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Say It With Style

By James A. Baker Chairman Baker Communications January 2008

Presentations are about more than content. Your content won't be helpful to anyone unless it is delivered in a way that keeps people engaged and interested in what you are saying. To do that, you must inject a little style into your delivery to help people stay on the edge of their seats instead of slumped over and snoring in their chairs. Here are a few suggestions to help you present with style.

Use Effective Transitions

Do you like roller coasters? One of the things that make them fun and exciting is that as soon as you get comfortable with the direction you are headed - surprise! - the floor drops out from under you or you hit a switchback that turns you in a new direction. Part of the attraction of the ride is that you don't know exactly what is going to come next, so you pay attention and hold on for dear life.

Well, in a slightly less dramatic way, transitions (sometimes called segues - serve the same purpose. As you move through each point of your presentation, it is important to come up with creative, distinct ways to connect the new point with the previous points, so that everything flows together logically in the most memorable way possible. Unfortunately, most speakers give very little thought to transitions. Too often, their transition may consist of nothing more than a dry statement such as, "Okay, now that we have talked about nails I am going to move on and talk about nail guns." Not exactly scintillating, is it?

There are a variety of options at your disposal to help you punch up your transitions. You can make transitions by changing stage position, interjecting a dramatic pause (this always makes people sit up and pay attention because they can't be sure exactly what you are up to and they get curious), using visual aids, giving out a handout, picking up a prop or sharply increasing the energy of your voice.

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