A dear friend of David’s passed away this week. In 1965, Archie Harrison was competing in the Oklahoma State Wrestling Championship. He was getting beaten badly, but in the last fifteen seconds of his match, pinned his opponent. His team won university scholarships and launched the careers of the young wrestlers. The wrestlers had all been trained by their gold medal Olympian coach, Terry McCann to finish strong, in workouts and in competition. It paid off.
We see this concept played out every day. Broadcasters, speakers, colleagues doing Zoom sessions, can suffer from fizzling out at the end of their presentations. You would never catch a professional acting company sauntering into the final scene of a show. They know those last moments make or break their performance.
In rehearsal, practice a strong finish. Monitor your energy so that you have enough “in the tank” to bring home your close with power and verve. Words are important, but not so critical as your delivery. Audiences respond to a dramatic finish. Train to make this technique be your gold standard.