I am an online facilitator and experience designer who has spent 1000s of hours on Zoom. I help online professionals design and lead instantly engaging live online sessions. ✍️In my newsletter The Quest, you'll get expertly curated tips, insights, and resources that you can use straight away to make your live sessions ✨energizing✨ (and not exhausting). Questions? Let's connect!
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.❤️
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe and receive The Quest straight to your inbox every Monday👇
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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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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!)
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👇
Simple, right? How will you link your opening and closing in your next session?
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👇
What is a closing quote that would inspire your group?
Copywriting is a skill known for boosting course sales, but can it be used to boost course engagement too?
You bet!
Join us on November 7th at 12 pm ET for a live workshop with copywriting expert Billy Broas who will show you why selling doesn't stop after enrolment.
Here's what you’ll learn:
👉 Why facilitators have a unique advantage in copywriting
👉Copywriting for selling vs for content delivery
👉5 key places you need to employ copywriting during your programs
👉Actionable tips to start improving engagement immediately
This workshop is perfect for:
Don't miss this workshop - it's a total breakthrough. Billy's copywriting techniques boosted engagement in my own course. And trust me, this is an untapped facilitation skill that very few people are talking about.
Sign me up! |
Sure, we'll record the session. But attending live is where the real magic happens. You'll get more insights and have a lot more fun:)
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to The Quest 👉here.
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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.
Book an exploration call |
👉5-week Live Online Course. The Breakthrough Facilitation course gives you tools, personalized feedback, and a proven framework for designing and leading high-engagement live sessions.
Join the interest list to learn about future cohorts and new offers. Check out the BF course page👇
Join the interest list |
I'm Gwyn Wansbrough
I am an online facilitator and experience designer who has spent 1000s of hours on Zoom. I help online professionals design and lead instantly engaging live online sessions. ✍️In my newsletter The Quest, you'll get expertly curated tips, insights, and resources that you can use straight away to make your live sessions ✨energizing✨ (and not exhausting). Questions? Let's connect!
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.❤️ If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe and receive The Quest straight to your inbox every Monday👇 Sign me up! Let's jump right in. 🤔"What's in it for me?" This is not just a passing thought. It's the #1 question on your audience's mind when they join your live session....
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.❤️ If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe and receive The Quest straight to your inbox every Monday👇 Sign me up! 🔥How You Can Take Your Closings from Good to Unforgettable? There is so much to say about closings I've made this a two-part series. In case you missed it, last...
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.❤️ If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe and receive The Quest straight to your inbox every Monday👇 Sign me up! Let's jump right in. 🤝How can you bridge differences when finding commonalities seems impossible? I know I'm not the only one who has been feeling a mix of...