Start Strong, Finish Stronger: Why Your Opening and Closing Define Your Story

he first words set the tone, and the last words decide what sticks. Together, your opening and closing frame the entire experience. If either end is weak, the middle won’t be remembered.

Too many presentations stumble into a bland start or fade out with a forgettable close. If you want your story to land and linger, you have to design both ends with purpose.

Why the Opening Matters

Your opening is the one chance you get to earn attention. Audiences form impressions fast, often within seconds. Don’t waste that window.

A strong opening should:

• Spark curiosity. Lead with a bold statement, a striking number, or a question that makes people lean in.

• Show relevance. Make it clear why this conversation matters right now, to them.

• Set direction. Give a simple roadmap of what’s ahead so your audience knows where you’re taking them.

Skip this, and you’ll spend the rest of your time trying to win back an audience that already tuned out.

Why the Closing Matters Even More

Psychologists call it the serial position effect, people remember the beginning and the end best.

Your close is the anchor. It decides what people recall, repeat, and act on once they leave the room. A strong close brings focus and confidence. A weak one leaves uncertainty about what was just heard or why it mattered.

Practical Ways to Start Strong

Use one of these immediate hooks to pull the audience in:

• The Question. “What would it mean if your leasing cycle dropped from weeks to days?”

• The Story. A quick, relatable anecdote that makes your point real.

• The Payoff. Tell them explicitly what they’ll gain by giving you their attention for the next few minutes.

Practical Ways to End Strong

Don't just stop talking, conclude with power:

• Reinforce the Point. Wrap your entire message in one clear, memorable line.

• Point to Action. Spell out what comes next and who owns the execution.

• Plant a Phrase. Leave behind a short, repeatable idea that people will carry with them.

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Don’t waste your opening on logistics like “Can everyone see my screen?” Handle that before the presentation officially starts.

• Don’t rush the close just because time is short. Protect that final moment.

• Don’t hand away the final word with "Any questions?" You own the last word, so finish with your key takeaway and then open for questions.

The Takeaway

Think of your presentation as a journey. The opening is the departure gate, it sets direction and expectation. The closing is the landing, it determines how smooth the experience feels and how people describe it afterward.

Craft both deliberately. Begin by sparking attention. End by cementing what matters.

Because when the dust settles, people may forget the middle, but they will definitely remember how you started and how you left them.

-BZ