Sylvester Stallone is hanging from a rock, above a deep abyss. It’s a scene from the film Cliffhanger, and the moment you hold your breath. You have to know how it ends.
You can use that mechanism too. Not to leave your audience hanging from a rock, but to keep them with your story until the end.
Why cliffhangers work
Think of your favourite series. The tension builds, you’re on the edge of your seat and then: end of episode. Your head is full of questions. That’s no coincidence. As early as the 1920s, psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik studied how unfinished tasks can keep occupying our minds. A cliffhanger plays on something very familiar: you’re left with an open question. You want to know how it ends. And so you keep watching.
That’s exactly what you want during a presentation: an audience that wants to know what you’re going to say next.
Cliffhangers during your presentation
- Save the reveal. Alfred Hitchcock explained it with a bomb under a table. If it just goes off, you get fifteen seconds of surprise. If your audience knows it’s there, you get fifteen minutes of suspense. Do the same: let people feel that your most important point is coming, pause, and briefly talk about something else.
- Split a story. Start a personal story or a client case and stop halfway: “And then something completely unexpected happened… But first I want to show you this.” Your audience stays on their toes.
- Use a visual teaser. Show a chart without data: “What do you think this is? I’ll come back to it in a moment.” Especially with an audience of number crunchers, that works like a magnet.
A cliffhanger at the end
- End with a question. What would they do? Let them discuss it briefly or vote. People who think along remember more.
- Give the answer in your next presentation. That turns curiosity into a bridge to what comes next. And your next presentation immediately has a strong start.
Let it linger
A good cliffhanger keeps your subject alive, even after your last slide. Your presentation sticks. Not because you gave everything away, but because they want more.
In short
Don’t give everything away at once. Curiosity is the best reason to keep listening.
Want to know where a cliffhanger fits in your presentation? With the Presentation Check, we look together for the moments where you can build tension. In the training, you learn how to build a complete narrative arc, from first to last slide.
