A short YouTube monologue by Raele Altano advising speakers to avoid ending explanations with "Does this make sense?" because it introduces doubt. She offers alternative closing questions and phrases (e.g., "How does that sound to you?", "What are your thoughts?", "Do you have any questions?") that invite feedback while preserving speaker confidence.
Does this make sense? Did that make sense? Listen, I get why you want to end your statements or whatever you're explaining with does this make sense? But you are doing yourself a disservice when you do this. When we end with a statement like this, we are placing an unconscious doubt on whatever it is that we're saying. And if it's clear, why would we want to do that? So here are a few alternatives to accomplish the same thing. Wrap up what you're saying and ask for input. How does that sound to you? What are your thoughts on that? How do you feel about this? Do you have any questions? I'd love to hear your input. These concluding statements wrap up what you want to say. They open the floor for input and feedback. Feedback without placing that unnecessary doubt on the thing you just said and explained. If something is unclear or doesn't make sense, let the other person say, I'm confused. Can you walk me through this again? Xyz. Simple tweak, simple shift, but it makes a world of difference. Hopefully this is helpful.
