We talk a lot about organizing our content, main points, opening and closing, but we rarely talk about how to get from one segment to the next.

How do you handle the spaces in between your points, stories, examples, and exercises? These are your transitions.

It’s as important to plan your transitions as it is to plan the rest of your presentation. Clear transitions help the audience stay focused (and awake) and process your material. They’re like links in a chain that keep your presentation cohesive and organized.

Here are ten ways to transition from one idea to the next.

1. Repeat and recap the main point you just covered.

2. Use humor or tell a joke that closes your previous point.

3. Show a slide or give a handout that gets the audience thinking about your next segment.

4. Ask a question that previews the next segment and write the answers on a flip chart.

5. Ask a question that gets the audience to respond to or summarize their learning from the last segment and write the answers on a flip chart.

6. Have the audience stand up and stretch.

7. Share a quote or story that summarizes your previous point or leads to the next one.

8. Use a logical chronology of points, or numbered points, so that transitions are clear (your talk goes from biggest to smallest, longest to shortest, outside to inside, general to specific, 1960 to 1980, etc.).

9. Pause or take a drink of water before moving to the next point.

10. Physically move to a different part of the room or stage.

Incorporate clear transitions into your presentation and your audience will never be confused about what comes next or how you’re going to get there!

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Lisa Braithwaite works with individuals to uncover their challenges and build their strengths in presenting themselves confidently as speakers. Find your voice with public speaking coaching! Sign up for the Presentation Pointers newsletter or a free consultation at http://www.coachlisab.com. And check out the Speak Schmeak blog.

How do most speakers start off their talks?

Usually, it’s with some lame remark about the weather, the local sports team, or the ever-unoriginal, “I’m honored to be here.”

Be different. Be dynamic. Be memorable! Following are three simple ways…

Open with a Surprise

Begin by startling your audience with your starting lines. One way is that you can begin in media res — or in the middle of the action — as they do on the television series CSI. Or you can begin by asking the audience a provocative question pertaining to your speech. These unconventional openings immediately get the wheels in your audience members’ minds spinning — which means they’re sucked in from the get-go.

Foreshadow the Journey

Have you ever been listening to a speaker drone on and wondered, “when is this windbag gonna finish?” Don’t let that speaker be you.

Instead, foreshadow the journey that you’re going to take the audience on. Right after your opening, you can tell them, “First, you’re going to learn about X. Then you’re going to see for yourself how X can multiply the power of Y. And then, you’ll learn a technique that lets you put them both together for mind-blowing results — so that you’ll never look at these two unassuming elements the same way again.”

Purpose: This way, as your speech progresses, your audience will know exactly how close you are to finishing. Although if you follow these tips, they might not want you to stop!

Tell Them Why It’s Worth It

You’ve probably heard it plenty of times by now. Your audience members each want to know the infamous WIFFM (pronounced like “whiff ‘em”), or “what’s in it for me?”

That’s why you always tell them right up front. Check out the last sentence of the second paragraph in the preceding section: “And then, you’ll learn a technique that lets you put them both together for mind-blowing results — so that you’ll never look at these two unassuming elements the same way again.”

We’re offering the audience a technique that delivers “mind-blowing results.” But they’re only going to pick it up if they listen to the entire speech – so there, you’ve just given them incentive!

Keep these three startling methods to start your speech in your public speaking arsenal at all times. They will ensure that your talk gets talked about, in a good way, and will perhaps even keep you in demand.

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Akweli Parker is the founder of Digital Delta Media LLC, a copywriting firm dedicated to helping individuals and businesses to craft irresistible messages. Download your FREE copy of his ebook “How to Avoid the 10 Biggest Business Copy Blunders” by visiting http://www.digitaldeltamedia.com

Abraham Lincoln wrote, “Extemporaneous speaking should be practiced and cultivated; it is the lawyer’s avenue to the public. However able and faithful he may be in other respects, people are slow to bring him business, if he cannot make a speech.”

When Lincoln spoke of extemporaneous speaking, he did not mean making totally unprepared speeches — “winging it” we might call it today. Few speakers can trust the moment or raw talent for a good speech. Very, very few.

Years ago I knew a woman who had a brief career as a keynote speaker. Several times she boasted to me that she never gave a prepared speech. She told me the audience deserved something new every time. She liked to believe that it was a good thing that her every utterance was something new, something never heard before, never thought of before. It occurred to me that she herself may never have thought of some of the things that she said. Many of her thoughts were new to her, too.

For a while she was in demand because she was a high-energy speaker, witty and intelligent, and well informed about corporate life.

But she relied entirely on her wits, and the moment. Clients never knew what kind of speech they would get. Sometimes her presentation would be brilliant. Other times embarrassing.

Today she is out of the speaking business.

I know another speaker who took a different path. He is witty and intelligent and well informed too, but he prepares carefully every time – even when he makes an announcement at a local meeting or introduces a relatively unknown guest speaker.

“You never know who’s forming an opinion of you,” he once told me. “I never have been able to understand how a professional speaker could even think about getting up to speak without preparing.” Neither can I. Not surprisingly, this speaker is in demand year after year.

In case you’d like to acquire the reputation for giving great extemporaneous speeches, here’s a checklist of what to do if you are called upon to make a short presentation. (A keynote presentation has additional rules, but adheres follows these basic principles, too.)

One. Know what your opening sentence will be. If this opening sentence can be witty and short and safe, good. If not witty, then short and safe. By “safe,” I mean something that you know will work, not something that might ricochet.

Two. Create a script, if not on paper at least in your head. Know the main points that you need to cover-when, where, and why if an announcement. If an introduction, who the speaker is, what are his/her credentials, and why his/her message is worth hearing. If you are called upon to acknowledge or recognize a number of people, for god’s sake, prepare a list in advance. You will almost certainly omit someone important if you don’t.

Three. Know how you will conclude. When you are getting up to speak, have in mind how you will end. For the short presentation, the close generally is more important than the beginning. Don’t just trail off or abandon control with Q & A. If you do Q & A, keep back something strong for your conclusion – a thought-out sentence or quote or a very short and apt story to illustrate your point.

Lincoln knew and observed those rules. We know because some of his notes that he used in the courtroom have been preserved. Lincoln would prepare a rough script-how he would open, the illustrations he would use, the points he would make, and how he would conclude.

Moreover, Lincoln spent a lifetime acquiring material that he could plug into his speeches-ready-made modules to fit the moment. He memorized poems and Bible passages. He immersed himself in newspapers and books and written sermons. He knew thousands of jokes and humorous stories and even carried a joke book with him so that he could adapt traditional stories to local situations.

Lincoln spent a lot of time preparing for his extemporaneous presentations.

It’s a mistake to sound too slick, too smooth, too over-rehearsed; but it’s a greater mistake to sound unprepared, inept, and unprofessional. Let all speakers who ‘wing it’ prepare for painful crashes. There are more winds that hurt speeches than help them.

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Gene Griessman is a professional speaker, executive coach, and author of The Words Lincoln Lived By and co-author of Lincoln Speaks To Leaders: 20 Powerful Lessons From America’s 16th President, with Pat Williams and Peggy Matthews Rose. Griessman’s website is http://www.presidentlincoln.com.

Ideally by the time you get to a presentation, you should be well prepared and ready to have some fun. But sometimes little problems can throw you off your game and result in a less than satisfactory talk. The best way to be ready to speak is to have a good routine that gives me peace of mind as well as prepares me for any challenges.

Get Some Exercise:

This is a great way to get rid of any pre-speech jitters. Public speaking can produce a higher amount of adrenaline in your body. It’s a normal reaction to anticipating a presentation. Try getting some exercise early in the day, especially if you have a morning presentation. It gives you a chance to review my talk in my mind as well as silence any nervous thoughts. If you’re speaking later in the day, you may want to take a short walk. You’ll release some tension from your muscles and get some fresh air. An athlete stretches before a game and you need to also make sure you’re as physically relaxed as possible before you reach the podium.

Arrive Early and Mingle:

By arriving early, you eliminate any tension you might have felt about being late! It’s a great chance to get the feel for the room. You should also use this as a chance to get to know the people who will be in your audience. A roomful of strangers can be intimidating so it’s nice to make a few friends beforehand. Some small talk can go a long way. “Hi, I”m happy to be speaking to your group today,” is a very safe icebreaker. You can also ask how long someone has been with the company, where they live, or even if they prefer Coke or Pepsi. Your goal is to build some rapport so you become a person to the audience and not an unknown presenter. You’ll also have an easier time relating to the crowd.

Watch Your Food and Drink:

Many Speakers don’t like to eat too much before they speak as the digestive process raises your body temperature. Next thing you know, you’re on stage and feel hot, which is a distraction. If a meal is served, try to eat it later. Of course you need to make sure it’s not taken away by an overeager server! For the same reason, beware of drinking hot beverages before talking. Soft drinks bring with them carbonation, which could lead to an unexpected burp. It may be dull but I find water is the best way to wet your whistle.