In speeches are statements that help audience members navigate the turns of your speech

Your speech will fail without them.

If you don’t use speech transitions, your speeches will fail.

Why?

They will confuse your audiences, make little sense, and even confuse you.

But don’t worry: this guide will teach you everything about speech transitions.

You’ll learn exactly how to use speech transitions to make sure that your audience loves listening to you, your speeches sound eloquent, and your words are clear and powerful. ​Are you ready? Let’s get started.

Sections in this Guide

Understanding the Basics of Speech Transitions, 48 Basic Types of Speech Transitions (288 Examples), 23 Advanced Transitions That Grab Attention, How to Avoid the 9 Speech Transition Mistakes, 9 Advanced Secrets of Speech Transitions

“Transitions are critically important. I want the reader to turn the page without thinking she’s turning the page. It must flow seamlessly.” ― Janet Evanovich

Understanding the Basics of Speech Transitions

If you don’t understand the basics of speech transitions, you won’t be able to master them. And if you can’t master speech transitions, public speaking will be much harder. ​Fortunately: in this chapter, I answer the most common questions about speech transitions. ​Are you ready? Let’s start.

1 — What are some examples of transition words?

Transition words are transition phrases that are single words. Transition words are snappier, shorter, and quicker than transition phrases. They heighten the pace and intensity of a sentence in a speech. Some examples are: “Instead,” “Additionally,” “Also,” “Next,” “Now,” “And,” “Lastly,” “First,” “Because,” “Since,” etc. They work because they are, essentially, a mini open-loop. When you connect one sentence to another by starting the second with the word “but,” that implies an exception, for example. And people are captivated by that mini open-loop because they want to complete it. “But what?” Technically, all transitions are mini open-loops until the sentence is finished, but these are particularly effective because they are just one word. More on this later.

2 — Why are transitions important in a speech?

Transitions are important in a speech because they smooth the flow of information. Transitions also show the audience what is coming next. They connect what you are about to say with what you just said. Transitions guarantee eloquence. They help your audience understand each of your sentences as they relate to each other.

3 — What are the three types of transitions?

Funny… I made this section “what are the three types of transitions” because thousands of people have been typing this in Google, according to a tool of mine. Here’s the funny part: in public speaking, there aren’t three types of transitions. There are over 60. Which type of transition you choose depends on the relationship between your previous sentence and your next one. Choose the type of transition that acts as a gateway into your next sentence. That’s the best type of transition.

4 — How do you write a good transition?

You write a good transition by choosing a transition that’s not already been used, that’s clear, and that’s relevant to your speech. You write a good transition by shortening transition phrases to get rid of unnecessary words. You write a good transition by connecting your previous sentence to your next one. That’s the key idea here.

5 — What are some good transition phrases?

What is a good transition word? That depends on what you want to say. Good transition phrases connect your previous sentence to your next sentence. If your next sentence will describe something different then your last one, “On the contrary…” is a good transition. “Similarly…” is not a good one. Get it?

6 — What is the difference between transitions and signposts?

Signposts are transition phrases that are just single words. They are so natural that they often happen unintentionally. They can happen at any point in a sentence. Signposts include conjunctions, like “and,” but also verbal lists: “first, second, third, etc.” Signposts also improve speech flow. And they act as refresher phrases. Transition words, signposts, and delayed transitions are all refresher phrases that create fast mini open-loops. We’ll get into this shortly.

7 — How do you introduce a main point in a speech?

You introduce a main point in a speech by using a transition of importance. A transition of importance indicates that what you are about to say is your main point. It shows the audience that it is your main message. Here are some examples: “the whole point is,” “and here’s what this all means,” etc. ​

48 Basic Types of Speech Transitions (288 Examples)

This section will teach you exactly how to use speech transitions. You’ll learn 48 proven speech transitions that will make your speeches flow like a river. Here’s the best part: each kind of transition comes with six examples. Just take the examples and use them. By using these 48 transitions, you will guarantee that your audiences are listening to you, guarantee that your audiences understand your speech, and guarantee that your speech is eloquent and clear. ​Let’s start.

1 — Difference

These indicate that what you are about to say is different from what you just said. Use these to indicate contrasts, and to prime your audience to identify differences. “On the contrary…” “Unlike…” “As opposed to…” “Conversely…” “On the other hand…” “If we flip that around…”

2 — Similarity

These indicate that what you are about to say is similar to what you just said. These will prime your audience to identify similar characteristics. Use these for metaphors, similes, and analogies. “Similarly…” “Just like…” “This is a lot like…” “Something similar is…” “This mirrors the…” “Much like…”

3 — Specification

These elaborate upon a previous point. Use these when you’re diving deeper into an idea. Use these when you want to present additional information about an idea. “Additionally…” “Furthermore…” “To elaborate…” “Also…” “There’s more…” “It goes deeper…”

4 — List Items

These present the items in a list of items. A sequence of these transitions is efficient and memorable. Your audience will remember content that’s structured in a list. One tip: don’t say “lastly…” say “last.” Don’t say “firstly…” say “first.” There’s no need for the “ly.” “First…” “Second…” “Third…” “Fourth…” “Fifth…” “Last…”

5 — Chronology

These present a list of events in chronological sequence. Chronologies are naturally engaging. People love stories. Use these to build a rapid, fast-paced chronology. “Next…” “Then…” “After this…” “What happened next…” “Now…” “The next thing…”

6 — Closing

These indicate that you are closing your speech. Often, your audience will lose attention in the middle of your speech. People love listening to the beginning and ending of a speech, but lose attention in the middle. Use these transitions to bring back some of those people. “To conclude…” “Before I close…” “Bringing this to an end…” “I want to tell you one last thing…” “So, if you remember one thing from this speech before I close…” “Here are my parting words…”

7 — Referral

These are used to refer back to a previous point. You’ll often find that certain parts of your speech are especially relevant. You’ll often find that you need to constantly return to those points. Use these transitions to do so. “As I said…” “If you recall…” “Like I mentioned previously…” “Earlier, I said that…” “Remember when I said…” “Just as I said before…”

8 — Openings

These are used to open your speech, or part of your speech. They signal to your audience that it’s time to pay close attention. “Today, we’ll be talking about…” “Here’s what you’ll learn today…” “The first point I want to make is…” “To start…” “Let’s begin…” “Here’s what I want to tell you first…”

9 — Cause and Effect

These present the impact of a cause. It’s always important to elaborate on a cause. So, if you say something like “20% of kids are disengaged in schools,” elaborate on the impact of that with these transitions. “The consequence is that…” “Because of this…” “This results in…” “This leads to…” “Due to this…” “This causes…”

10 — Examples

These present an example. The more examples you give, the more convincing you’ll be. Use these to make sure your audience understands you’re giving an example. “For example…” “An example of this is…” “Such as…” “This is shown by…” “A clear sign of this…” “A perfect example is…”

11 — Quotations

These present a quotation by another speaker. If you can borrow famous quotes, you gain instant eloquence. You also support your stance. That’s why quotes are rhetorically powerful. “It was once said by [person]…” “To quote [person]…” “[person] once said…” “According to [person]…” “A great quote about this subject is when [person] said…” “[person] famously said that…”

12 — Section Summaries

These summarize previous points. It’s important to repeat your points. This will help your audience remember them. Use these transitions to indicate summaries: “To summarize…” “So far, the big idea is…” “What this all means is…” “To put it simply…” “To quickly restate it…” “The main point is…”

13 — Speech Summaries

These summarize entire speeches. It’s always a good idea to remind your audience what they just learned. It helps cement the content in their long-term memory. Use these transitions to make the summary clear: “After listening, I hope you learned…” “Today, we discussed…” “In this speech, we explored…” “Here’s exactly what you learned today…” “To restate what we talked about…” “Here’s what you should remember from this speech…”

14 — Demonstrations

These transition to demonstrations. Speakers who include demonstrations often confuse their audiences. These transitions will make it clear that a demonstration is actually going on. “And if you turn your attention to…” “I’ll demonstrate this…” “This will demonstrate what we were talking about…” “Look at this demonstration…” “This demonstration will show you…” “Here’s a quick demonstration…”

15 — Another Speaker

These transition to another speaker. They make it clear that you’re handing it off to someone else. “It’s my pleasure to introduce…” “I’m honored to introduce…” “Someone has more to say…” “Now [person’s name] is going to say a few words to you…” “It’s time to hear from…” “Thanks for listening. Up next, is…”

16 — Core Issue

These transition to a core problem or central idea. Use these to indicate that what you’re about to say is of special importance. “The core issue is…” “What this all means is…” “The central problem is…” “When we boil it down…” “In a sentence, the fundamental problem is…” “So, if we talk about what’s really going on…”

17 — Opposing Points

These transition to an opposite stance. Imagine not using these transitions. Your audience would think you just contradicted yourself. “Those who disagree say…” “The opposite stance is…” “The main counter-argument is…” “My opponents say…” “The common disagreement is…” “Unfortunately, many critics say…”

18 — Importance

These transitions move to an important idea. Audience attention ebbs and flows. It increases and decreases. To get it back, use an importance transition. “The most important idea is…” “The significant part is…” “This is the most important part…” “Let’s get to the crucial part…” “The single biggest idea is…” “Here’s the important part…”

19 — Anecdotes

These transition to a personal anecdote. Personal anecdotes are effective because they build audience relatability. They strengthen the speaker to audience connection. But you have to open them up with the proper transition. “And I have a personal story that…” “The other day…” “There’s a story that…” “There’s a funny story…” “One time, I was…” “I have a perfect story for this…”

20 — Visual Aids

These transition to a visual aid. Visual aids are useful because they back up verbal information with visual information. But you need to make sure that your audience actually looks at the visual. How? With these transitions. “If you turn your attention to…” “As you can see on the whiteboard…” “This chart indicates…” “I’ve put together this visual…” “This PowerPoint slide…” “Look here to see…”

21 — Action

These transition to your call to action. Your speech needs a call to action to create real-world impact. And if you transition to it, your audience will pay attention, and then actually take action. “Here’s how you can help me…” “Want to take action?” “You can change this by…” “Here’s what you can do…” “It’s time to take action and…” “Your opportunity to act is…”

22 — Concurrence

These transitions indicate that two things are happening at the same time. If you ever want to show concurrence, you have to use these transitions. Otherwise, your audience won’t understand it. “At the same time…” “While…” “During this…” “Concurrently…” “As this was happening…” “At the same exact moment…”

23 — Continuation

These transitions indicate that something is continuing. If you want to present something, and then take it a step further, use these transitions. “And it continues to…” “It goes on to…” “It doesn’t end there, but…” “It keeps going…” “Did you think it was over?” “It doesn’t stop just yet, but…”

24 — Exception

These transitions indicate an exception to a rule. Always enumerate exceptions as a public speaker. Why? It’s the honest thing to do. Seldom do rules exist without exception. “Except for…” “In all cases but…” “But not if…” “Unless…” “Usually, but not if…” “It doesn’t happen if…”

25 — Qualification

These transitions indicate the specific circumstances in which something happens. They qualify your statements to specific circumstances. “Only if…” “Unless…” “Only in these exact circumstances…” “Specifically when…” “Only when…” “But only in the following conditions…”

26 — Despite

These transitions indicate that something happens despite something else. They show the audience that the two things usually contradict, and can’t happen together. “Even though…” “Despite this…” “This happens even while…” “And yet…” “Although…” “Nevertheless…”

27 — Evidence

These transitions indicate that evidence is about to be presented. Presenting evidence is persuasive and convincing. Presenting evidence with an evidence transition is even better. Why? It commands the audience’s attention towards the evidence. “This is proven by…” “The proof is that…” “I’ll show you the evidence…” “For example…” “As evidence…” “The evidence is that…”

28 — Central Message

These transitions indicate the presentation of the central message. Almost all speeches are centered around one big idea. It’s always a good idea to explicitly state this idea. When you do, make sure to use a central message transition. “And the fundamental idea is that…” “This all comes down to…” “The most important idea is that…” “Ultimately…” “The whole point is that…” “As you can see, one core truth emerges…”

29 — Problem

These transitions indicate a problem. You’re often speaking to solve a problem. Specifically state the problem, and when you do, use these transitions. “The problem is that…” “The reason it doesn’t work is…” “The issue is that…” “Unfortunately, something goes wrong, specifically…” “It doesn’t work because…” “But there’s a problem…”

30 — Solution

These transitions indicate a solution. Stating a problem is great, but you have to also present a solution. To make sure everyone hears your solution, introduce it with one of these transitions. “Here’s how we can solve it…” “To fix it, we have to…” “It’s easy to fix if we…” “Luckily, there’s an easy solution…” “The solution is to…” “All we have to do to solve it is…”

31 — Positive Equation

This equation indicates that something is equal to something else. Use these when you’re presenting metaphors, similes, or analogies. Use these when you’re presenting logical syllogisms (A = B = C, so A = C). “It is…” “This means…” “It’s the same thing as…” “It’s equivalent to…” “It’s the exact same thing as…” “It is a form of…”

32 — Negative Equation

This indicates that something isn’t equal to something else. Use these especially when people assume two different things are the same. Break that false assumption with these transitions. “It’s not…” “It doesn’t mean…” “It’s not the same thing as…” “It’s not equivalent to…” “It’s the exact opposite of…” “It’s not a form of…”

33 — Options

This indicates that what you’re going to say next is one of multiple options. Use this when you’re trying to navigate a set of possible actions. “One choice is…” “Or, we could…” “An option is to…” “One thing we could do…” “One possible solution is…” “One course of action is…”

34 — Sequence

This indicates a sequential narrative. Sequential narratives are engaging. Audiences love them. If you want to make your sequential narrative clear, use these transitions. “This leads to…” “After this, what happens is…” “This causes…” “The next step is always…” “What happens next is that…” “The next thing that happens is…”

35 — Outline

These transitions present an outline. Outlines are effective because they mentally prime your audience members to receive the information that’s coming next. It helps them see how it all fits together. You can do outlines of what you’ve already discussed, or outlines of what’s coming next. Regardless, use these transitions when you do. “The big ideas are…” “You’ll learn…” “So far, you’ve learned…” “The three main concepts we talked about are…” “This is what we’ve discussed so far…” “I’ll teach you these three key concepts…”

36 — Intensification

These intensify statements. If you are building up intensity, and you want to continue that, use these. They increase the magnitude of the quality of your subject. Your subject becomes more of whatever you said it was (good, bad, funny, etc.) “But it gets worse…” “It’s even more extreme…” “It’s worse than it seems…” “It gets better…” “I’ll tell you why it’s even better…” “Just wait, it gets crazier…”

37 — Minimization

These minimize statements. If you want to decrease the intensity, use these. “But that’s pretty much it…” “Luckily, it ends when…” “It doesn’t move past…” “That’s all it is…” “That’s about it…” “There’s not much else…”

38 — Direction

These indicate statements about the direction of things. People care more about where things are going then where they are. “We’re going to…” “It’s moving towards…” “It’s going the way of…” “We’re moving in a direction of…” “The way we’re going will…” “We’re taking the route towards…”

39 — Destination

These indicate what the end result of something is. If you are making forecasts into the future, use these transitions. “We’ll end up…” “It’s going to become…” “The end result will be…” “It’s all going to lead us to…” “At the end of it, we’ll end up…” “It’s going to result in…”

40 — Scale

These indicate a shift in scale. When you use these transitions, you’re identifying whether the following subject is huge, or insignificant but worth mentioning. “It’s huge…” “It’s no big deal, but…” “A massive breakthrough is…” “It’s small but…” “This immense innovation is…” “It’s insignificant, but…”

41 — Reason

These indicate that you are going to describe a reason. Often, you need to diagnose the reasons why something is happening. Use these transitions to grab attention right before you present your findings. “The reason why is that…” “Because…” “This happens since…” “Due to the fact that…” “And because of…” “Since…”

42 — Quality

These indicate the quality of the following sentence. They tell your audience how to feel about your upcoming words. This gives you control over audience perception. “It’s unbelievable that…” “It’s amazing that…” “Unfortunately…” “Luckily for us…” “Thankfully…” “It’s sad, but…”

43 — Body

These indicate that you are moving into the body of your speech. They prime your audience to get ready for the real information. Use them after your opening and introduction as a gateway into your speech. “Let’s start…” “To begin…” “Let’s get right into it…” “The first point I want to make is that…” “Let’s get into our main points…” “First, let’s talk about…”

44 — Explanation

These indicate that you are moving into an explanation. They grab your audience’s attention. They prime your audience to closely analyze the explanation. If your audience is confused, this keeps them from tuning out in frustration by telling them you’ll simplify it. “But it makes sense when…” “Let me explain…” “But there’s an explanation…” “Here’s an explanation…” “If you’re wondering why, here’s the explanation…” “The explanation is…”

45 — Repetition

These indicate that you are repeating a previous idea. Moderate repetition is good. It helps audiences remember concepts. It also allows you to reference previous concepts if needed. And it places strategic, rhetorical emphasis on what you’re repeating. “To restate…” “Once again…” “I repeat…” “Let me reiterate…” “I’ll say it again…” “It’s worth mentioning again that…”

46 — Opinion

These indicate that you are transitioning to a personal opinion. It’s important to let your audience know what is verified fact and personal opinion. This is especially true when you move from verified fact to opinion. That’s when you need to use one of these transitions. “Personally, I believe that…” “It’s my opinion that…” “I think that…” “In my belief…” “It is my view that…” “If you ask me…”

47 — Question

These indicate a question or area of intellectual exploration. It’s intriguing and builds audience rapport. You can pose a question, and then answer it. Regardless, when transitioning to questions, use one of these. “So, my question is…” “The question we still haven’t answered is…” “We still don’t know why…” “The big question with no answer is…” “The last unanswered question is…” “The question we need to answer is…”

48 — Prediction

This indicates that what you are about to say is a prediction. And if you are an expert, predictions are good. Just make sure that you use these transitions. “I predict that…” “Here’s what’s going to happen next, in my view…” “Based on my experience, the next step will be…” “What usually happens next at this point is…” “Next…” “This is what I think will happen next…” Those are 48 basic transitions, and 288 examples. Great, right? Not as great as what I’m about to show you in the next section.

23 Advanced Transitions That Grab Attention

This chapter will teach you advanced speech transitions that even the pros don’t know. These transitions will captivate audiences, guarantee attention, and help your speech succeed. I promise that if you use these transitions, your speech will be much more engaging and persuasive. For example, the “benefit transition” will always grab audience attention. But we’ll talk about that later. ​ Are you ready? Let’s dive right in.

1 — Review and Preview

This is an awesome transition. Here’s why: it reviews what you said. It previews what you’re about to say. Want to know why this is so powerful? Because it is the perfect transition between structural units of speeches. For example, consider a simple speech structure: the problem-solution structure. Right when you finish up the problem section and move into the solution, you can use the review-preview transition like this: “So far, we’ve talked about the problem. We’ve discussed how it [insert consequence of problem one, two, and three]. Now, it’s time to discuss the solution. We’ll talk about how this solution [insert benefits one, two, and three].” Simple, but elegant. It acts as a turning point in your speech. Let’s move on to the next advanced speech transition.

2 — Themed Transitions

Let’s say that you want your speech to be unified around a theme. You can use themed transitions. Here’s how: identify your theme. Summarize that theme in a word. Inject that word into your transitions. Here’s an example: let’s say your theme is the “human journey through difficult times and obstacles.” Summarize the theme in one word: “journey.” Inject that word into your transitions, like so:

1. Transition of sequence: “This leads to…” becomes “This leads our journey to…”

2. Transition of central message: “This all comes down to…” becomes “The journey all comes down to…”

3. Transition of continuation: “This continues until…” becomes “Our journey continues until…” etc.

You’re essentially taking your theme and attaching it to your transitions. Why do this? Here’s why: it reinforces your theme. It helps your audience remember your main message. It reminds your audience, during your speech, what your big idea is. All from adding a word or two to your existing transitions. Let’s move on.

3 — Direct Requests

Direct requests are persuasive. We talked about that before. They are commanding. They give you control. And they work as transitions. Here are some examples: “Listen to this…” “Let me tell you…” “Guess what?” “Pay attention to this…” All of these direct request speech transitions are crisp, clear, and commanding. They get you respect as a public speaker. They get you attention and focus. ​ Cool, right? Let’s move on to another seriously captivating transition.

4 — I Know What You’re Thinking

This transition is so captivating that you’ll wish you could constantly use it. Here are some examples: “Now I know what you’re thinking…” “At this point you’re probably wondering…” “I know you probably think…” Why are these so powerful? Not only are they smooth, engaging, and captivating speech transitions, but they connect you to your audience. If you can get even close to actually guessing what your audience is thinking at a given moment, you immediately get their attention. And if you don’t? That’s fine too. The transition is still an attention-grabber. And they’ll instantly think what you mistakenly guessed they were already thinking, now that you popped the thought into their heads. However: the next transition on the list might just be an even more powerful attention-grabber.

5 — FOMO Transition

I love this transition. It’s so insanely powerful that I constantly use it when I speak. FOMO stands for “fear of missing out.” And when you use this transition, you make your audience fear missing what you’re about to say. Here are some examples: “You can’t miss this…” “You’ll regret it if you miss this next…” “You don’t want to miss this big reveal…” Yes. It’s insanely powerful. And it gets even more powerful with this simple, step-by-step process:

1. Find a point in your speech where audience attention might be low.

2. Insert an interesting, shocking piece of information.

3. Insert a FOMO transition right at that point, before saying the interesting piece of information.

This uses a FOMO transition right when you need it most. That said, this next transition is also captivating.

6 — Huge Discovery

These transitions tell you audience that you have a huge discovery coming next. And they love hearing huge discoveries. Want to instantly regain audience attention? Want to transition into a big discovery? Why not use this transition? It does both. Here are some examples: “And then I discovered the most incredible secret…” “What I found out next was earth-shattering…” “I discovered something that blew my mind…” These become even more attention-grabbing with a method I call “transition stacking.” But we’ll talk about that later. For now, let’s get into the next advanced transition.

7 — Unfortunate Catch

Use this transition after describing something good, with no flaws presented. Use it to present the first flaw. “Unfortunately, there’s a catch…” “It would work perfectly, except for…” “But there’s one problem that breaks it…” It’s a good way to regain the audience’s attention. They’ll all be thinking: “What’s the flaw? Why doesn’t it work?” With that, let’s move on to another transition that uses immense curiosity to grab attention.

8 — Hidden Answer

This one is so insanely captivating. It’s so effective at instantly grabbing audience attention. You’re going to love using it. Here’s why it works: it teases a huge secret answer to a big question… which immediately builds curiosity. And curiosity = attention. Make sure you actually say the question. Some examples: “And here’s the answer to the question of…” “And the answer that nobody seems to know is…” “The correct answer is not what you’d think, it’s…” Questions = open loops. Open loops = curiosity. Curiosity = burning desire to satisfy the curiosity. Hidden-answer transitions = hints at loop-closers that satisfy curiosity. Get it?

9 — Exemplary Example

People love examples. And these transitions show them that a perfect example is coming up. Here are some examples of the example transition: “And a perfect example of this is…” “A perfect example of this exact thing is…” “And this was expressed perfectly by…” Using words like “perfect” and “exact,” show your audience that this example, in particular, is one they shouldn’t miss. Moving on.

10 — How To

Here’s what this transition will do: transition to an explanation of how to do something, grab audience attention, and project your value. Here are some examples: “Now, I’ll teach you exactly how to…” “If you’re wondering how to do it, here’s how…” “Here’s how you can do the exact same thing…” Honestly, if your audience could choose only one part of your speech to listen to, it would be the one where you explain how to do something. Why? Because that provides them unique value. And when you use this transition, you indicate to them that you’re giving them exactly what they want. Using words like “exactly” build the impression that this is a bullet-proof, trustworthy, guaranteed process you’re going to teach them; that it is a precise solution to their specific problem. Fun stuff. Let’s move on to this next transition.

11 — Big Secret

These transitions give you your audience’s attention. It’s yours. You control it now. All from using these transitions. Here are some examples: “The hidden, little-known secret nobody else knows is that…” “The big secret is…” “The secret you’ll be the first to know is that…” Why are these transitions so powerful? Let me remind you: they create open loops, open loops create curiosity, and curiosity creates instant attention. Cool, right? Speaking of curiosity, you’ll love our next transition.

12 — Curious Question

Curious questions create curiosity. It’s that simple. Here are some examples: “What does this all mean?” “So, what’s really going on here? “What’s the real reason this is happening?” When you use questions like these, you create curiosity. You’re probably wondering: “Why do all of these transitions do the same thing?” Because a curious audience is an attentive one, and an attentive audience is the only kind of audience you can persuade. Using words like “really,” and “real reason” imply that you’re going straight to the truth. And your audience will love that. This next transition doesn’t use curiosity. I’m sure you were getting bored of those. Instead, this next transition piles on tantalizing benefits. Those on their own grab attention. Let’s check it out.

13 — Benefit Transitions

Your audience is always thinking “WIIFM.” “Why should I listen? How will I benefit from this? How is this speaker helping me?” And with these transitions, you tell your audience what’s in it for them. You answer those selfish questions. Here are some examples: “Now, you’ll learn how to [insert benefit one], [insert benefit two], and [insert benefit three].” “What I’m going to tell you will help you [insert benefit].” “If you want to [insert benefit], here’s how…” The moment you tell your audience what’s in it for them is the moment you get their attention. And if it’s been a long time since you’ve hit upon the WIIFM question, it’s time to hit upon it again with this transition to renew attention. Think to yourself: “What do they truly want? What are they trying to achieve? What motivates them?” And then: “How does this relate to my speech?” Put those two things together, add this transition to the mix, and your audience’s attention is yours.

14 — Guess What Happened

Yes. More curiosity. Here’s how you use this transition: “And guess what happened next?” “Try figuring out what happened next for a moment.” “Will you even believe what happened next?” Simple. Elegant. Powerful. Next up is a personal favorite of mine, especially when lecturing.

15 — Stay with Me

Another kind of direct command. Remember direct commands? They are persuasive and attention grabbing. These transitions sound like this: “Stay with me…” “Pay attention to this…” “Stick with me…” Use these to reinforce audience attention during difficult segments. What do I mean by difficult segments? Parts of your speech that are complex, are technical in nature, or have a high cognitive load. It’s during these moments when your audience decides to stop paying attention. But, if you include one of these transitions, you’ll tug them along. Moving on.

16 — Information Scent Transitions

These are fun. First, some background review: people forage for information like animals forage for food. Yup. It’s an actual theory. And they use something called “information scent” to determine if they should pay attention. Remember, attention is a resource. So, information scent transitions do exactly what they sound like they do. They increase the information scent. Here’s a step-by-step process:

1. Figure out exactly what your audience wants to know above all. Their “knowledge mission.”

2. Precede that in your speech with an “information scent” transition.

Simple, right? Here’s what these transitions look like: “I promise that you’ll learn exactly how to [insert audience knowledge mission].” “You’ll learn a simple step-by-step process to [insert audience knowledge mission].” “If you want to know how to [insert audience knowledge mission], I’m about to tell you.” These increase information scent. They indicate incoming information. They grab attention. Very cool. A similar transition is this next one.

17 — Open-Loop Transitions

Open loops are a secret weapon of maintaining attention. Honestly, when I found out this technique, public speaking became a lot more fun. And these transitions have open-loops engineered directly into them. Here’s a step-by-step process:

1. Find an attention-grabbing, juicy secret to tease.

2. Engineer that into existing transitions.

For example: “In a few minutes, I’ll teach you [insert tease], but first…” “You’ll learn [insert tease], but before that…” “I’m going to show you [insert tease], right after we talk about…” Usually, the secrets are benefit-driven. For example: “How to save 20% more money.” “How to buy a new car for 50% less.” “How to determine if a candidate is right for you.” And now, for a bedrock transition of eloquence and rhetoric, you’ll now learn rhetorical questions.

18 — Rhetorical Questions

You know what they are. You don’t know how you can turn any transition into one. So, here are some examples:

1. Transition of sequence: “This leads to…” becomes “What does this all lead to?”

2. Transition of central message: “This all comes down to…” becomes “What does this all come down to?”

3. Transition of continuation: “This continues until…” becomes “How far does this continue?”

If you want to become more eloquent, use transitions. Want to become even more eloquent after that? Then turn your transitions into rhetorical questions. ​It’s that simple. ​

19 — Uncertainty ​

Secrecy sells. And uncertainty is accidental secrecy. ​So, engineer it into your transitions. Here are some examples: ​ “And what we’re all uncertain about is…” “What nobody understands yet is…” “The big, frustrating, unanswered question is…” Before the internet and the information age, people craved finding things that were certain. Now that we are inundated with information, people love uncertain things. ​So, if you use these transitions to tease uncertainty:​ you’ll get more attention, you’ll create intrigue, and you’ll be more memorable. ​Seems easy, right? It is easy. ​But not as easy as our next transition.

20 — Behind the Scenes ​

People love being insiders. People love knowing things that other people don’t. People love feeling like they have exclusive information. ​And can you guess how behind the scenes transitions make people feel? Like insiders. Like they know information others don’t. Like they have exclusive information.​ That’s why these are so powerful. ​Here are some examples: ​ “What happens behind the scenes is…” “As an insider, I’ll tell you what nobody else knows…” “If you want the exclusive, behind-the-scenes look, here it is…” ​Easy. ​But effective. Moving on.

21 — Refresher Phrases ​

I’ll be honest: ​a lot of these previous transitions are refresher phrases. ​ In fact, refresher phrases aren’t a distinct set of transitions. ​So why are we talking about them? ​Because they are an important concept, and I want you to know them. ​Refresher phrases are transitions specifically designed to refresh an audience’s attention span. ​Here’s how they work:

they tease information that is interesting, important, secretive, or valuable. They come before sentences containing that information. They subconsciously indicate to your audience that something important is coming. ​They front-load and shorten the transition, usually placing the transition on the left side of a colon and the sentence on the right. But, more importantly, here’s why they work: ​when you say “Here’s the secret:” (a refresher phrase), your audience is thinking: “What’s the secret? I love secrets. I better pay attention.” ​When you say “Here’s the solution:” your audience is thinking: ​“I need the solution. This seems important. I’ll listen up.” ​Get it? Moving on to our final advanced transition.

22 — Delayed Transitions ​

These heighten pace. They heighten intensity. They shorten sentences. ​ Delayed transitions are one-word transitions: “And…” “Now…” “But…” “Since…”​ It’s as simple as that. They create the sensation of receiving more information in less time, which is actually true since they are shorter. And they maintain simplicity. But we’re almost done with these advanced transitions, and after this next and final one, we are going to move on to the nine most common mistakes (and how to avoid them).

23 — The Truth

This one is captivating. It’ll instantly grab audience attention. Why? Because people love truth, especially when it is handed to them on a silver platter. Want to grab attention before making a statement? Want to inject confidence into that statement? Want your audience to see you as an honest, trustworthy speaker, and to take what you say as though an expert just told them the information? Then use this type of transition. These go like this: “Now, the truth is…” “But the brutal truth is…” “Here’s the truth…”

How to Avoid the 9 Speech Transition Mistakes

If you make one of these nine mistakes, everything you’ve learned about speech transitions becomes useless. ​It’s unfortunate, but that won’t stop me from telling you the truth. ​Luckily for you: ​I will teach you the nine most common speech transition mistakes. ​And I will teach you exactly how to avoid them. ​Ready? Let’s start.

1 — Wrong Transition

This is the most common mistake you might make. In fact, I’m 100% positive that you’ve made this mistake at some point in the past. Here’s what happened next: your audience got confused, you lost your train of thought, and your speech became unclear, blurry, and confusing. Want to know what this big mistake is? Here it is: applying the wrong transition. Applying a transition that doesn’t match the relationship between the previous sentence and the next sentence. Let me explain: as you know, transitions are supposed to connect sentences. They tell your audience information about what you’re going to say next. They’re words spoken about the words you’re going to speak next. The best transition to use (in fact, the only one to use), is the one that accurately connects sentence A and sentence B. For example: if sentence A and sentence B are describing two different things, the best transition to use is a difference transition, like “on the contrary.” The wrong transition to use is anything other than a difference transition. Any transition that does not accurately represent the relationship between sentence A and B is the wrong transition. To help you prevent this mistake, I gave you more examples of transitions than you’ll find anywhere else, broken down into more categories than you’ll find anywhere else. Here’s the next mistake, which can be just as bad: tangents.

2 — Tangents

Tangents blur the clarity of your speaking. They confuse your audience. They muddy your message. Usually, you can tell when you’re about to go on a tangent when you say a tangent transition: “This reminds me of a time…” “Ironically…” “A friend of mine once…” Now, here’s the truth: tangents aren’t all that bad. For informal, conversational speeches, one layer of tangents is okay. Why? Because it builds the speaker to audience connection. However: two or more layers are not. In other words: if you’re giving a relaxed, funny, personal speech, then one tangent is okay. But if you then launch into another tangent off of the previous tangent, that’s bad. You have to first return to your linear speech. That’s what “two layers of tangents” means. So be careful for this pattern:

1. Tangent transition.

2. Tangent.

3. Another tangent transition.

That pattern indicates two layers of tangents. This pattern is acceptable:

1. Tangent transition.

2. Tangent.

3. “Back to what I was saying…”

4. Main speech.

Another common mistake (which I’m sure you’ve done once or twice) is transitions which are totally missing.

3 — Missing Transitions

There’s only one time when you shouldn’t use transitions. But we’ll talk about that later. Except for that one time, you should always use transitions. Without transitions, your audience is wondering: “What does this sentence have to do with the last one?” “What is this person going to say next?” “How does this speech fit together?” And also, probably thinking: “This speech is jumbled.” “This speaker is disorganized.” “I’m confused.” Needless to say, you don’t want your audience thinking those things. So never avoid transitions. But definitely avoid repetitive transitions too, which are our next mistake.

4 — Repetitive Transitions

Never repeat your transitions. Sure, you can use transitions of difference over and over. That’s fine. But here’s the problem: when you use the same exact transition of difference over and over. Let’s say you need to use three consecutive transitions of difference. Don’t do it this way: “On the contrary… [sentence one].” “On the contrary… [sentence two].” “On the contrary… [sentence three].” Instead, do it this way: “On the contrary… [sentence one].” “As opposed to… [sentence two].” “Unlike… [sentence three].” Get it? Moving on.

5 — Miscount

Let’s say you’re listing out something in your speech. Maybe you’re listing the steps of a process, a sequence of events, or your points. Here’s what a miscount looks like: “First, you do…” “Second, you do…” “Next, you do…” “Third, you do…” There are four items in that list, but your list transition words don’t show that. Why? Because instead of signposting the list items correctly, you accidentally replaced “third” with “next,” and then made “fourth” into “third.”

6 — Redundant Transitions

What do these three examples of transitions have in common? “On the contrary, different than…” “Similarly, just like…” “Furthermore, additionally…” They are redundant. ​If you say “on the contrary,” you don’t need any other difference indicators. If you say “similarly,” “just like” is redundant. ​If you say “furthermore,” “additionally” is redundant. This is not the meaning of transition stacking, which we’ll talk about later. You get the point. Moving on.

7 — Too Long ​

Transitions are important. Critical. ​But they shouldn’t be running the show. ​Transitions are supposed to support your sentence, not the other way around. ​Any given sentence has a limited number of words before it starts to make no sense. Before it starts to be a run-on. Before it becomes confusing. ​ Don’t strain your sentences by using transitions that are way too long. ​For example: ​don’t say “completely contrary and different to what we just talked about is…” ​ Just say “on the contrary.” That’s much more easy, elegant, end efficient. Moving on to (an opposite) mistake.​

8 — Too Short ​

Transitions are too important. ​They have to be clear. ​You have to take the time to clearly put what you’re about to say in context. Otherwise it makes no sense. So, while short transitions do have their place, an entire speech with short, unclear transitions is no good. As a general rule: ​transitions within the structural units of your speeches (sentence A to sentence B) can be short. Transitions between the structural unit (part one to part two) need to be more defined and longer.

9 — Unclear ​

Clever transitions help nobody. ​Choose clear over clever every chance you get. The best way to word your transitions (in fact, to word anything) is to say: ​

1. Exactly what you mean.

2. With the fewest number of words.

3. With the simplest words.

4. (With regards to transitions) In a way that accurately connects your previous sentence to your next one. ​

Now… enough about the mistakes. ​Time for nine speech transition secrets that will change the way you look at public speaking and persuasive communication.

9 Advanced Secrets of Speech Transitions

Did you know that you could stack transitions to instantly captivate an audience? ​Well, you can. And I’ll show you how. These nine speech transition secrets are what set the pros apart from the amateurs.​ For example, the transitional body language technique. ​Even expert public speakers don’t know that one. ​But you will. ​Let’s dive right into it.

1 — Transitional Body Language ​

It’s simple: ​if you combine your transitions with transitional body language, they become twice as effective. ​Here some ways to do this: ​ for list transitions, list out the items on your fingers. For transitions of difference, hold your hands up in two fists, and move them away from each other. For transitions of similarity, bring your hands together. For transitions of continuation, take your hand and move it forward. For transitions of scale, hold your hands out wide. The big idea is that your body should send the same message as your words.​ Here’s another cool way to use transitional body language: ​if you’re giving a speech around three main points, deliver your first one from the left corner of the stage. Then, as you transition to your second point, move to the middle. ​Last, when you transition to your third, move to the right corner of the stage. In this way you mirror the structural transitions of your speech. ​Here’s another example, to spur your imagination: for the problem-solution structure, you can sit for the problem portion and stand for the solution. Sitting, you seem like a cool professional diagnosing a problem with their expert, scalpel-like perception. Standing? An excited, passionate, visionary of a leader advocating for the best possible path forward. (Only sit if you’re in a small meeting or if the context makes sitting okay). Cool, right? ​Moving on to another secret of speech transitions.

2 — Lack of Transitions ​

Every public speaking rule has exceptions. ​“Seriously?” you might be asking, slightly — or very — frustrated. ​Yes. And this is an exception to the rule “always use transitions.” ​Here are some examples of the extreme cases where you might not use transitions: ​

1. When you want to build an extremely fast pace.

2. When you want to build an extremely intense sequence.

3. When you want to build an extremely snappy section. ​

That said, 99% of the time, you absolutely should use transitions. ​ But if there’s a segment in your speech where your most important priority is intensity, then test the segment without transitions. ​Maybe it’ll make it more intense. Give it a shot. ​

3 — Transition Stacking ​

What’s better than an insanely captivating transition? ​ Here’s what: ​three insanely captivating transitions stacked together. Let’s take a “big secret” transition. ​Not stacked: ​“The hidden, little-known secret nobody else knows is that…” Stacked: “You’re about to learn the hidden, little-known secret nobody else knows. You’ll be the first to know this massive secret I’m about to tell you. The big secret is…” When you stack transitions, you’re amplifying their individual impacts. ​In this case, you amplify attention-grabbing impacts:​ curiosity, suspense, and intrigue. ​ Let’s move on to another powerful transition secret.

4 — Transition Words ​

You’re going to learn about transition words, phrases, and sentences. ​ Specifically, you’re going to learn when to use each. ​ Use transition words to connect sentences when you want to heighten pace. We already talked about that. ​But when do you use transition phrases? ​That’s what I’ll tell you now.

5 — Transition Phrases ​

Transition phrases are transitions that use multiple words.​ What advantages do they have over transition words? They are clearer. They more strongly indicate a transition. They make sure nobody misses the transition. ​But what disadvantages do they have? ​Well, one main disadvantage: ​ they don’t heighten pace as much as transition words. (By the way… fast pace = engaging, in case you forgot). Anyway… before we put all this information together into a step-by-step process, let’s talk about transition sentences.

6 — Transition Sentences ​

Transition sentences are transitions that take up full sentences, and if stacked, up to three sentences. Why are they good? Well, they’re so incredibly clear that nobody misses them. ​In other words: ​ they guarantee a smooth transition. ​Time to put all this information together.

7 — The Transition Map ​

Here’s how to use transition words, phrases, and sentences:

1. Use transition words between sentences.

2. Use transition phrases between rhetorical segments.

3. Use transition sentences between structural shifts and paradigm shifts. ​

In other words, here’s how transition words, phrases, and sentences match up to a speech structure: ​ 1st main structural unit: transition with a sentence. 1st rhetorical sub-unit: transition with a phrase. Sentences within this: transition with single words. 2nd rhetorical sub-unit: transition with a phrase. Sentences within this: transition with single words. 2nd main structural unit: transition with a sentence. Repeat the pattern. This makes sure that the strength of your transition matches the size of your shift. ​Big structural shifts in a speech need big, obvious transitions (transition sentences). ​Smaller shifts between rhetorical sub-units need smaller transitions (transition phrases). ​The smallest shifts between individual sentences need the smallest transitions (transition words). ​Simple, but important. ​Let’s elaborate on structural transitions.

8 — Speech Structure Transitions ​

Every structural shift should be accompanied by a big, obvious transition. This is exactly where transition stacking is most appropriate. For example, let’s say you are using the problem-solution structure. When you’re starting the problem unit of the structure, use a structural transition: “I’m going to tell you about a problem you have. This problem has dangerous consequences. You’ll learn all about this problem. The problem is that…”​ And also when you’re moving into the solution unit: ​ “That’s the problem, but now I’m going to tell you about the solution. This solution is quick and easy, and you’re going to learn how to use it. The solution is…”

9 — Tricolon Transitions ​

Want to be eloquent? Want your audiences to hang on your every word? Want your words to form a smooth flow? ​ Then use tricolon transitions. Tricolons are phrases that incorporate lists of three. ​ Here is an example of a regular “big-secret” transition: ​“The big secret is…” ​And now an example of a tricolon big-secret: “The big, hidden, little-known secret is…” It’s a small change, but effective public speaking is accomplished by a series of small, subtle changes. ​ Moving on.

Which of the following should a speaker do in the conclusion of a speech?

What is part of a well structured speech?

What are the main ways that the thesis statement is different from the specific purpose?

Which of the following is a supporting material for your speech?