How to Move Between Main Points in a Presentation

When you move to your next point, tell people how it connects to what they just heard. That connecting sentence is called a transition. It helps listeners understand why you’re bringing up the next point now.

If you’ve just explained why a deadline slipped and you’re about to show a revised schedule, connect the two. Explain which part of the work took longer than expected and which dates that delay affects. People can then look at the revised schedule and see why those dates moved.

Give people the connection in your own words

A new slide title can tell people the subject has changed. Your transition can tell them what the new section adds. If you’re moving from a problem to two possible solutions, name the part of the problem those solutions address. If you’re moving from a process to a demonstration, tell people which part of the process they’re about to see.

You can usually do that in a sentence or two. If the previous section covered several details, bring back only the one people need for the next point.

Check the order of your main points

Write each main point as a complete sentence. Read them in order. If a point raises a question that people need answered before they can follow the rest, move that explanation earlier.

Pay particular attention to the point just before you compare options or make a recommendation. Have you explained what people need to know to make sense of that comparison or recommendation? If you plan to compare two revised schedules, for instance, explain which deadline is fixed before you show either schedule.

Practice the connection out loud

Pick one place where you change topics. Say the end of the first section, the transition, and the start of the next section. Ask a listener why the second point came next. If they have to guess, put that reason into your transition and say it again.

Try it without looking at your slides. If you can make the connection from your notes, you can still explain it when a question interrupts you or someone asks you to skip ahead.

For more on choosing and ordering your main points, see When You Have the Floor.