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How to Introduce the Next Speaker in a Presentation

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 231,492 times.

Whether at work, school, or a professional conference or workshop, group presentations are something you might find yourself giving from time to time. Introductions are part of any public speaking , so it’s good to know a few guidelines for introducing the person who’s speaking after you in a presentation. We want to help you nail your next presentation , so we put together this list of tips to make transitional introductions a breeze!

Things You Should Know

  • Summarize your main points briefly to wrap up your portion of the presentation.
  • Introduce the next topic to shift the audience's focus into a smooth transition.
  • Praise the upcoming speaker or offer a few details about them. Then, state the speaker's full name and professional title to finish the introduction.

Summarize what you just talked about.

This wraps up your section of the presentation to transition into the next.

  • For example, say something like: “So, in conclusion , if global warming continues at the current rate, more than 140 million people could be displaced by 2050.”
  • Or, say something like: “Well, that was a brief introduction to the projected effects of carbon emissions over the next 3 decades.”

Set the audience up for the next topic with a question.

This gets the audience to shift their focus to the next topic.

  • For example, if the next speaker is going to talk about the implications of AI for future generations, ask something like: “What if by the year 2075 there was no longer any need for humans in manufacturing jobs?”
  • Or, if the next presenter is there to talk about cloud computing security, ask something like: “How often do you worry about security when you save your files to the cloud?”

Say the upcoming speaker’s name.

This lets the audience know exactly who is up next.

  • For example, say: “Up next is Robert Sandoval…”
  • Or, say: “Here now is John Mando…”

State the next presenter’s title or profession.

This tells the...

  • For example, say something like: “Up next is Alex Bando, Marketing Director.”
  • Or, say something like: “Roger Stoney is a former philosophy professor at Washington State University.”

Tell the audience what the next person is there to talk about.

This builds anticipation to get the audience’s attention.

  • For example, after you state the person’s name and background, say something like: “He’s going to talk to you about 5 tried-and-true time management techniques for success that you can start using today!”
  • Or, say something like: “Jill is going to speak about an exciting discovery she made while researching the behaviors of the Puget Sound’s octopus population last year.”

Praise the next speaker as you introduce them.

This shows the audience that you personally endorse the individual.

  • For example, say something like: “Sarah is truly one of the most brilliant minds I’ve met in the world of physics and I can’t wait for you to hear what she has to say.”
  • Or, say something like: “Alexa has been a close colleague of mine for almost 6 years now and she’s a great public speaker, so I know you’re really going to enjoy this.”
  • If you don't know the person personally, you could do a little research about their achievements and say something like: "John has won global recognition for his books and is a leading authority on economics."

Add a fun piece of information or a joke.

A fun fact or a joke can help pique the audience’s attention.

  • For example, say something like: “Besides being a leading expert in marine biology, Jill speaks 5 languages fluently. But don’t worry, this presentation is only in 1!”

Keep the introduction short.

Audiences want to hear what the speaker has to say.

  • For instance, your first sentence is a summary of what you said, your second sentence is a question to frame the upcoming topic, then you can fit the next speaker’s name, title, and topic all into the next 1-2 sentences. Finally, you can end with a fun fact about the next presenter in your fifth sentence.”

Give the next presenter a cue that it’s their time to speak.

This ends the intro and brings the next speaker on stage.

  • You could say something like: “Come on up, Sam!”
  • Or, say: “Welcome, Rachel.”

Rehearse your entire presentation at least twice.

This ensures you get the introduction right.

  • If you can’t rehearse with the speaker you have to introduce, you can still practice your whole section of the presentation up to the end of the transitional intro. Just imagine that the next speaker is sitting off to the side somewhere.
  • It can help to film yourself practicing in front of a mirror and then watching the video back. You can also practice in front of a friend.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

Speak on Any Topic

  • ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-conclude-a-presentation
  • ↑ https://hbr.org/2016/10/how-to-memorably-introduce-another-speaker
  • ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-publicspeaking/chapter/introducing-a-speaker/
  • ↑ https://www.meetingsnet.com/speakers-entertainment/4-tips-introducing-your-next-keynote-speaker
  • ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Xa1fq-oPo&t=120s
  • ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/09/how-to-rehearse-for-an-important-presentation

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Online Presentations Useful Phrases - Talaera Business English Blog

101 Must-Know Transition Phrases for Engaging Presentations Online

By Paola Pascual on Jan 17, 2024 1:43:00 PM

Giving presentations is often feared by many professionals, but if the presentation is online  and you're not a native speaker, things get even trickier. One tip to make things easier? Learn useful phrases to help you navigate your presentation. In this article, you will find lots of helpful resources to give remarkable presentations . Listen to the episode above, download the checklist below, and learn some of the phrases we present. If we missed any, tell us in the comments below.

General vocabulary for presentations

Sometimes, the smallest changes in your presentations can make the biggest differences. One of them is to learn a few phrases that give you confidence during your speech. Here are some important verbs to get you started:

  • To highlight
  • To emphasize
  • To walk you through (*very common in business presentations!)
  • To send around
  • To carry on (similar to  continue)
  • To get carried away
  • To sum up (similar to  summarize )
  • To focus on

Vocabulary to start your presentation

Learn how to powerfully start your presentation with these 4 simple steps. Here's some vocabulary you can use:

Welcome your audience

  • Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone. Thank you for joining us today, and welcome to today's webinar.
  • Hello everyone, I’m very happy to be speaking with you today.

Introduce yourself

  • My name is Susan, and I’m part of the design team here at Globex Corporation.
  • First of all, a little bit about my background - I am the Team Lead  at [Company], and I've been in charge of [your main responsibility] for [X] years.
  • I'd like to tell you a bit about myself - my name is  Eve  I'm the Operations Manager here at [Company].

Introduce the topic and goal of the presentation

  • Today, I'd like to talk about…
  • This presentation will take about [X] minutes, and we will discuss...
  • We've allocated [X] minutes to this presentation. and I'll talk about...
  • I'd like to give you a brief breakdown of...
  • I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about...
  • The main goal of this presentation is…
  • The purpose of this presentation is...
  • My objective today is...

Read these 5 tricks the best public speakers use to  captivate their audience .

Addressin questions from the audience

  • If you have any questions about anything, feel free to interrupt.
  • If anything isn't clear, please click on the 'raise hand' button and I'll do my best to answer your question.
  • I'd be happy to answer your questions at the end of the presentation.
  • If you have any questions, please kindly wait until the end to ask them. We will have [X] minutes for a Q&A session at the end.
  • Since today's audience is considerably large, we will not have time for questions, but please email me at [email protected]

Learning new English words is not easy, but you can achieve effective communication through practice and repetition. If you are a Talaera student, visit the Library to practice your vocabulary for presentations. If are not part of the Talaera community yet, learn how we can help you here .

Clear out technical issues

  • Can everyone hear me well? Let me know if you encounter any technical difficulties throughout the presentation.
  • If you are not speaking, please put yourselves on mute.
  • If you feel that the sound quality is poor throughout the presentation, please let me know.

Transition to the main topic of the presentation

  • Hi everyone, I think we might still be missing a few people but I’m going to kick things off now so we have time to get through everything.
  • All right, let’s dive right in!
  • All right, let’s jump right in!
  • Let’s get started.
  • Let’s kick things off.
  • I’m going to talk about
  • The purpose/subject of this presentation is
  • I’ve divided the presentation into 3 parts: In the first part, ... / Then in the second part, ... / Finally, I’ll go on to talk about...
  • Let me begin by looking at...
  • Let me start with some general information on...

Vocabulary for the main body of your presentation

Introduce a topic or section.

  • Now let’s move to the first part of the presentation,
  • We can see 4 advantages and two disadvantages. First,
  • On the one hand… On the other hand…
  • There are two steps involved. The first step is… The second step is…
  • There are four stages to the project.

Request more info about our English training

Transition to a new section

  • All right, let’s turn to...
  • Now we come to the next point, which is
  • Okay so that’s [topic 1], but what about [topic 2]?
  • There’s a lot more to talk about, but since we’re pushed for time , let’s move on to [topic 2].
  • This leads me to my next point, which is...

Give examples and details

  • For example...
  • A good example of this is...
  • To illustrate this point...
  • This reminds me of...
  • To give you an example...
  • Let me elaborate further on...

Describe visual aids

  • As you can see [from this infographic]
  • This chart shows
  • If you look at this graph, you will see
  • From this chart, we can understand how
  • Let me show you this [image, graph, diagram]
  • On the right/left
  • In the middle of
  • At the top/bottom of the picture

Emphasize an idea

  • This is important because
  • I’d like to emphasize that
  • We have to remember that

Repeat the same message with different words

  • In other words
  • To put it more simply
  • So, what I’m saying is that
  • Let me say that again.

It's easy to get stuck in the middle of a presentation, especially if English is not your mother tongue. Here are +20 Top Tips You Need To Know if you're learning business English .

Finish your presentation and summarize

The end of a presentation, together with the opening, is one of the most important parts of your speech. Read these 5 effective strategies to close your presentation and use the vocabulary below.

  • That’s all I want to say for now about [topic].
  • To sum up, ...
  • This sums up [topic].
  • So in a nutshell, ...
  • So to recap, ...
  • In brief, ...
  • To conclude, ...
  • I’d like to conclude by emphasizing the main points...
  • That's it on [topic] for today. In short, we've covered...
  • So, now I’d be very interested to hear your comments.
  • And this brings us to the end of this presentation. I hope [topic] is a little clear after today.
  • So to draw all that together, ...

Start and navigate the Q&A session

  • Thank you for your attention. I hope you found this presentation useful, and I'd be happy to answer any questions.
  • Thank you for listening. We now have [X] minutes left. Do you have any questions?
  • Thank you for your question, [Name].
  • I'm glad you asked.
  • That's an interesting question.
  • That's a great question, I must say. I'm not 100% sure, but off the top of my head, I can tell you that...
  • Are you asking about [topic 1] or [topic 2]?
  • Can you please clarify what exactly you mean by [question]? I'm not sure I fully understand.
  • I'm afraid I don't have the exact figures at hand, but if you give me your email address at the end, I can follow up with you later.
  • Does that answer your question?
  • I hope that makes sense. Is that the kind of answer you were looking for?

Take your presentation skills to the next level. 

Presentations course

Keep reading about presentation skills:

  • 21 Helpful Tips For Remarkable and Outstanding Presentation Skills
  • How To Start a Presentation: Follow These 4 Easy Steps
  • How To Bring Across Your Main Idea In A Presentation Effectively
  • 5 Effective Strategies To End A Presentation
  • 6 Public Speaking Tricks To Captivate Your Audience
  • How To Do Effective Business Storytelling According To Former Prosecutor
  • 8 Little Changes That'll Make A Big Difference With Your Presentations
  • 3 Quick Public Speaking Tips For Your Next Presentation
  • Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are [TED Talk Lesson]

Talaera Talks - Transcript Episode 5

  • Topic : Deliver impactful presentations
  • Listen : Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts
  • Duration : 22 min.

Intro Welcome to Talaera Talks , the business English communication podcast for non-native professionals. My name is Paola and I am co-hosting this show with Simon. In this podcast, we're going to be covering communication advice and tips to help express yourself with confidence in English in professional settings. So we hope you enjoy the show!

Okay, welcome back for our third episode of Talaera Talks. This is Simon, and I'm joined with Paola. Paola, how are you doing? 0:37 Hi, Simon. I'm great. Happy to do another episode. 0:41 Yeah, absolutely. And Happy Friday. 0:44 Happy Friday! 0:49 So today, our topic: Presenting in English. I'd like to start this episode with a quote I found on Harvard Business Review that I thought was really interesting. It says, "Even native English speakers often anticipate disaster when making presentations. By but for non-native speakers, the anticipatory and situational anxiety associated with their unique challenges (these challenges - being understandable, choosing the right words, speaking spontaneously), can be overwhelming. Moreover, if these concerns interfere with your willingness or ability to make business presentations, the impact can be career-limiting." So yeah, that's a pretty kind of heavy quote to start. But it is something that we see from a lot of our clients, right? 1:52 Yeah, it's super interesting. It was super interesting to read. It's something we know, but it's important to remind it that it is presentations, the topic we have today is something that is not pleasurable for anyone, not for non-native speakers, but also for native speakers. So that's something to point out. And today, we talked about that... We said that we wanted to start with those challenges or fears that we see from our clients, our learners. 2:25 Yeah, and it's usually around the same things, you know, we, at least for me, I come into contact with so many of these, so many of our students who are so competent in their, in their daily lives, what they're doing in their professional lives. And they come to me with these with these fears, like this just general lack of confidence, or imposter syndrome, right? This I don't know if I really deserve to be speaking and, you know, kind of explaining this concept to all these people. 3:05 Mm-hmm. Yes. And also the fear of not being understood, well, they know what I'm saying, well, they understand my accent. There's a lot of worries and concern around accent and our pronunciation expert, Lisa hosted a webinar, actually last week, where she explained that accent matters. But as long as people understand you, it's fine. You don't need to be perfect. Everyone has an accent. So that's also totally fine. 3:37 And this being Yeah, this being one of I think, at least for me, in my experience, one of the most frequently asked for aspects from students. So you know, and just to like, again, just say that this is a challenge for everyone, not just, you know, non-native English speakers. You know, I think all of us have a tough experience or somebody that we think of when we think about public speaking, it's, it's like this, yeah, really anxiety-riddled thing. I mean, I don't have any, you know, funny personal stories, but uh, do you, Paola? 4:20 You want me to tell my embarrassing story, don't you? 4:22 Please, you must. 4:25 So I used to teach at a university in Vietnam when I lived there, and the classes where it rains, you know, from perhaps 50 students to up to what 300 there's was a class with, you know, 2-300 students and there was a little stage it wasn't too high, but there was a little stage and I fell off. 4:46 You fell off the stage. This was during or after the presentation, or...? 4:56 It was around the beginning of the presentation. So... 5:01 During! Oh, I thought it was it was like after like you were walking off? 5:06 No, I move a lot. I use my body language quite a lot. And that was one of the moments where I overdid it, probably, and fell off. 5:17 Wow. Well, I'm glad that you're still here with us. 5:21 Yeah, you know, but that's the story that I sometimes not always tell it. But I sometimes tell it when my students say, Oh, I'm nervous, and I assume that it can happen, you know, I thought it was going to be a disaster. And then I actually ended up making friends with the students that turned out okay. 5:39 Right. Well, yeah, I mean, today, we're not necessarily going to go into the physical dimensions of how to avoid falling off the stage. But we do have some, some good tips, right? 5:54 Yes. And to provide some advice on how to deliver presentations, and lose that fear, we've divided it into three main blocks. And those are what to do before the presentation, tips for during the presentation. And then even after there's things you can do to, to get better. 6:18 Right, let's start with the first, right, what can we do before the presentation in terms of getting ready, preparing? 6:30 So preparing, it's a very general term, but one of the tips that we like to give is, think of the WHAT, WHY and NEXT. So WHAT is your presentation about? WHY should they listen to you and not look it up online (or listen to a podcast, like ours)? And in what NEXT means - what is supposed to happen next? Do they need to do anything, go on a website, send you feedback? Are you going to send them the materials? So what why our next is so straightforward and simple. But when I asked this question to our clients that are so thrown off, and they don't know what to answer sometimes, 7:10 Yeah, I think that's one of those things. And I struggle with this all the time is, when I get an idea or something like that. It's so easy to just jump over those most basic things of, you know, what, why and index, those are so, so basic, but it's such it's, they're so foundational, right? And in terms of creating something that people will understand and be able to, to really attach to. 7:41 Yep. And do you have any tips around how much you should learn? Should you write the whole thing? Or should you memorize? 7:52 Yeah, that, you know, this is a good question as well, that a lot of our learners ask in terms of, yeah, you know, I'm just going to go and write it all out. And then I'll have an idea. And I'll feel better because I can write it and change it so that it sounds more professional. It sounds like I know what I'm talking about. And I always tell people, please don't try to prepare a presentation where you're reading a script, it is just the most unnatural thing ever. And, and it, you won't end up sounding more professional, if anything, your audience is going to detach, because they're going to sense that something's not really right here, it doesn't seem genuine, right doesn't seem real, it just seems like this person is doing what he's doing, which is reading off of a script. And even still a lot of times with a lot of our learners where they know that, okay, I know this material. But I'm going to put all of my effort into making this perfect slide this perfect presentation. So I would say, focus on actually knowing the material itself really well. More than focusing on how the presentation looks, you know, these kinds of things. Because once you're in that situation where you're on the stage, and people are looking at you, at least you'll be able to Windows like kind of red Sirens of you know, panic and anxiety show up. You'll have learned the material itself so well that you can roll with that. 9:29 Yes. And you also have room for improvisation because your brain is so used to the content and you know, so well what you want to say that that's when your brain starts to come up with anecdotes and that's the fun thing that gets you hooked. And that's the main Why should people listen to you instead of reading an article online? 9:49 Exactly. Because for most of our students, you know what you're talking about. That's why you're up there. That's why you have the opportunities to speak there is because someone thinks you're qualified enough to speak to all these people. So trust in that and go with that. So yeah, so we have right not, not over learning. Don't script it right? What else can we do? 10:14 Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice in your mind, but more importantly verbalize it, say it out loud. And recording yourself is uncomfortable for everyone. But it works. I have never tried it. I always told my students should record yourself, you should record yourself and they were like, Huh. And just a few of them did it. And when we started with the webinars, I haven't done something like it before. And I said, Okay, I'll use my own tip. And it was one I'm comfortable. And two, super helpful. So if you get to go over the sound of your own voice, I would say do it. 10:54 Yeah. You know, this is one thing that I have to be totally honest here. Doing these podcasts is the first time I've actually recorded myself for a long time. And I've learned a lot about, you know, not saying the word Absolutely. 500 times, yeah, within the span of 20 minutes. So those are good learning lessons. Definitely. Okay, and then so we have that. And then the last little tip is, I would say get an English mindset before 30 minutes to an hour before the presentation. And that could be listening to a podcast, you know, like Talaera Talks, or, you know, watching a show on Netflix that's, that's in English, whatever you can do to get your kind of English mind, you know, in the zone before you go up and actually speak English. So So those are all of our kind of pre presentation tips, what you can do before, so what about during, 11:58 so for during, there's a lot of things that you can you can do to improve your presentations. But the first tip is to learn how to start to have a mind map of what am I going to do at the beginning. So you start confident already. So welcome, everyone, introduce the people introduce the topic and go to the main point, those four parts will help you have a nice start. Welcome, everyone. For example. Hi, everyone. Welcome to today's presentation. Today, we'll be talking about business events, introduce the people, you can introduce yourself , like, Hi, my name is Paula and I'm a business English instructor at Telstra, and perhaps even the audience. Today we have with us students from all different nationalities and levels, or, you know, whatever the audiences, that's also helpful for everyone to understand, introduce the topic, or give you some best practices for business emails , and a few templates, and then go to the main point. So a simple sentence like Alright, let's get down to business. So having those welcome introducing people introducing the topic and going to the main point will help you have a nice start. 13:16 Yeah, and I like that concept of that the mind map is so good. Because it's it's not the scripting, like we were talking about before, it's having a kind of a little mental checklist. So that when those first few minutes, were you're up there on the on stage, and you're like, oh god, oh, god, here we go. Here we go. You have that little checklist that I created. Okay, so I welcomed introduced the people the topic, and now to the main point, and that can get you in the zone and going I really liked that. Yeah, so so having that, that starting template. And then another thing would be, I would say slowing down, slowing it down. And this is really I think it touches on a lot of aspects. The first would be just the general anxiety, we tend to speak a lot faster when we're really anxious, you know, but by slowing down, it really helps with non native English speakers because it helps with the accent. And it helps with giving you some time to really think through your next thoughts. Now, I'm not saying that you should, while you're speaking, try to think steps three, four or five ahead of you. But giving yourself a little bit of time to Okay, I'm going through this pattern now. Now I can go to the next one, right. And doing that, you know, another with the slowing down a tip if you're really nervous to go in is prefacing your speech. So before you really get into everything, maybe after the welcome part is just to say, Hey, you know, I'm going to try to speak as clearly as possible, as English as myself. first language and really smile and maybe make a little joke about that. And I think that's a good way to open it out for the audience to show some vulnerability and and help. I mean, what do you think about that? 15:13 Yeah, I mean, we see that with, sometimes with celebrities, when they're not native speakers, and they admitted, and they, they kind of put yourself put themselves, as you said, in that vulnerable position, and that makes them even cuter. 15:28 Mm hmm. 15:29 So it's making yourself human, I think it's always a good tip. And you were saying that slowing down helps with your accent and also for yourself to gain time to really know what you're going to say. But also for the for the audience. We don't mind people making some little pulses, so that they also have time to collect their thoughts. 15:50 Right, right. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Those are, those are two really good aspects, starting, you know, the template and then slowing down, right. Yeah, kind of diffusing the anxiety by saying, Hey, you know, this isn't my first language. And that really gets the audience on your side, right. And then another would be not reading off of your slides. I mean, this is kind of the basic, you know, what you learn in school, but it's also something that a lot of people get, yeah, get, get hooked on, just because it's like a safety net. And I would say that's where the overlearning the material that we talked about beforehand comes into play. Anything else in this? 16:42 Oh, recap for sure. After every section, do a little recap, and at the end to recap where you summarize the main points of the whole presentation? 16:54 Yeah, yeah. Good. Good. So So summarize. Yeah, yeah. And that's a that's a good, you know, I would say three aspects, four aspects that during the presentation, if you keep these in, in your mind, it's, it's, I would say, it's going to help a lot. And so now we're going to move to what can we do after the presentation? We've done it, we've walked off the stage. Whoo, I'm so glad that's over. Now, is all of our work done? No. 17:27 No, not really. That's now it's your chance to actually learn from, from everything you did. So one of the tips we suggest is try to ask for feedback. But that's not so easy, right, Simon? 17:42 Yeah, it's, I think, a big question. And that is, who do you get the feedback from? Right?

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17:50 So we, we would always suggest to try and find someone you can trust someone who is honest, and who can give you objective feedback. So in some cases, that can be your manager, but sometimes it's a colleague that understands the topic, and can really provide some feedback on how you did. 18:13 Yeah. And that's, I think, in terms of learning, this is one of the most crucial thing is reflecting back on what you did, and seeing what worked, what didn't work, and how can I take that and move forward? Because especially with presenting, it's a skill, and it takes practice, practice, practice. And, and I think, for a lot of people, you should jump at the chance to do this. So that you can continue to learn and continue to grow. But be sure to reflect by Yeah, by asking for feedback and seeing what worked, 18:47 for sure. And ideally, that would be someone, perhaps from work that can see how you did and like the actual show, if not Talaera teachers also do that. So you can present your own presentation, pretending it's the actual one. And that's how we can provide feedback on the structure, the vocabulary, the language in general. 19:08 Yeah, absolutely. I do that. Oh, there you go. Absolutely. Definitely. See, I'm reflecting back and learning as we go. I'm working. I'm learning that. Yeah. But I've done that recently with a couple of students where we've gone through their deck and looked at what are their plans in terms of presenting and we've kind of gone through in detail that together. So So yeah, so that was kind of I would say the biggest thing in terms of afterward. 19:40 So we have the pre-presentation, just as a quick recap for the pre-presentation and before your presentation, always remember the what why next, what is your presentation about? Why should people listen to you and what should happen next overnight Learn the content. be super confident about what you want to talk about. But don't script it. Don't write everything down. Otherwise, it would sound like you're just reading. 20:11 Write and practice through verbalization. record yourself, even though it may be awkward, but it's a great learning technique. And then get in that English mindset beforehand by Yeah, listening to a podcast or what have you. And then during the presentation, right, starting with the template, Paolo was discussing the welcome introducing the people the topic, and then going to the main point, 20:37 slowing down a little bit. It's not necessary to go super fast. It's not only not necessary, but people will understand you better if you take your time and make some pauses. Of course, don't read off their slides. Tell them the story. 20:54 Right, right. And remember 20:56 to recap, just like we're doing now. Send them or tell them a quick summary and the main points, 21:03 right, and don't fall off the stage as well. That's ideally we forgot. Ideally, it's final for then, as the final point, right, asking for feedback, finding that person that can get you that feedback that's so important to you. Finding what worked and moving forward. 21:21 That's right. All right. Do we have it for today? 21:25 I think that is it for today. Yeah. I had a lot of Thanks. Yeah, I had a blast. And thanks for meeting up. And we have a lot of good stuff coming up with Talaera. Right. 21:38 We have webinars, our blog is busier than ever. So go on the http://blog.talaera.com/ , check out the resources. And what else? 21:51 Find us on LinkedIn. And yeah, please ask any questions, we'd be glad to get back to you. So that is it for today. And thank you to all of our listeners. So far, we're excited to keep growing this. And as always, keep learning! 22:11 And that's all we have for you today. We hope you enjoyed it, and remember to  subscribe to Talaera Talks . We'll be back soon with more! And visit our website at  https://talaera.com  for more valuable content on business English. You can also  request a free consultation  on the best ways for you and your team to improve your communication skills. So have a great day and keep learning!

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Communication Gap

How to Hand Over A Presentation to the Next Person

Shahid shahmiri.

phrases to handover presentation to next person

Navigating the transition between speakers during a presentation is a pivotal moment that can significantly influence the flow and coherence of your message.

Understanding “ how to hand over a presentation to the next person ” is not just about the mechanics of passing control but also about ensuring a smooth and professional transition that maintains audience engagement and preserves the continuity of the presentation.

This guide offers strategic insights and practical tips to master the art of seamless presentation handovers.

Preparing for a Smooth Transition

Business team

1. Coordination and Rehearsal: Before the presentation, coordinate with the next speaker to discuss the transition point. Rehearsing this changeover can help both speakers feel more comfortable and ensure a smoother transition.

2. Clear Segmentation of Content: Ensure your research presentation is segmented between speakers. Each section should be self-contained to allow for a natural transition, yet cohesive enough to maintain the narrative flow.

3. Technical Setup and Familiarization: Familiarize yourselves with the technical setup, including how to switch slides and use the clicker. This avoids any awkward pauses or technical glitches during the handover.

Executing the Handover with Finesse

phrases to handover presentation to next person

1. Signposting the Transition: As you approach the end of your segment, signal the upcoming transition. A simple statement like, “Now, I’ll hand over to [Next Speaker’s Name], who will explore [Next Topic],” provides a clear cue to the audience and the next speaker.

2. Summarize and Connect: Briefly summarize your key points to reinforce your message and provide a smooth segue to the next section. Highlight how your segment sets the stage for what’s coming next, creating a logical link between the two parts.

3. Physical Handover: The physical act of handing over the presentation should be as smooth as the verbal transition. Whether it’s passing a clicker or moving aside to welcome the next speaker, ensure this action is rehearsed and executed gracefully.

Enhancing the Transition Experience

phrases to handover presentation to next person

1. Use Visual Cues: Incorporate a visual cue in the presentation slides to signify the transition, such as a “handover slide” with the next speaker’s name and topic. This visually prepares the audience for the change.

2. Maintain Engagement: During the handover, both speakers should engage with the audience. The departing speaker can introduce the next with a brief accolade, while the incoming speaker can express gratitude or a quick recap before diving into their segment.

3. Seamless Technological Transition: Ensure that any necessary technological switches, such as changing slide decks or adjusting microphones, are handled smoothly and quickly. Preparing these elements in advance minimizes disruption.

Read more on 15 Styles of Presentations: Where do you fit in 2024?

Conclusion: The Art of the Handover

Presentation handover is an art that enhances the professionalism and coherence of your presentation.

By preparing thoroughly, executing the transition with clarity and finesse, and employing strategies to maintain audience engagement, you can ensure that the handover is not just a mere passing of the baton but a valuable component of a cohesive and compelling presentation narrative.

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Useful English phrases for a presentation

phrases to handover presentation to next person

Presentations have the advantage that many standard phrases can be used at various points. Perhaps you wish to welcome the audience, introduce the speaker and the topic, outline the structure, offer a summary, or deal with questions. In all these situations, you can apply a number of useful expressions that will make your presentation a linguistic success.

At the beginning of each presentation, you should welcome your audience. Depending on who you are addressing, you should extend a more or less formal welcome.

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

On behalf of “Company X”, allow me to extend a warm welcome to you.

Hi, everyone. Welcome to “Name of the event”.

Introducing the speaker

The level of formality of your welcome address will also apply to how you introduce yourself. Customize it to match your audience.

Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is “John Miller” and I am delighted to be here today to talk to you about…

First, let me introduce myself. My name is “John Miller” and I am the “Position” of “Company X”.

I’m “John” from “Company Y” and today I’d like to talk to you about…

Introducing the topic

After the welcome address and the introduction of the speaker comes the presentation of the topic. Here are some useful introductory phrases.

Today I am here to talk to you about…

What I am going to talk about today is…

I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about…

I am delighted to be here today to tell you about…

I want to make you a short presentation about…

I’d like to give you a brief breakdown of…

Explanation of goals

It is always recommended to present the goals of your presentation at the beginning. This will help the audience to understand your objectives.

The purpose of this presentation is…

My objective today is…

After presenting the topic and your objectives, give your listeners an overview of the presentation’s structure. Your audience will then know what to expect in detail.

My talk/presentation is divided into “x” parts.

I’ll start with…/First, I will talk about…/I’ll begin with…

…then I will look at…

and finally…

Starting point

After all this preparation, you can finally get started with the main part of the presentation. The following phrases will help you with that.

Let me start with some general information on…

Let me begin by explaining why/how…

I’d like to give you some background information about…

Before I start, does anyone know…

As you are all aware…

I think everybody has heard about…, but hardly anyone knows a lot about it.

End of a section

If you have completed a chapter or section of your presentation, inform your audience, so that they do not lose their train of thought.

That’s all I have to say about…

We’ve looked at…

So much for…

Interim conclusion

Drawing interim conclusions is of utmost importance in a presentation, particularly at the end of a chapter or section. Without interim conclusions, your audience will quickly forget everything you may have said earlier.

Let’s summarize briefly what we have looked at.

Here is a quick recap of the main points of this section.

I’d like to recap the main points.

Well, that’s about it for this part. We’ve covered…

Use one of the following phrases to move on from one chapter to the next.

I’d now like to move on to the next part…

This leads me to my next point, which is…

Turning our attention now to…

Let’s now turn to…

Frequently, you have to give examples in a presentation. The following phrases are useful in that respect.

For example,…

A good example of this is…

As an illustration,…

To give you an example,…

To illustrate this point…

In a presentation, you may often need to provide more details regarding a certain issue. These expressions will help you to do so.

I’d like to expand on this aspect/problem/point.

Let me elaborate further on…

If you want to link to another point in your presentation, the following phrases may come in handy.

As I said at the beginning,…

This relates to what I was saying earlier…

Let me go back to what I said earlier about…

This ties in with…

Reference to the starting point

In longer presentations, you run the risk that after a while the audience may forget your original topic and objective. Therefore, it makes sense to refer to the starting point from time to time.

I hope that you are a little clearer on how we can…

To return to the original question, we can…

Just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I…

I hope that my presentation today will help with what I said at the beginning…

Reference to sources

In a presentation, you frequently have to refer to external sources, such as studies and surveys. Here are some useful phrases for marking these references.

Based on our findings,…

According to our study,…

Our data shows/indicates…

Graphs and images

Presentations are usually full of graphs and images. Use the following phrases to give your audience an understanding of your visuals.

Let me use a graphic to explain this.

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

Let the pictures speak for themselves.

I think the graph perfectly shows how/that…

If you look at this table/bar chart/flow chart/line chart/graph, you can see that…

To ensure that your presentation does not sound monotonous, from time to time you should emphasize certain points. Here are some suggestions.

It should be emphasized that…

I would like to draw your attention to this point…

Another significant point is that…

The significance of this is…

This is important because…

We have to remember that…

At times it might happen that you expressed yourself unclearly and your audience did not understand your point. In such a case, you should paraphrase your argument using simpler language.

In other words,…

To put it more simply,…

What I mean to say is…

So, what I’m saying is….

To put it in another way….

Questions during the presentation

Questions are an integral part of a presentation. These phrases allow you to respond to questions during a presentation.

Does anyone have any questions or comments?

I am happy to answer your questions now.

Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Please stop me if you have any questions.

Do you have any questions before I move on?

If there are no further questions at this point, I’d like to…

Questions at the end of a presentation

To ensure that a presentation is not disrupted by questions, it is advisable to answer questions at the very end. Inform your audience about this by using these phrases.

There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

I’ll gladly answer any of your questions at the end.

I’d be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation.

After answering a question from the audience, check that the addressee has understood your answer and is satisfied with it.

Does this answer your question?

Did I make myself clear?

I hope this explains the situation for you.

Unknown answer

Occasionally, it may happen that you do not have an answer to a question. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Simply use one of the following phrases to address the fact.

That’s an interesting question. I don’t actually know off the top of my head, but I’ll try to get back to you later with an answer.

I’m afraid I’m unable to answer that at the moment. Perhaps, I can get back to you later.

Good question. I really don’t know! What do you think?

That’s a very good question. However, I don’t have any figures on that, so I can’t give you an accurate answer.

Unfortunately, I’m not the best person to answer that.

Summary and conclusion

At the end of the presentation, you should summarize the important facts once again.

I’d like to conclude by…

In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.

Weighing the pros and cons, I come to the conclusion that…

That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for listening/your attention.

Thank you all for listening. It was a pleasure being here today.

Well, that’s it from me. Thanks very much.

That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thanks for your attention.

Handing over

If you are not the only speaker, you can hand over to somebody else by using one of these phrases.

Now I will pass you over to my colleague ‘Jerry’.

‘Jerry’, the floor is yours.

We hope that our article will help you in preparing and holding your next presentation. It goes without saying that our list is just a small extract from the huge world of expressions and phrases. As always, the Internet is an inexhaustible source of further information. Here are the links to two websites that we would recommend to you in this context.

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52 Phrases for Better Flowing English Presentations

/ Steven Hobson / Business English , English Presentations , Vocabulary

English Presentations - Impactful English

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.

phrases to handover presentation to next person

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.

Mini-course: fluency and confidence

 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.

phrases to handover presentation to next person

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.

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Business School Presentations

Business School Presentations

especially powerful transition

How to Transition Between Speakers

Personal competitive advantage

One of the least-practiced aspects of the group presentation is how you pass the baton – the transition between speakers .

Yet these baton-passing linkages within  your presentation  are incredibly important.

They connect the conclusion of one segment and the introduction of the next.

Shouldn’t this connecting link be as strong as possible, so that your audience receives the intended message?  So the message isn’t lost in a flurry of scurrying presenters moving about the stage in unpracticed, chaotic fashion?

You forfeit tremendous personal competitive advantage if you ignore this seemingly small aspect of your presentation.

Don’t Lose Your Message!

It sounds absurd, but group members often develop their individual presentation segments on their own.  Then, the group tries to knit them together on the day of the group show.

A formula for disaster.

The result is a bumbling game of musical chairs and hot-baton-passing.

Imagine a sports team that prepared for its games this way , with each player practicing his role individually and the players coming together as a team only on the day of the game and expecting the team to work together seamlessly.

Sports teams don’t practice this way.  Serious people don’t practice this way.

Don’t  you  practice this way.

Don’t yield to the tendency on the part of a team of three or four people to treat the presentation as a game of musical chairs.

How to Transition Between Speakers?

This happens when each member presents a small chunk of material, and the presenters take turns presenting.

Lots of turns.

This ungainly dance disconcerts your audience and can upend your show.

Minimize the passing of the baton and transitions, particularly when each person has only three or four minutes to present.

How to Transition between Speakers!

I have also noticed a tendency to rush the transition between speakers.

Often, a presenter will do fine until the transition to the next topic.  At that point, before finishing, the speaker turns while continuing to talk, and the last sentence or two of the presentation segment is lost.

The speaker walks away while still citing a point.  Perhaps an incredibly important point.

Don’t rush from the stage.

Stay planted in one spot until you finish.

Savor your conclusion, the last sentence of your portion.  It should reiterate your Most Important Point .

Introduce your next segment.   Then  transition.   Then  pass the baton with authority.

Harmonize your Messages

Your message itself must mesh well with the other segments of your show.

Each presenter must  harmonize   the message with the others of a business presentation.  These individual parts should make sense as a whole, just as parts of a story all contribute to the overall message.

“On the same page” . . .  “Speaking with one voice” . . .

These are the metaphors that urge us to message harmony.  This means that one member does not contradict the other when answering questions.

It means telling the same story and contributing crucial parts of that story so that it makes sense.  So that each of you acquires, incrementally, personal competitive advantage as you progress through your show.

This is  not  the forum to demonstrate that team members are independent thinkers or that diversity of opinion is a good thing.

Moreover, everyone should be prepared to deliver a serviceable version of the entire presentation, not just their own part.  This is against the chance that one or more of the team can’t present at the appointed time.

Cross-train  in at least one other portion of the presentation.

Remember:   Harmonize  your messages . . .  Speak  with one voice . . .  Pass  the baton smoothly.  Transition between speakers with authority and confidence for an especially powerful business presentation.

You can find more discussion on how to transition between speakers in  The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting , your key to personal competitive advantage in business school and beyond.

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Passing the baton: planning effective handoffs between presenters.

passing-baton

It seems like it should be an easy thing, but in our experience the most-often bungled part of a presentation is the handoff from one presenter to the next. There have been countless scenarios where we’ve seen a speaker finish their talk and just walk offstage, leaving awkward dead air while everyone tries to figure out what to do next. Or, they’ll finish the presentation and look helplessly at the emcee for direction.

Avoid these scenarios by planning how you want to handle your transitions ahead of time. There are a lot of different ways to do this. No one option is better than another - the right answer just depends on how you want to run your event.

Option 1: The Emcee

Having a single person provide the on-stage presence is usually the easiest option for your presenters. This person is responsible for opening sessions after breaks, introducing each presenter, and dismissing to breaks. They can come onstage to thank each speaker and moderate Q&A sessions. This provides your presenters with the support of having someone there to manage those transitions, and not expecting them to handle it on their own.

Option 2: Presenter to Presenter

One presenter introduces the next. This is fast and efficient, provided that it is planned and rehearsed in advance. If you have a sequence of short, rapid-fire presentations, having the emcee bounce up and down from the stage can get repetitive. Allowing the presenter to conclude their presentation and briefly introduce the next speaker keeps the line moving without having another transition on and off stage.

This seems to work best when presenters know each other. Different members of a sales team for instance will have a personal relationship that makes introductions easier. It can be awkward to introduce someone you’ve never met - especially when you don’t have any “ownership” of the event. This can be smoothed over with rehearsals where the presenters meet each other and practice the transition. We can also put notes on the confidence monitor or speaker timer to provide reminder cues.

Option 3: Voice of God

The infamous VOG: the disembodied voice that comes over the PA to announce presenters, usually with a music cue playing in the background along with it. VO’s are dead-simple, and remove all of the guesswork for your presenters. It may not be the correct approach for every show, but it helps keep things moving when options 1 and 2 aren’t applicable..

VIP Audio Visual can run VOG’s on any event with a dedicated audio technician. If you can provide a script of the introductions we can pre-record them before your event - otherwise we’ll record onsite given enough time. In an emergency we can do them live, but pre-recording removes a lot of potential for mistakes.

Mix and Match

There’s no rule that says you have to pick one option and stick with it for your entire event. Perhaps presenter to presenter handoffs make sense while introducing your sales playbook, but your VP should act as an emcee for the keynote presentations. Use VOG’s to bring the audience back from break and to get your emcee or first presenter onstage, and then switch to another option. If you’re doing Q&A it does help to have a “boss” onstage who makes the decision to end questions and move on to the next item on the agenda.

These aren’t the only options for handoffs, but they’re the three we see most commonly, The most important thing is to make sure that your event is planned ahead. As long as everyone knows what will happen at the beginning and end of the presentation, your events can run smoothly and professionally.

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3 Keys to Transition Speakers in Group Presentations

What's the best way to make an effective transition between speakers during a group presentation, especially if you don’t want the transition to be as clunky and awkward as most of them are in practice?  A group of young executives at a Brainzooming strategic thinking workshop asked this question about passing the presenter role within group presentations.

I applauded them for thinking about making transitions more seamless. It’s a smart approach. It does require planning, practice, and being attentive and ready when you’re live. All three are worth the effort for their positive impact on the audience experience.

Planning, Practice, and Attentiveness for Group Presentations

Here’s my advice in each area.

Group-Transition

1. Pick a strategy in advance

There are varied strategies you can choose. Here are three I suggested to the workshop participants:

At the conclusion of one section, the first presenter shares a quick overview of what the next presenter will cover, along with casually mentioning the next presenter’s first name within the comments. There’s no big introduction offered. The second presenter begins with staying “thank you, FIRST NAME,” and then moves immediately into content to maximize the presentation’s ongoing impact.

The first presenter ends that section with a pertinent big question (ideally that audience members may be asking themselves) and stops cold. The second presenter immediately answers the question and goes forward with the presentation without hesitation. The result? It's like two minds seamlessly thinking and speaking as one. This is my favorite approach.

If you do need to introduce the next presenter, as the first speaker makes final comments, they preview what’s coming next and says “FIRST NAME, TITLE, will next share __________. Fill in the blank with only a few words (and no spoiler alerts) about what the next presenter will address. The next presenter says, “Thank you,” and then immediately goes into the presentation content without explaining once again who they are and what they are going to say.

From these or other strategies, select an approach that best fits your actual presentation setting and/or provides the flexibility to adapt on the fly.

Importantly, introduce all the speakers before the presentation begins so that introductions do not detract from the attention and time you have available to cover actual presentation content.

2. Practice the Transitions

It’s vital to practice all the transitions that you plan to make just as each presenter rehearses the content they’ll deliver. To achieve seamlessness in the moment generally requires that you’ve worked through all the awkwardness ahead of time.

As you practice, here’s one suggestion for the physical movement between presenters that you could rehearse. If the presenters aren't sitting together (say, in seats around a big conference table), it’s can be very effective as the first presenter wraps up to move to where the second presenter is seated. The second presenter stands up and takes the floor while the first presenter sits down in that seat. This won't work in every environment, but it's a visual cue for a seamless transition.

3. Be Attentive and Ready Throughout

During the actual presentation, it’s vital for all of the speakers to realize that they are “on stage” whether they are presenting or not at that moment. It’s not acceptable to look bored, skeptical, or frustrated while your co-presenter is speaking. Simply adopting this stance will help each presenter pay more attention and be ready to transition.

You can also apply subtle visual cues to get everyone ready. Consider changing something subtle on a presenter’s last slide (a different color icon or even a different or missing icon) to signal to the team that a transition is about to happen.

The Big Takeaway

If nothing else, set one group presentation goal around not making and repeating clunky introductions throughout. Introduce everyone before you start and focus on your amazing delivery and content from that point on. -  Mike Brown

If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the free Brainzooming email updates.

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How we see it

Team presentation tips to help you all succeed.

Speaker 1 – “That’s me at the end of my talk, so I will now hand over to my colleague John.” Speaker 2 – “Erm…thanks…but … Read More

Tips for team presentations

Speaker 1 – “That’s me at the end of my talk, so I will now hand over to my colleague John.”

Speaker 2 – “erm…thanks…but my name is brian”.

A team presentation is not easy. I witnessed this exact exchange (apart from changing the names) between two colleagues recently. While this was a particularly bad example of teamwork, for me it encapsulated the spirit of far too many so-called ‘team presentations’ I have seen over the years.

Team presentations have the potential to be extremely positive experiences, in terms of the preparation, the delivery and the impact on the audience. Two voices are more engaging than one, two heads are better than one and a tangible chemistry can develop between the speakers. In essence it is like that old saying about the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

In practice, though, I have seen many more negative team presentations than positive ones. How can we avoid the risks and what practical steps can be taken to make both speakers look good?

Let us start with the most dangerous part of a team presentation.

Team Presentation Tip 1 – The Handover

The riskiest part in my view is the handover from one speaker to another. It can happen once or it may happen multiple times in a talk. It is often done badly. While the first speaker may usually get the name right they often literally have no idea what their colleague is going to say. Or the second speaker is not quite ready to start or is not even paying attention.

The handover is also the riskiest part of the 4 x 100 metre relay in athletics where a dropped baton can mean the fastest team on paper fails to win and can end up finishing in last place. Track teams will spend rehearsal time focussing only on handovers. In mechanical terms, the first runner starts to decelerate slightly at a certain point, while the second runner starts to accelerate and wants to be at a high speed by the time they take the baton.

This analogy from athletics is useful for presentations too. I have a two-part suggestion that I want to share about handovers.

Firstly, if you are the speaker handing over the baton then know what your partner is going to cover and how they intend to start. Say something brief about them, their topic and their opening point.

Secondly, if you are the speaker taking the baton then be fully alert and ready. Know exactly when and how your partner is going to finish. Take the baton confidently, thank them and go off on the front foot.

Devote some time to work together with your colleague specifically on all the separate handovers – I can guarantee it will pay off.

Team Presentation Tip 2 – The Mentality

Go into all aspects of the presentation (from the initial preparation to the final delivery) with the mindset of being judged only as a team. Too many speakers worry exclusively about their own ‘score’ and pay little attention to the team output. In the athletics relay if two runners run great legs but two runners run poor legs then the team will get a poor result. Nobody will remember or care about the two great legs.

Treat a team presentation in exactly the same way as the athletics relay. Do the first planning session together, understand both halves of the talk, share slides with each other well in advance and rehearse together.

Team Presentation Tip 3 – The Body Language (when not speaking)

Many speakers have a reasonable idea of the importance of body language (at least in theory, if not in practice) when they are presenting. Fewer speakers, though, understand body language when their partner is speaking. Most of the audience will be focussed on the person speaking but at certain points they will be looking at the partner not speaking. What do you normally do when you are not speaking?

Do you focus your attention on your partner and look interested?

Do you look bored or distracted?

Are you checking your phone for text messages?

Are you signing your Christmas cards or playing solitaire on your tablet?

The two examples in the previous sentence are real examples from the world of politics!

Think very carefully about how you come across when you are silent – they will notice pretty much everything about your body language and facial expression.

Presenting with a colleague is a regular part of business life. This provides an opportunity to create a rewarding experience from beginning to end if it is done right. Approach it from day one with a team mentality, really work on your handovers and be aware of your body language. Do all this and you give you and your partner a good shot at success.

Oh, and get their name right!

Gavin Brown Director Speak With Impact

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Guide for Giving a Group Presentation

February 21, 2018 - Dom Barnard

In certain academic and business situations, it is more valuable to deliver a group presentation than a solo one. Many people prefer group presentations because there is less pressure on the individual. However there are also unique challenges, such as having to ensure multiple individuals collaborate in order to produce a cohesive piece of work.

Preparing for the group presentation

As with any presentation, there is a significant amount of work during the preparation stage. The group must be well organised because there are multiple individuals, and therefore multiple personalities involved.

Presentation moderator

To assist with organisation, the group should first decide on a presentation moderator – this is essentially the “leader”. The presentation moderator can have the final say when decision-making is needed and, during the Q&A portion of the presentation, can decide which speakers will answer certain questions.

Understanding the audience

To make your presentation engaging you need to  think about the audience  so you can tailor it towards their needs. How much will the audience already know about this topic? What will they want to get from this presentation?

For example, if you are presenting the topic of building a bridge to a group of civil engineers, you can confidently use technical language. However, if you are presenting to secondary school students, you would need to use simpler language and not explain the methods in as much detail.

The presentation’s purpose

As a group, ensure you agree on the purpose of the presentation so that you all understand the message that needs to be conveyed e.g. “We want to find out which treatment works best for social anxiety.” Deciding on your message means that the group can start building key points around this – just keep in mind that each subtopic must contribute to the presentation’s aim.

Divide the presentation

The presentation needs to be  divided into main areas  so there is a clear beginning, middle and end. This is where can you decide on the order of the subtopics. Presentations usually follow this structure:

1. Introduction:

  • It is useful to agree on the first minute of the presentation as a team. This is because the audience should be interested from the start and convinced to listen.
  • The presentation’s aims are also discussed and an overview of the presentation’s structure is provided. For example, “We set out to explore the effectiveness of different treatments for social anxiety. We will first cover the symptoms and prevalence of social anxiety, before explaining the different treatments. This will then lead into a discussion about the pros and cons of each treatment route. Finally, we will explain which treatment route we decided was the most effective for this disorder.”

2. One or two middle sections:

  • These sections consist of providing the information that addresses your presentation’s aim.
  • There can be more of these sections depending on your topic.

3. Conclusion:

  • After summarising all of the key points, there must be a clear conclusion. It is beneficial to appoint the conclusion to the best speaker as this is where all the information is pooled together.

After segmenting the presentation, a time sequence can be created so the group understands the order in which tasks must be completed. It is important to set deadlines for this.

Share responsibility

A frequent problem when working within a group is unequal participation as this can subsequently cause disharmony.

But this is easily avoidable by assigning each speaker a section of the presentation to work on depending on their interests. This means that each speaker should be doing the research for their section and putting together a speech and slides (if being used).

  • It is important to specify exactly what each group member should be doing with their time.
  • Make sure the length of time per speaker is agreed on.
  • Do not change speakers more than necessary because this can reduce the coherency of the presentation.

Build the presentation together

For an audience to follow and enjoy a presentation, it must flow together. Meeting up and building the presentation helps with this because:

  • This prevents the duplication of content.
  • You can put the slides together, although only one individual should be responsible for merging the slides so there is consistency within the presentation.
  • It is useful to receive feedback on the speeches before presenting to an audience.
  • The team can agree on any edits.
  • The team can agree on the conclusion.
  • You can make sure that each speaker will talk for the same amount of time and cover a similar amount of information.
  • The team can come up with the first minute of the presentation together.

Business people giving a group presentation

Use stories to engage the audience

A good presentation opening could  start with a story  to highlight why your topic is significant. For example, if the topic is on the benefits of pets on physical and psychological health, you could present a story or a study about an individual whose quality of life significantly improved after being given a dog.

The audience is more likely to remember this story than a list of facts and statistics so try and incorporate relevant stories into presentations.

Know what each speaker will say

Each speaker must know what the other group members will say as this prevents repetition and it may be useful to refer to a previous speaker to assist in explaining your own section.

Also, if a team member is unable to attend on the day it will be easier to find cover within the group.

Write and practice transitions

Clean transitioning between speakers can also assist in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this is:

  • Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what social anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
  • Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Sarah will talk about the prevalence of social anxiety.”
  • Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Sarah”.
  • The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Nick.”

From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

Practice the presentation

Rehearse with the group multiple times to make sure:

  • The structure works
  • Everyone is sticking to their timing.
  • To see if any edits are needed.

The more you  rehearse a presentation  the more you will feel comfortable presenting the material and answering questions as your familiarity with the content increases.

Handling nerves before the presentation

It is  natural to feel nervous  when presenting in front of others, regardless of the size of the audience. Here are some tips:

  • Remind yourself that the audience is there to listen to you and wants you to do well; there is no need to be afraid of them.
  • Remember that the audience members will have to present their projects later and are almost certainly feeling just as nervous.
  • Practicing with your group and practicing your section at home will make you more comfortable and familiar with the material and increase your confidence.
  • Practice pauses  – when people feel nervous they tend to find silences uncomfortable and try to fill gaps, such as using “um” multiple times (filler words). Practicing pauses will help the silences feel less unnatural when you present therefore reducing the need for filler words.
  • When we are nervous we often begin breathing quickly and this in turn can increase our anxiety. Controlled breathing is a common technique that helps slow down your breathing to normal thus reducing your anxiety.

Exercises to control your breathing:

  • Sit down in an upright position as it easier for your lungs to fill with air
  • Breathe in through your nose and into your abdomen for four seconds
  • Hold this breathe for two seconds
  • Breathe out through your nose for six seconds
  • Wait a few seconds before inhaling and repeating the cycle

During the group presentation

Introducing the team.

The presentation should begin with the presentation moderator introducing the team. This is smoother than each individual presenting themselves.

Pay attention to the presentation

You may feel nervous as you wait for your turn to speak but try to listen to the presentation. The audience is able to see the whole team so it is important that you look interested in what is being said and react to it, even if you have heard it multiple times.

Body language and eye contact

Body language is a useful tool to engage the audience:

  • If it is your turn to speak then stand slightly in the foreground of the rest of your group.
  • Smile at the audience as this will make you look more confident.
  • Make eye contact  as this helps you engage with the audience.
  • Keep your arms uncrossed so your body language is more open.
  • Do not look down and read from your notes- glancing down occasionally is fine but keep in mind that you are talking to the audience.
  • This is the same for  presenting visual aids ; you may need to glance at the computer slide but make sure you predominantly face the audience as you are still speaking to them.
  • Keep your hands at your sides but use them occasionally to gesture.

Vocal variety

How you say something is just as is important as the content of your speech –  arguably, more so . For example, if an individual presented on a topic very enthusiastically the audience would probably enjoy this compared to someone who covered more points but mumbled into their notes.

Here are some pointers:

  • Adapt your voice depending on what are you saying- if you want to highlight something then raise your voice or lower your voice for intensity.
  • Avoid speaking in monotone.
  • Sound enthusiastic – the more you sound like you care about the topic, the more the audience will listen.
  • Speak loudly and clearly.
  • If you notice that you are speaking quickly, pause and slow down.
  • Warm up your voice  before a speech

Breath deeply for vocal variety

Take short pauses and breath deeply. This will ensure you have more vocal variety.

Handling nerves during the presentation

  • If you find that you are too uncomfortable to give audience members direct eye contact, a helpful technique is to look directly over the heads of the audience as this gives the impression of eye contact.
  • Try not to engage in nervous behaviours e.g. shifting your weight or fidgeting.
  • Remember that it’s unlikely that the audience knows that you are feeling nervous – you do not look as anxious as you feel.
  • Notice whether you are speaking too quickly as this tends to happen when nervousness increases. If you are, pause and then slow down.

Strong conclusion

Since the conclusion is the last section of your presentation the audience is more likely to remember it. Summarise the key points and lead into a clear concluding statement. For example, if your presentation was on the impact of social media on self-esteem you could list all the main points covered in the presentation and conclude “Therefore, from the amount of evidence and also from the quality of evidence, we have decided that social media is negatively/positively impacting self-esteem.”

Questions and answer session

The questions and answers session after the main presentation can be a source of anxiety as it is often difficult to predict what questions will be asked. But working within a group setting means that individually you do not have to know everything about the topic.

When an  audience member asks a question , the presentation moderator can refer a speaker who has the relevant knowledge to provide an answer. This avoids any hesitant pauses.

If you are answering group presentation questions:

  • Pause before answering- take the time to gather your thoughts and think about your answer
  • Make sure you answer the question- sometimes you may start providing more information than necessary. Keeping answers as concise as possible will help with this.
  • Ask the questioner for clarification if you do not understand- it’s better to ask rather than answering in a way that does not address the question.
  • You’re not expected to know everything- challenging questions will emerge and if you do not know the answer you can respond with: “That’s a really good question, I’m not certain so let me look into that.”

Ending the presentation

A good ending usually consists of the presentation moderator thanking the audience. If there is another group afterwards they should transition to the next group.

More From Forbes

Quotes for inspiration ahead of your next presentation.

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George Washington before the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, 1787.

Since the dawn of humankind, speaking in front of a large audience has been, and remains, a daunting task. So daunting, in fact, that many of us are paralyzed with fear when required to make a speech or presentation. Therefore, for anyone seeking inspiration before preparing their next oral presentation, here are a few useful quotes on the art of public speaking – from writing a speech, to rehearsing it, to ultimately delivering it on stage.

Transposing a flurry of ideas in your head into short, clear sentences on a page is arguably the hardest and most time-consuming part of preparation. “That which is well conceived becomes clearly enunciated, and the words to say it come effortlessly.” French poet Nicolas Boileau, writing in 1674, provides a useful reminder that before clear writing and clear speaking comes clear thinking. No idea can be convincingly delivered if it hasn’t first been revamped into simpler, more direct language. Complex ideas, structures and expressions rarely sway audiences, who tune-out what they don’t immediately grasp.

As humbling as it may be to admit, audiences rarely give speakers the kind of undivided attention and active listening that speakers expect. Therefore, time management is key. Remember to KISS ( K eep I t S hort & S imple) since audience attention fades quickly. Thomas Jefferson writing to a friend in 1773, said, “ The most valuable of all talents is never using two words when one will do. ” The impact and memorability of a presentation is a function of how much meaning is packed into the shortest amount of speaking time. Think of it like an equation: Impact = amount of meaning divided by number of words.

Or, to put it back into plain English: cutting unnecessary words will boost the impact of your speech. For example:

  • Use a stronger verb to replace a vague verb + adverb (‘run,’ versus ‘go quickly,’ uses 1 word instead of 2.)
  • Use the active voice in place of the passive voice (‘Phillip sang a song,’ versus, ‘A song was sung by Phillip,’ uses 4 words instead of 6.)
  • Use plain language, words understood by the widest audience (to ‘send’ versus to ‘dispatch’ )

On Rehearsal

“ A study said speaking in front of a crowd is considered the number one fear of the average person…Number two is death. ” Comedian Jerry Seinfeld created a memorable bit out of this relatable fear.

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Ukraine packed a cessna style plane with explosives added remote controls and kamikaze d it into a russian drone factory 600 miles away, new billionaires 2024 taylor swift magic johnson and 263 others join the ranks this year.

You can overcome stage fright through rehearsal. Americans are fond of saying “fake it ‘till you make it,” and perhaps there is a nugget of truth to this expression when it comes to public speaking. In 1879, Mark Twain put it this way, “I never could make a good impromptu speech without several hours to prepare it.” A good speech should appear effortless, almost spontaneous, as if spoken confidently from a place of genuine personal belief, rather than recited from a prepared script. But, just like changing a golf swing, making a speech appear natural and effortless takes many repetitions.

Practice does make perfect and, more importantly, builds self-confidence. Tennis legend Arthur Ashe reminds us, “The key to success is self-confidence. The key to self-confidence is preparation.” Therefore, always make time for many rehearsals.

On Delivery

Whether you rehearse in front of a mirror, or your team, or in an auditorium, your performance will benefit from these run-throughs. You can use these opportunities to experiment with vocal variety, body language, and pauses for emphasis. Additionally, you will likely make edits to your text as you identify wordy, hard-to-deliver sentences that could be cut to make the speech crisper.

Beyond the technical aspects of flawless delivery, it is even more important to connect emotionally with your audience. A perfectly delivered speech that makes no audience connection is less memorable that an imperfectly delivered speech that engages the audience. In the words of American author Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said […] but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

When you don’t connect with the audience, your words, however well-conceived and rehearsed, will fall flat. However, the notion of audience connection is often misunderstood: creating connection with an audience does not require you to be emotional. Being relatable to an audience is enough, and this can be achieved through a well-placed anecdote, by appearing comfortable on stage, or by sharing your enthusiasm for your presentation.

In conclusion, since you will likely give more than one presentation during your career, keep in mind Winston Churchill’s definition of success. “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

As we’ve seen from some of history’s most quotable, whether the year be 1674 or 2024, successful presentations follow a time-tested playbook, from preparation through to delivery.

Adrian Dearnell

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  1. What Should I Give The Next Person?😳

  2. Understanding the "Key Handover" in English

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COMMENTS

  1. How to Introduce the Next Speaker in a Presentation

    This lets the audience know exactly who is up next. Start by saying "here now is…" or "up next is…". Then, just say the person's whole name. This part's pretty straight forward! [3] For example, say: "Up next is Robert Sandoval…". Or, say: "Here now is John Mando…". 4.

  2. 101 Must-Know Transition Phrases for Engaging Presentations ...

    General vocabulary for presentations. Sometimes, the smallest changes in your presentations can make the biggest differences. One of them is to learn a few phrases that give you confidence during your speech. Here are some important verbs to get you started: To outline. To clarify. To highlight. To emphasize.

  3. 15 Business English Phrases for Presentations

    Inform your audience about this by using these phrases. a) There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation. b) I'll gladly answer any of your questions once we complete the ...

  4. How to Introduce the Next Speaker in a Presentation

    Practice total you want to say up introduce the next speaker at who end of the section of the presentation the make certain i have the timing and content down pat. X Trustful Source Harvard Business Review On-line and print journal covering topics affiliated to business management practices Go to source

  5. How to Hand Over A Presentation to the Next Person

    1. Use Visual Cues: Incorporate a visual cue in the presentation slides to signify the transition, such as a "handover slide" with the next speaker's name and topic. This visually prepares the audience for the change. 2. Maintain Engagement: During the handover, both speakers should engage with the audience. The departing speaker can ...

  6. Useful English phrases for a presentation

    Here are some useful introductory phrases. Today I am here to talk to you about…. What I am going to talk about today is…. I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about…. I am delighted to be here today to tell you about…. I want to make you a short presentation about…. I'd like to give you a brief breakdown of….

  7. 52 Phrases for Better Flowing English Presentations

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

  8. How to introduce the next speaker in a group presentation

    If you have been in a group presentation, then you probably wondered how to introduce the next speaker. In this video, you'll learn a simple, 3 step process ...

  9. 101 Must-Know Transition Phrases for Engaging Presentations Online

    Giving presentations is often feared by many professional, but if the presentation is online additionally you're none a native speaker, things get even trickier. One tip to make things better? Learn useful phrases to support you navigate choose presentation. In this article, you will find lots of helpful resources to invite remarkable ...

  10. Updated for 2024

    We also offer bespoke business solutions for staff training and assessment. You can learn English with our expert trainers in our London centre at 15 Holland Park Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, or you can choose to study English online in groups or in individual classes. Contact us online or via phone +44 (0) 207 605 4142.

  11. How to Transition Between Speakers

    Cross-train in at least one other portion of the presentation. Remember: Harmonize your messages . . . Speak with one voice . . . Pass the baton smoothly. Transition between speakers with authority and confidence for an especially powerful business presentation. You can find more discussion on how to transition between speakers in The Complete ...

  12. phrases

    2. There are several phrases that might be suitable: Now I'll hand it over to my colleague. My colleague will take it from here. Now I'll hand the microphone over to my colleague. Metaphors can be fun: I'll now yield the floor to my colleague. I'll yield the rest of our time to my colleague. These expressions come from parliamentary procedure.

  13. Group Presentations

    When you are doing a team presentation how do you handover or transition to the next speaker once you've covered your part. I think there are three elements ...

  14. Passing the Baton: Planning Effective Handoffs Between Presenters

    This person is responsible for opening sessions after breaks, introducing each presenter, and dismissing to breaks. They can come onstage to thank each speaker and moderate Q&A sessions. ... Allowing the presenter to conclude their presentation and briefly introduce the next speaker keeps the line moving without having another transition on and ...

  15. 10 Ways to Introduce the Next Speaker in a Presentation

    This gets the viewing to shift their focus at aforementioned next topic. Asks an audience 1 or more thought-provoking questions related to what aforementioned upcoming presenter is going to talk about. Or, kader the next section of the presentation with an "what if" scenario until get aforementioned spectators members thinking.

  16. Handing Over to Others

    Phrases like "as we move on", "on the next slide" etc. will help the person in control to follow your lead. Don't expect the transitions to happen immediately though.

  17. Speech transitions: words and phrases to connect your ideas

    Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: "Gayle". The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: "Thank you Simon." From these examples, you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged. Anecdotes

  18. 3 Keys to Transition Speakers in Group Presentations

    Planning, Practice, and Attentiveness for Group Presentations. Here's my advice in each area. 1. Pick a strategy in advance. There are varied strategies you can choose. Here are three I suggested to the workshop participants: Mini-intro. At the conclusion of one section, the first presenter shares a quick overview of what the next presenter ...

  19. Team Presentations

    If you do team presentations, here's a 50-second look at how to intro the next speaker! If you do team presentations, here's a 50-second look at how to intro the next speaker!

  20. Team presentation tips to help you ALL succeed

    Let us start with the most dangerous part of a team presentation. Team Presentation Tip 1 - The Handover. The riskiest part in my view is the handover from one speaker to another. It can happen once or it may happen multiple times in a talk. It is often done badly.

  21. Business English: Seven useful expressions to get a meeting started

    To hand over to. Definition: To introduce another speaker. Example: "I'd like to hand over to Dave to explain our plans for the next quarter." On the agenda. Definition: Something on the plan to be discussed. Example: "Today, the first item on the agenda is to decide on a new supplier." To get down to business

  22. Useful English phrases for a presentation

    It even leads to buck fever. To make matters worse, if the presentation has to be given in English, it often entails double the endeavor used native German speakers. We want to make your next presentation a bit find effortless by introducing the most useful phrases and expressions for an English-language benefits. Start quieten and slow.

  23. Guide for Giving a Group Presentation

    Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: "Sarah". The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: "Thank you Nick." From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

  24. Quotes For Inspiration Ahead Of Your Next Presentation

    Thomas Jefferson writing to a friend in 1773, said, "The most valuable of all talents is never using two words when one will do.". The impact and memorability of a presentation is a function ...