Presenters often tell me that they fear losing their train of thought. When listening to their talks I realized that for many people, the problem is not forgetting the words or main points.

Speakers freeze because they cant get from point A to point B. They know the next point but they struggle with the transition. And without transitions you will sound choppy and inexperienced.

So how do you create that smooth flow? First consider your points. Lets say your agenda items are

background history
current situation
future trends

You dont want to simply say Background history. You need a lead in. Your segue can be as basic as Lets begin with some background history Now choose another transition such as Next well discuss our current situation A transition can be phrased as a statement or question. So what do we project for the future of the industry?.. In sales presentations its very effective to verbalize what the customer is thinking.

You may be wondering how much does it cost
At this point you may be concerned with safety.
So what is our track record?

Transitions are the thread that weaves all the ideas together in a cohesive fashion. They also help the audience to listen and comprehend the message. Transitions are road signs that signal you are making a new point. Here are a few transitions to bridge to your speaking points:

That brings me to me next point which is

Now that weve discussed advertising, lets take a look at direct mail

So far weve covered compensation and benefits, the next agenda item is training..

In addition to cost containment, there is another area Id like to discuss

Now lets consider..

To begin with lets take a look at

The next important factor is

Id like to view the issue from three aspects

Finally, lets consider

Remember to use transitions in all your presentations. You will have more attentive listeners, better retention and theyll think youre a real smooth talker!