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How to Introduce the Next Speaker in a Presentation

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 233,411 times.

Whether at work, school, or a professional conference or workshop, group presentations are something you might find yourself giving from time to time. Introductions are part of any public speaking , so it’s good to know a few guidelines for introducing the person who’s speaking after you in a presentation. We want to help you nail your next presentation , so we put together this list of tips to make transitional introductions a breeze!

Things You Should Know

• Summarize your main points briefly to wrap up your portion of the presentation.
• Introduce the next topic to shift the audience's focus into a smooth transition.
• Praise the upcoming speaker or offer a few details about them. Then, state the speaker's full name and professional title to finish the introduction.

Summarize what you just talked about.

• For example, say something like: “So, in conclusion , if global warming continues at the current rate, more than 140 million people could be displaced by 2050.”
• Or, say something like: “Well, that was a brief introduction to the projected effects of carbon emissions over the next 3 decades.”

Set the audience up for the next topic with a question.

• For example, if the next speaker is going to talk about the implications of AI for future generations, ask something like: “What if by the year 2075 there was no longer any need for humans in manufacturing jobs?”
• Or, if the next presenter is there to talk about cloud computing security, ask something like: “How often do you worry about security when you save your files to the cloud?”

Say the upcoming speaker’s name.

• For example, say: “Up next is Robert Sandoval…”
• Or, say: “Here now is John Mando…”

State the next presenter’s title or profession.

• For example, say something like: “Up next is Alex Bando, Marketing Director.”
• Or, say something like: “Roger Stoney is a former philosophy professor at Washington State University.”

Tell the audience what the next person is there to talk about.

• For example, after you state the person’s name and background, say something like: “He’s going to talk to you about 5 tried-and-true time management techniques for success that you can start using today!”
• Or, say something like: “Jill is going to speak about an exciting discovery she made while researching the behaviors of the Puget Sound’s octopus population last year.”

Praise the next speaker as you introduce them.

• For example, say something like: “Sarah is truly one of the most brilliant minds I’ve met in the world of physics and I can’t wait for you to hear what she has to say.”
• Or, say something like: “Alexa has been a close colleague of mine for almost 6 years now and she’s a great public speaker, so I know you’re really going to enjoy this.”
• If you don't know the person personally, you could do a little research about their achievements and say something like: "John has won global recognition for his books and is a leading authority on economics."

Add a fun piece of information or a joke.

• For example, say something like: “Besides being a leading expert in marine biology, Jill speaks 5 languages fluently. But don’t worry, this presentation is only in 1!”

Keep the introduction short.

• For instance, your first sentence is a summary of what you said, your second sentence is a question to frame the upcoming topic, then you can fit the next speaker’s name, title, and topic all into the next 1-2 sentences. Finally, you can end with a fun fact about the next presenter in your fifth sentence.”

Give the next presenter a cue that it’s their time to speak.

• You could say something like: “Come on up, Sam!”
• Or, say: “Welcome, Rachel.”

Rehearse your entire presentation at least twice.

• If you can’t rehearse with the speaker you have to introduce, you can still practice your whole section of the presentation up to the end of the transitional intro. Just imagine that the next speaker is sitting off to the side somewhere.
• It can help to film yourself practicing in front of a mirror and then watching the video back. You can also practice in front of a friend.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-conclude-a-presentation
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2016/10/how-to-memorably-introduce-another-speaker
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-publicspeaking/chapter/introducing-a-speaker/
• ↑ https://www.meetingsnet.com/speakers-entertainment/4-tips-introducing-your-next-keynote-speaker
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Xa1fq-oPo&t=120s
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/09/how-to-rehearse-for-an-important-presentation

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101 Must-Know Transition Phrases for Engaging Presentations Online

By Paola Pascual on Jan 17, 2024 1:43:00 PM

Giving presentations is often feared by many professionals, but if the presentation is online  and you're not a native speaker, things get even trickier. One tip to make things easier? Learn useful phrases to help you navigate your presentation. In this article, you will find lots of helpful resources to give remarkable presentations . Listen to the episode above, download the checklist below, and learn some of the phrases we present. If we missed any, tell us in the comments below.

General vocabulary for presentations

Sometimes, the smallest changes in your presentations can make the biggest differences. One of them is to learn a few phrases that give you confidence during your speech. Here are some important verbs to get you started:

• To highlight
• To emphasize
• To walk you through (*very common in business presentations!)
• To send around
• To carry on (similar to  continue)
• To get carried away
• To sum up (similar to  summarize )
• To focus on

Vocabulary to start your presentation

Learn how to powerfully start your presentation with these 4 simple steps. Here's some vocabulary you can use:

Welcome your audience

• Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone. Thank you for joining us today, and welcome to today's webinar.
• Hello everyone, I’m very happy to be speaking with you today.

Introduce yourself

• My name is Susan, and I’m part of the design team here at Globex Corporation.
• First of all, a little bit about my background - I am the Team Lead  at [Company], and I've been in charge of [your main responsibility] for [X] years.
• I'd like to tell you a bit about myself - my name is  Eve  I'm the Operations Manager here at [Company].

Introduce the topic and goal of the presentation

• Today, I'd like to talk about…
• This presentation will take about [X] minutes, and we will discuss...
• We've allocated [X] minutes to this presentation. and I'll talk about...
• I'd like to give you a brief breakdown of...
• I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about...
• The main goal of this presentation is…
• The purpose of this presentation is...
• My objective today is...

Read these 5 tricks the best public speakers use to  captivate their audience .

Addressing questions from the audience

• If you have any questions about anything, feel free to interrupt.
• If anything isn't clear, please click on the 'raise hand' button and I'll do my best to answer your question.
• I'd be happy to answer your questions at the end of the presentation.
• If you have any questions, please kindly wait until the end to ask them. We will have [X] minutes for a Q&A session at the end.
• Since today's audience is considerably large, we will not have time for questions, but please email me at [email protected]

Learning new English words is not easy, but you can achieve effective communication through practice and repetition. If you are a Talaera student, visit the Library to practice your vocabulary for presentations. If are not part of the Talaera community yet, learn how we can help you here .

Clear out technical issues

• Can everyone hear me well? Let me know if you encounter any technical difficulties throughout the presentation.
• If you are not speaking, please put yourselves on mute.
• If you feel that the sound quality is poor throughout the presentation, please let me know.

Transition to the main topic of the presentation

• Hi everyone, I think we might still be missing a few people but I’m going to kick things off now so we have time to get through everything.
• All right, let’s dive right in!
• All right, let’s jump right in!
• Let’s get started.
• Let’s kick things off.
• I’m going to talk about
• The purpose/subject of this presentation is
• I’ve divided the presentation into 3 parts: In the first part, ... / Then in the second part, ... / Finally, I’ll go on to talk about...
• Let me begin by looking at...
• Let me start with some general information on...

Vocabulary for the main body of your presentation

Introduce a topic or section.

• Now let’s move to the first part of the presentation,
• We can see 4 advantages and two disadvantages. First,
• On the one hand… On the other hand…
• There are two steps involved. The first step is… The second step is…
• There are four stages to the project.

Transition to a new section

• All right, let’s turn to...
• Now we come to the next point, which is
• Okay so that’s [topic 1], but what about [topic 2]?
• There’s a lot more to talk about, but since we’re pushed for time , let’s move on to [topic 2].
• This leads me to my next point, which is...

Give examples and details

• For example...
• A good example of this is...
• To illustrate this point...
• This reminds me of...
• To give you an example...
• Let me elaborate further on...

Describe visual aids

• As you can see [from this infographic]
• This chart shows
• If you look at this graph, you will see
• From this chart, we can understand how
• Let me show you this [image, graph, diagram]
• On the right/left
• In the middle of
• At the top/bottom of the picture

Emphasize an idea

• This is important because
• I’d like to emphasize that
• We have to remember that

Repeat the same message with different words

• In other words
• To put it more simply
• So, what I’m saying is that
• Let me say that again.

It's easy to get stuck in the middle of a presentation, especially if English is not your mother tongue. Here are +20 Top Tips You Need To Know if you're learning business English .

Finish your presentation and summarize

The end of a presentation, together with the opening, is one of the most important parts of your speech. Read these 5 effective strategies to close your presentation and use the vocabulary below.

• That’s all I want to say for now about [topic].
• To sum up, ...
• This sums up [topic].
• So in a nutshell, ...
• So to recap, ...
• In brief, ...
• To conclude, ...
• I’d like to conclude by emphasizing the main points...
• That's it on [topic] for today. In short, we've covered...
• So, now I’d be very interested to hear your comments.
• And this brings us to the end of this presentation. I hope [topic] is a little clear after today.
• So to draw all that together, ...

Start and navigate the Q&A session

• Thank you for your attention. I hope you found this presentation useful, and I'd be happy to answer any questions.
• Thank you for listening. We now have [X] minutes left. Do you have any questions?
• Thank you for your question, [Name].
• I'm glad you asked.
• That's an interesting question.
• That's a great question, I must say. I'm not 100% sure, but off the top of my head, I can tell you that...
• Are you asking about [topic 1] or [topic 2]?
• Can you please clarify what exactly you mean by [question]? I'm not sure I fully understand.
• I'm afraid I don't have the exact figures at hand, but if you give me your email address at the end, I can follow up with you later.
• Does that answer your question?
• I hope that makes sense. Is that the kind of answer you were looking for?

Take your presentation skills to the next level. 

Keep reading about presentation skills:

• 21 Helpful Tips For Remarkable and Outstanding Presentation Skills
• How To Start a Presentation: Follow These 4 Easy Steps
• How To Bring Across Your Main Idea In A Presentation Effectively
• 5 Effective Strategies To End A Presentation
• 6 Public Speaking Tricks To Captivate Your Audience
• How To Do Effective Business Storytelling According To Former Prosecutor
• 8 Little Changes That'll Make A Big Difference With Your Presentations
• 3 Quick Public Speaking Tips For Your Next Presentation
• Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are [TED Talk Lesson]

Talaera Talks - Transcript Episode 5

• Topic : Deliver impactful presentations
• Listen : Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts
• Duration : 22 min.

Intro Welcome to Talaera Talks , the business English communication podcast for non-native professionals. My name is Paola and I am co-hosting this show with Simon. In this podcast, we're going to be covering communication advice and tips to help express yourself with confidence in English in professional settings. So we hope you enjoy the show!

Okay, welcome back for our third episode of Talaera Talks. This is Simon, and I'm joined with Paola. Paola, how are you doing? 0:37 Hi, Simon. I'm great. Happy to do another episode. 0:41 Yeah, absolutely. And Happy Friday. 0:44 Happy Friday! 0:49 So today, our topic: Presenting in English. I'd like to start this episode with a quote I found on Harvard Business Review that I thought was really interesting. It says, "Even native English speakers often anticipate disaster when making presentations. By but for non-native speakers, the anticipatory and situational anxiety associated with their unique challenges (these challenges - being understandable, choosing the right words, speaking spontaneously), can be overwhelming. Moreover, if these concerns interfere with your willingness or ability to make business presentations, the impact can be career-limiting." So yeah, that's a pretty kind of heavy quote to start. But it is something that we see from a lot of our clients, right? 1:52 Yeah, it's super interesting. It was super interesting to read. It's something we know, but it's important to remind it that it is presentations, the topic we have today is something that is not pleasurable for anyone, not for non-native speakers, but also for native speakers. So that's something to point out. And today, we talked about that... We said that we wanted to start with those challenges or fears that we see from our clients, our learners. 2:25 Yeah, and it's usually around the same things, you know, we, at least for me, I come into contact with so many of these, so many of our students who are so competent in their, in their daily lives, what they're doing in their professional lives. And they come to me with these with these fears, like this just general lack of confidence, or imposter syndrome, right? This I don't know if I really deserve to be speaking and, you know, kind of explaining this concept to all these people. 3:05 Mm-hmm. Yes. And also the fear of not being understood, well, they know what I'm saying, well, they understand my accent. There's a lot of worries and concern around accent and our pronunciation expert, Lisa hosted a webinar, actually last week, where she explained that accent matters. But as long as people understand you, it's fine. You don't need to be perfect. Everyone has an accent. So that's also totally fine. 3:37 And this being Yeah, this being one of I think, at least for me, in my experience, one of the most frequently asked for aspects from students. So you know, and just to like, again, just say that this is a challenge for everyone, not just, you know, non-native English speakers. You know, I think all of us have a tough experience or somebody that we think of when we think about public speaking, it's, it's like this, yeah, really anxiety-riddled thing. I mean, I don't have any, you know, funny personal stories, but uh, do you, Paola? 4:20 You want me to tell my embarrassing story, don't you? 4:22 Please, you must. 4:25 So I used to teach at a university in Vietnam when I lived there, and the classes where it rains, you know, from perhaps 50 students to up to what 300 there's was a class with, you know, 2-300 students and there was a little stage it wasn't too high, but there was a little stage and I fell off. 4:46 You fell off the stage. This was during or after the presentation, or...? 4:56 It was around the beginning of the presentation. So... 5:01 During! Oh, I thought it was it was like after like you were walking off? 5:06 No, I move a lot. I use my body language quite a lot. And that was one of the moments where I overdid it, probably, and fell off. 5:17 Wow. Well, I'm glad that you're still here with us. 5:21 Yeah, you know, but that's the story that I sometimes not always tell it. But I sometimes tell it when my students say, Oh, I'm nervous, and I assume that it can happen, you know, I thought it was going to be a disaster. And then I actually ended up making friends with the students that turned out okay. 5:39 Right. Well, yeah, I mean, today, we're not necessarily going to go into the physical dimensions of how to avoid falling off the stage. But we do have some, some good tips, right? 5:54 Yes. And to provide some advice on how to deliver presentations, and lose that fear, we've divided it into three main blocks. And those are what to do before the presentation, tips for during the presentation. And then even after there's things you can do to, to get better. 6:18 Right, let's start with the first, right, what can we do before the presentation in terms of getting ready, preparing? 6:30 So preparing, it's a very general term, but one of the tips that we like to give is, think of the WHAT, WHY and NEXT. So WHAT is your presentation about? WHY should they listen to you and not look it up online (or listen to a podcast, like ours)? And in what NEXT means - what is supposed to happen next? Do they need to do anything, go on a website, send you feedback? Are you going to send them the materials? So what why our next is so straightforward and simple. But when I asked this question to our clients that are so thrown off, and they don't know what to answer sometimes, 7:10 Yeah, I think that's one of those things. And I struggle with this all the time is, when I get an idea or something like that. It's so easy to just jump over those most basic things of, you know, what, why and index, those are so, so basic, but it's such it's, they're so foundational, right? And in terms of creating something that people will understand and be able to, to really attach to. 7:41 Yep. And do you have any tips around how much you should learn? Should you write the whole thing? Or should you memorize? 7:52 Yeah, that, you know, this is a good question as well, that a lot of our learners ask in terms of, yeah, you know, I'm just going to go and write it all out. And then I'll have an idea. And I'll feel better because I can write it and change it so that it sounds more professional. It sounds like I know what I'm talking about. And I always tell people, please don't try to prepare a presentation where you're reading a script, it is just the most unnatural thing ever. And, and it, you won't end up sounding more professional, if anything, your audience is going to detach, because they're going to sense that something's not really right here, it doesn't seem genuine, right doesn't seem real, it just seems like this person is doing what he's doing, which is reading off of a script. And even still a lot of times with a lot of our learners where they know that, okay, I know this material. But I'm going to put all of my effort into making this perfect slide this perfect presentation. So I would say, focus on actually knowing the material itself really well. More than focusing on how the presentation looks, you know, these kinds of things. Because once you're in that situation where you're on the stage, and people are looking at you, at least you'll be able to Windows like kind of red Sirens of you know, panic and anxiety show up. You'll have learned the material itself so well that you can roll with that. 9:29 Yes. And you also have room for improvisation because your brain is so used to the content and you know, so well what you want to say that that's when your brain starts to come up with anecdotes and that's the fun thing that gets you hooked. And that's the main Why should people listen to you instead of reading an article online? 9:49 Exactly. Because for most of our students, you know what you're talking about. That's why you're up there. That's why you have the opportunities to speak there is because someone thinks you're qualified enough to speak to all these people. So trust in that and go with that. So yeah, so we have right not, not over learning. Don't script it right? What else can we do? 10:14 Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice in your mind, but more importantly verbalize it, say it out loud. And recording yourself is uncomfortable for everyone. But it works. I have never tried it. I always told my students should record yourself, you should record yourself and they were like, Huh. And just a few of them did it. And when we started with the webinars, I haven't done something like it before. And I said, Okay, I'll use my own tip. And it was one I'm comfortable. And two, super helpful. So if you get to go over the sound of your own voice, I would say do it. 10:54 Yeah. You know, this is one thing that I have to be totally honest here. Doing these podcasts is the first time I've actually recorded myself for a long time. And I've learned a lot about, you know, not saying the word Absolutely. 500 times, yeah, within the span of 20 minutes. So those are good learning lessons. Definitely. Okay, and then so we have that. And then the last little tip is, I would say get an English mindset before 30 minutes to an hour before the presentation. And that could be listening to a podcast, you know, like Talaera Talks, or, you know, watching a show on Netflix that's, that's in English, whatever you can do to get your kind of English mind, you know, in the zone before you go up and actually speak English. So So those are all of our kind of pre presentation tips, what you can do before, so what about during, 11:58 so for during, there's a lot of things that you can you can do to improve your presentations. But the first tip is to learn how to start to have a mind map of what am I going to do at the beginning. So you start confident already. So welcome, everyone, introduce the people introduce the topic and go to the main point, those four parts will help you have a nice start. Welcome, everyone. For example. Hi, everyone. Welcome to today's presentation. Today, we'll be talking about business events, introduce the people, you can introduce yourself , like, Hi, my name is Paula and I'm a business English instructor at Telstra, and perhaps even the audience. Today we have with us students from all different nationalities and levels, or, you know, whatever the audiences, that's also helpful for everyone to understand, introduce the topic, or give you some best practices for business emails , and a few templates, and then go to the main point. So a simple sentence like Alright, let's get down to business. So having those welcome introducing people introducing the topic and going to the main point will help you have a nice start. 13:16 Yeah, and I like that concept of that the mind map is so good. Because it's it's not the scripting, like we were talking about before, it's having a kind of a little mental checklist. So that when those first few minutes, were you're up there on the on stage, and you're like, oh god, oh, god, here we go. Here we go. You have that little checklist that I created. Okay, so I welcomed introduced the people the topic, and now to the main point, and that can get you in the zone and going I really liked that. Yeah, so so having that, that starting template. And then another thing would be, I would say slowing down, slowing it down. And this is really I think it touches on a lot of aspects. The first would be just the general anxiety, we tend to speak a lot faster when we're really anxious, you know, but by slowing down, it really helps with non native English speakers because it helps with the accent. And it helps with giving you some time to really think through your next thoughts. Now, I'm not saying that you should, while you're speaking, try to think steps three, four or five ahead of you. But giving yourself a little bit of time to Okay, I'm going through this pattern now. Now I can go to the next one, right. And doing that, you know, another with the slowing down a tip if you're really nervous to go in is prefacing your speech. So before you really get into everything, maybe after the welcome part is just to say, Hey, you know, I'm going to try to speak as clearly as possible, as English as myself. first language and really smile and maybe make a little joke about that. And I think that's a good way to open it out for the audience to show some vulnerability and and help. I mean, what do you think about that? 15:13 Yeah, I mean, we see that with, sometimes with celebrities, when they're not native speakers, and they admitted, and they, they kind of put yourself put themselves, as you said, in that vulnerable position, and that makes them even cuter. 15:28 Mm hmm. 15:29 So it's making yourself human, I think it's always a good tip. And you were saying that slowing down helps with your accent and also for yourself to gain time to really know what you're going to say. But also for the for the audience. We don't mind people making some little pulses, so that they also have time to collect their thoughts. 15:50 Right, right. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Those are, those are two really good aspects, starting, you know, the template and then slowing down, right. Yeah, kind of diffusing the anxiety by saying, Hey, you know, this isn't my first language. And that really gets the audience on your side, right. And then another would be not reading off of your slides. I mean, this is kind of the basic, you know, what you learn in school, but it's also something that a lot of people get, yeah, get, get hooked on, just because it's like a safety net. And I would say that's where the overlearning the material that we talked about beforehand comes into play. Anything else in this? 16:42 Oh, recap for sure. After every section, do a little recap, and at the end to recap where you summarize the main points of the whole presentation? 16:54 Yeah, yeah. Good. Good. So So summarize. Yeah, yeah. And that's a that's a good, you know, I would say three aspects, four aspects that during the presentation, if you keep these in, in your mind, it's, it's, I would say, it's going to help a lot. And so now we're going to move to what can we do after the presentation? We've done it, we've walked off the stage. Whoo, I'm so glad that's over. Now, is all of our work done? No. 17:27 No, not really. That's now it's your chance to actually learn from, from everything you did. So one of the tips we suggest is try to ask for feedback. But that's not so easy, right, Simon? 17:42 Yeah, it's, I think, a big question. And that is, who do you get the feedback from? Right?

17:50 So we, we would always suggest to try and find someone you can trust someone who is honest, and who can give you objective feedback. So in some cases, that can be your manager, but sometimes it's a colleague that understands the topic, and can really provide some feedback on how you did. 18:13 Yeah. And that's, I think, in terms of learning, this is one of the most crucial thing is reflecting back on what you did, and seeing what worked, what didn't work, and how can I take that and move forward? Because especially with presenting, it's a skill, and it takes practice, practice, practice. And, and I think, for a lot of people, you should jump at the chance to do this. So that you can continue to learn and continue to grow. But be sure to reflect by Yeah, by asking for feedback and seeing what worked, 18:47 for sure. And ideally, that would be someone, perhaps from work that can see how you did and like the actual show, if not Talaera teachers also do that. So you can present your own presentation, pretending it's the actual one. And that's how we can provide feedback on the structure, the vocabulary, the language in general. 19:08 Yeah, absolutely. I do that. Oh, there you go. Absolutely. Definitely. See, I'm reflecting back and learning as we go. I'm working. I'm learning that. Yeah. But I've done that recently with a couple of students where we've gone through their deck and looked at what are their plans in terms of presenting and we've kind of gone through in detail that together. So So yeah, so that was kind of I would say the biggest thing in terms of afterward. 19:40 So we have the pre-presentation, just as a quick recap for the pre-presentation and before your presentation, always remember the what why next, what is your presentation about? Why should people listen to you and what should happen next overnight Learn the content. be super confident about what you want to talk about. But don't script it. Don't write everything down. Otherwise, it would sound like you're just reading. 20:11 Write and practice through verbalization. record yourself, even though it may be awkward, but it's a great learning technique. And then get in that English mindset beforehand by Yeah, listening to a podcast or what have you. And then during the presentation, right, starting with the template, Paolo was discussing the welcome introducing the people the topic, and then going to the main point, 20:37 slowing down a little bit. It's not necessary to go super fast. It's not only not necessary, but people will understand you better if you take your time and make some pauses. Of course, don't read off their slides. Tell them the story. 20:54 Right, right. And remember 20:56 to recap, just like we're doing now. Send them or tell them a quick summary and the main points, 21:03 right, and don't fall off the stage as well. That's ideally we forgot. Ideally, it's final for then, as the final point, right, asking for feedback, finding that person that can get you that feedback that's so important to you. Finding what worked and moving forward. 21:21 That's right. All right. Do we have it for today? 21:25 I think that is it for today. Yeah. I had a lot of Thanks. Yeah, I had a blast. And thanks for meeting up. And we have a lot of good stuff coming up with Talaera. Right. 21:38 We have webinars, our blog is busier than ever. So go on the http://blog.talaera.com/ , check out the resources. And what else? 21:51 Find us on LinkedIn. And yeah, please ask any questions, we'd be glad to get back to you. So that is it for today. And thank you to all of our listeners. So far, we're excited to keep growing this. And as always, keep learning! 22:11 And that's all we have for you today. We hope you enjoyed it, and remember to  subscribe to Talaera Talks . We'll be back soon with more! And visit our website at  https://talaera.com  for more valuable content on business English. You can also  request a free consultation  on the best ways for you and your team to improve your communication skills. So have a great day and keep learning!

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Speech Transitions: Magical Words and Phrases

When listening to a speech, have you ever:

• wondered “how does this relate to that ?”
• felt the speaker jumped randomly from one point to the next?
• gotten totally lost?

If you’ve experienced any of these, there’s a very good chance that the speaker failed to use appropriate speech transitions.

In this article, we define speech transitions and learn why they are so critical. In addition, we provide dozens of speech transition examples that you can incorporate into your speech.

What are speech transitions?

Speech transitions are magical words and phrases that help your argument flow smoothly . They often consist of a single transition word or a short transition phrase, but occasionally form an entire sentence. In a written speech, speech transitions are generally found at the start of paragraphs.

Speech transitions smooth over the boundary between two ideas, and  reveal the relationship between the words just spoken and those about to be spoken. In this way, speech transitions help your audience understand your message.

Types of Speech Transitions

There are many types of speech transitions. Each type highlights a different verbal relationship. For example, one type of transition highlights the contrast between two different ideas.

Each of these types is itemized below. For each type, we list a few of the many possible words and phrases. Can you think of others?

1. Transition between Similar Ideas or Points

• Likewise …
• Similarly …
• This is just like …
• In a similar way …
• We see the same thing if we consider …

“ Speech transitions smooth over the boundary between two ideas, and reveal the relationship between the words just spoken and those about to be spoken. ”

2. Transition between Contrasting Ideas or Points

• However …
• Conversely …
• On the contrary …
• On the other side …
• On the other hand …
• If we flip that around …
• Yet, we cannot ignore …
• The opposing argument …
• If we examine the opposite side, we see …

3. Transition to elaborate upon an idea

• Also …
• Moreover …
• In addition …
• Furthermore …
• In other words …
• Not only that, but …

4. Transition to Numbered Ideas or Points (or Process Steps)

• First … (The first step is …)
• Second … (The second step is …)
• Third … (The third step is …)
• Last … (The last step is …)

5. Transition to show Cause-Effect Relationship

• Therefore …
• As a result …
• Consequently …
• For that reason …
• This is important because …

6. Transition to a Supporting Example

• For instance …
• For example …
• As an example …
• To illustrate this …
• What’s an example of this? …
• But does this happen in real life? Yes …

7. Transition to a Supporting Demonstration

• Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s see it in action …
• To reinforce what we’ve learned, let’s see a demonstration …
• I’ve prepared a demonstration to show how this works.
• Let’s see a demonstration which applies what we’ve learned.

“ When executed well, speech transitions help make a speech understandable. When executed poorly, speech transitions can obscure meaning and frustrate audiences. ”

8. Transition to a Supporting Quotation

• X  said: …
• In 1968, X said: …
• This idea was expressed clearly by  X  who said …

9. Transition from Introduction into Speech Body

• Let’s begin …
• To get started, let’s examine …
• Let’s get started talking about …
• Now that we’ve given an overview, let’s start with …

10. Transition from Speech Body into Conclusion

For a short speech, you might conclude with a single statement:

• In short …
• In summary …
• In conclusion …

In a longer presentation, your conclusion might include a review of a the key points:

• Let’s summarize the key lessons …
• Let’s recap what we’ve covered today …

11. Transition to Another Speaker

In a team presentation, it is necessary to transfer control between speakers.

The abrupt way to do this is to simply have one person stop talking, and then have the other person start talking. It is much smoother, however, to pass the verbal baton to the next speaker (X):

• To talk about our next topic, we have X …
• I’ll pass the microphone to X who will describe …
• To guide us through a demonstration of this, we have X …

12. Transition Back to an Earlier Point

There are many occasions when you need to jump back to an earlier idea to add additional information. e.g. after a break, following an exercise, or returning from an unplanned interruption

• Let’s return …
• Let’s revisit …
• Let’s go back to …
• We introduced  X  earlier; let’s explore that further now.

Avoid Faulty Transitions

When executed well, speech transitions help make a speech understandable.

When executed poorly, speech transitions can obscure meaning and frustrate audiences.

Beware these four types of faulty transitions:

• Miscount Transition This faulty transition occurs when a speaker begins counting main points, but does not do so consistently. (e.g. First, Second, Next, Next, Third, Third, …) Faulty counting can also occur when a speaker tries to number both the main points and the sub-points and gets mixed up.
• Incompatible Transition This faulty transition occurs when a speaker uses a transition word or phrase which does not match the relationship. (e.g. they start with the word “however”, but they follow it with an example) Imagine the confusion you would cause if you signalled to the left, but then turned your car right. Incompatible transitions cause the same problem; your audience is expecting one thing, but you head off confusingly in a different direction.
• Tangential Transition Transitional phrases like “That reminds me…”, “Ironically…”, or “As an aside…” are dangerous because they often lead to an off-topic diversion which blurs the focus of the speech and wastes time for you and your audience. Just. Don’t. Do. It.
• Missing Transition This faulty transition is the most common of all. It occurs when a speaker abruptly changes from one point to another without using any transition words or phrases. The audience is left confused and lost because points get mashed together and critical relationships are obscured.

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13 comments.

Wonderful summary of transitions! Thank you so much for the article.

Hi Andrew, how useful! I always see transitions like signposts point the audience in the direction that I want to go next, but some of these will be really useful at other times during a speech, thanks these will be a great resource. Recently, when speaking on a sensitive subject where I had pointed out a number of problems which the audience identified with i transitioned to the solution section by saying, “isn’t it good to know we are not the first people to have suffered with these issues and questions,” people were then expecting a move towards a solution phase and it worked well. I will keep these as a reference for the future, thanks!

Indeed. Transitional words and phrases are minor signposts. I have a broader definition of signposts, however, which I plan to expand upon in a future article.

Excellent post, Andrew. I’ve definitely witnessed too many presentation with disjointed ideas and seemingly no connection to the subject matter, leaving me with that “What’s he talking about?” feeling.

One additional thought about (#11) “Transitioning to Another Speaker” – which I often do in my workshops. Rather than announcing that you’re about to pass the mic to Speaker X, you can actually set them up for success using one of the other transition types. For instance: (#7)- “We’ve now discussed a method for delivering effective feedback, let’s see it in action”… pass the mic. (#9)- “We know we want our employees to be motivated, let’s explore some practical ways we can inspire our team to achieve greater levels of success”… pass the mic. In each example, we’re handing the ball off (or throwing an Alley-oop pass) to Speaker X for a smoother (and less abrupt transition). It can be incredibly effective. Good stuff!

Yes, the other transition examples can absolutely be used to transition to another speaker.

It is so important to be consistent with the way one enumerates their points. For example, we don’t say first, then, finally but first, second, and third. That way the audience is not confused about when the speaker is near to completing his/her well organized speech. Excellent article!

Great guide Mr Dlugan. This is going to be very helpful for my comibg presentations this semester. Thank you.

Excelent !!!

Dear Andrew,

Thank you for this very useful succinct guide.

Regarding tangential transitions, digressional matter –even if only contextually and even if vaguely related– can be inserted in the form of a diverticulum in the flow of text or speech, with the purposely intention of weaseling in something tangentially related, but of paramount importance to the writer or speaker.

A “By the way,…” introduction to the diverticulum does smooth fairly well any abruptness in the transition. as it makes it illusively look or sound as appropriately parenthetical matter.

And, when done with the digression, flow can be reinstated with a frank and explicit “Back on track,…” return-call transition.

I have obtained miracles with the “By the way,…” and “Back on track,…” pair, even if talking about “oranges” and introducing an “apples” diverticulum…when what I actually had for sale was “apples “, not “oranges “. I know, it is a brazen “blow below the belt”, but in some particular instances, it is a pressing necessity which has to be, ineludibly, addressed.

This helped me a lot with all of my transitions through my whole speech

Thank you for this it really helped me.

Oh my goodness, Thank you so much! I really needed this for my speech!

Thanks so much for the most amazing experience i had missed it for a long time i am now able to make an exciting presentation. Thanks

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13 Transitions: Bridging Ideas for a Seamless Presentation

Good transitions can make a speech more important to the audience because they feel they are being taken to a positive conclusion without having to travel a bumpy road. – Joe Griffith

Transitions

The difference between a novice speaker and an advanced speaker is in how they bridge the gap between ideas. Learning to use transitions effectively will help take your speaking to the advanced level. Transitions can be one word, a phrase, or a full sentence.

The audience is dying to know the relationship between ideas. Their brains are hard-wired for that. It’s more important when you are speaking than when you are writing because the listeners can’t go back – they have to get it when it happens. If the brain is bored, or gets tired because it’s overwhelmed, or gets confused – it can’t stay in that place, so it daydreams, creating its own interest. Speech Coach Max Dixon, Westside Toastmasters.

So, let’s get started. I have included various transition types for you to consider. These do little good if you read them and do not use them. This list works best if you read it now and then revisit it every time you write a speech.

• Let’s begin with…
• First, I’d like to share with you…
• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• Our first stop is…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

The Order of Things

• After that…
• Next…
• Second thing…
• Our next stop is…
• Let me tell you about your next step.

Steve Jobs Commencement to Stanford University

Steve Jobs clearly previews his main points, “Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.” He flows smoothly between points with clear transitions.

• “The first story is about connecting the dots.”
• “My second story is about love and loss.”
• “My third story is about death.”

Watch Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Address

Between Similar Points

• In the same way…
• In addition…
• Likewise…
• Similarly…

Between Disagreeing Points

• Conversely…
• Despite this…
• The flip side of the issue…
• However…
• On the contrary…
• On the other hand…
• On the other side …
• Yet, we cannot ignore …
• The opposing argument …
• If we examine the opposite side, we see …

Introduce an example

• This is best illustrated by an example…
• For instance…
• Take the case of…
• For example…
• To understand this…
• Let me illustrate this by…

Introduce Research

• To make the point…
• As illustrated by…
• Case in point…
• To solidify this point…
• As researched by…

Cause and effect

• Therefore…
• Thus…
• Consequently…
• As a result…
• This is significant because…
• Hence…
• Resulting in…
• For that reason …
• The effect is…

Elaboration

• Also…
• Besides…
• What’s more…
• In addition/additionally…
• Moreover…
• Furthermore…

Transition to a Demonstration

• Let me show you how this works…
• Let me demonstrate this…
• Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s see it in action …
• Next, I’d like to let you see this for yourselves…

Introducing Your Visual

• As you can see from this chart…
• I’d like you to notice that…
• The table indicates…

Questions as Transitions

• Now that you know the problem, what do you think will solve it?
• What do you think will solve this crisis?

Connective: A word or phrase that connects the ideas of a speech and indicates the relationship between them.

Transitions: A word or phrase that indicates when a speaker had finished one thought and it moving on to another.

Internal preview: A statement in the body of the speech that tells the audience what the speaker is going to discuss next.

Internal summary: A statement in the body of the speech that summarizes the speaker’s preceding point or points.

Signpost: A very brief statement that indicates where a speaker is in the speech or that focuses attention on key ideas.

From the Art of Public Speaking by Stephen Lucas

THOUGHTS FROM A FORMER STUDENT

One thing I learned in class that made me a better speechwriter was to pay attention to the transitions. In our outlines, there was space for our main points, but also our transitions between them.  At the beginning of the semester, I thought this was a waste of time planning out my transition for a speech and that I would just wing it the day of, but I soon realized how important they were. Transitions are like the finishing touches that make everything fall together in a speech.

You may have some interesting points or facts to give to your audience, but without transitions, you have nothing to connect your points and create a narrative. An audience is much more interested in a talk if there is a continuing idea or theme, and transitions help create this. I found this out by watching the other students in my class as they learned to use transitions as well. I loved the speeches that were clearly organized and had a common idea with transitions.

Zoe Lawless, Honors Public Speaking, University of Arkansas

Movement as Transition

Many people don’t think about movement as a type of transition, but it can be a very powerful way to help your audience transition between ideas.

• Setting out a visual or putting it away signals a change in ideas. 
• Some speakers will imagine a baseball diamond laid out on the floor and move to each base throughout the speech. Their opening comment is at home plate. Point one is delivered on first, point two on second, and point three on third. They stand back on their home plate to deliver the final closing statements.
• One speaker that I met said he always has a special place that is his big idea place. He may move around during his speech but when he wants the audience to know it is an important point, he stands in the big idea place.

Silence as a Transition

John Chappelear, speech consultant, suggests that the use of silence can be powerful. It is powerful,  but it is not easy. Being able to stand silently in front of a large audience for 15-45 seconds requires practice. Sometimes you can use silence as a way to let the audience catch up and think deeply about what you just said. 

Transitioning Between Slides

• As the next slide shows…
• As you can see…
• Next, I will show you…

Transitioning to Visuals

• I’d like to direct your attention to…
• This diagram compares…
• Now, I’d like to illustrate this with…

Signaling the End is Near

• In conclusion…
• To sum it up…
• Lastly…
• In a nutshell…
• To recap…
• I’d like to leave you with…
• Finally, I’d like to say…
• The takeaway from all of this is…
• To summarise…

Moving to the Next Speaker

• I told you about the most credible theories about climate change, now John will share with you some examples of what you can do.
• I’m going to turn it over to Malachi, who will take you through the next few points.
• Next, Angie will come up and talk about…
• To help us understand this topic better, we have Beatrice, who will talk us through…
• Look to the next speaker and motion towards them as they walk to the podium, Twila will tell you more…

Problems with Transitions

These are some of the most common problems with transitions:

• Not planning out transitions and just “winging it.”
• Using fancy phrases inconsistent with the rest of the speech.
• Saying, “I have five points” and then having only four or miscounting the points.
• Overusing the same transitional phrase.
• Long pauses before transitions as the speaker tries to figure out what to say next.

Tricks on Smoothly Presenting Transitions

Now you have a list of ideas to use when you write your next speech, let’s talk about how to use transitions effectively. Speakers typically struggle as they end one point and seek to move to the next idea. This usually happens because of poor planning, not enough practice, and poor note management. Let’s talk about these one at a time. First, poor planning happens because a speaker does not put enough time and effort into writing the speech. Second, not enough practice happened because even when a speech is practiced, it is practiced with regards to getting through the main points and not about moving smoothly between points. Finally, poor note management. Let me give you some tricks.

• Make your notes large-larger than you think you need.
• Give ample space between main ideas so you can look down and see the gap and know another point is coming.
• On your notecards, make each main idea a different color.
• I usually have a “T” in a circle to remind me that this is a transition statement.
• Practice your speech twice by just reading the transition statements and the next sentence.
• The night before your speech, visualize how you will manage the transitions.

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• Using transitions will help your speech flow smoothly.
• Practice using your transitions.
• Plan transitions for impact.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

Allgood, E., & Ebersole, T. (Eds.). (2017). C OMM 2100 public speaking: A workbook for student success . Fountainhead Press.

Beqiri, G. (2018). Speech transitions: Words and phrases to connect your ideas. https://virtualspeech.com/blog/speech-transitions-words-phrases

Dugan, A. (2013, August 26). Speech transitions: Magical words and phrases. http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-transitions/

Effective speech transitions, how to make your speech flow. https://franticallyspeaking.com/effective-speech-transitions-how-to-make-your-speech-flow/

Jobs, S. (2005). Steve Jobs commencement address to Stanford University. [Video]. YouTube. https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/ Standard YouTube License.

Lawless, Z. (2020). Honors Public Speaking, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Used with permission.

Lucas, S.E. (2009). The art of public speaking. McGraw Hill.

Pace, P. (n.d). Bridge the gap–Speech transitions. https://westsidetoastmasters.com/article_reference/bridge_the_gap-speech_transitions.html#:~:text=%22I%20think%20body%20movement%20is,carries%20the%20audience%20with%20him.

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• Panel_discussion_at_Wikipedia_Day_2019 © Eric Luth is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license

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• Deborah Grayson Riegel

What to say to get your audience’s attention.

As a professional speaker and facilitator for over 20 years, I’ve been introduced more than a thousand times, by countless meeting planners, conference organizers, and team leaders. Nevertheless, most of the introductions have fallen into one of four categories:

• Deborah Grayson Riegel is a professional speaker and facilitator, as well as a communication and presentation skills coach. She teaches leadership communication at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has taught for Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and Peking University’s International MBA Program. She is the author of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life and the best-selling Go To Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help .

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Introduction

One of the most important moments in a presentation or event is the introduction of the next speaker. It sets the tone and can significantly impact the audience’s engagement and receptiveness. Here are ten ways to introduce the next speaker in a presentation that will leave your audience eager to hear more.

1. Start with a quote: Begin with a relevant and inspiring quote that captures the essence of what the upcoming speaker will be discussing. This approach can help provide context for their talk and engage the audience right off the bat.

2. Use humor: Telling a short, funny story or joke related to the speaker’s topic or expertise is an excellent way to lighten the atmosphere and heighten anticipation. However, make sure the humor is respectful and appropriate for your audience.

3. Share personal anecdotes: If you have a personal connection or experience with the speaker, share that story as part of your introduction. A personal anecdote can make a speaker appear more relatable and down-to-earth.

4. Give praise: Offer compliments and speak highly of their accomplishments and reputation. Describe how their work has positively impacted others or why they are an authority on their subject matter.

5. Give background information: Provide relevant biographical information, such as their educational background, past experiences, and professional achievements. This information gives context about where their expertise stems from.

6. Create suspense: Build anticipation for the speaker’s presentation by disclosing one key takeaway or compelling piece from their talk without giving away too much. Think of this as a teaser trailer for their speech.

7. Pose a question: Ask an intriguing question related to what they’ll be talking about and leave it unanswered, prompting curiosity in your audience.

8. Share visuals: Incorporate images or short video clips related to the upcoming speaker’s work or topic, creating curiosity about what they might discuss during their presentation.

9. Mention previous talks: If the speaker has delivered notable presentations in the past, mention these accomplishments to help establish credibility.

10. Make it personal and engaging: Address the speaker directly and express genuine excitement for their upcoming talk. Relay that excitement to your audience, encouraging them to be eager listeners.

By using a combination of these techniques, you can effectively introduce the next speaker in your presentation while engaging your audience. The key is to make the introduction personal, relevant, and captivating while maintaining professionalism and respect for the person you are introducing.

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Ace the Presentation

Smooth Transition in a Speech – 69 Transition Statements

There are times when you listen to a speech and you wonder, how does the speaker relate these two things, or if he jumped topics and you felt completely lost. Knowing how to make a smooth transition in a speech will help you as a speaker to keep your audience engaged and on topic.

Any speech tends to be well-structured and it contains an introduction, body, and conclusion. A smooth transition is necessary between these sections for any speech to make an impact. The body or the main section of a speech may have various points and information that you convey and you have to transition between them as well.

If you ever feel so, then the speaker has not used the right transitions in his speech and it all feels out of space. In this article, we will talk about  transitions in a speech  and share with you 69 words or phrases that will help you connect ideas and smoothly transition between several points in your speech.

Related Article:

Signposts in Speech: Types, Examples, and Video

Speech Starting Transitions

7 Basic Elements of Public Speaking

Why are transitions important in a speech?

Speech transition help connect the previous idea to the next, keeping the audience engaged. In conversations and presentations, it is critical to maintain a flow and make sense, that one or two words or phrases are paramount to achieve that.

Speech transitions help relate and connect your ideas and help your audience to follow and understand your words better.

How to make your speech flow more naturally and avoid boring your audience?

There are various types of speech transitions that help a speech flow naturally and avoid boring the audience.

When the audience understands your thought process and ideas they will be drawn to the speech and not feel bored. 

Transition in a Speech: Types of Speech Transitions

Introduction transition statements.

As you begin your speech, you cannot directly start making your points, you need to ease into it. You generally begin any speech by addressing your crowd and giving an introduction and this can help captivate or interest your audience. You can make use of the following phrases to introduce your topic – 

• Today I will be discussing…
• We will be looking at/identifying/investigating/analyzing….
• The points that I will be discussing…

  Example:  Today I will be discussing  various types of speech transitions.

Speech Transitions to Highlight the first point

After you are done with the introduction, you need to move on to the first point of your speech. A simple transition word can help highlight that you are making a point.

• Firstly, let’s begin with….
• To get started….
• My first point….
• I want to begin by….

Example:  I want to begin  by addressing the main point.

Speech Transitions to use between similar ideas

When you are talking about similar ideas, you need to tell the audience that you are transitioning between similar ideas.

• Similarly….
• In the same way….

Example:  In the same way , you can also use likewise to transition between similar ideas.

Speech Transitions to use between conflicting points

In parts of your speech, you may address conflicting points and transitions help you highlight such conflicting points.

• Conversely…
• The opposing argument….
• On the other hand….
• On the other side….
• Despite this…
• Nonetheless…
• We can’t ignore the fact that….
• Now let’s consider….

Example :  There’s always a good and bad side to most things in life. For example, you can try to read all the interesting articles and advice online and have a wealth of knowledge. But,  on the other hand , if you don’t act upon what you have learned, it’s just a waste of time.

Speech Transitions used to elaborate ideas

During any speech, you may need to elaborate on various ideas and thoughts. Using  transitions in speech  you can easily elaborate on your ideas and thoughts.

• In addition/Additionally….
• Furthermore….

Example:  Furthermore , there are various types of transitions in speech that help to show cause.

Transition phrases to illustrate Numbered Points

Whenever you have a series of points you tend to number then and transition between them as follows.

• First/Firstly…
• Second/Secondly…
• The first step….
• The second step…
• Lastly/Finally….

Example –   Let’s talk about how you can overcome your fear of making eye contact: First, make sure you are looking in reasonable intervals, to all the audience (left/right/up/down). Second, look at their foreheads it’s less intimidating to you and it feels like you’re looking at them in the eye for the audience. Third…

Transitions phrases to show cause

Whenever you are trying to prove a point or come to a conclusion, the audience should understand that this is what you are implying.

• Therefore….
• Consequently…
• As a result…

Example:   Therefore , you need to make use of speech transitions to strengthen your speech.

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Transition Phrases to give an example

To make your words and thoughts more powerful, you make use of examples. You can just talk about an example by making the following transitions.

• For example…
• For instance…
• As an example….
• Take the case of/example of….
• Let me illustrate this by…

Example:   We always have to make some sacrifices and changes in our day to day life to experience a new way of life. For example, if you start waking up just an hour or two earlier compared to now, you have just gained extra time to meditate, exercise and plan your entire day..

Transition Statements to demonstration

• Let me demonstrate this…
• To explain this further, I’ll show you a demo….
• I’ll conduct an experiment to prove this theory…

Example:  To explain this further , I’ll show you a demo between speeches with and without transitions.

Transition phrases to mention quotes

When you pull facts and quote someone, you need to mention it in the following way – 

• In 1969, Y said…
• This was pointed out by Y, he said…

Example:  William   Shakespeare said  “ All that glitters is not gold”.

Transition to a side note

• On a side note…
• Incidentally…
• That reminds me…

Example:  That reminds me  of an example that I’d like to give to make my point more clear.

Transition to another speaker

When you have a co-speaker or someone to explain some part of the speech and you need to transition to them, you can use the following transition phrases – 

• Now for the next topic, we have X…
• I’ll pass the mic to X, who will talk about….
• To guide us through a demo, we have X…
• Now X will talk about…

Example:  Now for the next topic , we have Eric to talk about various speech transitions.

Transition to an earlier point

There are some parts in a speech where you may need to recall an earlier point and this can be done as follows – 

• Let’s return….
• Let’s go back to…
• Let’s revisit….
• Do you recall…

Example:   Remember when we spoke about trolls? Let’s dive deep into that now.

Transition to a visual aid

When your speech is backed up by charts and various visual data that can be displayed to the audience, you may need to show it to them and you transition by the following phrases – 

• This table indicates…
• As you can see…
• I’d like to show you/direct your attention to…
• This diagram….

Example:   The next slide shows us how our results have increased this month. As you can see here, the number of sales is especially high during the weekends.

Transition at the end of a point

Once you are the end of a point you need to conclude the point, provide a brief summary and address the next point.

• In the first part of speech….
• Now I’d like to move on to…

The transition from Speech to Conclusion

Once you are at the end of your speech, you need to provide a brief summary or conclusion to make sure your audience has understood the main points of your speech and you can be open to any questions or doubts. You can use the following speech transition phrases – 

• The summary is….
• In conclusion…
• Let’s recap what we’ve covered…
• Let’s summarize the key points…

Example:  In conclusion,  speech transitions are necessary to make a speech flow flawlessly.

Communications Coach Expert Alex Lyon shares an interesting video on Youtube with tips on how to effectively use Transition Statements for Public Speaking. Check it out below:

Smooth Transition in a speech  helps to stitch together a perfect dress that is your speech. They are hardly take up any space in your speech but are essential and effective. Without such transitions, any speech may seem poor and of lesser quality.

The audience also needs to be able to follow and understand your speech and for that to happen you need to make use of perfect speech transition phrases.

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

https://franticallyspeaking.com/effective-speech-transitions-how-to-make-your-speech-flow/

https://virtualspeech.com/blog/speech-transitions-words-phrases

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How to Hand Over a Presentation to the Next Person

Shahid shahmiri.

Navigating the transition between speakers during a presentation is a pivotal moment that can significantly influence the flow and coherence of your message. Understanding “ how to hand over a presentation to the next person ” is not just about the mechanics of passing control but also about ensuring a smooth and professional transition that maintains audience engagement and preserves the continuity of the presentation. This guide offers strategic insights and practical tips to master the art of seamless presentation handovers.

Preparing for a Smooth Transition

1. Coordination and Rehearsal: Before the presentation, coordinate with the next speaker to discuss the transition point. Rehearsing this changeover can help both speakers feel more comfortable and ensure a smoother transition.

2. Clear Segmentation of Content: Ensure your research presentation is segmented between speakers. Each section should be self-contained to allow for a natural transition, yet cohesive enough to maintain the narrative flow.

3. Technical Setup and Familiarization: Familiarize yourselves with the technical setup, including how to switch slides and use the clicker. This avoids any awkward pauses or technical glitches during the handover.

Executing the Handover with Finesse

1. Signposting the Transition: As you approach the end of your segment, signal the upcoming transition. A simple statement like, “Now, I’ll hand over to [Next Speaker’s Name], who will explore [Next Topic],” provides a clear cue to the audience and the next speaker.

2. Summarize and Connect: Briefly summarize your key points to reinforce your message and provide a smooth segue to the next section. Highlight how your segment sets the stage for what’s coming next, creating a logical link between the two parts.

3. Physical Handover: The physical act of handing over the presentation should be as smooth as the verbal transition. Whether it’s passing a clicker or moving aside to welcome the next speaker, ensure this action is rehearsed and executed gracefully.

Enhancing the Transition Experience

1. Use Visual Cues: Incorporate a visual cue in the presentation slides to signify the transition, such as a “handover slide” with the next speaker’s name and topic. This visually prepares the audience for the change.

2. Maintain Engagement: During the handover, both speakers should engage with the audience. The departing speaker can introduce the next with a brief accolade, while the incoming speaker can express gratitude or a quick recap before diving into their segment.

3. Seamless Technological Transition: Ensure that any necessary technological switches, such as changing slide decks or adjusting microphones, are handled smoothly and quickly. Preparing these elements in advance minimizes disruption.

Conclusion: The Art of the Handover

Presentation handover is an art that enhances the professionalism and coherence of your presentation. By preparing thoroughly, executing the transition with clarity and finesse, and employing strategies to maintain audience engagement, you can ensure that the handover is not just a mere passing of the baton but a valuable component of a cohesive and compelling presentation narrative.

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Guide for Giving a Group Presentation

February 21, 2018 - Dom Barnard

In certain academic and business situations, it is more valuable to deliver a group presentation than a solo one. Many people prefer group presentations because there is less pressure on the individual. However there are also unique challenges, such as having to ensure multiple individuals collaborate in order to produce a cohesive piece of work.

Preparing for the group presentation

As with any presentation, there is a significant amount of work during the preparation stage. The group must be well organised because there are multiple individuals, and therefore multiple personalities involved.

Presentation moderator

To assist with organisation, the group should first decide on a presentation moderator – this is essentially the “leader”. The presentation moderator can have the final say when decision-making is needed and, during the Q&A portion of the presentation, can decide which speakers will answer certain questions.

Understanding the audience

To make your presentation engaging you need to  think about the audience  so you can tailor it towards their needs. How much will the audience already know about this topic? What will they want to get from this presentation?

For example, if you are presenting the topic of building a bridge to a group of civil engineers, you can confidently use technical language. However, if you are presenting to secondary school students, you would need to use simpler language and not explain the methods in as much detail.

The presentation’s purpose

As a group, ensure you agree on the purpose of the presentation so that you all understand the message that needs to be conveyed e.g. “We want to find out which treatment works best for social anxiety.” Deciding on your message means that the group can start building key points around this – just keep in mind that each subtopic must contribute to the presentation’s aim.

Divide the presentation

The presentation needs to be  divided into main areas  so there is a clear beginning, middle and end. This is where can you decide on the order of the subtopics. Presentations usually follow this structure:

1. Introduction:

• It is useful to agree on the first minute of the presentation as a team. This is because the audience should be interested from the start and convinced to listen.
• The presentation’s aims are also discussed and an overview of the presentation’s structure is provided. For example, “We set out to explore the effectiveness of different treatments for social anxiety. We will first cover the symptoms and prevalence of social anxiety, before explaining the different treatments. This will then lead into a discussion about the pros and cons of each treatment route. Finally, we will explain which treatment route we decided was the most effective for this disorder.”

2. One or two middle sections:

• These sections consist of providing the information that addresses your presentation’s aim.
• There can be more of these sections depending on your topic.

3. Conclusion:

• After summarising all of the key points, there must be a clear conclusion. It is beneficial to appoint the conclusion to the best speaker as this is where all the information is pooled together.

After segmenting the presentation, a time sequence can be created so the group understands the order in which tasks must be completed. It is important to set deadlines for this.

Share responsibility

A frequent problem when working within a group is unequal participation as this can subsequently cause disharmony.

But this is easily avoidable by assigning each speaker a section of the presentation to work on depending on their interests. This means that each speaker should be doing the research for their section and putting together a speech and slides (if being used).

• It is important to specify exactly what each group member should be doing with their time.
• Make sure the length of time per speaker is agreed on.
• Do not change speakers more than necessary because this can reduce the coherency of the presentation.

Build the presentation together

For an audience to follow and enjoy a presentation, it must flow together. Meeting up and building the presentation helps with this because:

• This prevents the duplication of content.
• You can put the slides together, although only one individual should be responsible for merging the slides so there is consistency within the presentation.
• It is useful to receive feedback on the speeches before presenting to an audience.
• The team can agree on any edits.
• The team can agree on the conclusion.
• You can make sure that each speaker will talk for the same amount of time and cover a similar amount of information.
• The team can come up with the first minute of the presentation together.

Use stories to engage the audience

A good presentation opening could  start with a story  to highlight why your topic is significant. For example, if the topic is on the benefits of pets on physical and psychological health, you could present a story or a study about an individual whose quality of life significantly improved after being given a dog.

The audience is more likely to remember this story than a list of facts and statistics so try and incorporate relevant stories into presentations.

Know what each speaker will say

Each speaker must know what the other group members will say as this prevents repetition and it may be useful to refer to a previous speaker to assist in explaining your own section.

Also, if a team member is unable to attend on the day it will be easier to find cover within the group.

Write and practice transitions

Clean transitioning between speakers can also assist in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this is:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what social anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Sarah will talk about the prevalence of social anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Sarah”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Nick.”

From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

Practice the presentation

Rehearse with the group multiple times to make sure:

• The structure works
• Everyone is sticking to their timing.
• To see if any edits are needed.

The more you  rehearse a presentation  the more you will feel comfortable presenting the material and answering questions as your familiarity with the content increases.

Handling nerves before the presentation

It is  natural to feel nervous  when presenting in front of others, regardless of the size of the audience. Here are some tips:

• Remind yourself that the audience is there to listen to you and wants you to do well; there is no need to be afraid of them.
• Remember that the audience members will have to present their projects later and are almost certainly feeling just as nervous.
• Practicing with your group and practicing your section at home will make you more comfortable and familiar with the material and increase your confidence.
• Practice pauses  – when people feel nervous they tend to find silences uncomfortable and try to fill gaps, such as using “um” multiple times (filler words). Practicing pauses will help the silences feel less unnatural when you present therefore reducing the need for filler words.
• When we are nervous we often begin breathing quickly and this in turn can increase our anxiety. Controlled breathing is a common technique that helps slow down your breathing to normal thus reducing your anxiety.

Exercises to control your breathing:

• Sit down in an upright position as it easier for your lungs to fill with air
• Breathe in through your nose and into your abdomen for four seconds
• Hold this breathe for two seconds
• Breathe out through your nose for six seconds
• Wait a few seconds before inhaling and repeating the cycle

During the group presentation

Introducing the team.

The presentation should begin with the presentation moderator introducing the team. This is smoother than each individual presenting themselves.

Pay attention to the presentation

You may feel nervous as you wait for your turn to speak but try to listen to the presentation. The audience is able to see the whole team so it is important that you look interested in what is being said and react to it, even if you have heard it multiple times.

Body language and eye contact

Body language is a useful tool to engage the audience:

• If it is your turn to speak then stand slightly in the foreground of the rest of your group.
• Smile at the audience as this will make you look more confident.
• Make eye contact  as this helps you engage with the audience.
• Keep your arms uncrossed so your body language is more open.
• Do not look down and read from your notes- glancing down occasionally is fine but keep in mind that you are talking to the audience.
• This is the same for  presenting visual aids ; you may need to glance at the computer slide but make sure you predominantly face the audience as you are still speaking to them.
• Keep your hands at your sides but use them occasionally to gesture.

Vocal variety

How you say something is just as is important as the content of your speech –  arguably, more so . For example, if an individual presented on a topic very enthusiastically the audience would probably enjoy this compared to someone who covered more points but mumbled into their notes.

Here are some pointers:

• Adapt your voice depending on what are you saying- if you want to highlight something then raise your voice or lower your voice for intensity.
• Avoid speaking in monotone.
• Sound enthusiastic – the more you sound like you care about the topic, the more the audience will listen.
• Speak loudly and clearly.
• If you notice that you are speaking quickly, pause and slow down.
• Warm up your voice  before a speech

Take short pauses and breath deeply. This will ensure you have more vocal variety.

Handling nerves during the presentation

• If you find that you are too uncomfortable to give audience members direct eye contact, a helpful technique is to look directly over the heads of the audience as this gives the impression of eye contact.
• Try not to engage in nervous behaviours e.g. shifting your weight or fidgeting.
• Remember that it’s unlikely that the audience knows that you are feeling nervous – you do not look as anxious as you feel.
• Notice whether you are speaking too quickly as this tends to happen when nervousness increases. If you are, pause and then slow down.

Strong conclusion

Since the conclusion is the last section of your presentation the audience is more likely to remember it. Summarise the key points and lead into a clear concluding statement. For example, if your presentation was on the impact of social media on self-esteem you could list all the main points covered in the presentation and conclude “Therefore, from the amount of evidence and also from the quality of evidence, we have decided that social media is negatively/positively impacting self-esteem.”

Questions and answer session

The questions and answers session after the main presentation can be a source of anxiety as it is often difficult to predict what questions will be asked. But working within a group setting means that individually you do not have to know everything about the topic.

When an  audience member asks a question , the presentation moderator can refer a speaker who has the relevant knowledge to provide an answer. This avoids any hesitant pauses.

If you are answering group presentation questions:

• Pause before answering- take the time to gather your thoughts and think about your answer
• Make sure you answer the question- sometimes you may start providing more information than necessary. Keeping answers as concise as possible will help with this.
• Ask the questioner for clarification if you do not understand- it’s better to ask rather than answering in a way that does not address the question.
• You’re not expected to know everything- challenging questions will emerge and if you do not know the answer you can respond with: “That’s a really good question, I’m not certain so let me look into that.”

Ending the presentation

A good ending usually consists of the presentation moderator thanking the audience. If there is another group afterwards they should transition to the next group.

How To Present With A Group: 14 Expert Tips

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation

If we consider the research and writing part of a presentation, then a group presentation doesn’t seem that different from a single-person presentation. 

If you wish to deliver a successful presentation, you still need to put in a fair deal of individual research, writing, and practice. Even for the presenting bit: when you speak, the onus of delivering a great speech, as well as the audience’s attention, is going to be on you. 

However, a group presentation is significantly different from a normal presentation. 

While you’ll still have to do your own research, the amount of research you’ll have to do will probably be decreased, as the research material will be divided amongst all the members. Practice and delivery of the speech will not be merely an individual thing: you’ll have to work and synch it with the rest of the group.

Moreover, while it might seem that the individual responsibility is going to reduce if you’re delivering a presentation with more than one person, often the case is quite the opposite. This is because if a single person messes up–or simply doesn’t wish to put in as much effort as the others–the repercussions are going to be faced by the entire group. 

However, group presentations don’t necessarily have to be a difficult thing. Think of your most favorite sports team: what makes the team the best? What makes them stand out from other teams? How are they successful?

The answer for what makes a sports team the best isn’t much different from what makes a group presentation the best: 

Advance planning and division of work, having a strong leader, fostering a sense of comariderie between group members, as well as staying vigilant and supportive on the big day are the key to delivering an awesome group presentation.  

And the goal isn’t as tough to achieve as you might think. 

Stick till the end of this article to find out! 

What Is A Group Presentation?

A group presentation is a collaborative exercise in which a team of speakers works together to create and deliver a presentation on a given topic. The number of members in a group presentation can range from anything between two to over ten! Group presentations are used in a variety of settings like school, workplace, colleges, seminars, etc. 

While the task of presenting with a group of people might feel daunting, especially if you identify as a lone wolf, group presentations can be a great learning experience and teach you how to better navigate the task of dealing with a multitude of people with a multitude of opinions and experiences. 

By keeping in mind a few things, group presentations can be delivered just as efficiently as single-speaker presentations.

Is A Group Presentation For You? 

To decide whether you should deliver a group presentation or not, you need to decide whether the pros of a group presentation outweigh the cons for you. 

Group presentations are great because they decrease workload, increase efficiency, improve the quantity and quality of ideas, and also provide you with experience to work in a group setting. 

However, there are a few fall-backs to group presentation as well. 

Sometimes, a few group members might not work as hard as the other ones, thus increasing the workload on the other members. Also, group members might have different ideas and opinions, which can cause clashes within the group. Coordinating between the group members might be a problem. And if you’re a shy person, you might find it difficult to speak out and voice your opinion in front of other group members. 

So, there is no single answer to whether you should do a group presentation or not. Weigh in the pros and cons of doing one before making your decision. 

Tips For Delivering A Group Presentation: The Preparation Stage 

1. Decide On The Purpose Of Your Presentation

First and foremost, you must determine what is the purpose of your presentation. It might seem like a redundant step, but trust me: it’s not. You’ll be surprised by how different people perceive and understand the same topic.

So, say you’re delivering a research paper on the topic “The Effect Of The Coronavirus Pandemic On Street Animals”, sit down together and ask your group members what each individual person thinks the topic is about and the points they feel we need to include in it.

If possible, one member can jot down all the points that the other speakers make, and once all the members are done talking, you can come to a consensus about what to and what not to include in the presentation. 

2. Choose A Presentation Moderator 

In the simplest terms, the presentation moderator is the designated “leader” of a group. That is, they’re the one responsible for the effective functioning of the group, and to make sure that the group achieves their shared purpose i.e giving the presentation.

They sort out any potential conflicts in the group, help out other members when they ask for guidance, and also have the final say on important decisions that the group makes. The best and the simplest way to select the presentation moderator is by vote. This will ensure that every member has a say, and avoid any potential conflicts in the future. 

3. Divide The Work Fairly  

The next step is to divide the work. The best way to do this is to break your presentation into equal parts, and then to assign them to group members. While doing so, you can keep in mind individuals’ preferences, experience, and expertise. For example, if there are three people, you can divide your presentation into three sections: the beginning, the middle, and the end.

Then you can ask which member would feel more comfortable with a particular section, and assign the sections accordingly. In case of any overlap, the individual members can be asked to decide themselves who’s the better fit for the part. Alternatively, if the situation doesn’t seem to resolve, the presentation moderator can step in and assign parts randomly to the members; the members can do this themselves, too. 

4 . Do A Member Analysis 

To know the individual strengths and weaknesses of group members, it’s important to carry out a member analysis. Not everyone feels comfortable in front of a crowd. Or, someone could be great at building presentations, but not so good with speaking into a mic. On the contrary, a member might be an excellent orator but terrible with technology.

So, in order to efficiently divide the work and to have a seamless presentation, carry out a member analysis beforehand. 

5. Individual And Group Practice Are Equally Important 

Individual practice is important as it helps you prepare the presentation in solitude, as you would if you were the only speaker. Practicing alone is generally more comfortable, as you do not have to worry about other people watching or judging you.

It also allows you to prepare at your own convenience and time, while for group practice you’ll have to adjust to when it’s convenient for the other members to practice, as well.

Besides, the individual practice also saves the group’s time as each member can simultaneously but separately prep their own part, while group practice sessions are often longer as the other members generally have to pay attention to the speaking member instead of their own bit.

However, it’s essential to do group practice at least three to four times before delivering your presentation. This is important not just for the smooth delivery of the presentation, but also for the group members to grow comfortable with each other.

Group practice sessions also help you time out the total duration of the presentation, have smooth transitions between speakers, avoid repetitions, and also sort out any potential hiccups or fallbacks in the presentation. 

6. Perfect The Transitions 

A common fallback of group presentations is having awkward transitions between members. Not only will this be an unpleasant experience for the audience, but it might also make you waste precious time.

So, make sure you practice and perfect the transitions before the big day. It doesn’t have to be too long–even a single line will do. What matters is how well you execute it. 

7. Bond With The Group Members 

Bonding with the group is a great way to enhance the overall presentation experience; both, for yourself as well as the audience. This is because a better bond between the group members will make for the smoother functioning of the group, reduce potential conflicts, make decisions quickly and more easily, and also make the presentation fun!

The audience will also be able to sense, maybe even witness, this camaraderie between the members. They will thus have a better viewing experience.

There are many ways to improve the bonding between group members. Before the presentation, you could go out for dinner, a movie, or even meet up at one location–like somebody’s house–to get to know each other better. Group calls are another option. You could also play an ice-breaker if you’re up for some fun games!

8. Watch Other Group Presentations Together 

This is another great way of bonding with the team and also improving your presentation skills as you do so. By listening to other group presentations, you will be able to glean a better idea of how you can better strategize your own presentation. As you watch the presentation, make note of things like the time division, the way the topics are divided, the transition between speakers, etc. 

A few presentations you could watch are: 

Delivering A Successful Team Presentation 

Takeaway: This is a great video to learn how to deliver a  great group presentation. As you watch the video, make note of all the different tips that each speaker gives, and also how they incorporate  them in their own presentation, which goes on simulatenously with the tips. 

Sample Group Presentation: Non-Verbal Communication

Takeaway: This is another great video that depicts how you can deliver a presentation with a group. Notice how the topics are divided, the transition between different speakers, and also the use of visuals in the presentation. 

AthleteTranx Team Presentation- 2012 Business Plan Competition

Takeaway: Another great example of a group presentation that you can watch with your own group. In this video, keep a lookout for how the different speakers smoothly transition, their body language, and the way the presentation itself is organized to make it an amazing audience experience. 

Tips For Delivering A Group Presentation: The Presentation Stage  

1.Introduce All Members 

A good idea to keep in mind while delivering a group presentation is to introduce all members at the onset of the presentation. This will familiarize the audience with them, and also work to ease the member’s nerves.

Besides, an introduction will make the members feel more included, and if done correctly, can also give a more shy member a confidence boost. The simplest way of introducing members is to have the person beginning the speech do it. Alternatively, the presentation moderator could do it. 

Need some tips on how to introduce people? Check out our article on How To Introduce A Speaker In Any Setting (And Amaze Your Audience).

2. Coordinate Your Dressing 

What better way to make people believe that you’re a team than dressing up as one? 

Coordinated dressing not only makes the group stand out from the audience, but it can also make the group members feel more like one team. 

A general rule of thumb is to dress one level more formally than your audience. Don’t wear your casual clothes: remember that it’s a formal event and your clothing must reflect that. Also, keep in mind individual preferences and beliefs while choosing the clothing.

This is important as if a person is uncomfortably dressed, it can have a negative impact on their performance, which will eventually be detrimental to the group performance. 

Confused about what to wear on the presentation day? Check out our article on Guide: Colors To Wear During A Presentation.

3. Make Sure To Incorporate Visual & Audio Aids

Visual elements like photographs, videos, graphs, etc. Are a must in all presentations, group or otherwise. This is because visual aids help the audience better understand the topic, besides making the presentation a better experience overall. Same goes with audio elements, which include things like audio clips, music, background sounds etc. 

So, if you wish to have your audience’s attention, make sure to incorporate tons of visual and audio elements in your presentation. You could also divide the kind of visual elements you use between different members: for example, one person could show a short documentary to expand on their point, and the other could make use of memes and animation to add a dose of fun to their part. 

4. Pay Attention To What Others Are Saying 

Another thing to keep in mind while delivering your speech is to pay attention to what the other speakers are saying. While it might be tempting to tune out others and use the extra time to rehearse your own presentation, it’s not a good idea to do so.

Remember that the audience can see each speaker on the stage. If you don’t look interested, then why should they pay attention? Besides, your lack of attention can make the speaker feel bad: if their own team members aren’t listening to them speaking, does that mean they’re doing a bad job? So, make sure to keep your eyes and ears on your teammate as they deliver their speech.

5. Remember All Speech Parts By Heart 

This is a great way to ensure that you have a seamless presentation. One of the primary benefits of having a team to work with is knowing that you can turn to them for help if something goes wrong.

So, it’s important to not just practice and work together but to also be well-versed in what other group members are going to be saying. This will make it easier for you to cue or help someone if they forget their part. Also, if there’s an emergency or if a member is not able to make it to the speech, the other members can easily take their place.

6. Work Together For A Question And Answer Session 

Q & A sessions are a common element in most presentations. They might seem daunting to an individual speaker, however, a group setting makes the session much easier. This is because an individual speaker doesn’t have to know everything about the topic.

The presentation moderator can simply refer to the speaker who is the most well-versed about the topic or is best able to answer the question from the group, and they can answer it. 

Creative Ideas To Make Use Of Multiple Presenters! 

There are many ways by which you can use the fact that there’s not just one single presentator but many to your advantage. A few of them are: 

1. Add A Dose Of Fun With Skits! 

Adding a dose of creativity to your presentation will greatly enhance its appeal to the audience, and make it more likely that they will remember your presentation in the future! 

One way of doing this is by having a short skirt in the opening. This is another great way of introducing the members, and of warming up the audience to them.

A fun skit can not only expand on the topic you’re about to present but will also elevate the audience’s mood, which will improve their attention span as well as their opinion of you! What else could you ask for?

2. Make Them Engage With Cosplay! 

Cosplay is another great way of making your presentation stand apart! This can make the presentation more interactive for the audience, as well, and earn you that sought-after dose of chuckling.

It’s not necessary to buy the most expensive costumes or be perfect in your cosplay, either. You can pick an outfit that’s easy to drape over your other outfit, and pick props that are easy to carry as well as versatile so that you can use them in other parts of your presentation as well. 

3. Write & Sing A Song Together!

Listen, you don’t have to be a professional singer or composer to do this. You’re not trying to sell a studio album. All you need is a little dose of creativity and some brainstorming, and you can write a song that helps you explain a component of your speech better.

You could even summarize the entire topic in that song, and sing it in the end as a sort of post-credits scene (thank you, Marvel). Alternatively, the song doesn’t necessarily have to explain your speech, but can simply be a surprise element after you’re done with the main part of your speech! 

4. Record A Short Film!

If you don’t want to have a live skit, another creative way to add fun to your skit is by recording a short film beforehand and playing it during your presentation. The film doesn’t have to be very long–even a few minutes work.

What matters is the content of the film, and how well-made it is. If not all members wish to act or record themselves, the ones that are not up for it can do the editing and compilation, or even write the script! After all, it’s not just actors that make a film successful: a strong director and writer are just as important! 

5. Have A Continuous Story 

Another great way to make the presentation seem more connected and seamless is by incorporating a continuous story. You can pick a story–or even make one up–related to your topic and break it up in sections.

Then, assign a section to each speaker. This will not only make the presentation more intriguing but if done right will also hook your audience’s attention and make them anticipate what comes next. Awesome, right? 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. how do i begin a group presentation.

To begin a group presentation, have the moderator or any other group member introduce all other members and the topic that they’ll be speaking on. This might seem like a redundancy, however it is anything but useless.

This gives the chance to the audience to become familiar with the speakers, which is necessary if you want them to grow comfortable with you. Also, prior introduction of members saves the audience’s time, as each speaker will not have to re-introduce themself before driving into their topic. 

If each member wishes to individually introduce themselves, then that can be done too. However, make sure that you’ve practiced transitioning between members smoothly, so as to avoid making the switch look awkward.

Next, share a brief summary of what you’re going to be talking about. Like the introduction, you could even split the summary among yourselves, with each speaker describing briefly what they’re going to be talking about. Tell the audience why it’s relevant, and how you’re planning to go about giving the speech. Incorporating attention-grabbing statements is another good idea.

This could be a sneak peek into what’s going to be coming in your presentation, or simply a relevant statement, fact or statistic. Make sure the introduction doesn’t last too long, as you want to keep the audience fresh and primed for the main content of your speech. 

For some awesome opening lines, check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How To Create Your Own).

Q. HOW DO I TRANSITION BETWEEN DIFFERENT SPEAKERS?

As mentioned before, having a smooth transition between speakers in the group is imperative to provide the audience with a seamless experience. The abrupt way of doing this would be to simply have the first speaker stop and for the other speaker to begin speaking.

However, a better way to transition would be by using transitional phrases. Pass the baton to the next speaker by introducing them. You could do this by saying something like, “To talk about the next topic we have…” Or something like, “Now I would like to invite…” 

After verbally introducing them, it’s also a good idea to motion towards or look towards the new speaker. Also, if you’re the next speaker, it’s always good manners to thank the previous one. 

Transitioning is one place where many presentations go wrong. Practicing the transition might seem redundant, but it’s anything but that. In fact, it’s as necessary as the practice of the other elements of your speech. Also, make sure to incorporate both, verbal and non-verbal cues while moving to the next speaker. That is, don’t just say that ‘A’ is going to be speaking now and then walk away.

Make eye contact with the speaker, motion for them towards the podium, or smile at them. That is, both speakers should acknowledge the presence of each other.

Make sure to practice this beforehand too. If you want, you could also have the moderator do the transitioning and introduce all speakers. However, make sure that your transitions are brief, as you don’t want to take up too much time from the main presentation.

Q. HOW DO I END A GROUP PRESENTATION? 

For the ending of the presentation, have the moderator or any other group member step forward again. They can provide a quick summary of the presentation, before thanking the audience and asking them if they have any questions.

The moderator doesn’t have to answer all the questions by themselves: the members can pitch in to answer the question that relates to their individual part. If there’s another group presenting after you, the moderator can conclude by verbally introducing them or saying that the next group will take over now. 

During the end, you could have all the presenters on the stage together, as this will provide a united front to your audience. If you don’t wish to finish the presentation with a Q & A, you could also end it by a call to action.

Or, you could loop back and make a reference to the opening of your presentation, or the main part of your speech. If you’d set up a question at the beginning, now would be a good time to answer it. This will increase the impact of your speech.

Make sure that the closing words aren’t vague. The audience should know it’s the end of the presentation, and not like you’re keeping them hanging for something more. Make sure to thank and acknowledge your audience, and any other speakers or dignitaries present. Lastly, just like the opening and the transitioning, practice the ending before you step onto the stage!  

Want some inspiration for closing lines? Check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Ending Lines (And Tips To Create Your Own).

Q. HOW DO I INTRODUCE THE NEXT SPEAKER IN A GROUP PRESENTATION? 

There are many ways by which you can introduce the next speaker in the presentation. For starters, you could wrap up your presentation by simply summarizing what you said (make sure it’s a brief summary) and then saying the other speaker will take over from this point.

Or, you could finish with your topic and then give a brief introduction of the next speaker and what they’re going to be talking about. The introduction can be simply the name of the speaker, or you could also provide a brief description of them and their achievements if any.

To lighten the mood, you could even add a fun fact about the speaker in your introduction–this is, of course, provided that you’re both comfortable with it. You could also ask for a round of applause to welcome them onto the stage.

However you choose to approach the transition, make sure that your introduction is short, and not more than two minutes at the maximum. Remember that it’s the next speaker’s turn to speak–not yours. If you’re the incoming speaker, make sure to thank the speaker who introduced you. You could also respond to their description or fun fact about you. A smile doesn’t hurt, either!

Conclusion 

To sum up, while group presentations might seem daunting at first, if planned and executed properly, they don’t have to be difficult at all! On the contrary, they can make the presentation a more seamless and fun experience overall. By doing thorough preparation in advance, dividing the work properly, as well as staying vigilant and supportive during the presentation, you can execute your next group presentation as easily as an individual project! 

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