A great presentation is like a story. It needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. In English-speaking business culture, we value clarity and «getting to the point.» This week, at The London Eye – English Consultant, we’ll look at the specific phrases that will make you sound like a seasoned pro—whether you are in a boardroom or on a screen.
1. The «Hook» and the Roadmap (The Introduction)
The first 60 seconds are the most important. You need to grab attention and then tell the audience what to expect.
- The Greeting: «Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here.»
- The «Hook»: «Did you know that 80% of businesses fail to…?» (Start with a surprising fact or question).
- The Roadmap (Signposting): «I’ve divided my presentation into three main parts. First, I’ll look at… Second, I’ll discuss… And finally, I’ll conclude with…»
2. Presenting to the «Digital Room» (Remote & Hybrid)
When presenting to a foreign client or shareholder via video call, your language needs to bridge the physical gap. You must manage the technology and «check in» more frequently.
- The Tech Check: «Before we begin, can everyone see my screen and hear me clearly?»
- Managing the View: «I’m going to share my screen now. Please let me know when it pops up on your end.»
- The Engagement Check: Since you can’t see everyone’s body language, ask: «Are there any questions on this point before I move on?» or «Does that align with your expectations so far?»
- Handling Lag: «I think there’s a bit of a lag on the connection. I’ll pause for a moment to let the slide catch up.»
3. Signposting: The «GPS» of Your Speech
«Signposting» phrases act like a GPS for your listeners. They prevent the audience from getting lost.
| Function | Phrase to Use |
| Moving to a new point | «Turning now to…» or «Moving on to my next point…» |
| Adding detail | «I’d like to expand on this for a moment.» |
| Referring to visuals | «As you can see from this chart…» or «If you look at the slide…» |
| Highlighting importance | «The takeaway here is…» or «What’s crucial is…» |
4. Handling Data and Visuals
When you show a graph, don’t just read the numbers. Describe the trend.
- Going up: «Sales have skyrocketed» or «There has been a steady increase.»
- Going down: «Costs have plummeted» or «We see a slight dip in engagement.»
- Staying the same: «The numbers have leveled off» or «Growth remains stable.»
5. The Q&A: Handling Difficult Questions
The Q&A session is where most people feel nervous. Use these «buying time» phrases to stay in control:
- To gain a few seconds to think: «That’s a very insightful question. Let me think about that for a second.»
- To clarify: «If I understand you correctly, you’re asking about…»
- If you don’t know the answer: «I don’t have that specific data to hand, but I’ll follow up with you after the session.»
6. Closing with Impact
Don’t let your presentation just «fade away.» End with a clear summary and a call to action.
- To summarize: «To wrap up, let’s quickly look at the main points again.»
- The Final Thought: «In conclusion, the goal is to…»
- The Call to Action: «I’d like to encourage you all to [Action].»
Your Action Step for this week: Imagine you are starting a Zoom presentation for a shareholder. Write the first two sentences you would say to check the technology and introduce your topic!
Example: «Hi everyone, can you see my slides okay? Great. Today, I’m going to run through our Q1 performance results.»
The London Eye - English Consultant 