BUSINESS and

PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

The Language of Presentations

BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+ PARTICIPANT
PRESENTATION

Friday morning
10-12 minutes maximum + some time for Q & A
A subject entirely of your choice
With PPT or not
The option of being filmed!
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

First Impressions

• First 20 seconds are vital.

• Know your start. A good start will give you
confidence.
• Do NOT fidget or have annoying mannerisms.
• Do NOT read your slides!
• Talk to your audience.
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+ Simplicity and Clarity

• KISS – Keep It Short and Simple.

• Use short words and short sentences.
• Use words you can pronounce.
• Do not use jargon, unless you are certain that
your audience understands it.
• In general, talk about concrete facts rather
than abstract ideas.
• Use active instead of passive verbs.
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

During the Presentation


Be aware of your body language.

Understand cultural differences.

Maintain interest by varying the speed,
volume and pitch of your voice.

Humour does NOT travel.

Deal with listeners' questions politely.

Enjoy the experience – it shows!
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+ Structure and Signposting

• Presentations are a “One-way Conversation”

• You need to tell your audience where you are
and where you are going.
• You must give your audience an outline of
your Presentation.
• This is called Signposting.
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Presentation Structure
• You must outline the structure of your
Presentation:
"I'll start by describing the current position in
Europe. Then I'll move on to some of the
achievements we've made in Asia. After that
I'll consider the opportunities we see for
further expansion in Africa. Lastly, I'll quickly
recap before concluding with some
recommendations.“
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Visualisation of Presentation
• Introduction
– Welcome
– Explanation of structure (now)
• Body
– Europe
– Asia
– Africa
• Conclusion
– Summing up
– Recommendations
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Introducing the Subject

• I'd like to start by...

• Let's begin by...
• First of all, I'll...
• Starting with...
• I'll begin by...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Finishing one subject...

• Well, I've told you about...

• That's all I have to say about...
• We've looked at...
• So much for...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

...and starting another

• Now we'll move on to...

• Let me turn now to...
• Next...
• Turning to...
• I'd like now to discuss...
• Let's look now at...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+ Analysing a point and giving
recommendations

• Where does that lead us?

• Let's consider this in more detail...
• What does this mean for ABC?
• Translated into real terms...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Giving an example

• For example,...
• A good example of this is...
• As an illustration,...
• To give you an example,...
• To illustrate this point...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Dealing with questions

• We'll examine this point in more detail later...
• I'd like to deal with this question later, if I may...
• I'll come back to this question later in my talk...
• Perhaps you'd like to raise this point at the end...
• I won't comment on this now...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Summarising and concluding

• In conclusion,...
• Right, let's sum up, shall we?
• I'd like now to recap...
• Let's summarise briefly what we've looked at...
• Finally, let me remind you of some of the
issues we've covered...
• If I can just sum up the main points...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Ordering

• Firstly...secondly...thirdly...lastly...
• First of all...then...next...after that...finally...
• To start with...later...to finish up...
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Ending
• Finish strongly.
• Be confident with your answers to questions.
– Be prepared for questions by asking colleagues.
– Repeat questions to give you time to think!

• Good Luck!
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Presenting internationally – the big picture

US UK Germany
Humour Humour Neutral serious
Gimmicks Story Facts
Personality - power Personality – irony Professional expertise
Catch phrases for hard sell Reasonable sell Specification sell

Arab Japan France

Eloquence Formal
Animated Diagram
Person and facts Quiet and polite
Extra talk to follow Synergy with company
BUSINESS and
PROFESSIONAL
ENGLISH 30+

Presenting internationally: practical tips