What Is the Residual Message?
So what about the residual message or memorable close? It serves two purposes. First, it directly states what the audience should remember long after the story or presentation has ended. In essence it deposits memorable mental residue into the brains of your audience. The second purpose, which is especially important for presentations, is to signal that the end has come. When the residual message is delivered effectively, the audience will be 100% sure that the talk is over. You won’t have to ask, “Are there any questions?” to let the audience know you’re done. How to Create a Memorable Close So, how do you create a memorable close? You can use the same suggestions I mentioned for an opening. For example, you could choose a question for your opening and then close with a quotation or open with an analogy and close with a statistic. As with the opening, it’s important for your residual message to closely reflect the theme. It needs to be even shorter than your opening, maybe 15 to 20 se
