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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 .

Addressing 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.

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. 

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?

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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52 Phrases for Better Flowing English Presentations

/ Steven Hobson / Business English , English Presentations , Vocabulary

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

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

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

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

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

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

52 Phrases to Improve the Flow of Your English Presentations

The introduction.

All good presentations start with a strong introduction.

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

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

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

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

Introduce the presentation topic

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

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

Question Policy

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

 Main Body

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

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

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

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

Beginning the Main Body

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

Ending Parts within the Main Body

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

Beginning a New Part

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

Listing and Sequencing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ending the Main Body

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

Beginning the Summary and/or Conclusion

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

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

An Ending Phrase

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

Inviting Questions and/or Introducing Discussion

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

Thanking the Audience

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

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

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

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

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

Author: Steven Hobson

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

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35 Powerful Presentation Phrases in English for Engaging Your Audience

Your palms are sweating. 

For a moment, your mind goes blank. 

All eyes are on you.

That moment right before you start presenting – as you take in your audience – is usually the scariest. The nervousness lessens with practice, but even the most frequent public speakers still get butterflies in their stomach sometimes. Whether you’re facing an entire room of people or looking at everyone through your laptop screen, giving a presentation can still be intimidating – or exciting, once you move beyond the fear. 

There’s an extra layer of challenge too if you have to speak in your non-native language. For a more professional-sounding and engaging presentation, we’ve compiled some of the most useful English presentation phrases below.

We’ll also explore what else you can do to make even more of an impact on your audience. With the right intonation, body language, and gestures, you’ll really be able to catch their attention and emphasize your points. 

If this sounds interesting to you, you should check out the Creativa business meeting mastery course . There’s an entire video episode about giving a stunning presentation. You’ll learn about how to structure your ideas, deliver a report, and conclude a discussion. It covers not only fluent native phrases but also body language demonstrations that you can apply to your work right away. 

On top of this, the course has plenty of other engaging, high-quality video episodes that help you present your best self in English. Curious about it? You can access a free video here . 

Delivering a Powerful Presentation 

To lay the groundwork for your presentation in English, here’s what you’ll have to do first:

Consider the audience  

You’re probably always going to need slides, but every presentation will be different – and the audience that you’ll be presenting to won’t always find the same points interesting. Because of this, you’ll have to tailor your message to them. What style of presentation would be a good fit? For example, some audiences would want to see a lot of number-crunching, while others might be looking for more personal storytelling .

Prepare a structure 

Structure is key in presentations. People have short attention spans, and they can be forgetful. At the end of the day, your goal is for them to remember at least the main points in your presentation. What message do you want to convey? Since you might be discussing a lot of information, you can make it more digestible by ensuring that there’s a logical progression and then ending with a summary. 

Whatever your topic is, it’ll benefit from having a well-defined structure to guide your audience from start to finish. For a cheat sheet on this, scroll down here to download a free PDF worksheet with exercises about structuring your presentation so you can be clear and convincing. This way, you can have a presentation that’s strong in all sections – beginning, middle, and end. 

Key Business Phrases

Once you’ve decided on the style and message of your presentation, you can take it up a notch by including certain English presentation phrases all throughout. Let’s break it down from start to finish: 

Introduction

This is when you’ll be warming up your audience before you proceed to your main points. 

Greeting the audience

If you’re presenting to people who aren’t too familiar with you, you can quickly introduce yourself and mention your role or company. 

• Good morning, everyone. I’m glad to be able to present to all of you. 
• Hello, everyone! It’s nice to see all of you today. I’m [name], the [position] from [company].

Describing your topic

After greeting the audience, you’ll be explaining to them what your presentation is all about. To set their expectations, you might show them an outline of the talk and mention if there’ll be any activities such as breakout discussions.

• I’ll be talking about…
• I’ll be talking about our financial metrics over the past year.
• The topic of this presentation will be…
• The topic of this presentation will be major trends in the logistics industry.
• I’ll be discussing first the [first topic], next [second topic], and finally [third topic].
• I’ll be discussing first the project’s ideation process, next our initial trial, and finally, presenting our results.

Addressing questions and technical concerns

People might be wondering if they can ask questions during your presentation, so you can clarify this at the start. If you’re providing handouts or presenting online, it’s useful to ask people to alert you about any technical concerns. 

• Please feel free to ask any questions during the talk.
• For questions, there will be a Q&A section at the end.
• Can all of you see and hear me properly? Please let me know if you have any technical difficulties during the presentation.  

The body will make up the bulk of your presentation. Ideally, you would go through each of your points logically while letting your audience know when you’re moving on to the next section. 

The longer your presentation, the more important it is to use sequencing phrases. These act as cues that let your audience know where you are in the presentation. You can think of these as similar to detour signals that make the audience much more likely to get your meaning. 

• First, let’s discuss the…
• First, let’s discuss the initial spark for this idea.
• Moving into [the next item / point] …
• Moving into item 4, we can see that this is a major pain point for our target market.
• This leads us to the next…
• This leads us to the next section, where we’ll be looking at the facts and figures.

Linking is closely related to sequencing. Similar to writing, you can have a smoother presentation by connecting your ideas rather than suddenly jumping from one point to another. You can also refer back to points that you’ve mentioned before to make your presentation more cohesive. 

• In connection to what I said earlier…
• In connection to what I said earlier about growing our online presence, we can now look into potential social media campaigns.
• What this means is…
• What this means is that most of our growth is coming from a certain sector. Let’s analyze the data for this in the next section.
• This ties in with…
• This ties in with our survey findings about user reactions. I’ll go into detail about changes we’ve made to the app as a result.

Giving examples

To fully convey your point, you can bring up specific examples and case studies. These are much more memorable as well as engaging because you can tell these in the form of a story.

• For example…
• For example, costs were reduced significantly when we switched to the following materials.
• To demonstrate this point…
• To demonstrate this point, I’ll be showing you a video of a business that used this problem-solving method.
• Here’s an example of…
• Here’s an example of a seasonal product that our customers loved.

Showing visuals 

Visuals naturally attract people’s attention. If you’re using slides for your presentation, take the opportunity to include images, diagrams, infographics, or even charts. 

• As you can see from this…
• As you can see from this photo, we’ve redesigned our office space.
• Here’s a diagram / picture / chart that shows…
• Here’s a diagram that shows a high percentage of people are comfortable with online shopping.
• If you look at this…
• If you look at this infographic, you can see that the new color palette comes off as fun and casual.

Citing data

Citing data from research makes your presentation more persuasive. When you’re talking about results that you’ve achieved, try to bring up actual numbers – this can go a long way towards impressing your audience. 

• According to this study…
• According to this study from [journal], 65% of eCommerce companies are looking for more efficient payment methods.
• Based on our research…
• Based on our research, the most enthusiastic buyers of wellness products in this city are in the 20 to 30 age range.
• Looking at the data…
• Looking at the data, you’ll notice that there’s been an 18% spike in sales since we migrated our platform.

Restating an idea

Sometimes you’ll want to restate an idea so it’s easier to understand. This also serves to emphasize it. Because of the repetition, people are more likely to remember it compared to if you’d only mentioned it once. 

• In other words…
• In other words, partnering up with this client can make our operations more efficient and seamless.
• Another way of saying this is…
• Another way of saying this is that there might actually be more demand than supply by next year.
• What I mean is…
• What I mean is we’re already more than halfway to our business objective.

Handling technical issues

When you’re presenting on video call, all kinds of glitches can happen. Someone might have connection issues, you might have to figure out an app feature you’ve never used before, or background noises might keep interrupting your call. The phrases below can be very handy in these kinds of situations.

• If you can’t hear me, can you type in the chat, please?
• Could everyone mute their mic? There’s a lot of background noise.
• Sorry. The call dropped. I’m back through.

Concluding the Presentation 

By this time, the hardest part is already over! Still, you’ll have to wrap up your presentation nicely by going over the key takeaways during the conclusion. Your audience might also have questions that they’ll want you to address.

Summarizing the presentation

Out of everything that you’ve discussed, what would you like people to get out of it? A short summary towards the end serves to highlight your main ideas. 

• To wrap up…
• To wrap up, I’d like to point out three major takeaways.
• As a summary…
• As a summary of this report update, I would say we have seen a positive uptick in our workflow and productivity.
• All in all…
• All in all, we believe we’ve seen good results for this stage of our progress.

Thanking the audience

Similar to your greeting at the start, it’s common to address your audience again towards the end by thanking them for their time. 

• Thank you for listening!
• Thank you to everyone for being here. 
• I’d like to thank you all for coming here.

Addressing questions

If you’re open to questions from your audience, you can have a short question-and-answer session after your presentation. 

• Do you have any questions or clarifications?
• Feel free to ask me about any of the points I made during the presentation.
• Let me know if you have any questions. 

Practice is Crucial

When you’re all set with the content of your presentation, the next step is to practice your delivery. Regardless of how well you know the topic of your presentation, practicing it at least once will help you be more confident. You’ll discover potential issues that you can fix too before you go live. 

Do a run-through

The most basic way to practice is to do a run-through of your entire presentation . Set a timer on your phone, open up your slides, then start talking – all while imagining that you’re already presenting to your audience. Since you’re acting as if it’s in real-time, this means avoiding any pauses where you have to look up information. 

A run-through can pinpoint any weaknesses in your presentation, and you’ll notice any parts where you might be uncomfortable talking. You’ll also be able to see how much time you’ve spent so you can pace yourself accordingly.  

Record yourself

A more intensive version of the run-through basic would be to record yourself presenting. You can either record your voice or take a full video of yourself. People often notice that they use filler words a lot such as “um” or “uh.” You’ll also be able to check your pronunciation and whether you sound confident and natural all throughout.

Since body language can make or break your delivery, watching a video of yourself presenting is an incredibly effective way to improve your performance. Do your facial expressions match what you’re saying? Are you maintaining good posture throughout and making efforts to connect with the audience?   

When you combine a confident, approachable body language with the right business vocabulary, your ideas shine through better than ever. You can get a play-by-play of how exactly to do this with the Creativa business meeting mastery course . It features video sections that are all about making powerful transitions and expressing your points clearly during presentations. You’ll learn about specific native English phrases and gestures so you can move fluidly from one idea to the next. 

Together with the other episodes, the course dives deep into how you can be a strong communicator during professional meetings. For a preview, check out this free episode .  

Presenting on Video Call

Technical issues happen often enough in face-to-face presentations, but they’re even more frequent during video calls. To avoid any awkward delays when you’re presenting, get comfortable with the platform that you’ll be using. 

If it’s a face-to-face presentation, double-check your slides and make sure any images or videos are showing properly. For video calls, try doing a test call on the app or even call up a friend to practice. You can also get familiar with the app’s basic features, such as screen-sharing or inviting people to breakout rooms. 

But sometimes, even when you’ve practiced your presentation perfectly on video call, the unexpected can still happen. Scroll down here to download a free worksheet that we made precisely for dealing with technical issues in presentations. You’ll get an extensive list of English phrases to use for all sorts of video call glitches, along with practical tips for handling them in the moment. With enough preparation, you’ll be able to roll with surprises and conquer even video call presentations. 

Let’s explore some of the most common glitches (and how you can deal with them gracefully!):

Situation 1: You’re having a hard time hearing other people because of their laggy connection. 

For a presentation to work, everyone needs to have a decent internet connection. If someone’s connection drops, they won’t be able to see or hear you properly, and you won’t understand what they’re trying to say, either. In this case, let them know right away that you can’t hear them. You can also ask them to talk to you over chat instead. 

Example Phrases:

• [Name], you’re cutting in and out. Would you mind reconnecting?
• Audio problems – can you type it on chat instead?

Situation 2: You get disconnected from the call. 

In the case that it’s your connection that’s faulty, you might have to disconnect then reconnect your call. This can be awkward because it interrupts the flow of your presentation. Alerting your audience using certain English phrases can reassure them while getting you back on track with what you were saying.

• Sorry, guys, dropped call. But I’m back.
• Connection problems, everyone. Gonna log out and back in. 

Situation 3: People are having a hard time figuring out how to turn on their audio or video.

Another reason why you’d want to be really familiar with the video platform is you might have to coach people when they experience glitches. It’s almost expected that a few people might accidentally forget to turn on their mic while speaking. Alternatively, they might have issues with turning on their camera.

• I can’t see you, [name]. [Give instructions on how to turn on their video.]
• I can’t see you, Fatima. Look for the camera icon and make sure there’s no red line through it.
• Typing in chat: “Make sure your mic’s unmuted.” [Clarify how they’ll know if they’re unmuted.]
• Typing in chat: “ Make sure your mic’s unmuted. There should be no red lines through it.

The best presentations excel in all three areas: content, structure, and delivery. 

Including some of the key English phrases above will upgrade your performance. Aside from setting a professional tone, these English presentation phrases set the pace for your audience so they’re aware of where you are in the discussion. Your message will sound clearer, and your audience will be able to follow your ideas better.

The basic rules for presentations are the same, whether you’re on a video call or stepping in front of a stage. With the tips above, you’re all set to prepare an amazing presentation in English.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

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35 Best Business English Presentation Phrases

You know that feeling as your throat get tight and dry. You swallow... g ulp.

You begin to have those feelings that you know so well, as you feel...

Can you relate to that terrible feeling of having to give a presentation in English?

You are a business executive, and you know you are not supposed to feel this way as a leader of your company. But, just the thought of an upcoming presentation significantly raises your stress level.

Giving a great presentation in any language is difficult.

Giving a great presentation in English as a non-native English business executive is a more difficult task. The good news is that there are many SKILLS you can learn to become a very effective presenter.

Although there are a few key components of every good presentation, this article will focus on the importance of using the The 35 Most Effective Business Presentation Phrases.

Let’s first take a moment and look at what makes an effective presentation.

An Effective Presentation

There are a few essential components for an effective presentation. The first step is great preparation for your upcoming presentation.

Preparation

Preparation is the most important part of every presentation. Before you give any presentation, you must have a plan for success.

The first step is to Know Your Audience. Who are you presenting to?

What is the Message Your Audience Needs or wants to hear from you?

What Call to Action do you want to leave your audience with?

Only after you have planned your presentation, it is time to move on to the actual presentation, which will include the following three sections:

Introduction

As stated earlier, this article will focus on the 35 Most Effective Business Presentation Phrases . This list will create great transitions and allow your presentation to flow naturally so that your audience is engaged in each step of the process.

Beginning with your Introduction

Your goal for the beginning of your presentation is to connect and engage with your audience.

You have prepared by getting to know your audience and now you want to introduce your message to your audience in a way that your audience can RELATE to your message.

Please do not start your presentation with

“Hi, my name is ______”

As you are aware, I’m a believer in beginning your presentation in a way that will connect and engage with your audience. Let's look at three great ways to start your presentation.

An effective presentation will begin in one of these ways:

There are times when a more traditional greeting will be appropriate and in these situations, you can greet your audience and specifically address your audience.

1. It is a pleasure to be here with the _______ (group/team/association) this morning/afternoon/ evening...

Example Sentence: it is a please to be here with the Digital Marketing Association this morning.

2. A special welcome to the _________ (group/team/association)...

Example Sentence. A special welcome to the XYZ Manufacturing Association. 

After you have properly started your effective presentation with a question/story/statistic, you may say something like...

3. I'm ___________ and I'm so excited to be here with the ________________ (group/team/association).

Example Sentence: I'm John and I'm so excited to be here with the sales team today.

Remember, do not use the "I'm ____ and I'm going to talk about____" as your first words - you only can do this after you have made an engaging introduction!

After you have successfully introduced your presentation and engaged your audience, it is time to begin discussing the content of your presentation.

Transition from the Introduction to the Message

After you have given an engaging introduction and connected with your audience, you are ready to begin speaking about your topic.

Don't just read your slides to your audience. They will not be engaged. Instead, use your slides as a guide and the key is to move from one slide to the next in an interesting way . This is called a "transition" and most of the phrases in this section will help you transition like a pro.

After all, who wants to listen to a speaker continue to say:  Next... Next.... Next... Next???

Here are some effective ways to transition from the introduction to the content of your presentation.

Remember, an effective presentation includes you serving your audience with a message they need.

Tell your audience up front what the message of the presentation is.

4. As a member of ___________ (refer to the group/team/association) you can relate to today's message of _____________

Example sentence: As a member of the ABC Digital Marketing team, I'm confident you can relate to today's message of knowing your audience.

5. As you are aware...

Example Sentence: As you are aware, it is important to keep up with the latest trends in your industry.

6. Let me start by providing some background information...

Example sentence: Let me start by providing some background information on the newest technology tools available.

Each of these above phrases are useful ways to engage your audience by giving them information at the beginning that they can relate to.

Now, let's explore how you can use different phrases that help with your transitions, provide more details, link to additional topics, emphasize your points, refer to your important information/data/numbers, explain charts/tables/graphs and restate your points.

Transitioning to the Next Topic

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

These are SO much better than saying "next..."

7. Turning our attention now to...

Example sentence: Turning our attention now to the second main issue today... 

8. Let's move on to...

Example sentence: Let’s move on to our second sales initiative.

Providing More Details

One of the essential parts of your message is to give more detail to some sections of your content because it will be helpful to your audience.

Remember, the key is that you only go into more detail because you know your audience will be interested in this detail, and they can use this information.

9. To elaborate on...

Example sentence: Let me elaborate on this idea...

10. I'd like to expand on...

Example sentence: I’d like to expand on this point about expanding our sales team.

Linking to Another Topic

As mentioned above, use linking words to create flow with your presentations. Effective presentations have flow.

When you think of flow, think of looking at the water in a river at a specific spot. The water is moving. The water was somewhere before it came to this spot and it will flow to a different place after it passes this spot.

This is the same in a presentation. You keep your audience engaged using flow, by telling them about topics you discussed earlier, and also that you will discuss later in the presentation.

As you can see, I used a linking phrase "as mentioned above" in the first words of the first paragraph of this section above. This is the example of using linking words in written form.

Below (another written linking word), you will see how you can use a different linking phrase when you are speaking. 

11. As stated earlier.. .

Example sentence: As stated a few minutes earlier, our industry is changing rapidly.

12. As mentioned earlier...

Example sentence: As I mentioned earlier in my presentation, the key to effective communication is knowing your audience.

13. As referenced earlier...

Example sentence: As referenced at the beginning of my talk today, preparation is critically important.

Each of these three phrases are self-explanatory and the linking phrases remind your audience that you discussed something earlier.

Again, you can create nice flow for your audience when you discuss a point and then later in your presentation, while referencing that same point, you remind your audience that you did discuss this point earlier.  It can also be used to emphasize a point or theme.

14. As I mentioned at the beginning...

Example sentence: As I mentioned at the beginning of the presentation, we’ll see a decrease in expenses if we implement this strategy.

15. As you may recall, this relates to my earlier point that...

This phrase will help you connect points in your presentation. It shows the connection between two different ideas.

Example sentence: As you may recall, this point relates closely to the earlier point about the importance of accountability.

16. This ties in with...  

Example sentence: This ties in with the point I made earlier regarding the expansion of our manufacturing facility.

Explaining to your audience that you will be discussing something later in your presentation is a key aspect of using flow.

17. This point will be mentioned in a few minutes...

Example sentence: In a few minutes, it will go into more detail about emphasizing a point.

18. This important point will be discussed later in detail...

Example sentence: This important point about having a great conclusion will be discussed later in my talk today.

The two above mentioned phrases are very effective in guiding your audience to where you are going in your presentation.

19. In a few minutes, you will hear this from ________ (one of your team members)...

Example sentence: In a few minutes, you will hear from Susan Jones, our CFO, about the importance of financial forecasting.

This is a really nice way of creating flow when you are able to reference another presenter that will speak after you.

Emphasizing a Point

An essential part of all presentations is creating emphasis. Everything in your presentation is important, but you need to emphasize the most important parts for your audience. These phrases below are excellent. 

20. This is significant because...

Significant is one of my favorite words. It is another word for important. One of the keys of being an excellent communicator in English is using different words that have similar meanings.

Example sentence: This is significant because we are planning to grow our workforce 20% this year. 

21. This is meaningful for the following reason(s)..

Example sentence: This is meaningful because the implementation of this recommendation will have an impact on multiple departments in our organization.

22. To reinforce this point...

Example sentence: Showing the significance of a better hiring process reinforces this point I am making with this data. 

23. Please draw your attention to…..

Example sentence: Please draw your attention to the revenue growth projections on this page.

Referring to Information, Data and Numbers

Let's turn our attention now to referring to information and data. In a presentation, you will often use data, facts, and studies that help support your message. These meaningful terms and phrases will help you refer to this significant information.

24. According to the ___ study, ...

Example sentence: According to the XYZ study, 84% of workforce efficiency is tied to a meaningful benefit package.

25. Based on our recent findings, ...

Example sentence: Based on our recent findings, only 22% of our clients continue to use our services after six months. 

 26. This data shows …

Example sentence: This data shows that more than 92% of our clients continue to be highly satisfied with our customer service one year after they received our product. 

Before moving on the next section, you might find this article on How to Naturally Say Numbers and Dates in Business English helpful for your next presentation.

Explaining Charts, Tables and Graphs

Most presentations use charts, tables or graphs to help support your message. Knowing how to use phrases describing these will create an effective presentation. 

27. To illustrate this point... 

The word “illustrate” is very effective and it is a great word to use when you are describing a chart, table or graph. 

Example sentence: This chart illustrates my earlier point about how more meaningful benefits impact worker satisfaction. 

28. This table provides a breakdown of …

A “breakdown” refers to the details within specific figures or numbers.  A breakdown is helpful to provide a more detailed picture of the situation. .

Example sentence: This table provides a breakdown of the 10 most important client feedback messages.

Explaining charts, tables and graphs often involves complex information.  Below is a short video from the English Leadership Academy's Executive Video Blog, titled What if You Were Able to Explain Complex Ideas in a Simple Way? that gives tips and strategies to make complex information more easily understandable by your audience.

Restating Your Point

Sometimes in order to emphasize your point, you have to state it in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand and remember.

This process is commonly referred to as paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is an essential skill for non-native English speakers that allows them to say the same thing with different words to enhance communication effectiveness.

This often involves rephrasing, clarifying or simplifying the point you are trying to make.

29. In fact, …

Use this phrase to restate your point in another way.

Example sentence: In fact, it is necessary that we make a change to our current policy to attain this goal.

30. In other words...

Example sentence. In other words, we don't stack up well against our competitors in this area.

31. To put it simply, …

Explaining complex messages in a presentation can lead to confusion. Your audience will benefit when you simplify complex messages. 

Example sentence: To put it simply, if we follow these recommendations, we'll achieve our goals six months sooner.

To summarize, by this point in the presentation, you have given your audience the message they needed or wanted.

You have emphasized the points that are especially important to them.

You are now ready to finish your presentation in the best way!

Now we reach a crucial aspect of the presentation and let's finish strong.

Concluding Your Presentation

Most people spend a lot of time working on the introduction and content of their presentation, but they do not spend any time preparing for their conclusion.

As stated earlier, you are presenting for your audience because they have a need or a want.

To emphasize this point, it is a great idea to challenge your audience to THINK in a different way. It is even better to challenge your audience to DO something different in the future.

In other words, create a call to action!

Let's now look at how you can summarize your presentation in a professional way.

32. In the final analysis...  

Example sentence: In the final analysis, it is critical that the company needs to immediately enhance our sales strategy to achieve our quarterly targets.

33. In conclusion, let me reiterate my message...

As part of your conclusion, you might want to emphasize your main points to leave the audience with a clear message of what you discussed. This is very effective to restate your main message!

Example sentence: In conclusion, let me reiterate my earlier message that time is of the essence for our team to solve this issue in the next 10 days.

34. I want to challenge you to do/think ….

Example sentence: You've heard the compelling arguments for a new mindset shift, and now I challenge YOU to begin making the necessary changes in the next five days!

Finally, as you reach the end of your presentation, you'll need a transition from the completion of your presentation to the Question and Answer (Q&A) portion of your presentation.

35. Thank you for your attention today, and we’ve got time for a few questions. Who would like to ask the first question?

This is a nice phrase that let's your audience know you have concluded your formal remarks and you are open to answering a few questions.

I appreciate your attention to this topic today and now I'd like to leave you with a challenge below.

My Challenge to You

I challenge you to begin preparing your future presentations in a different and more effective way.

Can you use at least three of these above-mentioned phrases in your next presentation?

You can do this!

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101 Business English Presentation Phrases

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

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

101 Phrases for Presentations

Greeting your audience.

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

1. Thank you for being here today.

2. It’s great to see all of you.

3. I’m glad you could make it.

4. Thank you for your time and attention.

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

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

Beginning your Presentation

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

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

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

9. As you know, our company is-

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

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

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

Referencing Information and Sources

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

13. According to-

14. As shown in-

15. Demonstrated by-

16. Verified by-

17. Reported by-

18. According to our research-

Give an Outline for the Presentation

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

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

20. Focusing on the main points-

21. First of all-

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

23. Let me start by giving some background information.

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

Explaining Visual Data

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

25. This chart shows-

26. As you can see from this graph-

27. As demonstrated by this diagram-

28. This table indicates that-

29. These results indicate that-

30. We can conclude from this information that-

Hypothesize

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stating Your Point

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

37. Therefore, we can conclude that-

38. Based on this information, we recommend that-

39. We suggest that you use-

40. This is why-

41. I strongly believe that-

42. What this means for our company is-

Beginning a New Section of the Main Body

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

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

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

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

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

47. Are there any questions before we move on?

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

Delivering Main Presentation Points

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

49. The most important thing to remember is-

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

51. What this means for you is-

52. The bottom line is-

53. To put it simply-

54. In other words-

Introduce Solutions

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

55. We have a solution that will-

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

57. We’ve developed a solution that will-

58. We have the perfect solution for your problem-

59. Introducing our newest solution-

60. Our latest and greatest solution is-

Useful Words and Phrases

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

61. As an example

62. In conclusion

63. To summarize

64. Thank you for your time

65. Furthermore

66. Moreover

Discussion Questions

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

67. How will this proposal impact our bottom line?

68. What are the risks associated with this plan?

69. What are the potential benefits of this plan?

70. How does this plan compare to other options?

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

72. What are the next steps?

Interacting with the Audience

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

73. Does that make sense?

74. Do you have a goal in mind?

75. Are you following me so far?

76. Do you have any questions?

77. Have I painted a clearer picture?

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

Concluding Your Presentation

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

79. We appreciate your interest in our company.

80. Your input is invaluable to us.

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

82. Thank you for your time and attention.

83. Together, we can make a difference.

84. Time for questions.

Ending the Presentation

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

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

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

87. Just a quick recap-

88. Thank you for your business.

89. We appreciate your interest.

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

Thank your Audience and Close your Presentation

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

91. Thank you for your trust in us

92. Thank you for partnering with us.

93. Thank you for your efforts.

94. Thank you for choosing us.

95. Thank you for your time today.

96. Thank you for considering us as a partner.

Popular Business Presentation Phrases

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

97. Let’s get started

98. As you can see

99. If we could have your attention.

100. As you can see from this chart

101. This data shows

10 Simple Steps to Effective Business Presentations

1. research thoroughly.

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

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

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

2. Plan Your Points

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

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

3. Gather Phrases and Jargon

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

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

4. Develop Visual Aids

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

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

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

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

5. Practice Out Loud

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

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

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

6. Prepare for the Unexpected

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

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

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

7. Body Language

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

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

8. Manage Your Nerves

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

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

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

9. Ask Questions

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

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

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

10. Be Open to Feedback

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

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

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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Bethany MacDonald

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

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• Presentation Science

The Complete Guide To Creating A Captivating Professional Presentation

• By: Leslie Belknap

. Do you have a presentation in the near future, but don’t know how to start preparing for it?

You’re in luck!   Included below are 10 steps to help you create a truly captivating presentation, and avoid creating a conference room killer  – the infamous, dreaded  Death By PowerPoint presentation.

If you work through each of the 10 steps below, as well as watch the included videos, and review the embedded resources, you will have all of the information you could ever need to create a stunning, professional presentation, instead of a boring conference room killer presentation.

The key to success is starting early so you have ample time to complete each of the 10 steps thoughtfully. So go ahead and begin immediately; don’t delay. These tips will help you start, and finish your presentation like a presentation professional .

If you have questions about any of these tips, contact us .  We’re here to help you create amazing presentations!

10 Steps To A Captivating Presentation

1. describe your presentation in one sentence.

Simplify your presentation topic to a one-sentence summary before you begin writing or designing your presentation.  If you cannot explain your presentation in one sentence, you are not ready to create your presentation.

The one-sentence description serves as a compass during the content development process, making it easy to explore supporting ideas without getting lost in the sea of possibilities.  

If you think your idea is too big for a one-sentence summary , consider that  Daniel Pink , the chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore from 1995 to 1997, and author of three  New York Times  bestsellers, suggests writing a one-sentence summary for the purpose of your life. If it is possible to define your life in one sentence, it is undoubtedly possible to encapsulate any presentation in one sentence.

Pink derived inspiration for his advice from a story about Clare Boothe Luce,  the  first American woman  to represent her country to a major world power.  In 1962 Luce said to John F. Kennedy,  a great man is one sentence.  Luce advised Kennedy to write a one-sentence summary.  She was telling him to concentrate, to know the great themes and demands of his time and focus on them , according to the  Wall Street Journal  article,   To-Do List: A Sentence, Not 10 Paragraphs .

Summary: Write one sentence that describes your presentation topic. Think of the one sentence as your elevator pitch for your presentation. If you were riding the elevator to go up only one floor, how would you explain your presentation to someone in that short amount of time? This is your one sentence statement, and the heart of your presentation.

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2. Identify the 3 main takeaways of your presentation.

Once you have clearly defined your presentation topic with a one-sentence statement, your next step is to identify the three main ideas of your presentation. These three ideas will be the pillars of your presentation.

To identify the three pillars, ask yourself, “If the audience will only remember three things about my talk, what do I want those three takeaways to be?” Ask yourself this question because most likely audience members will indeed only remember three ideas from your entire presentation.  You will build the rest of your presentation around these three pillars, which ultimately support your core message as defined in your one sentence summary.

Every element of your presentation should, in one way or another, connect to one of your main three ideas. If you are considering including an element that cannot be directly linked to one of your three pillars, ask yourself, “Is this really necessary?” If you decide that you absolutely must include something that seems to not connect to one of your three main ideas, consider reframing the seemingly unrelated point so it can connect to one of your three main ideas, or consider changing your selected three pillars.

Summary: For inspiration, think of the Latin phrase Omne trium perfectum,  which means  everything that comes in threes is perfect, or, every set of three is complete . No matter the topic or length of your presentation, the “rule of three” should be used to structure your presentation content. By only providing three main takeaways, your presentation will be easier for your audience to remember, and your main points will be easier for you to recall when you’re presenting.

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3. Get Real.

After you have sculpted your one sentence summary and three pillars, start developing your content to support your three main ideas. Your supporting content is your opportunity to talk about your research, data, and case studies.

According to a Buffer article ,  one study published in Communication Research  found that a whole week after reading, passages with statistics were  more persuasive  than passages  driven by story . As you will read later, this claim is disputed, and many people think stories are more persuasive than data. Don’t worry about which is more important though because you will need both. Thus, if you have some data to prove your points, select your strongest stats, and use them to add weight to your ideas. Just don’t overdo the data. Get to the point, and keep moving so you don’t lose your audience by wading through unnecessary details.

As you construct your first draft of your supporting content, continually ask yourself, “So what?” Many audience members will listen to a presentation, process the information, consider the points, and then think, “What’s in it for me?” or  “Why does this matter?” Basically, they are thinking, “So what? Why should I care?”

You need to drive home the value of your material throughout your entire presentation . If you would be unable to respond to an audience member who asked, “Why should I care?” in response to a particular piece of your content, delete that point.  Every point should be relevant to your message, and your audience. If you do not answer these questions, some audience members will probably think your presentation was a waste of their time.

When considering your answer, think about what keeps your audience up at night. What are their problems, concerns, and challenges? Can your insights and ideas solve a problem for them?

As you continue to develop the supporting elements of your presentation, keep a “devil’s advocate” mindset . Once you have ensured all of your points will be meaningful to your audience, review your content from perspective of an audience member with an opposing viewpoint.

For example, it might seem like no one could argue with a presentation that proposed the idea of giving away food to prevent hunger. However, don’t forget the saying, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man, feed him forever.” Sharing food is a noble mission however there will still be someone who disagrees with your solution to the problem. Develop your content to sway audience members with opposing viewpoints.

Summary: Support your presentation with facts that will resonate with your audience, including any disagreeing attendees. In addition, clearly answer “So what?” for the audience. No presentation is exempt from this requirement. Get real, and cut the fluff.

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4. Find Your Story.

At this point you have defined your presentation with one sentence, identified the three pillars of your topic, and crafted your supporting content to satisfy challenging perspectives.  

Take a good look at all of these elements and then step away from working on your presentation. This is the time to do a little soul searching.  Go for a walk, write in your journal, or engage in other activities that will open your mind to inspiration.

Search your memories until you remember a story that easily relates to your presentation topic. No presentation is complete without at least one story so don’t skip this step.

Storytelling is an important part of all presentations because many credible sources claim stories are easier to recall  than stats or facts. Descriptive tales can activate up to 7 areas of the human brain, while non-narrative information typically activates only two areas of the brain.

With so many areas of the mind engaged, listeners  experience  the story instead of process  it. In addition, a carefully crafted story will likely inspire emotional reactions from audience members.  Emotions, not logic, inspire most actions .

So, not only will audience members remember a story more easily than facts, a story is also more likely to inspire action. Since all presentations need a  call to action , the more you can inspire your audience to take action, the more successful you will be as a presenter.

Learn more about the power of stories for presentations by reviewing the infographic below.

Summary: Tell at least one story during your presentation. Don’t settle for just any story, though. Take the time to select a relevant story that will spark an emotional response within audience members. To inspire action, speak to the heart as well as the mind.

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5. Identify a clear call-to-action.

Now that you have developed content that guides your audience to a new perspective, decide what you want the audience to do next.  

Do you want your audience to use their knowledge to grow their business? If so, quickly reiterate the process to take that action, and then send them on their way with an easy-to-remember homework assignment. Provide your contact information so they can let you know how the process went for them.

Do you want people to follow you on social media? If yes, then at the end of your presentation, ask audience members to pull out their mobile devices and follow you right then and there.  Provide an incentive to encourage engagement.

If you want your audience to purchase your product, how can you simplify that process for them? Perhaps you can sell your goods in the lobby after your talk. If that is the case, your call-to-action should be an exciting request to join you in the lobby to check out your product firsthand.  

No matter your topic, your presentation should be structured so that audience members are not left hanging, wondering what to do with their newly acquired insights.

If you choose to include a Q&A session in your presentation, do not end with the Q&A. You always want to end with a quick summary of your most important points followed by your call-to-action. To insert a Q&A before your conclusion, say something like, Before I wrap-up by telling you how to utilize these insights, I would like to open the floor to questions for two-minutes. Does anyone have any questions?

To persuade your audience to complete your call-to-action, try some of these persuasion techniques :

Summary: Use the last sentences of your presentation to deliver a clear call-to-action. Tell your audience what they should do after your presentation. In addition, offer an incentive, and create a sense of urgency.

The Best Way To End A Professional Presentation

The Ace Up Your Sleeve: 6 Proven Methods of Persuasion

The Science of Influence – And What It Means For Your Presentations

6. Outline your slides as a storyboard.

At this point, you have done most of the heavy lifting in regards to content development. Your content might be a collection of notes and ideas, or perhaps it looks like a college essay. Either way, now is the time to organize your content in a storyboard. A storyboard is an outline that lists the words and numbers you will include on each slide, as well as notes about the design for the slide. You don’t need to start designing yet, however this is a great time to start thinking about your presentation design since that will be the next step once your storyboard is finalized.

To begin the first draft of your outline, list your three main ideas, your stories, and your call-to-action. By first jotting down these elements, you ensure that these critical components will be the focus of your presentation. Leave room in your outline to fill in the supporting ideas later.  

Also, have your one sentence summary nearby and reference it regularly throughout the storyboard process. Even if you don’t state your one sentence verbatim during your talk, your audience should be able to easily grasp the central idea of your presentation.  If it is appropriate to feature your one sentence summary on a slide as-is, go for it!

With these items roughly in place, focus on the content for the first few slides of your presentation. These slides are significant because you need to have a strong start to your presentation. Easing an audience into a presentation, and slowly building towards a conclusion is a recipe for mediocrity. Instead, hook your audience’s attention immediately, or risk losing them forever.

To engage your audience at the beginning of your talk, consider asking a question – either a rhetorical question, or a genuine question that includes a request for a show of hands. If you have mastered the art of humor, get your audience smiling by telling a funny story at the beginning of your presentation.

In addition, you can wake up the audience during the beginning of your presentation by revealing a shocking fact. For example, you could say, “10 years from now your job will not exist.” If you’re speaking to a group of ambitious professionals, this information will surely spark their interest.

Now that you have some ideas for the beginning of your presentation, pick a solution that seems like the best fit for your speaking style, your topic, and your audience. If you’re not sure how to start your presentation, you might need to continue researching your audience. The more you know about your audience, the easier it will be to edit and refine your slide outline.

After you develop the first few slides, continue to move through your outline by filling in the supporting ideas for your three main points . Remember that your outline should inspire the audience to take a specific action at the end of your talk. Craft your slide outline so that it builds towards your call-to-action.

In addition, when you arrange your content, try to include only one idea per slide.   Keep your ideas succinct since you will need to enhance your message with a visual on each slide. This might seem excessive if you typically use bullet points or numbered lists to cram a lot of information on one slide. You might save some time on your presentation development by using bullet points, but your audience will likely be bored to tears during your presentation, and you will not be as successful with your presentation as you could be.  

In 2014, the  International Journal of Business Communication  published the results from  The Use of Visualization in the Communication of Business Strategies , an experiment conducted to gather empirical evidence regarding whether the use of visualization is better than text in the communication of a business strategy.  

The results of that study confirmed that lists of text and bullet points should be avoided for presentations . Specifically, the study concluded : Subjects who were exposed to a graphic representation of the strategy paid significantly more attention to, agreed more with, and better recalled the strategy than did subjects who saw a (textually identical) bulleted list version.

In summary, bullet point lists kill presentations because your audience will struggle to pay attention to your lists, agree with your lists, and recall your lists.  Those three reasons should be enough to convince you to never use bullet points again.

Once the first draft of your outline is complete, step away from your storyboard. When you are refreshed, return to your content outline and look for holes in your logic, as well as unnecessary information, or lulls in the energy of your talk.

Edit, edit, and edit again . Don’t be afraid to alter some of the foundational elements of your talk, as long as you ensure all of the critical pieces are included after your edits are complete. Also, check to make sure all of the required content pieces still fit together appropriately after your revisions to the storyboard. For example, if you decide to change one of you three pillars because it no longer resonates with you, make sure your revised pillar still fits with your one sentence summary, as well as the other two pillars and your call-to-action.

Summary: When you organize your content in a storyboard format, stay focused on your one sentence summary, your three main points, and your call-to-action. Only include supporting content that relates to these critical components. Also, craft an exciting introduction, and remember to include only one idea per slide.

Why Bullet Points Kill Presentations (and what to do instead)

The Complete Guide to Editing Presentation Content

7. Create a mood board to guide your design.

Since your content is now rock solid, you can start planning your presentation design . To ensure your design is consistent and intentional, don’t launch into designing slides without first creating a mood board.

What is a mood board? A mood board is a curated collection of influences that form a map for you to follow during the design process.  

Mood boards typically include a color scheme, your few selected fonts, photography style samples, icons, and a few design samples that match your ideal look and feel.

When developing your color scheme, take your time. Colors can dramatically influence the emotions and behaviors of viewers, so don’t rush and select colors impulsively.  Since reactions to colors vary across cultures, genders, and ages, do your homework to know what colors are the most appropriate for your presentation, and your specific audience.

For presentations, fonts are just as important as color scheme, images, and layout.   Limit yourself to using one or two fonts throughout the presentation. Too many different fonts might distract the audience, and effective fonts are something that should live in the background of your presentation. The audience shouldn’t necessarily notice them in any particular way; they should simply work with the content presented. Choose fonts that flow with the theme, narrative and content of your presentation.

Tools to Help Create Mood boards:

1.  Adobe Suite   (In-Design, Illustrator, Photoshop) Adobe Suite can be time intensive to learn, but allows you play with layouts and bring some of the proposed elements/inspiration into the design of the moodboard.

2.  Evernote – A quick and easy way to store thoughts and images through text, recordings, and images. Both mobile and desktop versions are available.

3.  Pinterest – A highly visual moodboard where you can save images from the internet to their respective “boards” or upload your own.

4.  Sampleboard – An online concept creation tool that is basically a Pinterest board on steroids. It allows users to search by color, palette, or pattern and share with ease.

5.  Adobe Color CC : To design with a unified color scheme, start by visiting Adobe Color CC; it is one of the best tools available for presentation designers when selecting color schemes. Both a web-based tool and a free app, Adobe Color CC allows you to explore and create infinite color schemes.

If you’re not sure how to devise a mood board with a look and feel that will resonate with your target audience, create a few mood boards and share them with colleagues who are similar to the demographic of your presentation audience.   Let their preferences guide your design decision.

Summary : Just like most people create a Pinterest board before remodeling a room in their house, you need to create a mood board before designing your presentation.  Carefully select fonts, colors, and inspiration pieces to build a mood board that can guide your design process.

How To Choose Fonts For Presentation Design

Design Presentations with Consistent Color Schemes

8. Design your slides.

The slide design stage is exciting because you finally get to see your presentation blossom into a beautiful masterpiece of visual communication.  

If you’re tired of working on your presentation, this is another great time to take a break and replenish your personal creative resources. If you get sloppy during the design process, you are essentially throwing away all of your hard work.

For example, if you select visuals that don’t directly support your message, your audience members will exert unnecessary mental energy trying to connect the visuals to your concept. All of the time you spent refining your content will be wasted because your audience will not be listening to you if they are too busy trying to understand your seemingly unrelated design . Visuals should simplify your message for your audience, not muddy the meaning of your presentation.

So, how can you design slides that enhance your message?  Think BIG. Big visuals and big text are ideal for presentations because they keep your audience from straining to view the elements on your slides.

The slides below are good examples of big visuals and big text.

To create slides with big visuals, aim to use visual elements that can cover the entire slide. Never place a small visual in the center of your slide, and leave the rest of your slide empty. If your visual elements are low resolution and will pixelate if stretched to fill the slide, use the rule of thirds to find an appropriate place for your visual on the slide. However, if possible, avoid low-resolution elements at all costs.  Low resolution visuals can quickly kill your credibility.

In addition, question every design element you choose to include. Look at your slides from the perspective of an audience member who is unfamiliar with your presentation topic. Will they understand your choice of visual elements? For example, if you want to use a photo on a slide about the power of storytelling , you might want to skip over stock photos that show someone reading a book in a library, and instead opt for a picture featuring a group of people laughing around a campfire. Yes, the images that feature someone reading in a library relate to storytelling , but they do not relate to the power of storytelling. However a photo of people telling stories around a campfire demonstrates the bonding that occurs as a result of storytelling.  You need to be this nit-picky when selecting visual elements. Every detail matters when it comes to slide design .

Before you declare your presentation design complete, show your slides to a few unbiased friends who are similar in demographic to your target audience. Take their feedback seriously. If your slides don’t resonate with them, you need to make changes until the feedback is positive.

Summary : To stay on track during the design process, revisit your mood board and storyboard as you create every slide. Check to make sure you are using the correct content, fonts, colors, as well as visual elements that match your intended look and feel. Every detail matters.

The Ethos3 Presentation Design Portfolio

Free Stock Photos To Beautify Your Professional Presentations

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Subscribe To The Ethos3 YouTube channel

9. Practice with purpose.

Congratulations! If you’ve reached the practice stage, that means you have successfully written and designed your presentation.

Since there are many ways to practice for a talk, you should experiment with the different suggestions below. Find one that works for you and stick with it, or mix and match techniques to create your own unique approach. Whatever you do, don’t try to wing it. Some speakers worry that practice will decrease their authenticity on stage, however the opposite is true. A prepared speaker can focus on the audience, walk around the stage, and enjoy the moment, instead of focusing all of their attention on developing and delivering a structured and meaningful presentation on the fly.

The more you practice, the more authentic you can be on stage.  

For example, if you notice that audience members are falling asleep, you can spontaneously add an interactive element to your talk, and then get back on course, because you know your material that well.   If you do not know your material, being present in the moment will be nearly impossible.

As you practice your talk, don’t rehearse your content verbatim.  By practicing repeatedly in a conversational style, you will naturally learn your presentation in its entirety, however you will not feel pressured to recite your talk word-for-word when you present.

If you are only practicing in front of a mirror at home, or reading your slides from the comfort of your couch, your efforts are not going to yield impressive results. Don’t hide away when you practice your presentation.  Bring your presentation into the real world by practicing in front of real people, not the audience in your mind.   Try to make your practice feel like the real thing, as much as possible. Do not be offended by any of the given to you during the practice sessions. Remember, you are rehearsing to work out any kinks in your talk, not to collect compliments.

To prepare for presenting in front of a mentor, colleagues, or friends and family members, first  record videos of some of your private practice sessions.  Remember to stand up, use your slides, and take your practice seriously.

Try to make your practice sessions feel as much like the real thing as possible. By watching recordings of your talk you can eliminate any glaring problems with your content, slide design , or delivery.

Also, take advantage of all of the benefits of your recordings by listening to some of your practice sessions when you commute to work, or walk around your neighborhood. Listening to your presentation, instead of only reading or speaking it, will give you a fresh perspective on your material.

In order to see positive results,  studies have also shown  that your brain must engage in “mindful” practice. This means avoiding doing the same thing over and over on autopilot without actively trying different techniques and slowly working through problems.

Summary : Practice, and then practice again and again. If you know your material inside and out, you will be able to improvise to respond to unexpected occurrences or to add a conversational tone to your presentation.

The Complete Guide to Practicing Before a Presentation

Why You Need to Practice Before Presenting at a Conference

Memorize Your Speech With This Memory Trick

10. Own the stage.

To be a great public speaker, you need to be present in the moment during your presentation. You should be tuned into the reactions and cues from the audience, as well as focused on your material.  

To be present in the moment, prepare for worst-case scenarios such as spilling coffee on your shirt before your presentation, or your laptop malfunctioning during your talk.  Think through a plan for your worst fears, and bring supplies to help you survive any technical or logistical emergencies. Once you have addressed your greatest fears, let them go, and focus on being happy, confident, and focused on the present moment.

Before you take the stage, practice some power poses to raise your testosterone and lower your cortisol.  

For example, stand like superman with your fists on your hips, and your chest expanded. Hold this pose for a few minutes to get the maximum effect. Power poses are proven to help you reduce stress, and increase confidence.

When you’re on stage, loosen up. Let your hands gesture naturally during your presentation. Research has shown that presenters are judged as more effective and competent when they make hand gestures compared with when they keep their hands still , according to  The 4 Ways You Can Use Body Language To Influence Success  by Christian Jarrett.

While gesturing, be especially aware of how you use your palms.  In his TEDx talk,  Body Language, the power is in the palm of your hands ,  Allan Pease uses humor, stories, case studies, and audience interaction to deliver a compelling case for the importance of using your palms wisely when speaking.  There are more connections between your brain and the palm of your hands than any other body part , according to Pease.  So clearly, the palms have evolved as an important part of human brains,  Pease concludes. In one of the case studies mentioned by Pease, palm orientation was tested; the study concluded  the palm up speaker had up to 40% more retention of the deal than the palm down speaker . Speaking with your palms up will make you more likable and persuasive. If you speak with your palms down, you will be perceived as threatening and controlling.

In addition, remember to smile.  A recent study at Penn State University found that when you smile, you don’t only appear to be more likable and courteous, but you actually appear to be more competent ,  according to the TED talk,  The Hidden Power of Smiling , by Ron Gutman.

Also, since you should never read from you slides, your body should be open to the audience, and your eyes should be scanning the audience. When you make eye contact with someone in the crowd, hold their gaze for a few seconds to let them know you see them, and want to connect with them. Don’t overdo it though. Keep eye contact as long as it feels natural, and then move on.

If your presentation is being filmed, look into the camera. A study between the University of Wolverhampton and Stirling discovered that viewers remembered a speaker better if they looked into the directly into the camera  at least 30% of the time  during a speech.

Lastly, move and pause during your presentation. Own the stage, and never stand frozen behind a podium. Adding movement to your presentation will help you keep the attention of your audience, and will also help you shake off any nerves.  

Summary: Prepare for the worst-case scenarios, and then let go of your fears. When you’re on stage, be happy, enthusiastic, and connect to the audience with your eyes and body language. Whatever you do – don’t just stand there . You’re presentation matters. This is YOUR time to shine.

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The 3 Best Body Language Tips For Presentations

Fight Your Fear of Public Speaking – 4 Proven Methods

How An Improv Class Can Improve Your Public Speaking

How To Introduce Yourself Before A Presentation

Final Thoughts: 33 Presentation Tips

If, after reviewing the information above you still have questions or concerns about your presentation, don’t fret – we are here to help you!  Send us your questions on Twitter , or contact us via email or phone .

And if you want us to come teach your team how to create and deliver captivating presentations , we would be honored to schedule a training workshop for you and your staff.

The bottom line:   We are here to help you create amazing presentations!

Leslie Belknap

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Elevate Your Presentations: Mastering English Presentation Words and Phrases

The art of delivering a compelling presentation lies in the finesse of your language skills. It’s about crafting resonating sentences, choosing captivating words, and initiating a dialogue that piques curiosity. One must know how to maneuver through this landscape, from setting the scene with a powerful introduction to concluding with a thought-provoking statement. That’s where this guide comes in. It will give you key presentation sentences, phrases, and words to help elevate your communication skills.

Presentation Starting Phrases

In the realm of presentations, first impressions matter tremendously. Your opening words set the stage for the rest of your discourse, establishing the tone and drawing in your audience. The right choice of phrases can create a compelling introduction that commands attention and sparks interest. Here, we will explore a selection of presentation-starting words and phrases to help you set a strong foundation:

• I’d like to start by…
• Today, I’m here to discuss…
• Let’s begin with a look at…
• Good morning/afternoon/evening, my name is…
• It’s a pleasure to be here today to talk about…
• Let’s dive straight into…
• I would like to kick off with…
• Firstly, let’s consider…
• Have you ever wondered about…
• Thank you for joining me as we explore…
• Today’s focus will be on…
• Let’s set the stage by discussing…
• The topic at hand today is…
• To start, let’s examine…
• I want to begin by highlighting…

Crafting an engaging opening with the presentation starting words, is akin to opening the first page of a riveting novel. These phrases serve as a doorway, inviting your audience into the fascinating narrative you are about to share.

Setting the Scene: Key Presentation Phrases

Now that you have your audience’s attention, the next crucial step is to set the scene. It involves using key phrases to keep your audience engaged, clarify, and effectively communicate your main points. A well-set scene guides the audience through your presentation, helping them understand your narrative and easily follow your arguments. Let’s look at some essential phrases that can help you accomplish it:

• Moving on to the next point, we see...
• Delving deeper into this topic, we find...
• An important aspect to consider is...
• It leads us to the question of...
• Another critical point to remember is...
• To illustrate this point, let me share...
• On the other hand, we also have...
• Furthermore, it’s critical to note that...
• Let’s take a moment to examine...
• As an example, let’s look at...
• The evidence suggests that...
• Contrary to popular belief...
• It’s also worth noting that...
• Digging into this further, we discover...
• Expanding on this idea, we can see...
• Turning our attention to...
• The data indicate that...
• To clarify, let’s consider...
• To highlight this, let’s review...
• Putting this into perspective, we can infer...

These phrases help establish your narrative, maintain audience interest, and structure your arguments. They serve as signposts, guiding your audience through the presentation and facilitating understanding and engagement.

Transitioning Gracefully: Phrases for Presentation Flow

Transitioning between points or sections in your presentation is like steering a ship through water. Smooth navigation keeps your audience aboard, maintaining their interest and comprehension. Seamless transitions contribute to a coherent and compelling narrative, preventing abrupt jumps or confusing shifts in your discourse. The following phrases are powerful tools that can ensure your transitions are smooth and effective:

• Moving forward, let’s consider...
• With that said, let’s turn our attention to...
• Now that we’ve discussed X, let’s explore Y...
• Building upon this idea, we can see that...
• Transitioning to our next point, we find...
• Shifting gears, let’s examine...
• Let’s now pivot to discussing...
• Following this line of thought...
• Linking back to our earlier point...
• Let’s segue into our next topic...
• It brings us neatly to our next point...
• To bridge this with our next topic...
• In the same vein, let’s look at...
• Drawing a parallel to our previous point...
• Expanding the scope of our discussion, let’s move to...
• Having established that, we can now consider...
• Correlating this with our next point...
• Let’s transition now to a related idea...
• With this in mind, let’s proceed to...
• Steering our discussion in a new direction, let’s delve into...

These phrases connect threads, linking your ideas and ensuring your presentation flows smoothly. They give your audience cues, signaling that you’re moving from one idea or point to the next, making your discourse easy to follow.

Concluding Your Presentation in English

The conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your audience. It’s a chance to wrap up your arguments, restate your main points, and leave your audience with a clear and compelling message to ponder. Here are some phrases that can assist you in crafting a memorable conclusion:

• To sum up our discussion today...
• In conclusion, we can say that...
• Wrapping up, the key takeaways from our talk are...
• As we come to an end, let’s revisit the main points...
• Bringing our discussion to a close, we find...
• In the light of our discussion, we can infer...
• To synthesize the main points of our discourse...
• To recap the primary themes of our presentation...
• As we conclude, let’s reflect on...
• Drawing our discussion to a close, the principal conclusions are...
• As our dialogue comes to an end, the core insights are...
• In wrapping up, it’s essential to remember...
• Summarizing our journey today, we can say...
• As we bring this presentation to a close, let’s remember...
• Coming to an end, our central message is...

These phrases help you consolidate your arguments, summarize your main points, and end on a high note. A well-structured conclusion ensures your audience understands your presentation, its key messages, and its implications.

Polished Presentation Vocabulary

Apart from structured sentences and transitional phrases, the vocabulary you use can add a touch of sophistication. An expanded lexicon enriches your language and enhances your ability to express complex ideas with clarity and precision. Let’s explore a list of presentation words that can add depth and dimension:

• Elucidate  -   make something clear, explain.
• Pivotal  -   of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else.
• Insights  -   an accurate and deep understanding.
• Nuanced  -   characterized by subtle distinctions or variations.
• Leverage  -   use something to maximum advantage.
• Perspective  -   a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something.
• Synthesize  -   combine   into a coherent whole.
• Salient  -   most noticeable or important.
• Correlation  -   a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things.
• Framework  -   a basic structure underlying a system or concept.
• Paradigm  - a typical example or pattern of something.
• Repercussions  -   an unintended consequence of an event or action.
• Contemplate  -   look thoughtfully for a long time.
• Manifestation - an event, action, or object that embodies something.
• Escalate  -   increase rapidly.
• Inherent  -   existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute.
• Validate  -   check or prove the validity or accuracy of.
• Consolidate  -   make something physically more solid.
• Compelling  -   evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.
• Delineate  -   describe or portray something precisely.

These words add a layer of sophistication to your presentation, conveying your thoughts and ideas more precisely. They expand your expressive capacity and lend an authoritative and professional tone to your speech. By integrating these words into your presentation, you can deliver your message with clarity and depth, engaging your audience more effectively.

The Corporate Edge: Navigating the Nuances of Business English Presentations

In the corporate world, effective communication is the linchpin of success. It’s an art that lies at the heart of all business interactions, from high-stakes meetings to persuasive pitches. And when it comes to delivering such a presentation, the task becomes even more critical. The business English presentation phrases you use, how you present your points, and the overall language command play a significant role in conveying your message effectively.

Presenting in a business setting often involves explaining complex ideas, discussing financial matters, and persuading potential clients or stakeholders. Here, the language must be precise, the tone - professional, and the content - structured. Unlike informal or academic ones, business presentations carry a certain degree of formality and specific jargon that sets them apart. However,  business English idioms and expressions can help soften the formality, adding a touch of personality to your language. 

Navigating the labyrinth of  business English also involves acknowledging the importance of research and planning. A well-researched presentation reflects your dedication, expertise, and credibility. It shows you respect your audience’s time and are prepared to deliver value. It’s not just about memorizing facts and figures; it’s about understanding your topic thoroughly and answering queries convincingly.

Another characteristic of business presentations lies in their persuasive nature. Often, they are geared toward persuading clients, investors, or team members toward a particular course of action. Consequently, using persuasive techniques such as presenting benefits, sharing testimonials, or demonstrating success stories becomes prevalent. You’re not just providing information; you’re trying to influence decisions and drive action.

An essential but often overlooked aspect of business presentations is the importance of a strong opening and closing. The opening is your chance to grab the audience’s attention and make them invested in your talk, so knowing how to start a business presentation is essential. Conversely, the closing is your final shot at reinforcing your message and making a lasting impression.

Finally, business presentations often involve handling criticism or skepticism, especially when proposing new ideas or challenging existing norms. Here, your ability to accept feedback gracefully, address concerns effectively, and maintain your composure can significantly impact the outcome.

Learn Vocabulary for Presentations with Promova

Looking to expand your vocabulary for presentations and  improve your language skills online ? Promova is here to help! Our platform offers various resources and courses to help learners of all levels master new words and expressions quickly, effectively, and confidently.

With personalized lessons from  certified tutors , you can get one-on-one instruction that caters to your specific needs and learning style. Additionally, our app allows you to access interactive exercises, quizzes, and vocabulary lists anytime and anywhere for easy practice on the go. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner looking to fine-tune your language skills – we have got you covered.

Don’t let language barriers hold you back any longer – start your learning journey with Promova today and take the first step toward achieving your goals! Try it out now with a free lesson and see how easy and effective our approach is.

As we conclude, it’s clear that effective presentations in English rely on various linguistic elements. A strong beginning, transitions, and a powerful conclusion, all while using precise vocabulary, are critical. The ability to craft compelling sentences and phrases, set the scene effectively, and transition smoothly between ideas are essential for a successful presentation. And the correct vocabulary can add depth and dimension to your discourse while conveying professionalism.

What role does body language play in presentations?

Body language can significantly impact how your message is perceived. Effective use of gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions can amplify your points, show enthusiasm, and engage the audience. Conversely, negative body language can detract from your message.

How important is it to know your audience before a presentation?

Knowing your audience is crucial. It informs the level of detail you need to include, the words and phrases you use, the examples you choose, and even the humor you might incorporate. Tailoring your presentation to your audience’s knowledge and interests can significantly enhance its effectiveness.

What if I make a mistake during my presentation?

Everyone makes mistakes. If you stumble during your presentation, take a moment, compose yourself, and move on. Don’t let a minor error disrupt your flow. Remember, the audience is there to listen to your ideas, not critique your performance.

Are there some resources with more phrases for presentations?

Indeed, many resources are available if you’re seeking to delve deeper into the world of presentation phrases.  The Cambridge Dictionary and  Merriam-Webster Dictionary offer many valuable collocations, from simple expressions to sophisticated vocabulary.

How to Start a Presentation (+ Useful Phrases)

Table of Contents

Knowing how to start a presentation is a crucial skill in today’s professional landscape.

After all, many office workers are called on to prepare a presentation at some point during their careers.

And, of course, many people are looking to share their expertise through workshops and lectures.

With that in mind, we wanted to dedicate an article to learning about the best ways to deliver an impactful presentation opening.

So, whether you’re currently struggling to come up with introductory lines for a presentation, or you have a more passive interest in this subject — you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll:

• Share expert tips for preparing the best opening lines for any type of professional presentation ,
• Offer some valuable examples and specific phrases you can use, and even
• Analyze the way professional speakers approach their presentations.

But first, let’s talk about why having a good introduction is such a crucial part of any presentation.

Why does having a good introduction to a presentation matter?

If you’ve ever had to prepare an address, you probably understand the importance of having an impactful introduction to a presentation.

If the body of a speech contains most of the information you want to share with the audience and the conclusion allows you to invite the audience to take action — the introduction is how you get them to listen to you in the first place.

In other words, a presentation is a motivated sequence — a method of persuasion with 5 distinct steps:

• Attention — wherein the speaker introduces the problem the listeners are having in an interesting manner. In the format of a presentation, this step is the introduction .
• Need — the speaker explains how the problem affects the listeners and backs up their claims. This step corresponds with the body of a presentation , along with the following two.
• Satisfaction — the speaker offers a solution and shows how it will alleviate the concern they have previously identified.
• Visualization — the speaker describes precisely what will happen if the listeners choose to implement their solution. Sometimes, they also describe what will happen if their solution is not implemented. This concludes the body of the presentation.
• Action — the speaker directs the listeners with a call to action, explaining what they can do in response to their presentation. This step represents the conclusion of a presentation.

Even though this framework was developed in the 1930s, it’s still a useful tool for people who want to improve their presenting skills.

What do professional speakers have to say about the importance of opening a presentation effectively?

For more insight into the importance of starting a presentation with a bang, we turned to professional speakers and communication experts.

We put the question to Mark Beal , Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication, at Rutgers University School of Communication and Information. Here’s what he had to say:

“It is critically important to engage your audience immediately at the start of a presentation in a high-energy manner, or you could lose them to their mobile phone or laptop and you may never get them back.”

Speaker, author, communication skills trainer, and editorial producer at CNN, Nadia Bilchik , added:

“The beginning of your presentation is your prime real estate. It’s when your audience decides if you are worth paying attention to or not.”

So, in addition to capturing the audience’s attention , your introduction also needs to establish your authority .

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Having said that, let’s talk about the specific steps you need to take before you begin presenting to make your presentation opening as memorable as it can be.

How to prepare the best opening for a presentation

Before we tell you how to start a presentation speech, let’s take a moment to consider the best preparation practices .

Naturally, preparing the introductory lines for your presentation should take place well before the speech itself.

Even so, many novice speakers are still unaware of the different factors that should influence and inform their decisions in this regard.

Luckily, we have managed to boil the results of our extensive research down to the following 3 tips:

• Take note of the way other people start their presentations ,
• Understand the goals of an introduction , and
• Know your audience .

Having said that, let’s see what each of those tips entails.

Tip #1: Watch other speakers’ openers

As Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich , puts it:

“Experience has taught me that the next best thing to being truly great is to emulate the great, by feeling and action, as nearly as possible.”

With that in mind, the best thing you can do before drafting your speech is observe the way others have made theirs.

In this case, you’ll want to focus on the way professional speakers introduce themselves and the subjects of their presentations .

The goal of this exercise is to determine:

• What makes a good opening statement ,
• Which openers are generally effective with audiences, and
• What kinds of introductions you resonate with .

Somewhere in the middle of those categories is where you’ll find the opening lines of your presentation.

For their part, the experts we have contacted seem to agree with this tip.

Nadia Bilchik said:

“I have been speaking and training speaking skills for three decades and I still do a tremendous amount of research and customize each and every presentation. If I am speaking […] about the hybrid workplace, I will Google [the] latest statistics. I will also go onto YouTube to see what other speakers and thought leaders are saying about the subject.”

And Mark Beal mirrored her thoughts:

“I am consistently studying presentations in a quest to be a student who is always learning, evolving, transforming, and innovating my approach to presenting. I closely watch all types of presentations, from TEDx Talks to my former students who return to guest lecture in my university courses.”

Tip #2: Understand the goals of an introduction

According to the other authors of Communicating at Work , an introduction has 5 distinct objectives . It should:

• Capture the listener’s attention (or, as professional speakers might say, “hook” them),
• Give them a reason to listen (offer a solution to a personal or professional problem they have),
• Set the proper tone for the topic and setting (let the audience know whether they’re in for an informative, emotional, or humorous speech),
• Establish your qualifications (explain why the audience should listen to you , specifically), and
• Introduce your thesis and preview your presentation (so that the audience knows what to expect in advance).

With those goals in mind, Nadia Bilchik would even say that:

“It’s always best to have someone else introduce you and confirm your credibility.”

That puts the onus of explaining why you deserve to be there on the host of the meeting and allows you to skip that part of the introduction.

However, these 5 objectives are not a checklist you have to follow at all costs.

Depending on the circumstances surrounding your presentation, some of them will matter more than others.

Speaking of, there’s one last thing to keep in mind when crafting your presentation opening.

Tip #3: Know your audience

The audience you end up presenting to will affect everything from the way you organize your presentation to your style of delivery — and even the supporting materials you use.

Your presentation’s opening lines are no exception.

In other words, the content and style of your introduction will depend on the size of the group you’re speaking to and its demographic breakdown .

However, perhaps the most important audience attribute you’ll have to keep in mind is its willingness to listen and engage with your message .

In Business Communication: Process & Product , authors Mary Guffey and Dana Loewy have identified 4 types of audiences based on that factor:

• Friendly — an audience that likes you and cares about your topic,
• Neutral — an audience that is calm and considers itself objective,
• Uninterested — an audience full of people with short attention spans (who may or may not be there against their will), and
• Hostile — an emotional or defensive audience whose goal is to take charge or ridicule the speaker.

Luckily, Guffey and Loewy have also provided some guidance for dealing with each of those kinds of audiences.

How to start a presentation effectively (tips + examples)

It’s the day of your big presentation — time to go big or go home.

Which of the following tips would you incorporate in your presentation opening lines?

• Exude confidence.
• Drop the pleasantries.
• Prove your expertise.
• Begin with a realistic promise (explain what the audience stands to gain from your presentation).
• Go for the drama.
• Fall back on an insightful quote or a pop culture reference.
• Share an interesting statistic.
• Ask questions.
• Relieve tension with a joke or a humorous statement.
• Use visual tools (like images, videos, or props).

If you haven’t thought about which one of these would help you get your point across effectively — don’t worry.

We’re about to explain each of those tips and provide some illuminating examples and specific phrases you can use when starting a presentation.

Tip #1: Exude confidence

One thing you need to know about starting a presentation is that your work begins the moment you set foot on that stage .

Alternatively, it begins the moment someone passes you the (literal or figurative) mic — if we’re taking into account the presentations that take place on video conferencing platforms.

In any case, you’ll want the audience to see you as someone who knows what they’re talking about . That includes:

• Making eye contact ,
• Moving with intention (not fidgeting),
• Wearing professional attire (or at least appropriate attire for the occasion),
• Projecting your words , and
• Showing your confidence through nonverbal cues . 

One of the experts we spoke to, Reesa Woolf , PhD, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and executive speaking coach, would even advise you to rehearse your opener and closer to the point of being able to “deliver them with 100% eye contact.”

For what it’s worth, overpreparing also allows you to appear more confident when presenting , as you’ll be less worried about forgetting parts of your speech.

Then again, a moment of forgetfulness can also be turned into a tool for establishing a commanding presence.

Namely, staying still or being quiet for a moment can make the audience pay closer attention to you.

But, if that’s something you’d like to try, make sure the technique doesn’t clash with the type of audience you’re presenting to .

Tip #2: Drop the pleasantries

Have you ever heard a professional public speaker use one of these phrases?

• “It’s a pleasure to be here.”
• “I’m honored to be asked to speak about…”
• “Today, I’m going to talk about…”

The chances of a professional using these phrases are pretty slim — so why would you?

Well, there’s nothing wrong with following a traditional format to introduce yourself . 

However, you’ll have to admit that the sentences we have listed above don’t pack the same punch as some of the other presentation opening lines we have included in this article.

Keynote speaker, Forbes contributor, career change consultant, and host of the Career Relaunch® podcast, Joseph Liu , recommends avoiding greetings altogether .

“While I do say hello, rather than starting with drawn-out greetings, I recommend diving right into the presentation with a hook so your audience immediately switches on to the content you’re about to present.”

Speaker, bestselling author, and award-winning accountant, Tatiana Tsoir , notes:

“People’s attention span is 20 minutes max, which is why TEDx is capped at 18 min. Also, people generally remember the beginning and the end, so make sure those are strong [and] get to the point fast.”

So, instead of wasting time on small talk, use an opener that will get your audience’s attention as quickly as possible.

💡 Pumble pro tip

Even though the examples we have listed would be considered a weak way to start a speech, some of them are ideal for starting a business meeting. If you want to know some other expressions that might come in handy in that kind of setting, check out this article:

• 120 Useful English phrases for business meetings

Tip #3: Prove your expertise

As we have established, starting a presentation with a traditional introduction may not be the best way to get the audience’s attention.

Still, you’ll have to establish your credibility at some point — so we might as well illustrate how to do so properly.

Of course, if you’re a teacher or an educator in broader terms, you probably won’t have to prove your expertise to your audience.

However, if you’re tasked with presenting in front of neutral or hostile audiences, you’ll want to establish your qualifications as soon as possible.

If you can’t get someone else to introduce you and establish your credibility before you start your presentation, we suggest hooking the audience first and then introducing yourself right before you head into the main part of the speech.

Phrases you can use to establish your credibility

We have come up with 3 imaginary presentation scenarios to help illustrate our points throughout this guide.

Here’s how our speakers might introduce themselves:

“Hello, everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Nick Mulder, the head of the security department. I’m here to talk to you about phishing.”

“My name is Joan Miller. As someone with over four decades of experience in marketing, I’m uniquely qualified to talk to you about how artificial intelligence is changing the future of the industry.”

“I’m Milo Green — you probably know me as being the founder of Green & Co. As someone who’s had a hand in running a successful business for over two decades, I’m here to explain how my company’s employee retention rate has never fallen below 85% in a single year.”

If these speakers started with a hook rather than an introduction, the sentences introducing the subject of their presentations would be excessive.

Tip #4: Begin with a realistic promise

So far, there’s been a lot of discussion about “hooks” in this article and not many specific examples of phrases that might hook an audience — let’s change that.

The first type of hook you might want to master, especially for professional presentations, is the “promise.”

One of the experts we have spoken to, Reesa Wolf, uses that very method:

“Begin with a brief statement about the benefits of listening to [your] message. You can give an example of a company or person like them that had the issue they have and how these ideas solved it, but it still must be brief.”

In other words, start by giving them a preview of the knowledge they’ll have by the time you finish your presentation.

This method of starting a presentation is a great way to:

• Show that you’re in tune with the listeners’ needs, concerns, and interests ,
• Offer a solution to a problem the audience might have , or
• Keep the audience interested throughout your presentation .

Ultimately, audiences are self-interested — they will listen to you if you explain what’s in it for them.

Usually, that will require you to point out a problem they are having or an opportunity they’re not taking advantage of.

Phrases you can use to offer a realistic promise

To put this tip in perspective, let’s hear from our imaginary presenters:

“By the end of my talk, you’ll be able to spot phishing emails and understand the steps you need to take when you do.”

“My presentation will alleviate any worries you might have about the ways the marketing sector will need to adapt to the AI revolution.”

“During this talk, you’ll learn how your company can improve its relationship with its employees and boost its retention rate.”

Tip #5: Go for the drama

One thing you should note as you are writing your presentation opening is that the first words you say will set the tone for the rest of your speech .

If offering a realistic promise to your audience suits your presentation subject — by all means, do so.

However, if you’d like to induce excitement and keep your audience’s mood elevated throughout your presentation, you might want to go for a more dramatic entrance instead.

Namely, you could start with:

• A fun fact,
• A startling statement, or
• An emotionally moving story.

Many speakers rely on these kinds of openers to establish the central theme of their presentation naturally .

After all, this method can make the speaker look more approachable and relatable , particularly if their opening line references other people (e.g. “the other day, I met someone/a coworker told me…” ).

One example of this technique comes from author, entrepreneur, and certified fraud examiner, Pamela Meyer, who famously started her TED Talk by pointing to an audience member and saying:

“Okay, now, I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. Also, the person to your left is a liar! Also, the person sitting in your very seat is a liar.”

The combination of starting her speech with such a shocking statement and pointing out a specific audience member makes Meyer’s TED Talk an iconic one in our books!

Phrases you can use for a dramatic opening

Now, let’s see how our imaginary speakers would apply this tip:

“1,270,883! What do you think that number signifies? If you guessed ‘the number of phishing attacks recorded in the third quarter of 2022’ — you’d be right! We have the Anti-Phishing Working Group to thank for that disturbing piece of trivia.”

“Artificial intelligence is coming for our jobs! At least, according to Chat GPT and Business Insider , people working in tech, media, law, and many other industries might want to look elsewhere for employment in the coming years.”

“When I first started my company, I did it with about 20 of my most trusted friends and advisers. I’m happy to report that all but two are still working for Green & Co. — and those two are only absent because they’ve started their own successful ventures! In any case, my wish to surround myself with high-quality people has manifested itself in the company’s high employee retention rates. Today, I’m going to tell you about how I created an environment that makes employees want to stick around.”

Tip #6: Fall back on a quote or a pop culture reference

When in doubt, you could always start the introduction to your presentation with a quote.

As long as you don’t overuse other peoples’ words in your speeches, quotations are a completely legitimate and convenient tool for introducing the topic you’ll be discussing.

Aside from being a tried and true method of getting people’s attention without having to string together a perfect sentence on your own, quoting a particularly impressive individual is a good way to “borrow” their authority .

However, that can also be a double-edged sword , since it can also give you the individual’s notoriety. So, make sure you know whose words you’re echoing.

Of course, some people would advise you to avoid quotes altogether.

Assistant Professor of Rhetorical Communication at the State University of New York, Dr. Lee M. Pierce , cautions against starting your presentation “with quotes or long personal stories.”

Doing so might bore the audience.

Then again, Dr. Pierce also enjoys using pop culture references as openers, saying:

“By choosing a pop culture reference that most of your audience gets, you build instant rapport and have something you can use to ease them into your presentation material.”

So, perhaps there’s still a way to work a quote into your presentation, as long as it fits the mood you’re trying to establish.

If your presentation happens to be about team communication or collaboration, you may find the perfect quote to use in your introduction in one of these articles:

• 45+ Best team communication quotes  
• 80+ Best teamwork quotes that will inspire team collaboration

Phrases you can use when you’re opening with a quote

So, how would our three fictional speakers incorporate quotations in their opening lines? Let’s find out.

“According to Harper Reed, entrepreneur and Chief Technology Officer for Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, ‘Very smart people are often tricked by hackers, by phishing.’ So it’s not about being smart. It’s about being smarter than a hacker.’ And I’m here to help you get there.”

“Stephen Hawking once said that ‘Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately,’ he said, ‘it might also be the last, unless we know how to avoid the risks.’ I’m here to alleviate your concerns about those risks.”

“When I was developing my management style, I often referred back to one particular quote by Max DePree, founder of Herman Miller. He said, ‘The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.’ That sentiment clarified my function for me — even though I was the CEO of my company, I was primarily there to help my employees.”

If you want to make sure your audience understands what you’re talking about, you could also show the quote on the first slide of your presentation.

Tip #7: Share an interesting statistic

Using relevant, interesting statistics is another great way to introduce the topic of your presentation.

This tip could also be an excellent tool for establishing your qualifications, if you decide to share a statistic that proves the efficacy of the solution you’re presenting.

Just keep in mind that people tend to trust third-party sources more than a potentially unverifiable statistic coming from your organization’s internal research.

Phrases you can use to introduce your presentation with a statistic

Let’s see how our three presenters might incorporate this tip.

“According to APWG, the number of wire transfer Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks increased by 59% in the third quarter of 2022.”

“Netflix took 3.5 years to reach a million users. Facebook took 10 months. ChatGPT, which has been dubbed the best AI chatbot ever released by New York Times, reached its first million users in only 5 days. By January 2023, over 100 million people had used the service.”

“According to the 2022 Workplace Learning Report from LinkedIn Learning, companies that enable their employees to advance internally retain employees for an average of 5.4 years. That’s nearly twice as long as companies that struggle to provide opportunities for internal mobility, where the average retention span is 2.9 years.”

And, if you wanted to go the extra mile, you could also represent the statistics you’re talking about with a visual element.

Tip #8: Ask questions

Once you start researching public speakers, you’ll find that many of them engage their audience by asking questions .

It goes back to the concept of “hooking” your audience. According to Joseph Liu:

“The best way to start a presentation is with a hook. For example, ask a question. Invite people to do something. Have your audience imagine a situation. Or, surprise them with an interesting fact.”

Indeed, most of the experts we have spoken to would confirm that questions are the best tool for increasing audience participation . As Nadia Bilchik would say:

“ I like to ask my audience a question. […] the key is to invite participation from the start. ”

With that in mind, there are 2 types of questions you can use, depending on the situation:

• Direct questions require answers from the audience. Speakers might ask for a show of hands or use a polling tool that allows people to stay anonymous while also showing the results for everyone to see.
• Rhetorical questions are about asking the audience to envision a scenario that allows you to introduce the topic of the presentation. These sometimes have a “What if” construction.

Either way, the questions should prompt the audience to start thinking about the subject of your lecture. 

Questions you might use to open a presentation

Our resident phishing expert might ask his audience one of the following questions:

“How do you protect your company from phishing attacks?”

“Let’s see a show of hands — how many of you know what phishing is?”

“Has anyone here fallen prey to a phishing attack?”

Joan Miller, the digital marketer we have envisioned, might ask:

“Who here is already using AI to conduct their business?”

“Will your company survive the AI revolution?”

“Would you rather incorporate AI into your marketing strategy or continue doing business as usual? Think carefully about this question — and use the link I’m about to send you to tell me your answers. By the end of my presentation, I’ll run this question by you again, and we’ll see how the results of the poll have changed.”

Lastly, our imaginary CEO might ask his audience:

“Does your company’s employee retention rate matter?”

“How are you making your company a desirable place to work?”

”Can anyone here tell me their company’s employee retention rate?”

Tip #9: Relieve tension with a humorous statement

If you sense that your audience isn’t in the mood to take in the kind of presentation you have prepared, you can prime them for it with humor.

Cracking a joke at the top of your presentation sets the scene for a lighthearted conversation and makes you appear confident (even if you’re not). Additionally, a well-placed joke can:

• Get the audience interested ,
• Make a point about the topic of your presentation , and
• Increase your likeability .

But, humor is an art form — and not everyone has the talent and skill to execute this tip effectively. If it doesn’t come naturally, there’s no need to force it.

When in doubt, take a page out of the comedian’s playbook and run your opening joke by a friend or, better yet, a more neutral acquaintance.

Of course, even if your joke works on them, you can’t always account for cultural or even professional differences that might prevent some people in the audience from getting it.

Jokes for opening a presentation

The 3 speakers we have imagined might use the following jokes to kick off their presentations:

“Can anyone tell me a hacker’s favorite season? Phishing season, of course! Unfortunately, in real life, phishing season is more of a year-round kind of thing.”

“Why are people so nice to AI? Because it’s self-conscious! Just kidding. For now… Actually, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that AI does seem to be gaining traction, particularly in the marketing industry. But, the good news is that I’m here to tell you how to navigate that situation.”

“Did you know that staff retention is more likely to be improved by offering better working conditions than by chaining employees to their desks? Much to think about!”

Most of these examples would pair wonderfully with a visual element — which brings us to our final tip!

Tip #10: Use visual tools

Different speakers have different approaches when it comes to the visual aspects of their presentations.

Some rely on their speech to get most of the information across. Yet, others prefer to make their presentation slides a more integral part of their presentation.

We imagine Joseph Liu would sort himself into the latter group:

“I tend to keep my presentations as visual as possible, relying less on quotes and more on imagery.”

If you decide to let visuals do some of the heavy lifting for your presentation, there are several ways to incorporate them. Namely, you could:

• Use images in your presentation slides,
• Invite the audience to watch a video before the presentation,
• Hand out printed materials ,
• Show data charts , and
• Bring out a physical prop .

The type of visuals you end up using will depend on the type of presentation you’re giving.

Either way, you’ll want to become familiar with different elements of visual communication (such as colors, shapes, fonts, and layouts) if you want to make your presentation truly memorable.

Visual communication is one of 4 types of communication. If you’re curious about what the other 3 types of communication are and how we use them in our everyday lives, check out the following article:

• Types of communication

Examples of visual tools opening a presentation

Going back to our 3 speakers, let’s see how they might incorporate visual elements into their presentation introductions.

“According to APWG, these are the most targeted industries for phishing scams in the third quarter of 2022.”

“The following demonstration of AI’s capabilities might change some of your outlooks on the future of marketing. I have shared my computer screen with you all, so let’s take a moment to see where this tech is at right now through a demonstration of the existing software.”

“Before I start my presentation, let’s look at a video showcasing the importance of having a high employee retention rate.”

You could also combine this tip with the others on our list , by saying something like:

• “Can anyone tell me what’s wrong with this picture?” thus, combining a visual opener with a question, or
• “What do you think the number on the screen behind me signifies? If you guessed ‘the number of phishing attacks recorded in the third quarter of 2022’ — you must be psychic!” as a spin on an example we used to illustrate tip #5.

Putting the tips into practice

Having concluded our list of tips, we wanted to see how the experts we have spoken to have put them into practice.

So, let’s start with the way they conceptualize and write their presentation starting lines.

Step #1: Draft your speech

Every memorable presentation starts with a written copy of everything you want to say.

According to Tatiana Tsoir:

“Developing a speech is a craft. I generally work first on who the audience is , then my core message I want them to walk away with, then the outline of the speech : how and when I introduce the main idea, and how I make a case for it and reiterate it throughout.”

Ultimately, the best time to write your presentation introduction would be once you have a clear idea of everything you want to say in the body and conclusion of your speech.

Even so, sticking to this advice won’t make you a better speaker immediately.

Instead, our experts have stressed that the only way to get better at presenting is through practice and repetition .

Take it from Tatiana:

“With public impactful speaking you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall back on training and practice.”

Step #2: Get right to the point

As you are drafting your presentation introduction, keep in mind that the audience is already waiting for you to get to the point.

When in doubt, follow Reesa Woolf’s formula for starting a presentation:

“Open with the attention-catching statement/story/quotation. Once they look at you, say your name and the parts of your experience and credentials that THEY would be most impressed by, at most 3 things about you.”

After delivering your opener and introducing yourself, you’ll want to quickly transition into the main part of your presentation.

Step #3: Invite audience participation

As we have previously mentioned, many of the experts we have contacted stressed the importance of increasing audience engagement.

Knowing your audience is a big part of that equation, as Dr. Lee M. Pierce would testify:

“Presentations should take advantage of what makes them unique — having an audience. Engage them, [and] introduce yourself. Just don’t start with a question right away — that’s asking too much too soon.”

Then again, many of the experts we have spoken to have said that asking questions is a good way to invite audience participation.

For example, Nadia Bilchik would even engage her audiences on a more physical level:

“I like to ask my audience a thought-provoking question. This gets them from passive to active mode. I also always get my audience to stand up and do a breathing exercise.”

Nadia also provided us with an example of an audience interaction she might use in the introduction of her speaking engagements. For example, she might ask the audience:

“ How do you rate your ability to present information in a concise, clear, and confident manner? High, medium, or low?”

After receiving her answers by a show of hands or even an online poll, she connects the response to the topic of her presentation by stating:

“Wherever you are on the spectrum, in the next X minutes, I will share tips and techniques to ensure you have a greater impact every time you communicate to an audience of one or 100!”

That’s a textbook opener you can use to introduce the topics of your own presentation, too!

Step #4: Put it all together

Remember, nothing is stopping you from combining the tips we have mentioned throughout this guide to create a presentation introduction that is wholly unique to you.

If you’re unsure how to do that, let’s analyze a professional speaker’s technique.

Mark Beal told us about a presentation opening he’s created for his lectures:

“I start each of my Gen Z keynote presentations by physically walking off the stage and into the audience and asking a series of Gen Z trivia questions. 

For those who answer the questions directly, I reward them with a copy of my latest Gen Z book. By taking this proactive approach, I physically engage the audience immediately not from the podium but in their seats. 

My presentation instantly transforms from a one-way monologue into a two-way conversation and the audience begins to learn about my topic, Gen Z, in a fun and informative way.”

Can you connect the strategies Mark has used with the tips we have discussed? Let’s list them:

• Walking off the stage adds an element of drama and establishes a commanding presence,
• Asking questions engages the audience right off the bat,
• Rewarding the audience with a book promotes engagement throughout the presentation, and
• The books themselves are both an interesting prop and proof of Beal’s qualifications.

When you start researching famous speakers to prepare for your presentation, try dissecting the strategies they’re using.

Final thoughts: A checklist for starting a presentation effectively

Learning how to start a presentation is no easy feat.

After all, how would you go about checking your work if you don’t have an experienced presenter to help you?

Well, one way to check your introduction would be to perform a quick self-assessment based on the goals we have talked about in this article.

Namely, once you have finalized your presentation opening, answer the following questions . Does your introduction:

• Capture the audience’s attention?
• Give the audience reasons to listen?
• Set an appropriate tone?
• Establish your qualifications (if necessary)?
• Introduce your thesis and preview the content?

If your introduction doesn’t meet one of these ‘requirements,’ consider whether it can be improved.

And, remember, as Joseph Liu would say:

“The best way you can get better at public speaking is to keep doing it again and again. With more practice, you’ll get more comfortable and confident with it.”

So, don’t be discouraged if your presentation isn’t a home run. Instead, think of it as a learning opportunity for future speaking engagements.

✉️ Have you had a chance to use any of the tips we have shared in this article? How did that work out for you? Which ones would you like to use in the future?

Let us know at blogfeedback@pumble .com and we may include your answers in this or future posts. And, if you liked this blog post and found it useful, share it with someone who might benefit from it.

Secure, real-time communication for professionals.

Olga Milicevic is a communication researcher and author dedicated to making your professional life a bit easier. She believes that everyone should have the tools necessary to respond to their coworkers’ requests and communicate their own professional needs clearly and kindly.

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Vocabulary and Phrases for Making Presentations in English

Here’s a step-by-step guide for making presentations in English. You’ll find the phrases you need for each step of your presentation.

After you give your opening statement, give a brief overview of your presentation. Say what your presentation is about, how long you will take and how you are going to handle questions.

For example, a presentation to sales staff could start like this: “Welcome / “Hello everyone.”

(Opening statement) “As you all know, this company is losing its market share. But we are being asked to increase sales by 20 – 25%. How can we possibly increase sales in a shrinking market?”

(Overview) “Today I am going to talk to you about how we can do this. My presentation will be in three parts. Firstly I am going to look at the market and the background. Then I am going to talk to you about our new products and how they fit in. Finally, I’m going to examine some selling strategies that will help us increase our sales by 20%. The presentation will probably take around 20 minutes. There will be time for questions at the end of my talk.”

Useful language for overviews

“My presentation is in three parts.” “My presentation is divided into three main sections.” “Firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally…” “I’m going to… take a look at… talk about… examine… tell you something about the background… give you some facts and figures… fill you in on the history of… concentrate on… limit myself to the question of…

“Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions.” “There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.” “I’d be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation.”

The main body of the presentation

During your presentation, it’s a good idea to occasionally remind your audience why your presentation and ideas are important or relevant.

“As I said at the beginning…” “This, of course, will help you (to achieve the 20% increase).” “As you remember, we are concerned with…” “This ties in with my original statement…” “This relates directly to the question I put to you before…”

Keeping your audience with you

Remember that what you are saying is new to your audience. You are clear about the structure of your talk, but let your audience know when you are moving on to a new point. You can do this by saying something like “right”, or “OK”. You can also use some of the following expressions:

“I’d now like to move on to…” “I’d like to turn to…” “That’s all I have to say about…” “Now I’d like to look at…” “This leads me to my next point…”

If you are using index cards, putting the link on the cards will help you remember to keep the audience with you. In addition, by glancing at your index cards you will be pausing – this will also help your audience to realise that you are moving on to something new.

Phrases for introducing visuals

It’s important to introduce your visual to the audience. You can use the following phrases:

“This graph shows you…” “Take a look at this…” “If you look at this, you will see…” “I’d like you to look at this…” “This chart illustrates the figures…” “This graph gives you a break down of…”

Give your audience enough time to absorb the information on the visual. Pause to allow them to look at the information and then explain why the visual is important:

“As you can see…” “This clearly shows …” “From this, we can understand how / why…” “This area of the chart is interesting…”

Summarising

At the end of your presentation, you should summarise your talk and remind the audience of what you have told them:

“That brings me to the end of my presentation. I’ve talked about…” “Well, that’s about it for now. We’ve covered…” “So, that was our marketing strategy. In brief, we…” “To summarise, I…”

Relate the end of your presentation to your opening statement:

“So I hope that you’re a little clearer on how we can achieve sales growth of 20%.” “To return to the original question, we can achieve…” “So just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I asked you…” “I hope that my presentation today will help you with what I said at the beginning…”

Handling questions

Thank the audience for their attention and invite questions.

“Thank you for listening – and now if there are any questions, I would be pleased to answer them.” “That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your attention. I’d be glad to answer any questions you might have.”

It’s useful to re-word the question, as you can check that you have understood the question and you can give yourself some time to think of an answer. By asking the question again you also make sure that other people in the audience understand the question.

“Thank you. So you would like further clarification on our strategy?” “That’s an interesting question. How are we going to get voluntary redundancy?” “Thank you for asking. What is our plan for next year?”

After you have answered your question, check that the person who asked you is happy with the answer.

“Does this answer your question?” “Do you follow what I am saying?” “I hope this explains the situation for you.” “I hope this was what you wanted to hear!”

If you don’t know the answer to a question, say you don’t know. It’s better to admit to not knowing something than to guess and maybe get it wrong. You can say something like:

“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, we 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.”

What to say if things go wrong during your presentation

You think you’ve lost your audience? Rephrase what you have said:

“Let me just say that in another way.” “Perhaps I can rephrase that.” “Put another way, this means…” “What I mean to say is…”

Can’t remember the word?

If it’s a difficult word for you – one that you often forget, or one that you have difficulty pronouncing – you should write it on your index card. Pause briefly, look down at your index card and say the word.

Using your voice when making presentations

Don’t speak in a flat monotone – this will bore your audience. By varying your speed and tone, you will be able to keep your audience’s attention. Practise emphasising key words and pause in the right places – usually in between ideas in a sentence. For example “The first strategy involves getting to know our market (pause) and finding out what they want. (pause) Customer surveys (pause) as well as staff training (pause) will help us do this.”

Don’t forget – if you speak too fast you will lose your audience!

Making Presentations

Your answer:

Correct answer:

Your Answers

Useful English phrases for a presentation

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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Home Blog Presentation Ideas Powerful Words to Use in Presentations: Ultra Long List 

Powerful Words to Use in Presentations: Ultra Long List 

The power of words is immense and palpable when it comes to sharing ideas with others. The way you frame your sentences and cherry-pick specific words will affect how the audience preserves you. Not just that. Well-selected power words can shape narratives around businesses, distort (positively and negatively) their perception, and impact the listener’s decision to purchase. That’s why top copywriters and public speakers alike spend a great deal of time brainstorming different word combos and obsessing over their selection of action verbs, adjectives, and linking phrases.

Granted, you no longer need to do that. Just grab a PowerPoint template of your choice and start populating it with our big list of power words! 

What are Power Words?

Power words are persuasive words and phrases that evoke a positive or negative emotional response. Our selection of verbs, adjectives, and adverbs can convey different emotions from slight excitement to rightful outrate. That’s why public speakers , authors, and copywriters always carefully choose their words to convey the right idea and sentiment. 

Power words and phrases can make the same idea sound very different. Let’s take Apple’s famous slogan as an example: Think different. 

You can also convey the same idea using other descriptive words: Don’t think like everybody else, think outside the box, be creative 

However, each variation has a somewhat different ring to it. Ultimately, your word choice also impacts how others perceive you based on your speech.

Researchers found that word selection can have a massive impact on people, businesses, and society as a whole. Individual word choices can indicate the speaker’s mental state and impact the outcomes of a negotiation. Business power words shape customer experience with the brand and affect conversions. Action words, chose by the media, influence public perception of a social issue. 

Interestingly a group of researchers from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada and Wharton in the US also found that word choices impact the song’s popularity. By applying text mining analytics to Billboard charts, the group found that songs with somewhat more unique texts performed better than those with pretty standard lyrics. A 16% differentiation in lyrical topics within a song was enough to propel it higher than songs in similar genres. 

The takeaway:

Our word choices have a profound impact on how others perceive us, as well as the actions they take afterward. Thus, if you want to be a Rockstar presenter , you need to choose your words carefully and prioritize powerful words! 

List of Powerful Words to Use in Presentations 

The English language has about 170,000 words in use . But an average person has an active vocabulary of 20,000 – 30,000 words. Among them is a smaller range of powerful adjectives and action verbs to make your presentations and speeches more impactful. 

Action Verbs to Use in Your PowerPoint Presentation

As the name implies, action verbs denote some dynamics — state, movement, result, etc. We use action verbs in our everyday speech a lot to describe what and how we do things. As author Elwyn Brooks White suggests : 

“Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn’t been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place.”

Strong verbs don’t need adverbs to reinforce them. Compare these two statements: 

• I walked quickly towards the door. 
• I rushed out of the door. 

The first sentence merely states the fact. But the second one better conveys the emotion, the urgency of getting out of the room. It adds color to the narrative and sets the right mood.

In business presentations, action verbs help imply action to the user. They are good to use for both throughout the copy and the closing slide when you describe: 

• Main action points 
• Accomplishments
• Next steps 
• Results 

As you proofread your slide deck, look for weaker verbs and then replace them with stronger synonyms. Some common offenders include: 

• State-of-being verbs such as am, does, do, could, might, etc. While they have their merit, oftentimes, you can find a more descriptive alternative, conveying an extra emotion. 
• Verbs ending in -ing : wishing, planning, forgetting. Be bolder. Use present or past tenses instead. 
• Verbs in conjunction with an adjective: walked quickly, talked loudly, etc. Again, these can be replaced with snappier one-word alternatives. 

List of powerful verbs to make your language more persuasive: 

• Accelerate 
• Alter 
• Maintain 
• Regard 
• Convince 
• Boost 
• Ignite 
• Surge 
• Disrupt 
• Rejuvenate 
• Smash 
• Supercharge 
• Report 
• Change 
• Explore 
• Re-define 
• Strategize 
• Maximize 
• Capture 
• Achieve 

Powerful Adjectives to Use In Your Presentation 

The goal of adjectives is to reinforce your nouns and verbs. Use them to convey specific emotions and set the scene for the audience. 

But be sparring. You are not writing a novel. Too many adjectives can make your slide deck look cluttered, as you’d have to skim on white space to fit longer sentences. Also, excessive use of adjectives can muddle the main idea behind your key statements.

Below is our quick collection of power adjectives you can use to punch up your presentation: 

Power Words for Motivation

• Awe-inspiring
• Exquisite 
• Blissful 
• Brilliant 
• Dynamic 
• Burgeoning 
• Breathtaking
• Accomplished
• Successful 
• Enterprising 
• Venturesome
• Life-changing
• Encouraging 
• Baffling 
• Sensational 
• Incredible 

Power Words for Sales (Adjectives) 

• Cost-effective 
• Exorbitant 
• Knock-out 
• Science-proofed 
• Limited-time 
• Fully-booked
• Refundable 
• Negotiable 
• Below market average 
• Too-good-to-miss
• Budget-friendly
• Optimal 
• Exclusive 
• Time-sensitive
• Efficacious
• Sensible 
• Stylish 
• Unique 
• Profitable 

Power Adjectives to Persuade

• Verified 
• Risk-free 
• Effective 
• Tested 
• Solution-oriented
• Vetted 
• Non-negotiable
• Quality-controlled 
• Reliable 
• Legitimate 
• Lifetime 
• Market-tested 
• Foolproof 
• Surefire 
• Ingenious 
• Innovative 
• Cutting-edge 
• Exceptional 
• Game-changing
• Ground-breaking
• Flagship 
• Assured 
• Collateralized 
• Painless 
• Diciest 
• Tamperproof
• Immutable 

Coherence Markers 

Coherence markers are conversational words and phrases we use to denote logical connections between different ideas. They are not meaningful standalone words. Yet, they play a huge role in making your presentation copy more compelling.

Take a look at these two versions of Dove ad copy:

• Your skin’s natural oils keep it silky and supple. As you age, it becomes less elastic, and the production of oil slows down. Aging can cause dull, dehydrated skin.
• Your skin’s natural oils keep it silky and supple. But as you age, your skin becomes less elastic, and the production of oil slows down. That is why aging can cause dull, dehydrated skin.

The bolded coherence markers help digest the claims by establishing logical connections between the ideas. Research shows that adding such links to any copy (or speech) improves clarity and boosts persuasion. Therefore, sprinkle some coherence markers in your presentation to help the reader or lister mentally justify what you are saying. 

Coherence Markers to Use in a Presentation 

• Now do it 
• So go ahead
• Due to 
• That’s why 
• Given that 
• Here’s the deal:
• That’s right 
• By contrast 
• Beyond that 
• For starters
• What’s the bottom line?
• You might be wondering
• By now you should 
• Better still…
• The general conclusion is that
• Compound this with 
• What does this mean for you?
• Inferring from above 
• Just imagine
• You’ve tried everything. But
• You start to worry that
• Let me guess 
• What’s the catch?
• I know that’s what you’re thinking, right?
• But one thing’s for sure
• Let me say this straight
• Now consider it this way 
• It gest better (or worse)
• But here’s the kicker
• As if that’s not enough
• Best of all

Metaphors 

A metaphor is a figure of speech used to represent or symbolize another object or concept. For example, time is the greatest gift given to you . 

Writers love using metaphors to act depth and eloquence to their narrative. At the same time, top presenters use these to help the reader picture an intangible concept. 

As research found, metaphors help with persuasion by helping the reader or listener form a concrete mental image of the discussed concept. For example, you can say that your printing equipment works fast. But how fast do you mean? A metaphor can help make it more clear, e.g., “Our printing machines an equivalent of Ferrari in terms of speed.”  

Check our complete guide to using metaphors in presentations for more insights. Or swipe of some of the examples from our list below: 

Metaphors for Professional Presentations 

• Zeus-like 
• Drag-and-drop interfaces 
• To be worth waiting for 
• Glue for the Internet 
• To stay afloat 
• Off the shelf 
• Custom-made 
• To get up to speed
• App-like functionality 
• blue ocean / red ocean 
• Bumps on the road 
• Jump on the bandwagon 
• Tossed its cap
• The veneer on the credenza.
• Moonshot project
• More complicated than one-color puzzles.
• Lion-tamer-sky-diver fun
• Pack a punch 
• At the foothold of new 
• Buckets of questions 
• Going against the grain
• The epitome of something else
• From full throttle to a halt

To Conclude

Positive power words speak straight to the hearts and minds of the audiences. They encourage, inspire, motivate, bring up, and help move on in the right direction. If your goal is to hammer in a clear idea and prompt subsequent desirable action, these words are your best buddies to use all through your presentation slides and during delivery! 

1. 12 Tips List PowerPoint Templates

If you´re searching for a PowerPoint Template that is very flexible and can be used to create lists, the 12 Tips List PowerPoint Template is a great choice. 

Use This Template

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Home  / Blog  / Improve your Speaking  / Professional Phrases for Presentations

Professional Phrases for Presentations

We have compiled a collection of useful professional phrases to help you to present like a pro. Remember the KISS rule: Keep It Short and Simple.

Before beginning, it’s a good idea to greet your audience. Make eye contact. Read the mood in the room. Then introduce yourself, giving people some background about your skills and expertise. This gives people more confidence in you as a speaker. If you’ve already been introduced, thank the person for their introduction.

1. The opener

The first three minutes are critical to catch your audience’s attention. Start strong, and engage the audience from the start. The phrases in bold are for you to add to your speeches.

Give an interesting quote relevant to your presentation. For example: “Nelson Mandela once said : ‘Education is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world’.”

Share a statistic or fact that leads into your presentation topic. For instance: Did you know that (e.g. South Africa has eleven official languages). According to research (e.g. the most productive work day is Tuesday).

2. Give your audience a roadmap

Briefly tell your audience what they can expect from your presentation. In this presentation, I’ll be focusing on (e.g. how to grow your business). Infographics are visual representations of data, making complex ideas simple and easy to understand. When making your own, organize your images, charts and text carefully, and cite your references and sources. However, keep some points to tell the audience yourself, while the slides are displayed.

The rule is: ‘tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you told them’. First, I’ll give you an overview of (e.g. the current economic climate), followed by (the challenges and the opportunities). These prepare the audience to listen to the main points. Finally, I’ll close by (sharing success stories and invite your to share your stories too).

3. During the presentation

Watch some speeches on ted.com and pay attention to the content (with subtitles) and their presentation style. Notice how the speakers are well-researched, well-structured and well-prepared, and have a sense of humour to catch your interest. Use some of these phrases to indicate the structure, a chance in topic, or a new stage of the presentation:

• The first point is… Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly…
• Now let’s turn to the subject of (economic challenges)
• Moving on, I’d like to talk about business success stories.
• I’ll pause here top open the floor to questions. You can use this phrase between each section, or at the end of the presentation.
• Let’s look at these statistics in more detail .
• I’ll run through this slide quickly , to leave time for questions.
• To summarise , (with enough commitment it is possible to grow your business).

Also, add stories from you personal experience and juicy examples from the news, current affairs, and society to keep it interesting.

4. The close

Just as you start strong to catch the audience’s interest, also close on a strong note. Recap and summarise the key points. Give a final image or story that pulls the talk together and leaves an impact on the audience.

• In summary / To conclude / Let’s recap .
• Our time is up. Any questions or comments?
• That concludes my presentation. Thank you for your time.

Think carefully about what you want to cover in the speech. However, also be flexible to respond to the audience’s comments and questions, even with a ‘ Let me check and get back to you on that ‘. If the audience are interested and brave enough to speak up, you are already winning.

By Leigh-Anne Hunter

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

Clear structure, logical progression

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

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

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

1. Welcoming

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

2. Introducing yourself

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

3. Introducing your presentation

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

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

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

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

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

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

English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

02.21.20   •  #powerpoint #presentation #english.

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

1. Structure

The general structure of a presentation is the following:

• Introduction

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

2. Useful Phrases

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

Starting your Presentation

In your introduction, you should:

Welcome your audience

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!

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

Introduce yourself

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

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

Icebreakers (for audience engagement)

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

Mention the presentation topic and the reason for giving the presentation

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

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

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

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

The purpose of this presentation is to ...

My goal today is to ...

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

Give a short overview of the content

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

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

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

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

Engage your audience

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

Please raise your hand if you ...

Have you ever thought about ... ?

I would like to do a poll about ...

Please ask any questions as soon as they arrive.

On one hand, … on the other hand…

Comparing … with …, we can see that…

Clearly, … makes more sense than …

Whereas Option A is …, Option B is …

Making new points

Firstly,… Secondly,…

What also has to be mentioned is…

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

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

Let's move on to the next topic.

On the next slide,…

The last thing I would like to mention is…

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

Talking about images or videos

In this image you can clearly see that ...

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

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

I've prepared a video about ...

Talking about statistics and charts

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

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

The average is at ...

This graph clearly shows that the majority ...

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

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

Emphasizing

I would like to emphasize the importance of ...

Moreover, it has to be said that ...

I want to stress the importance of ...

We always have to remember that ...

This is of high significance because ...

That part is especially important because ...

When something goes wrong

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

Could someone please help me with ...?

Is anybody here who knows how to ...?

Could someone give me a hand with ...

I would like to apologize for ...

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

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

End of Presentation

In the conclusion, you should...

Sum up the main points

In conclusion I can say that…

To sum up the main points,…

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

Make an appeal

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

Please take a moment to think about...

I would like to encourage you to...

Thank your audience and say goodbye

It was a pleasure being here today.

Thank you for listening and goodbye.

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

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

What is the structure of a presentation?

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

What is a good way to begin a presentation?

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

What are good phrases to use in English presentations?

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

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

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

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.odp file extension.

.odp files are similar to .ppt files. It's a presentation which was created with Impress and contains slides with images, texts, effects and media.

Fundraising Events

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Online Communication

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Say it Right: Perfect Phrases to Sound Professional in English

• LLS English
• September 3, 2023

Why sounding professional is important

Common mistakes to avoid – sound professional in english.

Tips for improving pronunciation – Sound Professional in English

Here are some tips to help you improve your pronunciation:, perfect phrases for introductions and greetings, here are some perfect phrases that can help you make a great first impression:.

1. “Good morning/afternoon/evening, my name is [your name]. I’m pleased to meet you.”   2. “Hello, my name is [your name]. I’m the [your position/job title] here.”   3. “Hi, I’m [your name]. I’m responsible for [your role/responsibilities]. How can I assist you today?”   4. “Welcome! I’m [your name], and I’ll be taking care of you today.”   5. “Thank you for choosing our [company/organization]. I’m [your name], and I’ll be your point of contact.”

Polite ways to ask questions – Sound Professional in English

Here are some tips on how to sound professional when asking questions:.

Strategies for giving effective presentations

Formal language for business emails and letters, here are some tips on how to sound professional in english emails and letters., handling difficult conversations – sound professional in english, here are some tips to help you navigate these conversations with grace:, closing remarks on how to sound professional in english.

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Ditch these 10 common crutch phrases, says Stanford expert—they ‘undermine our competence and intelligence'

You probably use the occasional crutch word or phrase without realizing it. Most people do.

But beware, says Stanford University communication expert Matt Abrahams: They can get you into trouble, by negatively impacting the way other people see you. Crutch phrases often include "hedging language" that water down your sentences and make you seem less smart , he says.

"[They] can actually undermine our competence and intelligence," Abrahams, a communication consultant and organizational behavior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, tells CNBC Make It.

Here are 10 hedging phrases Abrahams says people should steer clear from, especially in professional settings:

• "I think"
• "Sort of"
• "Kind of"
• "It seems"
• "Perhaps"
• "It might be"
• "It looks like"
• "Possibly"
• "Maybe"
• "I feel like"

Instead, opt for "declarative statements," says Abrahams.

Say your boss asks you to take on a big project, for example. Responding, "I think I can pull it off," can make you sound like you lack confidence —  especially in comparison to a more confident "Yes, I'd be happy to take it."

Even more simply, you can swap "I think" out for "I know" or "I believe," Abrahams says: "If I say, 'I kind of think we should do this,' it's very different from, 'We should do this.' And [the latter] sounds more confident and strong."

If you really want to sound competent — particularly when someone is explaining a complex topic or subject to you — you can repeat what they said back to them, or ask them a question.

"Saying something like, 'So what I hear you saying is,' demonstrates that you've actually really listened to the person. It demonstrates understanding and builds your confidence in the eyes of other people," Abrahams says.

A 2015 study series from Harvard and Wharton researchers backs him up. Students were asked to solve a brain teaser with a partner, and given three options for communication: asking for advice, telling their partner, "I hope you did well," or saying nothing at all. Those who asked questions were viewed as more intelligent than those who didn't, the studies found.

"By showing that I've taken the time to listen to you [and ask questions], that makes you think, 'Well, he's smart enough to understand what I'm saying," says Abrahams.

Want to make extra money outside of your day job?  Sign up for CNBC's new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories. Register today and save 50% with discount code EARLYBIRD.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

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Corporate Training and Professional Education Instructor Jay Powers Gives Insightful Presentation on Leadership and Success

• Tatiana Del Valle
• March 28, 2024
• Leadership and Management
• Text-based Story

The event GROW Pasco 2024 was the backdrop for retired Colonel and University of South Florida instructor Jay Powers, wherein he guided entrepreneurs and leaders toward success earlier this month using the expertise he developed as a U.S. Army Green Beret and leader within Joint Special Operations. 

GROW Pasco is an event designed to equip local entrepreneurs and executives for growth in the evolving business landscape. Hosted by the SMARTstart entrepreneurship program at Pasco EDC, it provides educational and networking opportunities for business owners in the area. With a full schedule of speakers, including business and community leaders, and breakout sessions throughout the day, attendees learned how to leverage everything from marketing and social media to artificial intelligence. 

USF’s Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education attended to absorb more knowledge, connect with others in the local community, and see unique perspectives on entrepreneurial success.

Weaving Leadership with Self-Care

Powers emphasized key aspects of leadership and organizational growth in his presentation, “Lead Your Way to Entrepreneurial Success,” and coupled these observations with valuable perspectives he’s gained as COO at Tampa Bay Wave, a renowned non-profit accelerator dedicated to tech company growth and the development of Tampa Bay's tech ecosystem. 

He honed in on the similarities and differences between the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and leaders. Good leaders have strengths such as delegation, integrity, empathy, and respect, while entrepreneurs have characteristics such as flexibility, curiosity, persistence, and innovative thinking. Both should have self-awareness to reflect on their actions and how they affect others. 

“There’s no single approach to leadership that will work for every person and situation, that's why it's difficult,” Powers said. “It’s important to get feedback to know how you’re truly impacting people.”

He believes people are the critical resource for any organization to succeed, so leaders should strive to create environments where people can thrive.

He also stressed the importance of balancing your business efforts with the other essential areas of your life. Be sure to prioritize sleep, exercise, family, and other parts of your personal life to ensure you bring the best version of yourself to your organization. “If you take the time to invest in it, family can be one of your biggest sources of resilience,” he said. 

Ultimately, Powers had two major takeaways:

One: Identify when you need to do less and lead more.

Two: Take a long-term approach to balance.

By getting to know your team, prioritizing feedback, giving people space to take initiative, and taking care of yourself, you can set yourself up with a strong foundation for success both in business and your life. 

The impact of his speech was evident in the long line of attendees who patiently waited to chat with him after the presentation. View the full presentation here .

Level Up Your Skills

For a unique opportunity to learn from an experienced leadership practitioner, join Powers for the next session of his course, “Executive Leadership Lessons,” starting Friday, April 5. Designed to accommodate the schedules of busy professionals, this course provides an overview of how to build positive environments, encourage employee input, give and receive feedback, and build trust. 

Register here or contact David Hill, associate director of the Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education, at [email protected] for more information. 

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About Corporate Training and Professional Education

USF Corporate Training and Professional Education empowers people to craft their future without limits through engaging professional growth learning and certification programs. Its programs focus on an array of topics – human resources, project management, paralegal, process improvement, leadership skills, technology, and much more.