I gave this lecture on March 19, 2022.
Stick Your Landing!
INTRODUCTION
Every time the Summer Olympic Games come around, my family usually watches parts or all of the gymnastic events. We did so years ago when our children were younger, especially when Courtney and Johnny were taking gymnastics at a local gym. Those were the early days of the US gymnastics heyday.
I like all the events, but vault is perhaps the most athletic of them. The gymnast runs full tilt toward the apparatus, making sure her feet hit the springboard at just the right place to get the required boost. Then she must put her hands exactly on the right spot to vault herself upward high enough to complete her aerial maneuver—twisting, turning, tumbling, all in form—and land on her feet between the lines (the width of the apparatus) without stepping or stumbling, as gracefully as possible when trying to stop on a dime at about twenty mph. This last part of the routine is called “sticking the landing.”
SPS A speech is somewhat like the vault exercise with an introduction, body, and conclusion. But I want to concentrate tonight on the conclusion. An effective speech is only as good as its conclusion—and we need to make sure that we do our best—after all the twists and turns of the body of speech—to stick the landing.
Writing a conclusion to an essay, paper, or speech is about the same, except that, since a speech is oral, it should tend to be a little more dynamic than something written. You must stick the landing to leave the judges—your audience, your evaluator—with a positive impression. Because it is the last thing they hear, a well-written conclusion can compensate for deficiencies in your introduction and body of the speech. So, make sure you don’t just end your speech—put some thought into it and leave your audience wanting more or feeling satisfied or determined to use what you have presented.
As with introductions, there are several ways to conclude a speech:
Probably the most common method is the Summary. This way simply restates the SPS, the main themes or points of the speech, bringing matters full circle. This is the “tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, tell ‘em, and tell ‘em what you told ‘em method.” Wrap up your talk with the specific point you want your audience to remember or learn from your presentation.
“Now you know why Pittsburgh Pirate Honus Wagner is the GOAT of Major League Baseball players: Some can hit, run, or play stingy defense, but He could hit AND he could run AND he could catch and throw better than anyone in the game. The stats don’t lie!”
Another is the “So What?” method. This way asks the question, “Why should anyone care about this?” In this method, the speaker concludes his speech by showing how his information benefits his audience. It takes facts or universal truths and makes them worthwhile, applicable, and helpful to the individual.
“So what can all this do for the average Joe Blow? What I’ve given you tonight could literally change your life—if you conscientiously put these steps into practice. Over time, it will provide you with more time, more money, and more personal satisfaction. All it takes is a little self-discipline, and you will succeed in life!”
A third method is using an Insightful Quotation that wraps things in a neat little package. A particularly on-point Bible verse works here just as well. This is a way to lean on an expert or a timeless truth to put a final stamp on your argument and leave the audience with an “Of course! He’s right!” feeling. Say that you’ve just given a speech on the evils of taxation:
“I’d like to leave you with the wit and wisdom of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who said on this subject, ‘I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying lift himself up by the handle.’”
A fourth method is also the name of one of our speeches, Stir to Action! This way of concluding takes the passive information you have given and transforms it into dynamic action. Give your audience something to do with your instruction and make them want to do it because you condensed it into a neat and tidy action.
“None of what I’ve told you tonight does anyone any good unless it is put into play in real life. So, I urge you, gentlemen, to resolve to take your wives out to dinner at least once each month to rekindle that most vital human relationship.”
Finally, you can use the Broader Implications method. This takes an insular problem or cause and expands it to show its effects on the wider world. This conclusion works especially well in concluding a retelling of a historical event—the conclusion reveals its impact on culture or society or how it changed history. It also works when reviewing the lives or works of prominent people, showing how they influenced others after them.
“Not only did J.R.R. Tolkien create an entirely new genre in English literature, but he also taught future generations of Science Fiction and Fantasy writers how to create detailed new worlds with depth and verisimilitude that has greatly enhanced their works.”
CONCLUSION So, give your conclusions some thought. Consider how you want to leave your audience and figure out the best method—either among these five or others—to bring that to pass. You will be known more by your exits than entrances, so stick your landing, and make sure you leave ‘em wanting more!