Hello friends,
Greetings from Barcelona.☀️
🙌Many thanks for reading The Quest, your weekly round-up of tips and insights to help you design and lead exceptional online sessions that your group members will love.❤️
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🔥How You Can Take Your Closings from Good to Unforgettable
There is so much to say about closings I’ve decided to make this a two-part series. 💪
Today: The elements of a closing for a one-off session
Next week: How to design a closing for a longer program
Let’s jump right in.
There is one element that can elevate your live sessions from “good” to “unforgettable”.
Can you guess what it is? Yep – it’s the closing. Not just any closing. I’m talking about an ✨intentional closing.✨Ending your session the way you want it to end instead of leaving it to chance or circumstance.
The problem is that most people skip the closing altogether.
When I used to teach I didn’t give any thought to how I was going to end my class. Just a glance at the clock and an awkward “Well, that’s it for today.” In live online sessions, it’s often the same. It doesn’t happen.
Why? Because it’s easy to fall into what I call “closing pitfalls”👇
We need closings.
The thing is, closings matter – a lot. They tie up loose ends. They help participants digest new knowledge. And then transform that knowledge into actionable steps. How you end is often what people remember the most.
Don’t skip the closing.
When you don’t close with intention your audience can leave feeling unsatisfied and scattered. Instead, you want them to leave energized and inspired. The good news? Designing an impactful closure is simpler than you think.
How do you design an intentional closing for a one-off session? That’s our Quest for this week 🔎
👉 The Science Behind Intentional Closings
👉The 3 Must-Have Elements for Designing an Intentional Closing
👉The Secret to an Unforgettable Closing
Plus
📅You’re invited to a free expert session – Boost Your Course Engagement With Copywriting with Billy Broas on November 7th (register here)
💡The Science Behind Intentional Closings
For years, I was winging the closings of my in-person live sessions. I didn’t really understand the science behind why they mattered. Let’s just say the results were a mixed-bag.
Once I dove into the research, I understood what was important. It’s helped me to design consistently powerful endings.
Here are 6 reasons why science says closings are important👇
1/ 😊Sense of Completion.
The Zeigarnik Effect shows that our brains crave completion; uncompleted tasks haunt us. Closing your session with intention provides that satisfying “end of chapter” feeling. It helps participants process and store the experience.
2/ 🎁Emotional Regulation.
Good closures allow participants to wind down emotionally. They set a final tone—be it excitement or calm—that aids in memory retention. Think of it as the emotional ribbon that ties up the package.
3/ 💾Cognitive Consolidation.
Summing up and reflecting at the end of a session acts like a mental save button. It moves new memories into long-term storage. And ensures that what’s learned sticks around for the long haul.
4/ 🤝Community Building.
A strong closing ritual fosters a sense of community. It’s akin to a group handshake or a shared high-five. It taps into our social nature and the importance of collective experiences.
5/ 📈The Peak-End Rule.
People judge experiences by their peaks and endings. You can design your closing to end on a peak shaping how your participants remember the whole session.
6/ ✨Primacy-Recency Effect.
We also remember the first and last things in an experience. This is called the Primacy-Recency Effect. Your closing isn’t just “the end”; it’s one of the most memorable and impactful parts of the entire experience.
How can science help you design an even more powerful closing?
✔️The 3 Must-Have Elements for Designing an Intentional Closing (One-Off Session)
Knowing the science behind intentional closings is one thing. It’s applying it where the magic happens.
But it can be hard to know how to put it all together.
To make it super easy for you I’ve boiled it into 3 must-have elements that can elevate your finale. This is the framework I teach in my courseBreakthrough Facilitation.
Here are the 3 elements:
1/ Recap – this is what ensures learning sticks.
Tip 👉 Summarise your main points on a slide and/or in the chat.
2/ Closing Prompt – this helps participants focus their insights and shapes how the session is remembered.
Tip 👉 Keep it succinct. And drop it in the chat, like:
✅”One word how you are feeling at the end of today’s session”
✅”One insight you gained in today’s session”
3/ Group Connection – this fosters community by getting all voices heard one last time.
Tip 👉 Encourage folks to unmute and say goodbye.
The best part? You can nail all three elements in 2-5 minutes.
How could you design a closing for your next session with these 3 elements?
(P.S. The closing for a longer program is slightly different. I’ll be breaking this down next week – stay tuned!)
🤫 The Secret to An Unforgettable Closing
Want to elevate your closing from “solid” to “unforgettable”? Here’s a game-changing tip I learned from my mentor Stef Turning (hat tip to Stef 🙌!)
Here’s the secret: Make your closing a callback to your opening.
This creates a satisfying “full-circle” moment, neatly tying up your session.
Here are some quick examples👇
- Start with an inspiring quote and circle back to it at the end.
- Open with a chat prompt like, “What’s a superpower you wish you had?” Close with, “What superpower did you use today?”
- Begin by asking everyone to turn on their mics and say hi. Wrap up the same way but with goodbyes.
Simple, right? How will you link your opening and closing in your next session?
📖 A Closing Quote
Finding a fitting quote to share at the end of a session can add a final touch of wisdom and aspiration to a closing. Here is one of my favorites👇
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. T.S. Eliot
What is a closing quote that would inspire your group?
💌Thanks for reading The Quest
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
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Creatively yours,
Whenever you are ready there are 2 more ways I can help you:
👉Custom coaching & team training. Book a free 15-minute zero-commitment call with me to see how I can support you and your team.
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