I believe you should always finish your talk with a CTA – a call to action.
If you’re in sales (and who’s not?) you already know that at some point in the sales process you are going to go for the “close,” inviting the prospect to make a decision.
Same thing as a speaker.
Whether you’re speaking at your own company’s business meeting or whether you’re making your own presentation to promote your business products and services, at the end of the speech its time to ask the audience to do something about what they’ve heard from you.
I like to think that a great call to action has two flavors: one is the direct “do this next thing,” in which you have a couple of choices: either assign them one thing to do based on what they heard or buy something.
The other flavor is special. After you invite them to do the practical “do-this” CTA, now invite them to take what they heard from you and become a finer human being. Call them to their higher self, encourage them, remind them that what they do matters and get them back in the game.
By marrying these two calls-to-action you touch both their heads and hearts. I believe, that the last word out of your mouth should be one of inspiration and hope-giving.