In the last Tip of the Month, we talked about making the most of the presentation by rehearsing and nailing the opening. Let's build on that theme here, by talking about the other place in the presentation where a little extra rehearsal goes a long way - the closing. After all, we don't make IMPAX presentations so we could say we made a great executive presentation. We make them so we can close on our desired action.

Many times, we've seen a terrific, well delivered presentation end with a whimper instead of a bang. What a disappointment. Delivering a powerful presentation is a great set up for a strong close, and a great way to accomplish this is to plan for it and rehearse it.

As many of you know, the first step in writing an IMPAX presentation is to write the action steps page. We do that so the desired outcome is top of mind for us as we write the rest of it. In doing this, we put the close first, building every page around it. After all, in most presentations, the roundtable discussion that follows the formal presentation is driven by what's on the action steps page.

A key step in this process is to determine what you want your closing question to be. Consider the decision maker's style, the coaches and gatekeepers in attendance, and the nature of your request. Then come up with your very specific question to ask as you transition to the roundtable. Some examples:


"These are my recommendations. How do you feel we should proceed?"
"Should we move ahead on these actions steps at this time?"
"Is there anything that stands between us and moving forward on these recommendations?"


Any of these may work fine, given your situation, and there are many other ways you can ask your question. The two keys are that you ask a pointed, direct question, and that you leverage the answer to direct your roundtable discussion, determining tactics, timeframes and responsibilities.

Whatever you do, rehearse your close several times, so your great closing question doesn't turn into, "So, what do you think?", or "Any thoughts about where to from here?" Practice delivering your Recommendations or Action Steps page, while literally transitioning from presenting at the front of the room, to sitting down and joining the roundtable discussion, all the while looking the decision maker in the eyes. This will show the group that the roundtable is as important as the rest of the presentation, and that you are ready to guide them to a meaningful conclusion.