Never Leave the Stage Empty: Mastering Transitions

You’ve spent hundreds of hours rehearsing your speech…

But how much time have you spent thinking about this other important time…

… those few seconds before and after you’re on stage?

These critical transitions can make a HUGE difference in the experience you deliver.  

Just think about it…

When done awkwardly, energy can be sucked from the room… positive momentum can be stopped in its tracks… and people can be left unsure of what to do next.

So, today we’re going to focus on those minutes and seconds immediately before you are welcomed on stage.  

Tomorrow, in part 2, we’ll look at what you should do after you finish your speech.  I have a little trick I use that actually helps increase my number of stageside leads.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Here are five things… no, actually SIX things… you should think about before you step out in front of your audience.

Keep the Energy High

Your first task before you take to the stage is to think about the transition as a whole.  What kind of walk up music can you use to keep things popping and get the audience jazzed up for your talk?

If the event organizers don’t have walk up music, suggest a few of your favorite tracks.  

Refine Your Intro Script

Next, give some attention to that little blurb of biographical joy someone reads to introduce you.  Let me be clear… this is NOT just a boring bio packed with jargon, a long list of clients, and irrelevant details.