10 ways to smoothly transition between topics in professional presentations
Maintain your audience's attention & keep your message clear
Hello it’s Oh Really,
Here are 3 phrases that helped one of my clients, a director at a mining company, present with more confidence and credibility in English.
As a leader, he constantly has to give presentations in English to present reports to his international team.
During our practice sessions, I noticed he struggled to transition between his different points. Plus, he kept using the same words over and over: "after," "then."
Yet smooth transitions are essential to maintain your audience's attention and keep your message clear.
That's why I introduced him to 3 simple and effective phrases from my Business English Survival Kit:
1) "Next, I'll cover..."Ensuite, j'aborderai...
2) "Moving on to..."Passant à.../ensuite
3) "This naturally leads to..."Cela mène naturellement à...
Result? From his very next presentation, my client had already considerably improved his fluency and professionalism.
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Now, let me share 10 additional ways to smoothly transition between topics in professional presentations:
1. "Now, let's move on to..." This is a classic, straightforward, and widely understood transition. It's clear and signals an immediate shift.
Example: "We've discussed the market trends in detail. Now, let's move on to our proposed solutions."
2. "Turning our attention to..." This phrase politely guides your audience's focus to a new area. It's slightly more formal than "let's move on."
Example: "Having reviewed the financial performance, turning our attention to the strategic initiatives for the next quarter..."
3. "Next, I'd like to discuss..." This is a professional and direct way to introduce your subsequent point. It shows you're in control of the presentation's flow.
Example: "We've explored the challenges we face. Next, I'd like to discuss the innovative approaches we're implementing to overcome them."
4. "Building on that, let's consider..." Use this when your next topic is directly related to or expands upon the previous one. It emphasizes continuity.
Example: "We've established the importance of customer feedback. Building on that, let's consider how we can integrate this feedback into our product development cycle."
5. "That brings me to..." This phrase works well when your previous point naturally leads into the next. It creates a sense of logical progression.
Example: "The success of our pilot program has been remarkable. That brings me to our plans for scaling this initiative nationwide."
6. "With that in mind, let's explore..." Similar to "building on that," this phrase connects the previous information to the upcoming topic, often implying that the past discussion provides context.
Example: "We've just seen the compelling data on user engagement. With that in mind, let's explore the features we plan to introduce in the next update."
7. "Moving on, I want to highlight..." A clear and concise way to signal a new section, while also emphasizing the importance of the upcoming information.
Example: "We've covered the project's timeline thoroughly. Moving on, I want to highlight the key performance indicators we'll be tracking."
8. "To shift gears slightly, let's look at..." This is a good phrase when your next topic is a bit different from the previous one, but still relevant. It prepares the audience for a change in focus.
Example: "We've been focusing on the technical specifications. To shift gears slightly, let's look at the marketing strategy for this product."
9. "Now, let's delve deeper into..." Use this when you want to explore a sub-topic or a more detailed aspect of your overall theme. It implies a more in-depth discussion.
Example: "We've provided an overview of our market entry strategy. Now, let's delve deeper into the competitive landscape."
10. "Finally, I'd like to conclude with..." While not a transition to a next topic in the traditional sense, this is crucial for smoothly moving to your concluding remarks. It signals the approaching end of your main points.
Example: "We've examined all aspects of this proposal. Finally, I'd like to conclude with a summary of the key benefits and next steps."
That's it! Now I challenge you to pick 3 phrases and start using them in your next presentation.
Practice makes perfect.
But remember, we aim for progress, not perfection. ;)
Until next week, keep on shining!
Aurélie aka Oh Really
Your English Coach