business presentation language

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

25 English Presentation Phrases to Impress Your Audience

Does giving a presentation make you feel a little nervous?

Well, you’re not alone.

According to Forbes , giving a presentation makes 80% of us feel nervous !

The good news is that feeling nervous might be a good thing. This feeling pushes us to prepare ourselves better, and as long as you’re well prepared, you’ll do just fine.

So then, let’s take a look at how we can prepare ourselves to give amazing presentations in English. Today, we’re going to focus on the business English phrases you can count on (depend on) to make your presentation go more smoothly from start to finish.

But first, here are some tips to use when preparing for your presentation.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Greeting Your Audience

You’re now standing in front of your audience. Before you begin your presentation, start by greeting your audience, welcoming them to the event and introducing yourself.

1. Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone.

2. welcome to [name of event]..

Sample sentence: Welcome to our 3rd Annual Sales Leadership Conference.

3. First, let me introduce myself. I am [name] from [company].

Beginning your presentation.

After you have given an introduction, you are ready to begin speaking about your topic. Use these phrases to get started.

4. Let me start by giving you some background information.

Use this phrase to give your audience a brief overview of the topic you’ll be discussing. This is a good way to give them an idea of what’s going on and to bring them up to date.

5. As you’re aware, …

If you’re bringing up a topic that your audience already knows about or is aware of, then you can use this phrase to introduce this known topic.

Sample sentence: As you’re aware , the CEO of DHL Express has often said that globalization is here to stay.

Transitioning to the Next Topic

Before you move on to your next point, be sure to make it clear to your audience that you’re now starting a new topic. Let them know exactly what that new topic will be. The two phrases below are very similar in meaning, and they can both be used for transitions.

6. Let’s move on to…

Sample sentence: Let’s move on to our second sales strategy.

7. Turning our attention now to…

Sample sentence: Turning our attention now to the results of our 2016 customer survey.

Providing More Details

Use these phrases to tell your audience that you’ll be giving them a more detailed explanation of the topic. Both the words ‘expand’ and ‘elaborate’ mean to explain more fully.

8. I’d like to expand on…

Sample sentence: Now I’d like to expand on my point about increasing our market share.

9. Let me elaborate further.

Linking to another topic.

When making reference to a point you made earlier, or to remind your audience about something you said before, use these phrases to that link.

10. As I said at the beginning, …

This phrase lets you remind your audience about a point you made earlier. It can also be used to emphasize a point or theme.

Sample sentence: As I said in the beginning , we’ll see an increase in profit if we follow these five steps.

11. This relates to what I was saying earlier…

This phrase will help you make connections between ideas in your presentation. It shows that two different ideas are connected.

Sample sentence: This relates to what I was saying earlier about increasing production to meet the year-end demand.

12. This ties in with…

Sample sentence: This ties in with the way we’ve been doing business for the past 20 years.

Emphasizing a Point

Use these phrases to draw attention to an important point that you want your audience to note.

13. The significance of this is…

The word “significance'” is similar in meaning to “importance.”

Sample sentence: The significance of this is , if we complete this project on schedule, we’ll have more people available to work on the next project.

14. This is important because…

Sample sentence: This is important because any marketing effort we put in now will help to boost demand for our products in the long run.

15. We have to remember that …

Sample sentence: We have to remember that people are our most important resource.

Making Reference to Information

Very often, you may need to support your discussion points by drawing attention and making reference to information and data from studies, reports and other sources.

16. Based on our findings, …

Sample sentence: Based on our findings, 74% of our market is made up of teenagers who find our clothing line stylish and upbeat.

17. According to our study, …

Sample sentence: According to our study, 63% of working people in this city go directly to the gym after work.

18. Our data shows …

Sample sentence: Our data shows that more than 23% of men in this town who used to drive to work now prefer to save money and the environment by cycling instead.

Explaining Visuals

To present a clearer picture of your point, you may show your data, information or examples in the form of visuals such as charts, tables and graphs.

19. I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you…

The word “illustrate” means “show,” usually with examples, data or visuals.

Sample sentence: I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you a chart of the number of people in each age group who prefer to shop online.

20. This chart shows a breakdown of …

A “breakdown” refers to the detailed parts or figures that make up the total picture. A breakdown is often used in a presentation to show all the smaller parts behind something bigger.

Sample sentence: This chart shows a breakdown of the ingredients we use in our gluten-free products.

Restating Your Point

Sometimes in order to emphasize your point, you have to state it in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand and remember. This often involves rephrasing, simplifying or clarifying your point.

21. In other words, …

Use this phrase to rephrase or reword your point in another way.

Sample sentence: In other words , we need to change our current design to make it more attractive to older children.

22. To put it simply, …

Use this phrase to simplify points that are complex or difficult to understand.

Sample sentence: To put it simply , we’ll need you to work harder at making this launch a success.

23. What I mean to say is …

Use this phrase to explain your point in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand.

Sample sentence: What I mean to say is that we need to change the way we market our products.

Concluding Your Presentation

This is the very end of the presentation. You have said everything you need to say, and now you need to finish it nicely. You may also have some time for questions. If there is time for questions, invite your audience to ask any questions they have.

24. In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.

As part of your closing statement, “sum up” (summarize, state briefly) your speech by mentioning the main points of your speech.

25. Thank you for your attention. Now I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

End your presentation by thanking your audience and offering to answer their questions.

The Top 3 Tips for Preparing Your Business Presentation in English

1. have a plan.

Always have a plan. Spend some time thinking about not only what you’re going to say but how you’re going to say it.

If English isn’t your native language, it’s very important that you think about what language you’re going to be using. Think about all the vocabulary, phrases and grammar that will make your message clear and easy to understand.

What are the big ideas you want to explain for your presentation? Which words will express these ideas best? I recommend:

• Have a clear goal in mind to help you stay on track and be logical. Whenever you feel lost during the presentation, just remember this clear, main goal. An example of a goal could be to convince potential clients to work with you. Whenever you don’t know what to say next, remember to focus on the advantages you want to present and on examples of what you did in the past to deserve their trust. Encourage them to ask you questions related to this goal.
• Research content. If you know your facts, you already have the core of your presentation prepared. Write these facts down on topic cards, give out handouts (papers) with important information or include them on your PowerPoint slides.
• Prepare the delivery. Rehearse giving the presentation several times. Some people like recording themselves, others prefer practicing in front of a mirror or having friends listen to them while presenting. Choose the method that works best for you.
• Decide whether you are going to read or speak freely. Reading can sound unnatural, but you can use certain tricks to avoid this. You can underline important sentences which you can memorize, so that from time to time you can stop reading, say your memorized lines and look at the audience. In this way, reading can be made more natural. Make sure you slow down so that the audience can follow you.

Speaking freely is much better if you can remember everything you want to say, because you will seem more knowledgeable, prepared and confident. However, this can be more stressful.

2. Use Visuals

Using some visuals can make your presentation more entertaining, easier to understand and can get your points across more convincingly. My advice:

• Decide whether you need a PowerPoint presentation or not. Do you have graphs, results or other things like this to show? Then yes, you need one. Are you just telling a story? Then you probably do not.
• Do not fill your slides with too much information. Use a maximum of seven short lines of text—even seven can be too many. Highlight key words so the audience can see the main ideas right away. Use bullet points rather than full sentences.
• If you are presenting graphs or charts , give the audience time to read them.  Do not show a huge table of data if they audience will not have time to read and understand it. Make sure you try reading each slide while timing yourself to see how long it takes, so you do not jump to the next slide too early during your presentation.

3. Structure Your Presentation Well

It is a common mistake to give an unclear and unorganized presentation. This happens when the presenter just starts speaking without a clear goal in mind. They might suddenly realize their allotted speaking time has ended, or that the audience is bored because they are not following what is being said. Here’s what you should do instead:

• Decide on three main points (or less) that you want to make. Audiences can’t usually focus on more than three points.
• Tell them from the beginning what points you will be making. Audiences like to know what to expect. Tell them the main goals of your presentation directly in the introduction.
• Presenting main points: firstly, secondly, last but not least
• Making additions: moreover, furthermore, in addition, besides, what’s more
• Making purposes clear: in order to, so as to
• Presenting reasons and causes: on account of, due to, since, seeing that
• Presenting consequences: consequently, as a result, therefore
• Expressing contrast: in spite of, despite, although, even though, however, nevertheless, in contrast, on the contrary

So with this, you’ve mastered the 25 most commonly used phrases used in presentations and my three favorite tips.

Once you learn them, I think you’ll find them very useful to you in any presentation.

Become familiar with them and I promise you’ll feel much less nervous in your next presentation.

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Terms and Conditions
• British Council Global
• Accessibility

© 2024 British Council

• Mini English Lessons
• Business English

How to Ace Your Business Presentation in English

So, you need to make a business presentation in English.

First of all, congratulations! To be in your position, you must have invested a huge amount of time and effort in your English language skills. You should be proud.

That said, we totally understand that giving a presentation in a second language can be a challenge. You may be worried that your audience won’t understand your accent. Perhaps you are wondering whether you need to use specific vocabulary. Maybe you’re not sure how best to handle questions from your audience.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry. In this post, we’re going to run through our top tips for acing your business presentation in English. Even if you’ve already made a few presentations in the language, we’re sure you’ll find these suggestions helpful.

So, read on to learn more. And before we start, let us wish you the very best of luck in delivering your next presentation.

Understand your audience

As with all forms of communication, it’s vital that you understand who your audience is. Even in the business world, you can find yourself speaking to very different groups of people.

For example, if you are giving a presentation to members of another company, you would certainly be more formal than when you give a presentation to members of your own team. In each case, you need to think about what your audience will expect from your presentation.

So, before you write a word, ask yourself these questions about your audience. Who are they? What interests them? What do they need to know? What do you want them to do as a result of your presentation?

One useful tip for writing your presentation is to imagine your audience is a single person. It’s easier to write convincingly if you have a single person in mind. Try it!

Mind your language

Most audiences will expect you to give your presentation using formal Business English . Don’t make the mistake of confusing Business English with business jargon .

Successful Business English uses language that is simple, direct, professional and easy to understand. Business jargon on the other hand, relies on obscure phrases, clichés, and acronyms. In many cases, business jargon is complex, not very precise and a barrier to good communication .

We have some useful resources on Business English on this page . However, if in doubt, keep the language of your presentation as simple and clear as possible. It’s also a good idea to use sentences with the active, rather than the passive voice. This allows you to use fewer words, which makes your sentences shorter and more engaging.

To give an example, this is a sentence in the passive voice:

The interview was failed by over one third of applicants.

Now compare this sentence, which is in the active voice.

Over one-third of applicants failed the interview.

To learn more about the active and the passive voice, check out this explainer from the British Council.

Practise, practise, practise

If English isn’t your first language, it’s more important than ever to practise your presentation before delivering it. By practising, you’ll feel more comfortable using English in a business setting. You’ll be able to work on any words or phrases you find difficult to pronounce, or you can change them to words or phrases you are more comfortable with.

Ideally, you should practise giving your presentation in front of someone else. That way you can get useful feedback on what works well, and what doesn’t. If that’s not possible, make a video of yourself giving your presentation. When you see yourself on screen, it will give you helpful insights into ways you can improve your delivery.

Don’t forget to introduce yourself

It may sound obvious, but don’t forget to introduce yourself at the very beginning of your presentation. It not only breaks the ice , but it’s an opportunity to get the audience on your side. If you are presenting to native English speakers, you may wish to tell them that English is not your first language – but don’t apologise for it! If anything, your audience will be impressed that you can give a presentation in a second language.

Have a clear structure

When people learn to teach in the UK, they are often told to structure their lessons in this simple way:

• Say what you’re going to say
• Say what you’ve said

In other words, introduce the session by explaining what you intend to talk about. This sets the audience’s expectations – they know what’s going to happen.

You then use main part of the session to make your presentation. There are many effective ways of doing this, and we’ll cover some of these soon.

Finally, finish by summarising the most important points of your presentation. This helps your audience to remember them clearly.

One other tip, if you plan to let the audience ask questions, it’s a good idea to tell them you’d prefer to answer them at the end of the presentation. This will discourage them from interrupting your presentation at the wrong moment.

Use storytelling

People love stories. If you can capture your audience’s imagination with a story, you can make a very powerful impression.

For example, imagine you are giving a presentation about how to commission new advertisements for your company. You want to make the point that good copywriting as just as important as good visual design.

You can either make your point directly, like this:

“Successful adverts rely on good writing as well as good design. If you change the wording of an advert, it can often result in extra sales – or fewer. Therefore, the words we choose are as important as the images we use.”.

Or you could begin with a story, like this:

“I want you to imagine it’s the year 1907. A man called Louis Victor Eytinge is in prison, convicted of murder. He’s a drug addict, suffering from tuberculosis. He’s unlikely to live, never mind get out of jail. Yet, by 1923 he walked free into a well-paid advertising job and a career as a Hollywood screenwriter. How? He had written his way to freedom. I want to use his story to show you why, if we want successful adverts, we need to commission powerful writing as well as good design.”

Which version of the presentation would you rather listen to?!

Remember pace and pitch

One useful tip for acing your business presentations in English is to vary the pace and pitch of your delivery.

While you don’t want to speak too fast, it’s a good idea to use a different pace for different parts of your presentation. For example, when you want to communicate a key point, speaking more slowly will help people understand that you think it is important.

Equally, it’s a good idea to vary the pitch of your voice. Try and keep this as natural as possible, but experiment with using a higher pitch when asking questions and a lower pitch when beginning your sentences. One good way to learn how to vary your pitch is to listen to UK news broadcasts – news presenters are expert at varying the tone of their voice to keep listeners interested.

Add a call to action

Most business presentations are given for a specific purpose. You may want to convince another company to work with you. Or you may want to convince your own firm to invest in a new kind of product. You may simply be explaining to colleagues how a new training scheme will work.

Whatever the purpose of your presentation, always remember to tell your audience what you want them to do. This is a ‘call to action’. Do you want your audience to email you their ideas? Or send you a funding proposal? Or arrange a meeting?

No matter what you need your audience to do, don’t forget to tell them. And at the very end, be sure to thank them for their time!

More business presentation tips

There are many other tips we could share with you on how to ace a business presentation in English. For example, it’s never a good idea to read your presentation from a piece of paper – it’s not engaging and it means you can’t easily make eye contact. It’s also tempting to rely too heavily on visual aids like PowerPoint, but if you get it wrong your audience will read your slides instead of listening to you. On the other hand, it can really engage an audience if you ask them to work together in small groups to share ideas or solve problems.

However you choose to make your presentation, if you prepare well, speak clearly and work hard to connect with your audience, you are very likely to succeed. And if you’d like to improve your presentation skills even further, why not try live online classes with English Online ? They can help you succeed in any career where using English is essential.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

• Social English

Your Ultimate Guide to Adapting Communication Styles to Different Situations

Ever found yourself wondering why a well-intended message didn’t land as expected? Or perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of conversations that just […]

From Conflict to Collaboration: How to Manage Difficult Conversations at Work

Addressing challenging discussions at work is rarely enjoyable, but it’s something we all encounter sooner or later. These conversations have a big impact on […]

Conquer Communication: Overcoming passive-aggressive behaviour at work

Have you ever been in a meeting where a sarcastic “Sure…” throws the whole atmosphere off balance? Welcome to the world of passive-aggressive behaviour […]

Get Exclusive access to offers and promotions

Enter your email address below to join the english online mailing list..

Personal details will be held by the British Council and will only be used in relation to your request. Please read our terms of use for more information.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

Partner Center

52 Phrases for Better Flowing English Presentations

/ Steven Hobson / Business English , English Presentations , Vocabulary

Do you give English presentations at work, but feel that you could communicate your message in a more objective, fluid way?

Maybe you have an English presentation coming up and want to make sure that your speech is clear and structured so that your audience doesn’t lose concentration and stays with you all the way to the end.

A technique that can help you achieve objective, clear, and structured English presentations, is to use linking phrases that join the separate parts of your presentation together.

English presentations normally consist of an introduction, the main body, individual parts of the main body, and the ending or conclusion.

To help maintain your audience’s attention, you need to signal when you are going from one part to another.

In this article, I teach you 52 phrases that do exactly this – linking the different parts together, and therefore, making your presentation flow better. You’ll find that these phrases will act as ‘signposts’ for the audience when you finish one part and start another.

52 Phrases to Improve the Flow of Your English Presentations

The introduction.

All good presentations start with a strong introduction.

There are a number of different ways you can begin your English presentation. Here’s a simple, but effective introduction structure which works for most types of business presentations:

Introduce – Introduce yourself and greet your audience. Introduce the presentation topic – Explain the reasons for listening. Outline – Describe the main parts of the presentation. Question policy – Make it clear to your audience when they can ask questions: during or at the end?

Here are some phrases which you can use to structure the introduction in this way:

1. Good morning/afternoon (everyone) (ladies and gentlemen). 2. It’s a pleasure to welcome (the President) here. 3. I’m … (the Director of …)

Introduce the presentation topic

4. By the end of the talk/presentation/session, you’ll know how to… / …you will have learned about… / 5. I plan to say a few words about… 6. I’m going to talk about… 7. The subject of my talk is…

8. My talk will be in (three parts). 9. In the first part… 10. Then in the second part… 11. Finally, I’ll go on to talk about…

Question Policy

12. Please interrupt if you have any questions. 13. After my talk, there will be time for a discussion and any questions.

 Main Body

Now that you have finished the introduction, we now need to transition to the main body, and its individual parts in a smooth way.

There are three parts of the main body of a presentation where linking phrases can be used:

Beginning the Main Body Ending Parts within the Main Body Beginning a New Part

Here are some phrases which you can use for these parts:

Beginning the Main Body

14. Now let’s move to / turn to the first part of my talk which is about… 15. So, first… 16. To begin with…

Ending Parts within the Main Body

17. That completes/concludes… 18. That’s all (I want to say for now) on… 19. Ok, I’ve explained how…

Beginning a New Part

20. Let’s move to (the next part which is)… 21. So now we come to the next point, which is… 22. Now I want to describe… 23. Let’s turn to the next issue… 24. I’d now like to change direction and talk about…

Listing and Sequencing

If you need to talk about goals, challenges, and strategies in your English presentation, listing phrases can help link these together and improve the flow of your speech. If you have to explain processes, sequencing phrases are helpful:

25. There are three things to consider. First… Second… Third… 26. There are two kinds of… The first is… The second is… 27. We can see four advantages and two disadvantages. First, advantages… 28. One is… Another is… A third advantage is… Finally…

29. There are (four) different stages to the process. 30. First / then / next / after that / then (x) / after x there’s y. 31. There are two steps involved. The first step is… The second step is… 32. There are four stages to the project. 33. At the beginning, later, then, finally… 34. I’ll describe the development of the idea. First the background, then the present situation, and then the prospect for the future.

After you have presented the main body of your English presentation, you will want to end it smoothly.

Here are typical sections transitioning from the main body to the ending of the presentation, and then inviting the audience to ask questions:

Ending the Main Body Beginning the Summary and/or Conclusion Concluding An Ending Phrase Inviting Questions and/or Introducing Discussion Thanking the Audience

Ending the Main Body

35. Okay, that ends (the third part of) my talk. 36. That’s all I want to say for now on (the 2017 results).

Beginning the Summary and/or Conclusion

37. To sum up… 38. Ok, in brief, there are several advantages and disadvantages. 39. To conclude… 40. I’d like to end by emphasizing the main points. 41. I’d like to end with a summary of the main points.

42. I think we have seen that we should… 43. In my opinion, we should… 44. I recommend/suggest that we… 45. There are three reasons why I recommend this. First, … / Second, … / Finally,…

An Ending Phrase

46. Well, I’ve covered the points that I needed to present today. 47. That sums up (my description of the new model). 48. That concludes my talk for today.

Inviting Questions and/or Introducing Discussion

49. Now we have (half an hour) for questions and discussion. 50. So, now I’d be very interested to hear your comments.

Thanking the Audience

51. I’d like to thank you for listening to my presentation. 52. Thank you for listening / your attention. / Many thanks for coming.

Linking phrases are like the skeleton which holds your presentation together.

Not only do they improve the flow and help guide the audience, but by memorizing them they can also help you remember the general structure of your presentation, giving you increased confidence.

To help you memorize, I recommend saying the linking phrases on their own from the beginning to the end of your presentation while you practice.

I also suggest memorizing the introduction word for word. By doing this, you will get off to a great start, which will settle your nerves and transmit a positive first impression.

Author: Steven Hobson

Steven is a business English coach, a certified life coach, writer, and entrepreneur. He helps international professionals build confidence and improve fluency speaking English in a business environment.

Related posts

2 Success Principles for Achieving Your English Goals

How to Improve Your Understanding of Native Speakers

How to Speak English with Confidence

An Artificial Intelligent English Learning Platform

101 Business English Presentation Phrases

In business, first impressions are everything. That’s why it’s so important to use the right phrases when communicating with clients, customers, and business associates. If you’re looking to get ahead in your career, learning some business English presentation phrases can be a real asset. These phrases are designed to help you communicate more effectively in a business setting, and they can be used in a variety of situations.

By familiarizing yourself with these phrases, you can make a positive impression and improve your chances of success in an upcoming presentation. In this blog, we’ll walk you through some of the best phrases for non-native speakers. From introducing yourself to wrapping up your presentation, we’ve got you covered. So whether you’re giving a sales pitch or delivering a keynote speech, be sure to bookmark this page and refer back to it for the public speaker’s needs.

101 Phrases for Presentations

Greeting your audience.

Greeting your audience is an important part of building English Presentation skills . It sets the tone for the rest of your presentation, and it helps to create a connection with your audience. There are a few different ways to greet your audience, and the best option will depend on the situation. No matter how you choose to greet your audience, remember to smile and make eye contact, as this will help create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

1. Thank you for being here today.

2. It’s great to see all of you.

3. I’m glad you could make it.

4. Thank you for your time and attention.

5. It’s a pleasure to be with you today.

6. I appreciate your interest in what I have to say.

Beginning your Presentation

Beginning your presentation is an important opportunity to set the tone and make a good first impression. There are a few key phrases and vocabulary for presentations that can be useful in this situation. By using these business English phrases , you can start your presentation in a confident and professional way.

7. I’m excited to share with you what we’ve been working on.

8. I know you’re busy, so I’ll get right to the point.

9. As you know, our company is-

10. I’d like to start by telling you a story about-

11. I have some innovative ideas that I think you’ll find interesting.

12. Let’s get started by talking about our goals.

Referencing Information and Sources

In business, it is important to be able to reference information and sources accurately. This means knowing how to cite sources correctly and providing a list of references at the end of a document or presentation. By being accurate and consistent in your communication skills, you will show that you are a credible and trustworthy business person.

13. According to-

14. As shown in-

15. Demonstrated by-

16. Verified by-

17. Reported by-

18. According to our research-

Give an Outline for the Presentation

When giving a presentation, it is important to be clear, concise, and organized. One way to achieve this is to provide an outline for the presentation. An outline helps to focus the presentation, keep it on track, and ensure that all the important points are covered. It also allows the audience to follow along and take notes if they wish. Providing an outline at the beginning of a business presentation can help set the stage for effective communication and informative delivery.

19. Here is an overview of what will be covered.

20. Focusing on the main points-

21. First of all-

22. I’m going to cover three main points today.

23. Let me start by giving some background information.

24. Allow me to give a brief outline of our discussion.

Explaining Visual Data

This involves more than just reading off numbers from customer surveys- it also requires an understanding of how the data is related and what conclusions can be drawn from it. For instance, someone who can explain visual data might point out that a particular chart shows an increase in sales over the past year, and then explain what factors in the sales strategy might have contributed to this increase. In today’s business world, being able to explain visual data is a valuable skill that can help you stand out from the crowd.

25. This chart shows-

26. As you can see from this graph-

27. As demonstrated by this diagram-

28. This table indicates that-

29. These results indicate that-

30. We can conclude from this information that-

Hypothesize

Businesses often use hypotheses to drive their research efforts and to focus their attention on specific areas of interest. By formulating hypotheses, businesses can hone in on the most promising leads and investigate them more thoroughly. This helps to ensure that valuable resources are not wasted on dead-end investigations. With the right hypothesis, you will have the ability to craft amazing presentations.

31. We think that [X] because of [Y]. For example, [Z].

32. It is possible that [X], and here’s why: [Y] and [Z].

33. We hypothesize that [X] is caused by/due to [Y].

34. Our theory is that [X] happens when/if [Y].

35. Based on what we know, we predict that [X].

36. We conjecture that [X] is the result of [Y].

Stating Your Point

When you state your point, you are effectively summarizing the main idea of the actual presentation in a single sentence. This sentence should be clear and concise, and it should directly address the question or issue at hand. In business English, stating your point is often seen as the most important part of a presentation or pitch. This is because investors and clients need to have a clear understanding of what they are trying to achieve to make a decision.

37. Therefore, we can conclude that-

38. Based on this information, we recommend that-

39. We suggest that you use-

40. This is why-

41. I strongly believe that-

42. What this means for our company is-

Beginning a New Section of the Main Body

These phrases signal to your audience that you are transitioning to a new topic, and help to keep your presentation flowing smoothly. By using these phrases, you can help to keep your audience engaged and ensure that you have a clear, well-structured presentation.

43. As we move on to the next part of our presentation, I want to remind you of our goal.

44. Now that we’ve covered X, let’s move on to Y.

45. Let’s transition now to the next section of our presentation.

46. Now is a good time to take a few minutes to transition to the next part of our presentation.

47. Are there any questions before we move on?

48. Before we continue, does anyone have any questions?

Delivering Main Presentation Points

When delivering a presentation, it is important to focus on the main points that you want to get across to your audience. This can be difficult to do, especially if you are nervous or have a lot of information to cover. However, there are some simple phrases that you can use to make sure that your main points come across loud and clear. 

49. The most important thing to remember is-

50. The key point to take away from this is-

51. What this means for you is-

52. The bottom line is-

53. To put it simply-

54. In other words-

Introduce Solutions

When you’re presenting business solutions to clients, colleagues, or upper management, it’s important to use language that is both clear and persuasive. This requires informal language and strong communication effectiveness. To that end, here are a few key phrases to keep in mind when introducing business solutions.

55. We have a solution that will-

56. Our team has come up with a solution that will-

57. We’ve developed a solution that will-

58. We have the perfect solution for your problem-

59. Introducing our newest solution-

60. Our latest and greatest solution is-

Useful Words and Phrases

Using these phrases can help to make your presentation more professional and polished. Additionally, they can also help to ensure that your audience understands the key points that you are trying to communicate. When selecting business English phrases for your presentation, be sure to choose ones that are appropriate for the level of formality desired.

61. As an example

62. In conclusion

63. To summarize

64. Thank you for your time

65. Furthermore

66. Moreover

Discussion Questions

When leading a discussion, it is important to ask open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. These types of questions encourage others to share their opinions and experiences. In addition, discussion questions should be relevant to the topic at hand and should be framed in a way that promotes constructive dialogue. By asking thoughtful questions and actively listening to the responses, you can use discussions to foster understanding and collaboration within your team or organization. It also allows your audience to deconstruct any complex messages you have delivered.

67. How will this proposal impact our bottom line?

68. What are the risks associated with this plan?

69. What are the potential benefits of this plan?

70. How does this plan compare to other options?

71. What are the challenges associated with implementing this plan?

72. What are the next steps?

Interacting with the Audience

Interacting with your audience is key to keeping their attention during a presentation. There are several ways to do this, such as making eye contact, using gestures and body language, and speaking in a clear and engaging voice. Asking questions is also a great way to interact with your audience, as it not only helps to keep them engaged but also allows you to gauge their understanding of the material.

73. Does that make sense?

74. Do you have a goal in mind?

75. Are you following me so far?

76. Do you have any questions?

77. Have I painted a clearer picture?

78. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

Concluding Your Presentation

When you reach the end of your presentation, it’s important to conclude effectively in order to leave your audience with a strong impression. By using one of these business English phrases, you can conclude your presentation professionally and effectively.

79. We appreciate your interest in our company.

80. Your input is invaluable to us.

81. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or require further information.

82. Thank you for your time and attention.

83. Together, we can make a difference.

84. Time for questions.

Ending the Presentation

Ending the presentation is just as important as starting it. Your goal is to ensure that your audience has taken away the key points from your talk and to leave them with a positive impression of you and your business. This allows you to address any concerns they may have and leaves them with a positive impression of you as a business professional. By using these simple phrases, you can ensure that your presentation ends on a strong note.

85. We look forward to working with you in the future.

86. This concludes our presentation. Are there any questions?

87. Just a quick recap-

88. Thank you for your business.

89. We appreciate your interest.

90. I hope I was able to answer your questions.

Thank your Audience and Close your Presentation

When you thank your audience for listening to your presentation, you are showing your appreciation for their time and attention. This is a polite way to end your talk, and it can help to leave a positive impression. No matter how you choose to express your thanks, closing with this business English vocabulary will show that you are professional and courteous.

91. Thank you for your trust in us

92. Thank you for partnering with us.

93. Thank you for your efforts.

94. Thank you for choosing us.

95. Thank you for your time today.

96. Thank you for considering us as a partner.

Popular Business Presentation Phrases

Popular business presentation phrases are expressions that are commonly used in business presentations. They can be divided into two categories: those that are designed to engage the audience and those that are designed to convey information. These phrases help the presenter structure the information in a way that is easy for the audience to understand.

97. Let’s get started

98. As you can see

99. If we could have your attention.

100. As you can see from this chart

101. This data shows

10 Simple Steps to Effective Business Presentations

1. research thoroughly.

Whether you’re giving a presentation to potential investors or presenting new data to your colleagues, it’s essential that you research thoroughly and present effectively. Knowing how to research and present is a critical business skill.

To research thoroughly, you need to understand your audience and what they’re looking for. What questions do they have? What information do they need? Once you know what your audience is looking for, you can begin your research.

Start by looking for reputable sources of information. Check out books, articles, websites, and other materials that will help you learn more about your topic. When you’re doing your research, be sure to take good notes. This will help you keep track of the information you find and make it easier to organize your thoughts when you’re ready to start writing your presentation.

2. Plan Your Points

In business, first impressions are everything. If you’re giving a presentation, you want to come across as confident, knowledgeable, and professional.

The best way to do this is to plan your points carefully. Make sure you know what you’re going to say, and structure your points in a way that will be easy for your audience to follow. Use business English presentation phrases to make your points clearly and confidently. And don’t forget to practice before the big day! By taking the time to prepare, you’ll give yourself the best possible chance of success.

3. Gather Phrases and Jargon

Whether you’re giving a business presentation or delivering a speech, using the right phrases and jargon can help you to engage your audience and get your point across effectively. Here are a few tips on how to gather the right phrases and jargon for your next presentation:

• Do your research. Before you start writing your presentation or speech, take some time to research your topic and audience. This will help you to identify the key points you need to make, and the jargon and phrases that will resonate with your audience.
• Identify your purpose. What do you want to achieve with your presentation or speech? Once you know your purpose, you can choose the words and phrases that will help you to achieve it. For example, if you’re trying to sell a product, you’ll need to use language that is persuasive and compelling.
• Keep it simple. Use language that is easy to understand, even if it means avoiding technical terms and jargon. Remember that your goal is to communicate effectively, not to impress with your vocabulary.
• Be natural. The best presentations and speeches sound effortless as if the speaker is having a conversation with the audience. To achieve this natural tone, avoid reading from a script or teleprompter; instead, focus on memorizing key points and using language that feels natural to you.

4. Develop Visual Aids

Before you begin developing your visual aids, it is important to take a step back and consider your audience. What type of information are they looking for? How much detail do they need? Once you have a good understanding of your audience, you can start developing visual aids that are both informative and engaging.

There are a few key business English presentation visual tips that will help you to develop effective visual aids. For example:

• Use clear and concise language
• Focus on one main idea per slide
• Avoid using too much text around the visual

By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure that your visual aids are easy to understand and visually appealing. Additionally, be sure to proofread your slides before sending them out or presenting them in front of a group. A few small typos can easily detract from an otherwise well-crafted presentation.

5. Practice Out Loud

When you’re preparing for business English vocabulary presentations, it’s important to Practice Out Loud as much as possible. This will help you get comfortable with the material and ensure that you deliver your points effectively. There are a few key business English presentation phrases that you can use to make sure that your presentation is polished and professional.

For example, beginning your presentation with a brief overview of what you’ll be covering is a great way to set the stage and engage your audience. As you move through your presentation, be sure to use clear and concise language.

And finally, conclude your presentation with a strong call to action or summary of the key points. By following these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to delivering an effective business presentation.

6. Prepare for the Unexpected

Presenting to a group can be daunting, even for experienced speakers. The key to success is to be prepared for the unexpected. While it’s impossible to anticipate every possible scenario, there are some steps you can take to ensure that you’re ready for anything.

• First, brush up on your business English presentation phrases. Knowing how to effectively communicate your message will help you stay calm and focused if something unexpected happens.
• Second, make sure you know your material inside and out. If you’re well-versed in the subject matter, you’ll be able to think on your feet and address any questions or concerns that come up.
• Finally, remember to breathe. Taking a few deep breaths before you start will help you relax and focus on delivering your best presentation.

By following these simple tips, you can prepare for the unexpected and give an outstanding performance.

7. Body Language

When giving a business presentation in English, it is important to use body language effectively to engage your audience and convey your message clearly. There are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Make eye contact with individuals around the room; this shows that you are speaking to them directly and helps to build rapport.
• Use gestures to emphasize key points ; avoid crossing your arms or fidgeting, which can make you appear nervous or untrustworthy. Finally,
• Speak clearly and at a moderate pace ; if you speak too quickly, your audience may not be able to understand you, and if you speak too slowly, you may lose their attention.

8. Manage Your Nerves

Nerves are a perfectly normal response to presenting and public speaking. After all, you are basically putting yourself out there to be judged! The key is learning how to manage your nerves in a way that allows you to present effectively.

One way to do this is to focus on your business presentation phrases. This will help you to stay on track and sound confident, even if you are feeling nervous inside. Another tip is to take some deep breaths and relax your body before you start speaking. This will help to calm your nerves and allow you to focus on delivering your presentation.

Finally, remember that it is okay to be nervous. Embrace the feeling and use it to fuel your passion for the topic at hand. With these tips in mind, you will be sure to deliver an effective presentation.

9. Ask Questions

When you are asked to present in front of an audience, whether it is for business or academic purposes, it is important to ask questions to engage your audience and effectively communicate your message. Asking questions allows you to gauge your audience’s understanding of the material, ensure that they are paying attention, and elicit feedback.

Furthermore, questions can help to clarify points that may be confusing and provide opportunities for further discussion. However, it is important to ask questions in a way that is respectful and does not put your audience on the defensive. For example, avoid leading or loaded questions, and rephrase if necessary.

When used effectively, questions can be a powerful tool for making presentations more engaging and effective.

10. Be Open to Feedback

Giving a presentation can be nerve-wracking, but there are some things you can do to help ensure that it goes well. One of the most important things is to be open to feedback. This means being willing to listen to what other people have to say about your presentation, and then making changes based on their feedback.

It can be tempting to just stick with what you have, but if you’re not open to feedback, you’ll likely end up with a presentation that doesn’t quite hit the mark. So next time you’re getting ready to give a presentation, make sure you’re open to feedback, and you’ll increase your chances of giving a great talk.

This blog has provided 101 of the best English phrases to use in presentations, as well as tips and tricks for presenting effectively. These phrases have been grouped into categories, such as introducing yourself, dealing with difficult questions, and closing your presentation. By using these phrases, you can be confident that you are conveying your message clearly and professionally.

In addition, the tips and tricks included in this blog will help you to avoid common mistakes when giving presentations. By following these tips, you can ensure that your presentations are engaging and informative. Thanks for reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

Any good presentation skills training will tell you that there are five key elements to success: planning, preparation, delivery, design, and practice. By taking the time to plan your presentation, you can ensure that your ideas are well organized and that you have a clear objective. Preparation is also essential, and this means knowing your audience and understanding their needs. When it comes to delivery, it is important to be confident and to project your voice clearly. The design of your presentation should be clean and professional, and you should use practice slides to get a feel for the flow of the presentation. By following these simple tips, you can be sure that your next presentation will be a success.

First, you want to make sure that you are well-prepared. This means having a clear understanding of your audience and your goals for the presentation. It also means having all of your materials ready to go, including slides, handouts, and any other visual aids. Second, you want to be sure to deliver your presentation with confidence. This means speaking clearly and confidently, making eye contact with your audience, and using body language to convey your points. Finally, you want to make sure that you leave a lasting impression. This can be done by ending on a strong note, providing follow-up materials, or even offering a call to action.

The best business presentations are those that are able to engage the audience and keep their attention focused on the speaker. There are a few key elements that can help to make a presentation more engaging. First, it is important to have a clear and well-organized structure. This will help the listener to follow the presentation and understand the main points. Second, it is helpful to use visual aids to illustrate key points. This can make the information more memorable and easier to understand. Finally, it is important to be passionate about the topic. When the speaker is enthusiastic, it can be contagious and make the audience more interested in what is being said. By keeping these things in mind, you can help ensure that your next business presentation is engaging and successful.

When giving a business English presentation, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, it is important to be clear and concise. This means using language that is easy to understand and getting straight to the point. It is also important to be respectful and professional. This means avoiding slang and casual language and maintaining a polite tone throughout the presentation. Finally, it is important to be well-prepared. This means having all of your materials ready in advance, and rehearsing your presentation so that you are confident and deliver smoothly. By following these tips, you can ensure that your business English presentation is successful.

A business presentation typically has four distinct stages: introduction, body, conclusion, and Q&A. The introduction is your opportunity to grab the audience’s attention and give them an overview of what you’ll be discussing. The body is where you provide more detailed information about your topic. The conclusion should summarize your key points and leave the audience with a strong impression. Finally, the Q&A section gives the audience a chance to ask questions and get clarification on anything they didn’t understand. By following these four simple steps, you can ensure that your business presentation is engaging, informative, and well-organized.

Learn from History – Follow the Science – Listen to the Experts

What’s the one thing that makes LillyPad so special? Lilly! She is a personal English tutor, and has people talking all over the world! Lilly makes improving your English easy. With Lilly, you can read in four different ways, and you can read just about anything you love. And learning with Lilly, well that’s what you call liberating! 

For learners of all ages striving to improve their English, LillyPad combines the most scientifically studied and recommended path to achieving English fluency and proficiency with today’s most brilliant technologies!

Additionally, the platform incorporates goal-setting capabilities, essential tracking & reporting, gamification, anywhere-anytime convenience, and significant cost savings compared to traditional tutoring methodologies.

At LillyPad , everything we do is focused on delivering a personalized journey that is meaningful and life-changing for our members. LillyPad isn’t just the next chapter in English learning…

…it’s a whole new story!

Do you want to improve your English? Visit www.lillypad.a i .

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram !

Bethany MacDonald

Bethany MacDonald has contributed articles LillyPad.ai since 2020. As their Blog Lead, she specialises in informative pieces on culture, education, and language learning

Related Articles

8 ways to improve your english by reading what you love with an ai tutor, how to read like a professional, what are the benefits of reading aloud, the world of online book clubs, improve your english faster with lilly an artificial intelligent tutor.

Latest Posts

Understanding YLTE: Importance of English Test for Young Learners

Top 10 errors in english proficiency tests & how to avoid them, challenges in english proficiency tests for language learners.

FLUOROSCOPE LANGUAGE CALCULATOR

How long will it take you to improve your English?

Design, write and practice your own phrases or learn  3,500+ premade English phrases  with Lilly!

© 2023 LillyPad.Ai

Blog > English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

02.21.20   •  #powerpoint #presentation #english.

When giving a presentation in english, there are certain guidelines you should follow. Maybe you haven't got a lot of experience presenting - or you would simply like to refresh your already existing knowledge - we're here to teach you the basics about presenting and provide you with a free list of useful phrases and the basic structure you can in your presentation!

1. Structure

The general structure of a presentation is the following:

• Introduction

It is up to you to design these three parts. Using videos or everyday-examples can be a great way to introduce the audience to the topic. The important thing is that you capture the audience's attention from the beginning by making an interesting introduction. The main part is where you present your topic, ideally divided into sections. You can be creative with it - incorporate images, videos, stories or interactive polls . We generally recommend using different kinds of elements, as that makes the presentation more lively. Make sure your main part is well structured, so your audience can follow. In the conclusion, you should give a short summary of the points you made without adding any new information. You can also make an appeal to your audience in the end.

2. Useful Phrases

Here you'll find several phrases that you'll need in every presentation. Of course, you should adapt them and use them in a context that is suitable for your setting. The phrases are divided into subcategories so you can find what you're looking for more easily.

Starting your Presentation

In your introduction, you should:

Welcome your audience

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!

Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to my presentation about...

Introduce yourself

I am ... (from company ...) and today I would like to introduce you to the topic of ...

My name is ... and I am going to talk about ... today.

Icebreakers (for audience engagement)

Icebreaker polls are an amazing way to engage your audience instantly. They function as a fun and playful element at the beginning, giving you the perfect start you need to give a successful presentation. Click here to read our detailed post about icebreaker polls!

Mention the presentation topic and the reason for giving the presentation

I am grateful to be here today and tell you you about...

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about ...

I am here today to talk to you about ...

The reason why I am here today to talk about ... is ...

The purpose of this presentation is to ...

My goal today is to ...

Hopefully, by the end of the presentation, you will all know more about ...

Give a short overview of the content

To make it as understandable as possible, I divided my presentation into ... parts. In the first part, I will concentrate on ..., the second part will be about ..., ...

First of all, I will give you a short introduction, then we will move on to ...

... and finally, I will give you some insights to ...

Here are a few phrases that you could use during the whole presentation, but especially in the main part.

Engage your audience

In order to raise the audience's attention and improve their engagement, it is extremely important to make contact with them. A great way to do so is by adding interactive elements such as polls. If you would like to know more about this topic, read our article on How To Boost Audience Engagement . You can also use a software like SlideLizard , which allows you to conduct live polls, do Q&A sessions with your audience, share your resources and many more benefits that take your presentation to the next level.

Please raise your hand if you ...

Have you ever thought about ... ?

I would like to do a poll about ...

Please ask any questions as soon as they arrive.

On one hand, … on the other hand…

Comparing … with …, we can see that…

Clearly, … makes more sense than …

Whereas Option A is …, Option B is …

Making new points

Firstly,… Secondly,…

What also has to be mentioned is…

Next, I would like to bring up the topic of…

That being said, now we are going to take a look at…

Let's move on to the next topic.

On the next slide,…

The last thing I would like to mention is…

We made a whole blog post about how to pose questions in your presentation: The Right Way to do a Question Slide .

Talking about images or videos

In this image you can clearly see that ...

We are now going to take a look at a picture/video of ...

I'm going to show you a video by ... about ... now.

I've prepared a video about ...

Talking about statistics and charts

I am now addressing this graph that refers to the results of study XY.

In the graph on this slide, you can see that ...

The average is at ...

This graph clearly shows that the majority ...

According to this graph, the focus should be on ...

What that study tells us for practice is that we should ...

Emphasizing

I would like to emphasize the importance of ...

Moreover, it has to be said that ...

I want to stress the importance of ...

We always have to remember that ...

This is of high significance because ...

That part is especially important because ...

When something goes wrong

I am sorry, but it seems like the projector isn't working.

Could someone please help me with ...?

Is anybody here who knows how to ...?

Could someone give me a hand with ...

I would like to apologize for ...

I apologize for the technical problems, we are going to continue in a minute.

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

End of Presentation

In the conclusion, you should...

Sum up the main points

In conclusion I can say that…

To sum up the main points,…

With all mentioned aspects taken into consideration, I can say that…

Make an appeal

So please, in the future, try to be conscious about...

Please take a moment to think about...

I would like to encourage you to...

Thank your audience and say goodbye

It was a pleasure being here today.

Thank you for listening and goodbye.

Thank you for being such a great, engaged audience. Goodbye.

Thank you so much for listening, see you next time.

What is the structure of a presentation?

Your presentations should always have an Introduction, a Main part and a Conclusion.

What is a good way to begin a presentation?

You can start by introducing yourself, giving an overview of your topic, telling a little story or showing the audience an introductory video or image.

What are good phrases to use in English presentations?

There are many phrases that will make your presentation a lot more professional. Our blog post gives you a detailed overview.

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

Get 1 Month for free!

Do you want to make your presentations more interactive.

With SlideLizard you can engage your audience with live polls, questions and feedback . Directly within your PowerPoint Presentation. Learn more

Top blog articles More posts

Modern mountains - Free PowerPoint Template

Best Sources of free Images to use in PowerPoint Presentations

Get started with Live Polls, Q&A and slides

for your PowerPoint Presentations

The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Internal preview.

An Internal Preview is a statement, which is made in the body of the speech, so that the audience knows what the speaker is going to discuss next.

Informal Communication

informal communication can be used when talking to your friends or your family

Master view

In the master view in PowerPoint you can edit the Slide Master.

Multimedia Presentation

A multmedia presentation is a speech in which several types of visual and audio aids are combined in the same speech with the help of computer software. .

Be the first to know!

The latest SlideLizard news, articles, and resources, sent straight to your inbox.

- or follow us on -

We use cookies to personalize content and analyze traffic to our website. You can choose to accept only cookies that are necessary for the website to function or to also allow tracking cookies. For more information, please see our privacy policy .

Cookie Settings

Necessary cookies are required for the proper functioning of the website. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information about the number of visitors, etc.

Home Blog Business Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

A business presentation is a purpose-led summary of key information about your company’s plans, products, or practices, designed for either internal or external audiences. Project proposals, HR policy presentations, investors briefings are among the few common types of presentations. 

Compelling business presentations are key to communicating important ideas, persuading others, and introducing new offerings to the world. Hence, why business presentation design is one of the most universal skills for any professional. 

This guide teaches you how to design and deliver excellent business presentations. Plus, breaks down some best practices from business presentation examples by popular companies like Google, Pinterest, and Amazon among others! 

3 General Types of Business Presentations

A business presentation can be given for a number of reasons. Respectively, they differ a lot in terms of content and purpose. 

But overall, all types of business presentations can be classified as:

• Informative
• Persuasive 
• Supporting 

Informative Business Presentation 

As the name suggests, the purpose of an informative presentation is to discern the knowledge you have — explain what you know. It’s the most common type of business presentation out there. So you have probably prepared such at least several times. 

Examples of informative presentations:

• Team briefings presentation 
• Annual stakeholder report 
• Quarterly business reviews
• Business portfolio presentation
• Business plan presentation
• Project presentation

Helpful templates from SlideModel:

• Business plan PowerPoint template
• Business review PowerPoint template
• Project proposal PowerPoint template
• Corporate annual report template

Persuasive Business Presentation 

The goal of this type of presentation is to persuade your audience of your point of view — convince them of what you believe is right. Developing business presentations of this caliber requires a bit more copywriting mastery, as well as expertise in public speaking . Unlike an informative business presentation, your goal here is to sway the audience’s opinions and prompt them towards the desired action. 

Examples of persuasive presentations:

• Pitch deck/investor presentations
• Sales presentation  
• Business case presentation 
• Free business proposal presentation
• Business proposal PowerPoint template
• Pitch deck PowerPoint template
• Account Plan PowerPoint template

Supporting Business Presentation 

This category of business PowerPoint presentations is meant to facilitate decision-making — explain how we can get something done. The underlying purpose here is to communicate the general “action plan”. Then break down the necessary next steps for bringing it to life. 

Examples of supporting presentations:

• Roadmap presentation
• Project vision presentation 
• After Action Review presentation 
• Standard operating procedure (SOP) PowerPoint template 
• Strategy map PowerPoint template 
• After action review (ARR) PowerPoint template 

What Should Be Included in a Business Presentation?

Overall, the content of your business presentation will differ depending on its purpose and type. However, at the very minimum, all business presentations should include:

• Introductory slide 
• Agenda/purpose slide
• Main information or Content slides
• Key Takeaways slides
• Call-to-action/next steps slides

We further distill business presentation design and writing best practices in the next section (plus, provide several actionable business PowerPoint presentation examples!). 

How to Make a Business Presentation: Actionable Tips

A business presentation consists of two parts — a slide deck and a verbal speech. In this section, we provide tips and strategies for nailing your deck design. 

1. Get Your Presentation Opening Right 

The first slides of your presentation make or break your success. Why? By failing to frame the narrative and set the scene for the audience from the very beginning, you will struggle to keep their interest throughout the presentation. 

You have several ways of how to start a business presentation:

• Use a general informative opening — a summative slide, sharing the agenda and main points of the discussion. 
• Go for a story opening — a more creative, personal opening, aimed at pulling the audience into your story. 
• Try a dramatic opening — a less apparent and attention-grabbing opening technique, meant to pique the audience’s interest. 

Standard Informative Opening 

Most business presentation examples you see start with a general, informative slide such as an Agenda, Problem Statement, or Company Introduction. That’s the “classic” approach. 

To manage the audience’s expectations and prepare them for what’s coming next, you can open your presentation with one or two slides stating:

• The topic of your presentation — a one-sentence overview is enough. 
• Persuasive hook, suggesting what’s in it for the audience and why they should pay attention. 
• Your authority — the best technique to establish your credibility in a business presentation is to share your qualifications and experience upfront to highlight why you are worth listening to. 

Opening best suited for: Formal business presentations such as annual reports and supporting presentations to your team/business stakeholders. 

Story Opening 

Did you ever notice that most TED talks start with a quick personal story? The benefit of this presenting technique is that it enables speakers to establish quick rapport and hold the listener’s attention. 

Here’s how Nancy Duarte, author of “Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations” book and TED presenter, recommends opening a presentation: 

You know, here’s the status quo, here’s what’s going on. And then you need to compare that to what could be. You need to make that gap as big as possible, because there is this commonplace of the status quo, and you need to contrast that with the loftiness of your idea. 

Storytelling , like no other tool, helps transpose the audience into the right mindset and get concentrated on the subject you are about to discuss. A story also elicits emotions, which can be a powerful ally when giving persuasive presentations. In the article how to start a presentation , we explore this in more detail.

Opening best suited for: Personal and business pitches, sales presentations, other types of persuasive presentations. 

Dramatic Opening 

Another common technique is opening your presentation with a major statement, sometimes of controversial nature. This can be a shocking statistic, complex rhetoric question, or even a provocative, contrarian statement, challenging the audience’s beliefs. 

Using a dramatic opening helps secure the people’s attention and capture their interest. You can then use storytelling to further drill down your main ideas. 

If you are an experienced public speaker, you can also strengthen your speech with some unexpected actions. That’s what Bill Gates does when giving presentations. In a now-iconic 2009 TED talk about malaria, mid-presentation Gates suddenly reveals that he actually brought a bunch of mosquitoes with him. He cracks open a jar with non-malaria-infected critters to the audience’s surprise. His dramatic actions, paired with a passionate speech made a mighty impression. 

Opening best suited for: Marketing presentations, customer demos, training presentations, public speeches. 

Further reading: How to start a presentation: tips and examples. 

2. Get Your PowerPoint Design Right

Surely, using professional business PowerPoint templates already helps immensely with presentation deck design since you don’t need to fuss over slide layout, font selection, or iconography. 

Even so, you’ll still need to customize your template(s) to make them on brand and better suited to the presentation you’re about to deliver. Below are our best presentation design tips to give your deck an extra oomph. 

Use Images, Instead of Bullet Points 

If you have ever watched Steve Jobs’s presentations, you may have noticed that he never used bullet-point lists. Weird right? Because using bullet points is the most universal advice in presentation design. 

But there’s a valid scientific reason why Jobs favored images over bullet-point texts. Researchers found that information delivered in visuals is better retained than words alone. This is called the “ pictorial superiority effect ”. As John Medina, a molecular biologist, further explains :

“Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.”

So if your goal is to improve the memorability of your presentation, always replace texts with images and visualizations when it makes sense. 

Fewer Slides is Better

No matter the value, a long PowerPoint presentation becomes tiring at some point. People lose focus and stop retaining the information. Thus, always take some extra time to trim the fluff and consolidate some repetitive ideas within your presentation. 

For instance, at McKinsey new management consultants are trained to cut down the number of slides in client presentations. In fact, one senior partner insists on replacing every 20 slides with only two slides . Doing so prompts you to focus on the gist — the main business presentation ideas you need to communicate and drop filler statements. 

Here are several quick tips to shorten your slides:

• Use a three-arc structure featuring a clear beginning (setup), main narrative (confrontation), ending (resolution). Drop the ideas that don’t fit into either of these. 
• Write as you tweet. Create short, on-point text blurbs of under 156 symbols, similar to what you’d share on Twitter. 
• Contextualize your numbers. Present any relevant statistics in a context, relevant to the listeners. Turn longer stats into data visualizations for easier cognition. 

Consistency is Key 

In a solid business presentation, each slide feels like part of the connecting story. To achieve such consistency apply the same visual style and retain the same underlying message throughout your entire presentation.

Use the same typography, color scheme, and visual styles across the deck. But when you need to accentuate a transition to a new topic (e.g. move from a setup to articulating the main ideas), add some new visual element to signify the slight change in the narrative. 

Further reading: 23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations

3. Make Your Closure Memorable 

We best remember the information shared last. So make those business presentation takeaways stick in the audience’s memory. We have three strategies for that. 

Use the Rule of Three 

The Rule of Three is a literary concept, suggesting that we best remember and like ideas and concepts when they are presented in threes. 

Many famous authors and speakers use this technique:

• “Duty – Honor – Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be” . Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
• “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are the unalienable rights of all humans that governments are meant to protect.” Thomas Jefferson 

The Rule of Three works because three is the maximum number of items most people can remember on their first attempt. Likewise, such pairings create a short, familiar structure that is easy to remember for our brains. 

Try the Title Close Technique

Another popular presentation closing technique is “Title Close” — going back to the beginning of your narrative and reiterating your main idea (title) in a form of a takeaway. Doing so helps the audience better retain your core message since it’s repeated at least two times. Plus, it brings a sense of closure — a feel-good state our brains love. Also, a brief one-line closure is more memorable than a lengthy summary and thus better retained. 

Ask a Question 

If you want to keep the conversation going once you are done presenting, you can conclude your presentation with a general question you’d like the audience to answer.

Alternatively, you can also encourage the members to pose questions to you. The latter is better suited for informational presentations where you’d like to further discuss some of the matters and secure immediate feedback. 

Try adding an interactive element like a QR code closing your presentation with a QR code and having a clear CTA helps you leverage the power of sharing anything you would like to share with your clients. QR codes can be customized to look alike your brand.

If you are looking for a smoother experience creating presentations on the fly, check out the AI PowerPoint maker —it offers everything you can ask forfrom presentation design in a couple of clicks.

12 Business Presentation Examples and What Makes Them Great 

Now that we equipped you with the general knowledge on how to make a presentation for business, let’s take a look at how other presenters are coping with this job and what lessons you can take away from them. 

1. N26 Digital Bank Pitch Deck 

This is a fine business pitch presentation example, hitting all the best practices. The deck opens with a big shocking statement that most Millennials would rather go to the dentist than step into a bank branch. 

Then it proceeds to discuss the company’s solution to the above — a fully digital bank with a paperless account opening process, done in 8 minutes. After communicating the main product features and value proposition, the deck further conceptualizes what traction the product got so far using data visualizations. The only thing it lacks is a solid call-to-action for closing slides as the current ending feels a bit abrupt. 

2. WeWork Pitch Deck

For a Series D round, WeWork went with a more formal business presentation. It starts with laying down the general company information and then transitions to explaining their business model, current market conditions, and the company’s position on the market.

The good thing about this deck is that they quantify their business growth prospects and value proposition. The likely gains for investors are shown in concrete numbers. However, those charts go one after another in a row, so it gets a bit challenging to retain all data points. 

The last part of their presentation is focused on a new offering, “We Live”. It explains why the team seeks funds to bring it to life. Likewise, they back their reasoning with market size statistics, sample projects, and a five-year revenue forecast. 

3. Redfin Investor Presentation 

If you are looking for a “text-light” business presentation example, Redfin’s investor deck is up to your alley. This simple deck expertly uses iconography, charts, and graphs to break down the company’s business model, value proposition, market share, and competitive advantages over similar startups. For number-oriented investors, this is a great deck design to use. 

4. Google Ready Together Presentation 

This isn’t quite the standard business presentation example per se. But rather an innovative way to create engaging, interactive presentations of customer case studies .

The short deck features a short video clip from a Google client, 7-11, explaining how they used the company’s marketing technology to digitally transform their operations and introduce a greater degree of marketing automation . The narrated video parts are interrupted by slides featuring catchy stats, contextualizing issues other businesses are facing. Then transitions to explaining through the words of 7-11 CMO, how Google’s technology is helping them overcome the stated shortcomings.

5. Salesforce Business Presentation Example 

This is a great example of an informational presentation, made by the Salesforce team to share their research on customer experience (CX) with prospects and existing customers.

The slide deck errs on the lengthier side with 58 slides total. But bigger topics are broken down and reinforced through bite-sized statistics and quotes from the company leadership. They are also packaging the main tips into memorable formulas, itemized lists, and tables. Overall, this deck is a great example of how you can build a compelling narrative using different statistics. 

6. Mastercard Business Presentation

This slide deck from Mastercard instantly captures the audience’s attention with unusual background images and major data points on the growth of populations, POS systems, and payment methods used in the upcoming decade.

Perhaps to offset the complexity of the subject, Mastercard chose to sprinkle in some humor in presentation texts and used comic-style visuals to supplement that. However, all their animations are made in a similar style, creating a good sense of continuity in design. They are also using colors to signify the transition from one part of the presentation to another. 

In the second part, the slide deck focuses on distilling the core message of what businesses need to do to remain competitive in the new payments landscape. The team presents what they have been working on to expand the payment ecosystem. Then concludes with a “title close” styled call-to-action, mirroring the presentation title.

7. McKinsey Diversity & Inclusion Presentation 

This fresh business slide deck from McKinsey is a great reference point for making persuasive business presentations on complex topics such as D&I. First, it recaps the main definitions of the discussed concepts — diversity, equity, and inclusion — to ensure alignment with the audience members. 

Next, the business presentation deck focuses on the severity and importance of the issue for businesses, represented through a series of graphs and charts. After articulating the “why”, the narrative switches to “how” — how leaders can benefit from investment in D&I. The main points are further backed with data and illustrated via examples. 

8. Accenture Presentation for the Energy Sector

Similar to McKinsey, Accenture keeps its slide deck on a short. Yet the team packs a punch within each slide through using a mix of fonts, graphical elements, and color for highlighting the core information. The presentation copy is on a longer side, prompting the audience to dwell on reading the slides. But perhaps this was meant by design as the presentation was also distributed online — via the company blog and social media. 

The last several slides of the presentation deck focus on articulating the value Accenture can deliver for their clients in the Energy sector. They expertly break down their main value proposition and key service lines, plus quantify the benefits. 

9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Technical Presentation 

Giving an engaging technical presentation isn’t an easy task. You have to balance the number of details you reveal on your slides to prevent overwhelm, while also making sure that you don’t leave out any crucial deets. This technical presentation from AWS does great in both departments. 

First, you get entertained with a quick overview of Amazon’s progress in machine learning (ML) forecasting capabilities over the last decade. Then introduced to the main tech offering. The deck further explains what you need to get started with Amazon Forecast — e.g. dataset requirements, supported forecasting scenarios, available forecasting models, etc. 

The second half of the presentation provides a quick training snippet on configuring Amazon SageMaker to start your first project. The step-by-step instructions are coherent and well-organized, making the reader excited to test-drive the product. 

10. Snapchat Company Presentation

Snapchat’s business model presentation is on a funkier, more casual side, reflective of the company’s overall brand and positioning. After briefly recapping what they do, the slide deck switches to discussing the company’s financials and revenue streams.

This business slide deck by Snap Inc. itself is rather simplistic and lacks fancy design elements. But it has a strong unified theme of showing the audience Snapchat’s position on the market and projected vector of business development. 

11. Visa Business Acquisition Presentation 

If you are working on a business plan or M&A presentation for stakeholders of your own, this example from Visa will be helpful. The presentation deck expertly breaks down the company’s rationale for purchasing Plaid and subsequent plans for integrating the startup into their business ecosystem. 

The business deck recaps why the Plaid acquisition is a solid strategic decision by highlighting the total addressable market they could dive into post-deal. Then it details Plaid’s competitive strengths. The slide deck then sums up all the monetary and indirect gains Visa could reap as an acquirer. 

12. Pinterest Earnings Report Presentation 

Annual reports and especially earnings presentations might not be the most exciting types of documents to work on, but they have immense strategic value. Hence, there’s little room for ambiguities or mistakes. 

In twelve slides, this business presentation from Pinterest clearly communicates the big picture of the company’s finance in 2021. All the key numbers are represented as featured quotes in the sidebar with diagrams further showcasing the earning and spending dynamics. Overall, the data is easy to interpret even for non-finance folks. 

To Conclude 

With these business presentation design tips, presentation templates , and examples, you can go from overwhelmed to confident about your next presentation design in a matter of hours. Focus on creating a rough draft first using a template. Then work on nailing your opening slide sequence and shortening the texts in the main part of your presentation when needed. Make sure that each slide serves a clear purpose and communicates important details. To make your business presentation deck more concise, remove anything that does not pertain to the topic. 

Finally, once you are done, share your business presentation with other team members to get their feedback and reiterate the final design.

Like this article? Please share

Business Presentations, Corporate Presentations, Design, Design Inspiration, Examples, Executive Reports, Inspiration, Presentation Ideas Filed under Business

Related Articles

Filed under Design , Presentation Ideas • May 1st, 2024

The Power of Mind Map Note Taking for Presenters

Add a new tool to your repertoire of presentation skills by mastering the art of mind map note taking. An ideal process to facilitate content retention.

Filed under Design • April 23rd, 2024

How to Create the Perfect Handouts for a Presentation

Learn how to create effective handouts for presentations and the recommended structure for handouts with this guide.

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • April 23rd, 2024

How to Align Objects in Google Slides

Optimize your layouts by learning how to align objects in Google Slides presentations. Step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Leave a Reply

• I nfographics
• Show AWL words
• Subscribe to newsletter
• Introduction

Transitions

• Referring to visuals
• Eye contact
• Taking part in discussions
• Giving opinions
• Agreeing/disagreeing
• Other skills

Show AWL words on this page.

Levels 1-5:     grey  Levels 6-10:   orange 

Show sorted lists of these words.

Any words you don't know? Look them up in the website's built-in dictionary .

Choose a dictionary .  Wordnet  OPTED  both

• Presentations

Language for presentations Some formulaic phrases

On this page you will find some language for presentations, also known as 'signpost' phrases. Many of these are similar to (or the same as) the lecture cues a lecturer uses. They are another example of the formulaic language used in academic contexts. You do not need to learn all of these phrases. Your basic aim is to be able to use at least one phrase for each function (e.g. expressing purpose and showing the structure in the introduction , using transitions between sections, referring to visual aids , concluding ).

How many more you learn after this is up to you. Presentations usually have many visual aids and transitions, so it would be useful to learn two or three different phrases for these functions. On the other hand, you will only state the purpose once in a presentation, so one phrase is enough for life!

Introductions

The introduction is a crucial part of any presentation. There are many functions which you need to achieve:

• greet the audience
• express your purpose
• give the structure
• give the timing
• handle questions

Phrases for all of these are given in the box to the right.

 Greeting the audience

• Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
• Good morning/afternoon, everyone.

 Expressing the purpose

• My purpose/objective/aim today is...
• What I want to do this morning/afternoon/today is...
• I'm here today to...

 Giving the structure

• This talk is divided into four main parts.
• To start with/Firstly, I'd like to look at...
• Then/Secondly, I'll be talking about...
• My fourth point will be about...
• Finally, I'll be looking at...

 Giving the timing

• My presentation/talk/lecture will take/last about 20 minutes.

 Handling questions

• At the end of my talk, there will be a chance to ask questions.
• I'll be happy to answer any questions you have at the end of my presentation.

Visual aids

It is important to be able to refer to your visual aids appropriately. Some useful phrases for visuals are shown to the right.

 Visual aids

• As you can see here...
• Here we can see...
• If we look at this slide...
• This slide shows...
• If you look at the screen, you'll see...
• This table/diagram/chart/slide shows...
• I'd like you to look at this...
• Let me show you...
• Let's (have a) look at...
• On the right/left you can see...

A vital part of any presentation is 'transitioning' (moving on) to a new section. Why is this so crucial? Mainly because of the difference between listening and reading. When you are reading, you can easily see where one section (or paragraph) ends, and another begins. This is not true when you are listening. To help with this, good academic speakers, whether in presentations or lectures , give cues to signal the end of a section. This helps the listener understand the structure and follow the main points.

Some useful transition phrases are shown to the right.

 Transitions

• Let's now move on to/turn to...
• I now want to go on to...
• This leads/brings me to my next point, which is...
• I'd now like to move on to/turn to...
• So far we have looked at... Now I'd like to...

Other phrases

There are some other phrases which are useful in a presentation. These include giving examples, summarising a point or section, and making a digression.

 Giving examples

• Let me give you an example...
• for instance...
• A good example of this is...

 Summarising

• What I'm trying to say is...
• Let me just try and sum that up before we move on to...
• So far, I've presented...

 Digressing

• I might just mention...
• Incidentally...

The conclusion, like the introduction, has several functions which you need to achieve:

• sum up the main points of the presentation
• conclude (by giving a 'take-away' message)
• close (by thanking the audience)
• invite questions

 Summing up

• Summing up...
• To summarise...
• So, to sum up...
• To recap...
• Let me now sum up.

 Concluding

• Let me end by saying...
• I'd like to finish by emphasising...
• In conclusion I'd like to say...
• Finally, may I say...
• Thank you for your attention/time.
• Thank you (for listening/very much).
• If you have any questions or comments, I'll be happy to answer them now.
• If there are any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
• Are there any more questions?

GET FREE EBOOK

Like the website? Try the book. Enter your email to receive a free sample from EAP Foundation: Academic Presentations .

Below is a checklist for presentation language. Use it to help you prepare. You can download a copy of the checklist from the speaking resources page .

Next section

Read more about body language in the next section.

• Body language

Previous section

Read the previous article about presentation structure .

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 10 January 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

The language for presentations involves common 'signpost phrases' which help understand the structure.

The structure of a presentation is straightforward, with introduction, main body, conclusion, and Q&A.

Taking part in academic discussions increases your understanding and challenges your ideas, and may form part of your assessment.

Agreeing and disagreeing in academic discussions is always done politely, often using certain common phrases.

Asking for and giving opinions is important if you want to express your ideas and have a voice in discussions.

Visual aids such as PowerPoint and handouts, help your audience to follow your spoken presentation.

Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

Let’s talk

Change isn’t easy, but we can help. Together we’ll create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business.

© 2024 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

• Privacy Policy
• Copyright Information
• Terms of Use
• About Harvard Business Publishing
• Higher Education
• Harvard Business Review
• Harvard Business School

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

Cookie and Privacy Settings

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

• Grammar & vocab

Making a presentation: language and phrases (1)

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

This is a list of phrases to help you make a professional presentation in English.

Clear structure, logical progression

Good presenters always use language (sometimes single words, sometimes phrases) which shows where they are in their presentation. These ‘signposts’ make it easier for the audience to:

• follow the structure of the presentation
• understand the speaker more easily
• get an idea of the length and content of the presentation.

We’ve divided the phrases and sentences into sections which follow the logical progression of a well-balanced presentation.

1. Welcoming

• Good morning and welcome to [name of company, name of conference hall, hotel, etc.].
• Thank you all very much for coming today.
• I hope you all had a pleasant journey here today.

2. Introducing yourself

• My name is Mark Watson and I am responsible for … .
• My name is Mark Watson from [name of company], where I am responsible for … .
• Let me introduce myself; my name is Mark Watson and I am responsible for … .

3. Introducing your presentation

• The purpose of today’s presentation is to … .
• The purpose of my presentation today is to … .
• In today’s presentation I’d like to … show you … . / explain to you how … .
• In today’s presentation I’m hoping to … give you an update on… / give you an overview of … .
• In today’s presentation I’m planning to … look at … . / explain … .

You can also outline your presentation to give the audience a clear overview of what they can expect:

• In today’s presentation I’m hoping to cover three points:
• firstly, … , after that we will look at … , and finally I’ll … .
• In today’s presentation I’d like to cover three points:
• firstly, … , secondly … , and finally … .

4. Explaining that there will be time for questions at the end

• If you have any questions you’d like to ask, please leave them until the end, when I’ll be happy to answer them.
• If there are any questions you’d like to ask, please leave them until the end, when I’ll do my best to answer them.

Related Posts

• Making a presentation: language and phrases (3)
• Making a presentation: language and phrases (2)
• Presentation Language e-book
• Dynamic verbs for describing a graph and making a clear presentation
• Telephone language
• Business letter writing phrases
• Business Correspondence Language e-book
• American Sign Language (ASL) speaker learning to write English
• Business vocabulary exercise: phrases in business emails
• More useful phrases for business emails and letters

• Theater-Based Techniques
• Dr. Gary Genard
• What Our Clients Say
• Client List
• Dr. Genard in the Media
• Leadership Communication
• Fearless Speaking
• Voice and Speech Improvement
• Presentation Coaching
• Speaking Virtually
• Presentation Skills
• Executive Speech Coaching
• The Benefits of Deep Breathing
• How to Calm Your Nerves Before Speaking
• Leadership Skills: The 5 Essential Speaking Techniques
• 5 Ways to Captivate an Audience
• The Body Language Rules: 12 Ways to be a More Powerful Speaker
• 4 Characteristics of an Influential Speaker
• 6 Skills Building Exercises for Effective Body Language
• 7 Tips for Overcoming Audience Resistance
• 5 Rules for Succeeding with PowerPoint
• Great Speaking? – It's About Performance Over Content!
• 5 Key Tools of Vocal Dynamics
• 5 Secrets of Powerful Body Language
• 10 Ways to Stay Fully Focused when Speaking
• 25 Words or Phrases to Avoid in Speeches and Presentations
• 6 Rules of Effective Public Speaking
• 7 Key Components of Successful Presentations
• 12 Easy Ways to Achieve Presence and Charisma
• 6 Skills Building Exercises Video

Gary Genard's

Speak for success.

"Be a voice not an echo." - Albert Einstein

How to Speak the Language of Business Presentations

O ver the last two weeks, I’ve been conducting my “Speak at Your Best!” workshop for teachers and business professionals in Todi, Italy. It’s been a great experience to offer the training in this Etruscan hill town in the beautiful Umbria region of the country. Among the lessons I myself have learned is a reminder of how important it is to “speak the language of business presentations,” whatever your national or corporate culture.

Want your messages to resonate and move audiences to  action ? Learn the essential elements you need to succeed when you take center stage! Download my free cheat sheet, “ 7 Key Components of Successful Presentations .”

The workshops are sponsored by The Language Center, a school in Todi that teaches English to Italian business people. This year for the first time, The Genard Method has established a collaborative effort with the school, which is on the forefront of helping professionals in Italy develop their communication skills.

I’d like to share with you four lessons from this training that have value for all of us who speak in today’s global business environment. First, the language of effective business presentations truly is an international language that isn’t dependent on geographical boundaries. Second, performance techniques are the core of dynamic public speaking. Third, successful communication trumps any particular language choices you make; and fourth, your relationship with your audience matters greatly.

Let's take a look at each of those assumptions.

How Business Presentations and Acting Are Similar

The workshops I conducted in Todi (pictured above) were structured to educate the English-language teachers at The Language Center on The Genard Method, before I led workshops for the Italian business professionals. The teachers were tasked with preparing the students in terms of English proficiency for the three-day training they’d be taking with me. Since the students were all management-level executives who’d studied previously at the school, two days of linguistic preparation was considered sufficient.

The Genard Method   is a performance-based approach to public speaking training, so the teachers (all of them non-actors) needed to be briefed in the specifics of the Method to get the students ready. So the first thing we discussed were the similarities between public speaking and acting. This is a core element of the system which I developed, consisting of  theater-based techniques for business presentations .

Have you ever considered the similarities yourself? In a building next door to the starkly beautiful San Fortunato church built in 1292, 14 teachers and I discussed the topic. Consider the affinities between theatrical performances and business talks:

• The audience is the key element of both forms of communication.
• Both consist of a single individual or team (an “ensemble” in theater) speaking to that audience.
• The performance space (stage, boardroom, conference room, etc.) is centrally important to both events.
• Attendees can be profoundly moved by what is being said and shown.
• The visual element is essential.
• An effective performance by those appearing on “stage” is expected.

We could have added to this list. The point, I think, is that if you are aware that your speech or presentation is a performance—dramatic if it needs to be—you may approach your appearances differently from speakers who don’t think that way. After all, it’s called “giving a speech”. When you offer your audience a true performance, the material you’re discussing grows exponentially in immediacy, relevance, and power.

It’s Not About Language It’s About Communication

When I began my workshops with the business people, I shared a story about one of my clients who shared an aspect of their own lives. This individual is a native French speaker, who happens to have a heavy accent. Since he also spoke quickly, he often received feedback that his listeners couldn’t understand what he was saying.

He came to The Genard Method inquiring about accent reduction services. I told him my philosophy that rather than work in that area, I prefer to coach and train clients on their overall speaking skills. As these people become more able speakers, I reason, their accent will become less important.

That’s how it worked out with this client. I worked with him to change his focus from himself and his content to the needs of his audiences and whether they were getting what he was trying to give them. In other words, if the reception of his message became uppermost in his mind, he would be more successful as a speaker. He validated this approach when, near the end of his sessions with me, he said, “All of this will help me even when I’m giving presentations in French!”

Like this gentleman, my Italian students were naturally focused on their ability while speaking in English. It was part of my job as a speech trainer to convince them that their success in communicating their ideas mattered more in the end than an accent or an occasional incorrect use of a verb tense.

The Dynamics of Performance in Public Speaking

Now we were ready to delve into what I consider the heart and soul of dynamic public speaking and effective presentations: the performance skills involved. The four I discussed in the workshops were these:

• Stage presence. Clearly, a characteristic that needs to be present for both acting performances and public speaking! Rather than a mysterious quality embodied only by Broadway actors and movie stars, think of it as simply being fully present for your audience. In other words, pay as much attention to their responses and engagement as you do to your own sensations.
• Relaxation and focus. Ever notice how many speakers, if not overtly nervous, don’t appear at their ease in front of others? The exposure and self-consciousness of public speaking often make us close up, protect ourselves, and generally erect defensive barriers against audiences. But how can we expect them to have confidence in us if we don’t show them our true selves—at our ease and enjoying the interaction?
• Body language. Visuals are always important in a public speaking situation, and sometimes they dominate. The most important visual on display when you speak, of course, is yourself. The body is a key tool of communication, since it gives physical expression to what you’re saying. Here are  the 5 key body language tips of public speaking .
• Vocal expressiveness. Along with body language, this is your most important performance skill as a public speaker. Your content can never live on its own. It is your job to give it meaning and immediacy through your vocal expressiveness. To say this another way,  your voice is essential to eliciting the emotional responses you want your listeners to experience.  For your audience to both believe in and act on what you’re saying, that emotional reaction has to occur.   Here's how to speak with impact in business presentations .

Why You Need a Relationship with Your Audience

We might call this the fifth performance techniques of public speaking to be added to those given above. It’s also the one too few speakers think of. But this particular speech dynamic is just as important as the others. That’s because you need to establish a sense of rapport with listeners for ideas to flow smoothly back and forth.

Audiences need to trust in your honesty to open themselves up to you. That response is necessary if you’re going to move them in the direction you’re aiming for. To give yourself a head start by understanding your listeners more, here’s   how to conduct an audience analysis .

T he true language of business presentations is a language of performance. It doesn’t reside in your notes, your PowerPoint deck, your charts and graphs, or your handouts. It is the language of one human being at a time talking to other human beings about a topic they share an interest in. It is the most exciting of languages because it can change many people’s lives at once. And it depends much less than we may think on the native language we employ or the accent our listeners hear.

You should follow me on Twitter here .

Tags: presentation skills , communication skills , speeches , influence , acting techniques for business , communication for leadership , oral communication , leadership , acting skills

Subscribe to the blog

Follow gary genard.

• Training Techniques

Main Office - Boston

[email protected] 617-993-3410

• Executive Presentation Skills
• Rehearsal & Preparation
• Group Presentation Skills

Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

• Skip to main content
• Skip to navigation
• Macmillan English
• Onestopenglish
• Digital Shop

• Back to parent navigation item
• Sample material
• Amazing World of Animals
• Amazing World of Food
• Arts and Crafts
• Mathematics
• Transport and Communication
• Teaching Tools
• Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship
• Support for Teaching Children
• Vocabulary & Phonics
• Spelling Bee Games
• Phonics & Sounds
• The Alphabet
• Onestop Phonics: The Alphabet
• Alphabet Booklet
• Interactive Flashcards
• Warmers & Fillers
• Young Learner Games
• Stories and Poems
• Fillers & Pastimes
• Fun Fillers
• Ready for School!
• Topics & Themes
• Young Learner Topics
• Young Learner Festivals
• Festival Worksheets
• Art and Architecture
• Business and Tourism
• Geography and the Environment
• Information Technology
• Science and Nature
• Topic-based Listening Lessons
• Cambridge English
• Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET)
• Cambridge English: First (FCE)
• Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
• General English
• News Lessons
• Topics and Themes
• Beyond (BrE)
• Beyond: Arts and Media
• Beyond: Knowledge
• Go Beyond (AmE)
• Go Beyond: Arts & Media
• Go Beyond: Knowledge
• Impressions
• Macmillan Readers
• A Time to Travel
• Life & School
• Skills for Problem Solving
• Digital Skills for Teens
• Support for Teaching Teenagers
• Games Teaching Materials
• Business and ESP
• Business Lesson Plans
• Business Skills Bank
• Business Top Trumps
• Elementary Business Lessons
• HR Management
• Let's Talk Business
• Business News Lessons
• ESP Lesson Plans
• Career Readiness
• Professional Communication Skills
• Cambridge English: Business (BEC)
• Everyday Life
• Celebrations
• Live from...
• Live from London
• Discussion Cards
• Writing Lesson Plans
• Life Skills
• Support for Teaching Adults
• Vocabulary Lesson Plans
• Language for...
• Vocabulary Teaching Materials
• Macmillan Dictionary Blog
• Vocabulary Infographics
• Kahoot! Quizzes
• Blog Articles
• Professional Development
• Lesson Share
• Methodology: Projects and Activities
• Methodology: Tips for Teachers
• Methodology: The World of ELT
• Advancing Learning
• Online Teaching
• More from navigation items

Business Skills Bank: Giving Presentations

By Tim Bowen

This Business skills lesson plan by Tim Bowen presents common features of presentations and practises useful language for putting together and giving presentations.

Lesson length: 60-75 mins

Materials: Worksheets 1-5

Subsidiary aims: Listening (or reading) for specific information, discussion of what makes a good presentation.

Business Skills Bank: Giving presentations—Worksheets

Business skills bank: giving presentations—teacher's notes, presentations part 1, presentations part 2.

• British English
• Business / ESP
• Intermediate
• Lesson Plan / Teacher's Notes
• Pre-Intermediate
• Printable Worksheet
• Up to 90 mins
• Upper-Intermediate
• Whole Class

Related articles

Business Skills Bank: Meetings

Sara Helm introduces a short series of lessons for business professionals on meetings skills and the type of functional language needed to conduct meetings in English.

Business skills bank: Preparing for a first meeting: Part 3

By Sara Helm

In this lesson students participate in a business meeting, while the teacher observes and takes notes for a performance review.

Business skills bank: Preparing for a first meeting: Part 2

A lesson to help review and practise language for leading and participating in meetings.

3 Readers' comments

Only registered users can comment on this article., more from business lesson plans.

Live from London: Business—Negotiations

By Pete Clements

Watch authentic London office workers describe the ways to conduct successful negotiations and the skills good negotiators need. Now Interactive!

Live from London: Business — Dress codes

Watch authentic London office workers giving advice on the best ways to dress to impress. Try the new Interactive Worksheets!

Live from London: Business — Emails

By Bryan Goodman-Stephens

Watch authentic London office workers explain how they use emails and phones to communicate in their companies. Now with Interactive Worksheets!

Presentations

Type of English

Lesson time

I want to learn

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Type of English: Business English

Tags: meetings visual aids giving a presentation Situation based

Publication date: 07/20/2021

Students briefly discuss their own experiences of presentations before identifying types of diagrams often used in presentations and their functions. They listen to a business presentation and identify and practise a range of functional language for structuring presentations. The lesson includes vocabulary development and a presentation activity which can be extended to include preparation of slides with visual aids. Students should prepare and practise their presentation as homework and deliver it in another lesson. The materials also include an optional extension activity relating to what can go wrong with a presentation.

by Stephanie Hirschman

presentation_BrE.mp3

very useful to enhance my students' listening skill

Leave a Comment

Student worksheet

Teacher lesson plan

Download audio

Save lesson to

Students briefly discuss their own experiences with presentations before identifying types of diagrams often used in presentations and their functions. They listen to a business presentation and identify and practice a range of functional language for structuring presentations. The lesson includes vocabulary development and a presentation activity which can be extended to include preparation of slides with visual aids. Students should prepare and practice their presentation as homework and deliver it in another lesson. The materials also include an optional extension activity relating to what can go wrong with a presentation.

presentations_AmE.mp3

COURSE PLANS

This comprehensive course plan covers the full range of language needs – listening, role play, vocabulary development.

Worksheets in English for Work and Life course plan

Type of English: Business English Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Type of English: General English Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Type of English: General English Level: Mixed levels

Worksheets in English for Business course plan

Type of English: Business English Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

Make your lessons unforgettable

Did you know that your students can review the target language from our worksheets with our Expemo flashcard app? To let your student know, just enter their email address below (multiple emails can be separated with a comma).