Call to Action

As with the previous speeches to inform, the speech to motivate others to action on an important issue requires a conclusion, and in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, the whole conclusion is called the Call to Action. Begin the conclusion, as before, by signaling the end of the speech, followed by a brief recap of the three main points that address why the audience needs to take action, what the speaker proposes to solve this problem, and what advantages the audience will gain by adapting the solution.

Man delivers a presentation.
Source: Yigitcanenginsenturk, Yigitcanenginsenturk, CC BY-SA 4.0

Also, recall that, in a conclusion, the speaker should not introduce any new information or main ideas in this portion of the speech. This portion of the speech serves as a recap, not a chance to insert one more shocking fact that will drive the central idea home. Bringing in new information at this point would only confuse the audience. After finishing the recap, the speaker should end with a clincher that makes the final call to action. This clincher should clearly reinforce the central idea from the beginning of the speech, while explicitly reminding the audience in a simpler fashion what action to take. Be direct and firm. Avoid vague or wishy-washy statements during this step.

A great acronym for assessing a Call to Action is C.A.S.T., or concise, achievable, specific, and tangible. A call to action should be concise, meaning that it doesn’t take long to explain. It should be achievable by every single person in the room, and furthermore, they should be able to achieve the goal in a relatively short amount of time. It should be specific, and finally, it should also be tangible, meaning that the speaker outlined a concrete action for the audience members to take.

Take a look at the sample topic’s conclusion:

Call to Action Step

Signal End: As you all leave here today, you will undoubtedly check your phones to see if there are any new notifications. It is likely that even I will do this as well.

Recap Main Points: However, remember what we talked about today. I showed you how addictive checking our phones can be, even while driving. I also showed you the dangers of giving in to those temptations while operating a motor vehicle, before I showed you some possible solutions, including shutting your phone off when you get into your cars or using a Bluetooth hands-free system. Lastly, I shared with you not only the benefits of doing so, by becoming a safer, more responsible, and more alert driver, but I explained how, if we all continue to do this, the problem can only get worse.

Clincher (Call to Action): Texting and driving is dangerous, not only to yourself, but to all other drivers sharing the road with you. Don’t allow this (show picture of screen capture from text messages) to lead to this (show picture of my surgery scars while in a wheelchair). Turn off your phones while driving, and keep your eyes on the road where they belong.

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Messages that Matter: Public Speaking in the Information Age - Third Edition Copyright © 2023 by North Idaho College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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