Motivating Audience Action: Skip the Thank You

When giving a talk, motivating audience action is essential for maximizing engagement and creating lasting connections.

A while ago, I spoke at the “Psychology and Business” conference in Acre, in front of around 400 people.

There were seven other speakers besides me. The quality of the talks was high, even very high (some speakers, whom I didn’t know before, truly impressed me). However, one thing stood out to me negatively: except for one other speaker and myself, every speaker ended their talk with a simple:

“Well… thank you all very much…”

And that was it.

No final slide with their contact details (name, phone number, website) so the audience could remember them (after all, there were a lot of speakers at the conference) and know how to get in touch with them.

They didn’t say something like, “I’ll be here on the side to answer questions. Feel free to come talk to me,” or “My business cards are right here; if anyone would like one, I’d be happy to share.”

They didn’t make any offer to the audience or mention what they were selling (consulting, workshops, products…)—they just thanked the crowd and immediately left the stage.

Some even left the conference right after their talk, so quickly that even I, a fellow speaker who wanted to connect with them, didn’t have the chance. By the time I got to them, they were gone!

Now, some of you might wonder—what’s the problem with that?

Let me explain.

A talk is one of the best platforms for marketing and sales. If I’ve given a talk, especially a good one, and especially in front of 400 people, there are bound to be dozens of people who want to speak with me, get to know me, learn more about what I offer, and maybe even, heaven forbid, buy something from me after the talk!

How do I know this? Because I’ve been doing this for over 10 years—motivating people to take action at the end of a talk.

These speakers didn’t give even their most enthusiastic supporters a chance to follow up. And those who were impressed by them for the first time couldn’t take down their contact details because they didn’t even display their phone number, email, or website on a slide.

In my terms, this is called “leaving a lot of money on the table.”

For instance, I set up a booth in the hall and directed the audience there right after my talk. I made sure there was a break immediately following my talk (instead of another speaker) so I could “strike while the iron is hot,” allowing anyone interested to come and talk with me.

I offered my books and DVDs for sale at the conference (and sold a very nice quantity), and I added nearly half the audience to my mailing list! And yes, after all that, I also thanked the audience at the end of my talk.

How did I do all of this?

And more importantly—how can you do the same?

Ending a talk with “thank you” can actually close off valuable engagement. For motivating audience action, finish with a call to action instead—invite questions, encourage follow-up, or direct your audience to connect. By focusing on motivating audience action rather than wrapping up, you turn your presentation into a lasting opportunity for connection and impact.

With love,
Dr. Yaniv Zaid – “Doctor Persuasion”

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