This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:
- 7 Transitions That Make You Sound Like a Pro
- On the Show: Is Everything You Know About Leadership Wrong?
- Book Recommendation: The AI-Driven Leader
*** Quick self-promotion before we start: If you want my help to become a top 1% communicator, you can now join the Speak Like a CEO Academy Winter cohort. There are 3 seats left. Join here. ***
7 Transitions That Make You Sound Like a Pro
I worked with a CEO on this speaking skills last week. His problem? He used too many “process sentences” like:
“Today I will present to you a case study that…”
“Let me tell you a story…”
“We have six points to get through today…”
Sound familiar?
You’ve probably seen it. A speaker starts strong, makes a solid first point, then says something like “So… yeah… moving on.” Or they explain what they’re about to say instead of just saying it.
The energy drops, the audience disconnects and momentum is gone.
There are three parts where most talks and presentations fall apart: the beginning, the ending, and the transitions.
Start and finish matter because people remember what you say first and last more than anything else thanks to the primacy and recency biases. (You can find my killer openings and endings here and here.)
But there is one part hardly anyone prepares for: Transitions.
You don’t win an audience with great transitions. But you can definitely lose them if you get it wrong.
Because transitions are exit points. It’s where people decide if they’ll keep listening to you or check out.
The good news: small tweaks make a big difference.
If you're using fillers like “Let’s move on” or “Now I want to tell you about…”, the best fix is often to simply remove them.
Instead of saying “Now I want to tell you about our latest customer success story”, just tell it. The result? Tighter, sharper delivery, and you sound like a leader.
We only say these things because we feel we have to fill the silence. Sometimes, that’s true. But there are better ways.
Here are seven high-impact transitions to use instead, so you can keep control of the room and move people to action:
1/ From Hook to Content
Your opening grabs attention. Now what?
Don’t say “Let’s get started.” You already have.
Instead: “Why does this matter right now? Let’s break it down.”
It signals confidence and intent.
2/ Between Sections
You’re taking people on a journey. Help them follow along.
Use simple signposts:
“We’ve looked at the challenge. Now let’s talk solutions.”
“That was the what. Let’s move to the why.”
Or ask the audience: “Who here has had this experience? Great – and it gets better”
These tiny moments help your audience stay with you and make your thinking easier to follow.
3/ From Story to Takeaway
A lot of speakers tell a good story, then leave the audience hanging.
Don’t. Land it.
Try: “Here’s what this shows us – and why it matters.”
Or: “What happened to this customer is a lesson for us…”
The story is just the setup. Your insight is the point.
4/ From Slide to Slide
Avoid narrating the obvious. Don’t say “Now we’ll talk about sales numbers.”
Instead, ask a short question, then pause.
“How is that possible?”
“What caused this spike in sales?”
Surprise is attention glue. Our brains are wired to tune into unexpected shifts, especially when they signal a threat or opportunity.
5/ When Energy Dips
Most speakers lose energy in transitions. Great ones use them to raise the stakes.
Drop a line like:
“Here’s where it gets interesting.”
“This next part changes everything.”
“That brings us to something even more important.”
Don’t fill space. Build momentum.
6/ To Reinforce Your Message
You’ve heard the old line: “Tell them what you’ll tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.”
Here’s the problem: do that today, and people will check out faster than you can say “ok boomer.”
But repetition still matters – just not the lazy kind.
Use short, strategic callbacks:
“Here’s what we’ve covered so far and why it matters.”
Or: “Let’s step back. If there’s one thing to take away, it’s this…”
Modern audiences don’t want more words. They want more clarity.
7/ After a Question or Objection
Someone challenges your point. Or asks something unexpected. This is where many speakers lose control or start rambling.
Don’t. Instead: Acknowledge. Respond. Return.
Say:
“Great question. Here’s how I see it.”
Or: “Let’s unpack that for a second…”
Then guide the conversation back:
“Picking up where we left off…”
“This actually ties into what comes next…”
Handled well, a tough question becomes a trust-builder, not a derailment.
Transitions are like glue: invisible when they work, distracting when they don’t. It is where great communicators stand out. And if you want to become a top 1% communicator by Christmas, take a look here.
ON THE SHOW
Is Everything You Know About Leadership Wrong?
I do a weekly show to help you become a top 1% communicator. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or Youtube.
Jon Levy, behavioral scientist and bestselling
author of You’re Invited and
Team Intelligence, joins me to challenge some of our most deeply held assumptions about what makes a great leader – and what truly drives high-performing teams.
Forget charisma and vision. According to Jon, the real reason we follow someone isn’t their MBA or their skills checklist – it's the feeling that they offer a better future. But that’s just the beginning.
You’ll learn why the MBA was designed for a world that no longer exists, why “super skills” (not soft skills) are the secret to influence, how too much talent can tank a team, and why you should engage in bursty communication, not Slack pings.
Watch and listen to the full episode here:
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The AI-Driven Leader
This is a book about leadership, not tools and prompts.
Geoff Woods argues the real advantage of AI isn’t faster emails or better to-do lists. It’s sharper strategic thinking. He challenges leaders to stop asking, how can I do this? and start asking, how can AI help me do this? That shift changes everything.
His message to leaders: it’s not something you can outsource. As we say in German, AI is Chefsache – the boss’s business. Leaders who engage directly with AI will move faster, think bigger, and create teams that spend more time on high-impact work.
Woods also hits a nerve on communication, reminding us that our power lies in creativity, strategic thinking, and the ability to inspire others. AI is your thought partner, but you are the thought leader.
My takeaway? Don’t use AI for the 80% of tasks that only deliver 20% of your results. Use it to double down on the 20% that creates real impact.
AI isn’t the differentiator. Leadership is.
Happy writing and an inspired weekend,
Oliver
PS: You can now join my winter 2025 cohort to become a top 1% communicator by Christmas. Take a look here.