When was the last time you heard or witnessed a great performance? Of the performances he’s seen in the past few months, how many would he rate 8-10, 5-7, maybe less?
Creating a great presentation takes time. You can’t expect to quickly put together a few slides and then go through them without any practice on what you’re going to say hoping to convert a customer.
You’ll instantly know when someone isn’t ready based on how and what they say when delivering the message. Or they may have taken some time to practice, but missed a key element: the transition sentence between slides.
People who don’t use transitions will use phrases like, ‘on this next slide…, here on this slide…, on this next slide I want to talk… After a while, all the listener hears is next slide and not the intended message.
Transitions are an integral part of a smooth presentation, yet many speakers (presenters) forget to plan their transitions. The main purpose of a transition is to take your listener from one idea to another.
Here are 10 examples of transitions that work well:
1. word or phrase bridge (in addition, meanwhile, however, additionally, consequently, finally).
2. trigger transition (same word or idea used twice: “a similar example is…”).
3. Ask a question (How many of you…?)
4. Retrospective scene (Remember when I said…?)
5. Point by point (There are three points… The first is… The second is,… etc.)
6. Add a visual aid as a transition (Many times it may be appropriate to add a visual in between your regular visual plugin for the sole purpose of a ‘visual’ transition. Sometimes a clever cartoon used here can add some humor to your presentations.
7. break (Even a simple pause, when used effectively, can act as a transition. This allows the audience to ‘think’ about what has just been said and gives them more time to register.
8. Use physical movement (The speaker should move or change the location of his body. It is best to do this when he is switching to a new idea or thought.)
9. Use a personal story (The use of the story, especially a personal one, is a very effective technique used by many professional speakers. If used effectively, it can help reinforce any point you make during your presentation.) Note: You don’t have to be a professional speaker to use this technique.
10 Use the PEP formula (Point, Example, Point). This is a very common format used and can also be combined with the use of a personal story. Make sure the stories and examples you use help reinforce your message.
With more product and service launches being done virtually, you need to take your presentations up a notch or two. Add transitions as part of your message to indicate that you have finished that topic and are moving on to the next one. Transitions allow you to create a smooth presentation.