A great speech is made up of many parts. Besides the necessary three-part structure of beginning, middle, and end, there are ideas and supporting facts that hold it all together. But if the transitions between these components aren’t clear, the speech can sound confusing and disjointed.
Transitions link different ideas and enable the smooth flow of your content. What are transitions in speech? There are dozens, from single words called signposts that include, therefore, additionally, first, and lastly to strategic phrases. There are body language transitions such as pauses, a deep inhale, hand gestures, a smile, and a change in body position. The latter techniques will be explored in a future Master Communicator Blog article.
Here’s a look at just a few verbal transitions that you may already be using and some to consider for your next presentation.
1. Items in a list
If you say that your presentation offers three solutions to a problem and enumerate them clearly, you’ll build expectation for each item in the sequence. Your audience will remember content that is structured in list form: first, second, third, etc. And a bonus for you is that the list structure will help you remember what you want to say.
2. Chronological order
Our brains are wired for stories in chronological order. Chronologies are naturally engaging and make a series of ideas easier to follow. For example: “The next step in the process is….” “Following this phase, we will proceed to.…”
3. Vivid examples
The more relevant examples you give, the more convincing your ideas will be. Support your argument with an example that demonstrates your idea in motion. “A perfect example that transitions work is Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of analogies in his famous I Have a Dream speech.”
4. Repetition
Some repetition is good. Recall something you said earlier for emphasis. Aristotle said: “Tell them what you‘re going to tell them, tell them and tell them what you‘ve told them.” Repetition helps audiences remember. And it places strategic, rhetorical emphasis on what you’re repeating. “To summarize…” “Once again…” “I repeat…” “Let me say it again…”
5. Quotes by famous people
Often you need other people’s words to make your case. If you can borrow a quote that illustrates your point, you gain clarity and can bridge that quote to another section of your speech. “Dale Carnegie said: Talk to someone about themselves and they’ll listen for hours. That’s why your audience is king.”
6. Stories as transitions
Well-chosen stories add emotional weight to the message while making complex or abstract concepts more relatable and memorable. But ensure that the story is relevant to the topic, purpose, and interests of the audience. Make it short and vivid. It can be a story from your own life and experience or someone else’s. Personal stories are preferred because they also create a stronger connection between speaker and audience.
Transitions are the glue that holds the main ideas of a speech together and creates continuity. Many speakers fail because they are focused more on not forgetting the parts than on putting the parts together to make compelling presentations. Effective use of transitions will ensure your audience is listening to you, that they understand and will benefit from the gift of your knowledge and expertise. In turn, you’ll benefit by having a better road map to deliver your best presentation ever.
