlighted the expertise of the next speaker.
You’ve told the audience exactly what they can expect.
Most importantly, you’ve kept the energy in the room moving forward.
As someone who moderates conferences for a living, I can tell you that event organisers notice speakers who make thoughtful handovers. It reflects confidence, generosity and professionalism.
One Simple Technique That Works Every Time
If there is one piece of advice I give almost every executive I coach during presentation coaching and executive communication training, it is this:
Write your final few sentences.
Most people script the beginning of their presentation because they want to start confidently.
Very few script the ending.
Yet the ending is every bit as important.
When you know exactly how you’re going to finish, you don’t find yourself searching for words or apologising that you’ve reached the end.
Instead, you deliver your closing thoughts with clarity, confidence and purpose.
Then you smile.
Pause.
Receive the applause.
And leave the stage knowing you’ve finished just as strongly as you began.
Finish with Confidence, Not Relief
The next time you give a presentation, remember that your audience doesn’t know you’ve reached the end until you tell them.
Don’t allow your presentation to quietly fade away.
Finish with conviction.
Leave your audience with a clear understanding of what matters most.
Create excitement for what comes next.
Because people rarely remember every slide you presented, but they will remember how you made them feel before you left the stage. Those final few moments of demonstrating strength and confidence will do more for your credibility than almost any other part of your presentation.
