Your first instinct might be to thank the audience at the end of your speech. But dropping the “Thank You” can make your closing signal speak for itself.
Photo by Michigan Municipal League
Avoiding “Thank You” at the end encourages you to end your presentation with a strong closing, as Ragan advises:
Many speakers say these words because they have finished speaking and they feel the need to let the audience know they are done. In desperation, they blurt out “thank you” hoping that those words will clue them in. Equally important to a strong opener is a resounding conclusion. Referred to as a haymaker, your closing statement should be a knockout punch that drives home the entire presentation. The final blow reminds listeners of the core message that you want them to remember long after the presentation has ended.
There are a few other reasons to eliminate “thank you” from a presentation as well at the link below.
Comments
4 responses to “Avoid Saying ‘Thank You’ For A More Powerful Presentation”
A whole bunch of what not to do but no suggestion of a better conclusion.. Not saying that it’s wrong, but using this advice you could easily come off as a nervous weirdo “Our research has found a direct correlation between monkey contact and tumor size, huge news for Zoo keepers and orangutan enthusiasts alike! /walks off stage”
I’d feel rude and awkward not saying thank you. Having a strong conclusion and saying thank you aren’t mutually exclusive. You can do both.
I think the trick is to come up with a closing statement which makes its status as a ‘closer’ perfectly clear, maybe even a joke. ‘Thank you’ is a pretty subtle bit of supplication to try and avoid for impressions’ sake alone, but at least the act of trying makes you put more effort into a powerful closing instead of simply running out of things to say.
‘Any questions? No? Good. / Didn’t think so.’ Not always appropriate. ‘Dismissed.’ Also inappropriate. “And I think we can all agree… [relevant statement].” Maybe? Tough intellectual challenge!
There is nothing wrong in thanking your audience for their time – whether at the start or end. Looking at the positive aspects of thanking them (instead of the negative ones), a thank you is more likely to open their minds to your speech rather than see you as arrogant and rude by simply walking off at the end. It is also a subtle request to consider what you’ve been saying more seriously.
It is good manners, and everyone likes a person with good manners more than one without. It tells your audience that you are appreciative of their time and consideration. I’d rather go with good manners.