Endings

If it’s not stating the obvious, endings are often the last thing you think about in any piece of storytelling, be that using video or the written word. And yet your ending is the last chance you have to impress your audience and should be given the attention it deserves. It’s your final opportunity to make sure you’ve delivered on your premise: what do you want them to think, feel or do differently as a consequence of engaging with your communication?

Here are a few different types of ending to get you thinking about what might work best for you:

• The crescendo: that ‘ta-dah’ moment when all is revealed
• The elliptical: when you open the door to new possibilities in the mind of your reader and leave them wanting more
• The circular: when you bring them back to the beginning and your opening hypothesis
• The emphatic: the logical inevitable take away message stated succinctly

Of course never forget that in sales communication, after all that effort to persuade and deliver a compelling argument, you still need to ask the audience to take the next step with you – be that a conversation, a trial or download. The end of your ending is always a call to act.