Successful Transitions for your Presentation

Successful Transitions for your PresentationHaving a smoothly flowing presentation relies onhaving successful transitions as you proceed frompoint to point. Even your transitions do needsome level of planning. As your audienceprocesses the information you present in theirminds, jerky transitions become hard to followand comprehend. You could potentially lose youraudience in a transition without even realizingit and by the time they catch up to you, they'llhave missed 2/3 of the next point you're tryingto make. Here are some examples you can easilyimplement into your presentation to make it a

success!- Use bridge words or phrases. These are wordslike \"finally\", \"however\", \"in addition\",\"moreover\" and \"meanwhile\". This bridge helpsyour audience to stay connected with your message.These words or phrases represent linkages betweenthe points you make.- Use the same word or idea twice. You can say,\"A similar idea is that...\" or \"this is whatpeople see... this is what people think...\".- Ask a question. Engage your audience andemphasize the points you are trying to make.\"Was there ever a time when...\" \"How many ofyou...\"- Refer back to information previously stated inyour presentation. \"Remember when I told youearlier...\"

- Review the points you'll be making or the pointyou've made. Itemize them one by one. You cansay, \"There are 5 important concepts to know...\"- Use a visual. Use a prop to finalize your pointor even introduce the next point you are going tomake. Insert a humorous cartoon or image foryour audience to focus on.- Use a pause. Give your audience a moment tothink about what you just said. You can alsointroduce a dramatic pause for evoking emotions.- Use physical movement or a change in the toneof your voice. Walk to different parts of thestage. Use different gestures or postures toemphasize what you mean. Change your tone ofvoice as you are speaking.- Use testimonials or a personal story. Let youraudience know what other people are saying aboutwhat you're talking about. Make your points more

relatable by telling your audience how you orsomeone else handled the issue or problem.One of the most common mistakes that professionalspeakers make is that they don't use transitionsin their presentation. You could potentiallylose your audience because they aren't processingyour information as quickly as you want them to.Another common mistake is that the transitionsused are too short. Transitions are processingtimes for your audience. It gives them a chanceto catch up to where you are at in delivering yourmessage. The last most common mistake made withusing transitions are that the same transition isused over and over again in a presentation. Varyyour transitions and your presentation becomemore interesting.While only representing a small portion of yourpresentation, transitions are powerful tools youcan use to keep your audience tuned in to what youhave to say. If you're not seeing the success

you'd like to see with your audience, considerworking on improving your transitions.