Giving Presentations with Confidence

Why Are Presentations Important?

In business, presentations are everywhere—team meetings, client pitches, project updates, or training sessions. A good presentation helps people understand your ideas and take action. A great presentation inspires them, builds trust, and shows your professionalism.

Giving presentations in your native language is already a challenge. In English, it can feel even harder. But with preparation, practice, and some useful expressions, you can speak clearly and confidently.

Business Vocabulary and Useful Phrases for Presentations

Phrase / Term	Use or Meaning
“Let me begin by...”	To start your talk
“As you can see on the slide...”	To refer to your visual aid
“Let’s move on to...”	To change topic smoothly
“I’d like to highlight...”	To draw attention to a key point
“This data shows that...”	To explain charts or numbers
“To sum up...”	To conclude your presentation
“Any questions so far?”	To check for understanding
Visual aids	Slides, graphs, images, videos used during the presentation
Audience engagement	Keeping people interested and involved
Key message	The main idea you want people to remember
Time management	Staying within the set time for the talk

A Story: The Last-Minute Presentation

Three days before the quarterly team meeting, Maria’s manager asked her to present an update on her department’s performance. Maria was nervous—she had never given a presentation in English before.

She started by writing down her main ideas, then organizing them into three clear points. She created a short slide deck with simple graphs and practiced her speech out loud. On presentation day, she spoke slowly, made eye contact, and used phrases like: “Let’s look at the next chart” and “In conclusion, our team exceeded targets.”

Even though she made a few grammar mistakes, her message was clear. Afterward, her boss said, “Great job, Maria—you spoke with clarity and confidence.”

Presentation Structure Made Simple

1. Introduction

   • Greet the audience

   • Say your name and role

   • Explain what your talk is about

2. Main Content

   • Present 2–3 key points

   • Use examples or stories

   • Show visuals or data

3. Conclusion

   • Summarize main ideas

   • Suggest next steps

   • Ask for questions

Role-play: Practicing a Mini-Presentation

Context: You’re presenting a new product idea to your team.

“Good morning, everyone. My name is Alex, and today I’d like to present a new product idea that could help increase our online sales. First, I’ll explain the concept. Then, I’ll show you some early results from our testing phase. Finally, I’ll suggest some next steps for development.Let’s begin with the concept. The idea is to create a mobile app that gives customers instant discounts. As you can see in this chart, mobile traffic has increased by 25% in the past quarter…”

(Finish your talk with: “To sum up…” and take a few questions.)

Discussion Questions

1. Do you give presentations at work? In English or in your native language?

2. What part of giving a presentation is hardest for you?

3. What are some tips for keeping the audience interested?

4. Have you ever watched a great presentation? What made it effective?

5. What visuals or tools do you use to support your ideas?

Tips for Giving Presentations in English

• Speak slowly and clearly. Don’t rush. Focus on being understood.

• Use signposting language. These are phrases like “Let’s move on to...” or “Now I’d like to talk about…”

• Practice out loud. Reading your slides is not enough—say the words with confidence.

• Don’t memorize everything. Use notes or bullet points instead.

• Keep your slides simple. One idea per slide. Big font. Few words.

• Record yourself. Listening back can help you find areas to improve.

Writing Practice

Write a short outline for a 3-minute presentation. Choose a topic from your work, such as:

• A recent project

• A company product or service

• A market trend you’re noticing

Try to include:

• A clear introduction

• 2 or 3 main points

• A short conclusion with a call to action or next step

Giving presentations is one of the most valuable business skills—and learning to do it in English will set you apart. With regular practice, clear vocabulary, and real confidence, you'll soon be able to present like a pro. If you want, I can help you build and rehearse your next business presentation step-by-step.