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8.1: Prelude to Introductions and Conclusions

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    131695

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    In a 2012 APA article, James Uleman, a psychology professor and researcher, stated, "'You don't get a second chance to make a first impression'" (Rowh, p. 32). As public speakers, we have an opportunity to make a solid first impression by crafting a compelling introduction. Ending a speech with a solid conclusion solidifies that good first impression we strive for.

    Speaker at Silicon Valley Leadership Conference

    Figure 8.1.1: Silicon Valley Leadership Group - CC BY NC-2.0

    In this chapter, we discuss the most effective ways to make a positive impression on our audience through introductions and conclusions. A compelling introduction engages the audience and offers them a good reason to listen. A compelling conclusion reminds the audience of the relevance of the message. In addition to discussing the why it's important to have compelling introductions and conclusions, we offer various strategies to make introductions and conclusions as poignant as possible. In this chapter there are opportunities to analyze introductions and conclusions in order to assess their effectiveness.

    References

    Rowh, M. (2012). First impressions count. GradPSYCH Magazine, 10(4), p. 32. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2012/11/first-impressions .

    8.1: Prelude to Introductions and Conclusions is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.