1. Match these less formal phrases with the more formal phrases in the table.

What I want to do today is ... I know you are all very busy ... As you know, I’m ...

OK, shall we get started? Its good to see you all here. Hi, everyone.

Today i’m going to talk about... In my talk I’ll tell you about...

More formal
Less formal
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. 1

Today I would like to ... 2

Let me just start by introducing myself. My name is ... 3

It’s a pleasure to welcome you today. 4

In my presentation I would like to report on ... 5

The topic of today’s presentation is ... 6

I suggest that we begin now. 7

I’m aware that you all have very tight schedules ... 8

2. Now practise the opening of a presentation. Use phrases from the box and follow the WISE flow
chart.

Welcome Introduce Say what the Explain why

audience yourself topic is audience will
be interested

OPENING A PRESENTATION
Welcoming the audience Saying what your topic is
Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. As you can see on the screen, our topic today is ...
Hello/Hi, everyone. Today’s topic is ...
First of all, let me thank you all for coming here What I’d like to present to you today is .... today
I’m happy/delighted that so many of you could The subject of my presentation is ...
make it today

Introducing yourself Explaining why your topic is relevant for your

Let me introduce myself. I’m Dave Elwood from ... audience
For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s ... My talk is particularly relevant to those of you/us
As you probably know, I’m the new HR manager. who...
I’m head of logistics here at Air Spares. Today’s topic is of particular interest to those of
I’m here in my function as the Head of Controlling. you/us who...
My/The topic is very important for you because ...

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By the end of this talk you will be familiar with ...

Remember to use words like we, us, and our to

highlight common interest.
STRUCTURING A PRESENTATION (1)

Most formal - and many informal - presentations have three main parts and follow this simple formula:
1. Tell the audience what you are going to say! = Introduction
2. Say it! = Main part
3. Tell them what you said! = Conclusion

There are several ways you can tell the audience what you are going to say.

would like + infinitive will + infinitive

Today I'd like to tell you about our new plans. I'll begin by explaining the function.
This morning I'd like to bring you up to date on I'll start off by reviewing our progress. our
department.
After that, I'll move on to my next point.

going to + infinitive will be + verb -ing

I'm going to talk to you today about new I'll be talking about our guidelines for Internet use.
This afternoon I'm going to be reporting on the developments in the R & D Department.
During the next hour we'll be looking at the new
division.

3. Complete sentences 1-8 with the correct form of the verb and a sentence ending from below.

you on the proposed training project you up to date on SEKO’s Investment Plans
you how the database works
you an overview of our present market position
at business opportunities in Asia on our financial targets for the division
by telling you about what lane’s group is working on
about EU tax reform

1. give Today I’d like to give you an overview of our present market position _____________

2. show I’ll be showing ________________________________________________________

3. talk During the next two hours we’ll be ________________________________________

4. bring I’d like to ____________________________________________________________

5. report This afternoon I’m going to ______________________________________________

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6. update Today I’d like to _______________________________________________________

7. look This morning we’ll be ___________________________________________________

8. begin Today I’ll _____________________________________________________________

STRUCTURING A PRESENTATION (2)

The purpose of the introduction is not only to tell the audience who you are, what the talk is about, and
why it is relevant to them; you also want to tell the audience (briefly) how the talk is structured.
Here are some useful phrases to talk about the structure.

I've divided my presentation into three (main) parts: x, y, and z. The most common way to structure
In my presentation I'll focus on three major issues. a presentation is to have three First (of all), I'll be
looking at..., second..., and third... main parts, and then subdivide I'll begin/start off by explaining ...
them into (three) smaller sections.
Then/Next/After that, I'll go on to ...
Finally, I’ll offer some solutions.

4. Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

after • all • areas • divided • finally • start • then • third

I'll be talking to you today about the after-sales service plans we offer. I’ll_______________ by describing
the various packages in detail. _______________. I'll go on to show you some case
studies._______________. I’ll discuss how you can choose the best plan to meet your customers’ needs.

I’ve _______________. my talk into three main parts. First of. _______________, I’ll tell you something
about the history of our company. _______________ that I’ll describe how the company is structured and
finally, I’ll give you some details about our range of products and services.

I’d like to update you on what we’ve been working on over the last year. I’ll focus on three main
_______________; first, our joint venture in Asia; second, the new plant in Charleston. And
_______________ our redevelopment project.

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5. Complete the sentences with the prepositions in the box.

about • at • for • into • of • on • to • with

1 Thank you_________ coming all this way.

2 I've divided my presentation_________ three parts.
3 First of all, I’ll give you an overview_________ our financial situation.
4 First, we'll be looking ________________ the company's sales in the last two quarters.
5 In the first part of my presentation I’ll focus_________ the current project status.
6 Point one deals__________ APG's new regulations for Internet use.
7 Secondly, I’ll talk ____________our investment in office technology.
8 After that I’ll move on _______________the next point.

6. Look again at these sentences from the presentation and replace the highlighted words with words or
phrases from the box.
after that • -begin • I’m • realize • responsible for • sections • turn

I’ll start off by showing you ... I'll begin by showing you ... ________________________________________

I’ve divided my presentation into three parts. _________________________________________________

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Gordon Smith. _________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Then I’ll move on to the problems ... ________________________________________________________

I’m the project manager in charge of our Dubai building project. __________________________________

I’m aware that you’re all busy preparing for the annual meeting ... ________________________________

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ORGANIZATION
The final part of the introduction deals with the organization of the talk: how long it will last, whether
there will be handouts, and how questions will be handled.

Timing
My presentation will take about 20 minutes.
It should take about 30 minutes to cover these issues.

Handouts
Does everybody have a handout/brochure/report? Please take one, and pass them on.
Don't worry about taking notes. Pve put all the important statistics on a handout for you.
I’ll be handing out copies of the PowerPoint slides at the end of my talk. I’ll email the PowerPoint
presentation to you.

Questions
There will be time for questions after my presentation.
If you have any questions, feel free to interrupt me at any time.
Feel free to ask questions at any time during my talk.

7. Match the two parts to make typical sentences from the introduction.
1 For those of you who don’t know me, a. to take notes. Everything is on the handout
2 Feel free to b. about 10 minutes
3 This won’t take more c. I’m Bob Kay in charge of the software division
4 I’ll be passing out d. ask questions at any time
5 This part of the presentation will take e. for questions after my talk
6 I’ll start off by giving you f. an overview of our product range
7 There’s no need g. handouts in a few minutes
8 There will be time h. than 20 minutes of your time.

8. Read this article from a website on business communication and discuss the questions which follow.

Dealing with nervousness

The American author Mark Twain once put it like this: ‘There are two types of people: those that are
nervous and those that are liars.' So, once you accept that (almost) everybody who gives a presentation
- whether formal or informal, long or short, to strangers or colleagues - is nervous, then you just need to
find ways to deal with nervousness and even learn how to use it to your advantage. Let's first look at
ways to deal with and reduce nervousness.

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1 Prepare well. Tailing to prepare is preparing to fail/ Preparation is the key to a successful
presentation.
Nothing will relax you more than knowing exactly what you want to say and having practised saying it.
Make sure you practise your talk until you feel at home with it - then you can concentrate on other
things.

2 Learn to relax. Doing stretching or breathing exercises before your talk can help you to reduce
nervousness. One example: before your presentation, sit comfortably with your back straight. Breathe
in
3 slowly, hold your breath for about five seconds, then
4 slowly exhale. You can relax your facial muscles by opening your eyes and mouth wide, then closing
them tightly.
5 Check out the room. Make yourself familiar with the place where you will be speaking. Arrive early,
walk around the room, and make sure everything you need for your talk is there. Pra< using any
equipment (e.g. microphone, video projector, OHP) you plan to work with.
6 Know your audience. If possible, greet your audience as they arrive and chat with them. It will be
easier to speak to people who are not complete strangers.
7 Concentrate on the message. Try to focus on the message and your audience - not on your own
fears.
8 Visualize success. Imagine yourself speaking to your audience in a loud and clear voice. Then
visualize the audience applauding loudly at the end of your talk as you smile.

Use the steps above to reduce nervousness, but also remember that being nervous isn't all bad. Many
experienced presenters say that you can also use your nervousness to give you that extra energy that
you need to give a good performance.

OVER TO YOU
What other tips can you think of for dealing with nervousness?
How do you deal with nervousness before or during a presentation?
How do you prepare your presentations?

9. Complete the sentences with words from the box. back • covered •
discussing • inform • leads • main points • sum up • wanted

1 Let me now summarize the___________________.

2 We will be ___________________our sales targets today.

3 In my talk I’ll____________________ you about new marketing techniques.

4 Before I move on, let me just ___________________what Pve said so far.

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5 I think we have ___________________everything for today.

6 OK, that’s all I ________________________ to say about time management.

7 This ___________________directly to my second point.

8 Let’s go______________ to what I said at the beginning of my presentation.

EXPRESSIONS WITH AS
10.Write the sentences using expressions with as and the information As you all know,...
in the notes. Add missing words where necessary. As I’ve already explained,...
As I mentioned before/earlier,...
As I pointed out in the first
1 we/no budget for new software/this year (I mentioned this section,...
As you can see,...
before)

As I mentioned before, we have no budget for new software this year

2 Tony Dale/new marketing manager/print media (you all know this already)

__________________________________________________________________________________

3 can’t operate from local airport/because no permission (I said this at the beginning of my talk)

__________________________________________________________________________________

4 choose between two options (I explained this ten minutes ago)

__________________________________________________________________________________

5 sales have increased/io% since beginning of year (you can see this on the slide)

__________________________________________________________________________________

11.Choose the correct verb to fit the sentence.

1 How are we going to solve/deal/tackle with delivery problems?
2 I don’t think we can cope/tackle/take care with fewer people.
3 We think it’s important to identify/deal/cope the problems now.
4 Who will take care/deal/tackle of our business clients?
5 We have been trying to cope/solve/take care the software problem.
6 Before we go on, let’s identify/clarify/solve this question.

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12.Complete the sentences with the words from the box.
according to • apart from • concerns • moreover • regarding • with regard

1 I’ll give you an overview of some figures _________________to car exports.

2 _________________, I’d like to tell you something about the new software.

3 Let’s now turn to the next question which _________________customer service.

4 _________________a few spelling mistakes, the new brochure is very good.

5 Let me give you some details _________________our Chinese factory.

6 _________________the handbook, the scanner is user-friendly.

13.Infomedia, a US telecommunications company, expects all employees to give presentations in

English. Read this text from the newsletter of an Infomedia subsidiary in Asia and discuss the
questions which follow.

Aled’s presentation Tips

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As you all know, INFOMEDIA has been able to establish some important new business contacts with
partners in the US this year. This also means that the need for English in meetings and presentations
has increased. That’s why we have asked our American colleague Aled Hughes from our Miami office
to share a few tips with us.
Clear and simple structure OVER TO YOU
Remember that your audience will benefit Repeating new information Always repeat new
most from a very clear and logical structure. details. This helps your audience to remember
Don’t overload the audience and try to use them and ensures optimal flow of information.
simple language.
Summarizing points
Your introduction At the end of each section summarize the main
Some experts say this is the most important facts to make sure everybody is following.
part of your presentation. In the first few
minutes you can get your audience’s Interaction with the audience American audiences
attention, build rapport, and create a positive expect direct interaction. So treat them as
impression. individuals; show them that you care about their
individual needs.
Topic and objective
Clearly say what the topic and objective (or Presenter’s role
purpose) of your talk is. Repeat the topic and The presenter is often considered as important as
objective at some later time. his or her topic, and the presenter’s role is to make
sure the presentation - even one on a dry topic - is
Signposting interesting and entertaining. To achieve this goal
Let the audience know at all times what you American presenters often use their personalities
want to do and how you want to do it. This more and tend to be more enthusiastic than people
method is common in the American business from many other parts of the world.
world - so use it!
Which of these tips do you find most useful? Can you add any other tips?
Have you ever presented to an American audience? How different are American audiences from those
in your own country?

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14.Are these words and expressions used to make contrasts or describe results? Put them into the
correct category.
on the other hand thus although
however consequently therefore
whereas as a result despite
while nevertheless

Making contrasts Describing results

___________________________________________ __________________________________________

___________________________________________ __________________________________________

___________________________________________ __________________________________________

___________________________________________ __________________________________________

___________________________________________ __________________________________________

Now choose the correct word to fit the sentences.

1. Online banking is mainly used by our younger customers. Many of our older customers
consequently/however/therefore find it difficult to handle modern computer technology.
2. However/Whereas/Although the euro is quite strong, we managed to increase our exports to the
US.
3. Whereas/Therefore/Despite we made a profit of $240,000 last year, this year’s profit is only
$110,000.
4. On the other hand/Despite/Although the growing demand, we didn’t sell more cars than the year
before.
5. We have to pay more for oil and gas. Consequently/However/Despite our products have become
more expensive.

6. Poster campaigns are extremely important. Thus/On the other hand/As a result we also need
advertisements in daily newspapers.

7.

15.Put the words in the right order to make sentences with expressions from this unit.

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1. at closer table let’s look this a have
2. graph you next see quarter first figures can on sales for the the
3. almost European sell 30% countries we products other to of our
4. attention draw your facts like I’d to to following the
5. surprisingly able we good despite were achieve to software results problems
6. stress change is important I’d how to like this

16.It’s your turn now. Prepare bullet charts based on your own data (or take information from the first
three of the ‘Summing up’ texts on the next page). Find an effective headline for each bullet chart
and present them to a partner.
CHECKLIST FOR VISUALS

✓ Prepare each visual carefully and separately.

✓ Check whether the visual really shows what you are saying.
✓ Make sure your audience can read the visual (font size and colours).
✓ Find effective headlines.
✓ Keep design and content simple.
✓ Use bullet charts for text.
✓ Reduce text to a minimum.
✓ Always prepare audience for visuals.
✓ Present information clearly and logically.
✓ Remember the rule of six.

What is important when presenting visuals? Which opinion(s) do you agree with?

Karen Hamilton, Marketing Manager

Susan Liu, Export Manager

Above all, a slide or an overhead must be readable. If the audience can’t read the slide, they will soon give
up. That’s why font size is very important. It should be as large as possible, I’d say at least 24. And
sometimes it’s also a good idea to use different colours to highlight some points. Using many different
colours can be confusing though.

Barbara james, Market Researcher

What you say and what you show should always go together 100%. So when you’re not talking about the
slide, it shouldn’t be visible. I always switch off the display when I’m talking about something that has
nothing to do with the slide. If people are busy looking at the slide, they aren’t listening to what you’re
saying. It’s better to use the В-key to return to a black screen or replace the slide with some form of
‘wallpaper’ such as a company logo.

Javier Sanchez, Financial Analyst

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For me it’s very important that the presenter speaks to the audience and doesn’t read to them! The
speaker must make eye- contact and not watch the monitor or screen while he or she is talking. I think it’s
extremely boring when someone just reads slides word for word as if it were an essay or something.

Tony Benetti, Media Consultant

It’s called ‘Death by PowerPoint* when people use so many sound effects and animations that the
audience’s attention is completely taken away from the delivery of the message. I think PowerPoint is a
fantastic tool, but just because it has so many effects you don’t have to use them all. Overuse is overkill
here.

OVER TO YOU
What kinds of tools and visuals do you normally use in your presentations?
What tips can you think of for using visuals effectively?

17.Look at these sentences from the presentation and put them in the correct category in the table.

1. I’ll just run through the three different options ...

2. We’d suggest...
3. Now I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
4. We’d therefore recommend that we ...
5. Before I stop, let me go through my main points again.
6. Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation.

CONCLUSION OF A PRESENTATION

Signalling the end of the presentation

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Summarizing the main points

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Recommending or suggesting something

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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Inviting questions
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Now add these phrases to the table above.
a. Thank you all for listening.
b. In my opinion, we should ...
c. We just have time for a few questions.
d. To sum up then we …
e. OK, I think that’s everything I wanted to say
f. I’d like to run through my main points again ...
g. Are there any questions?
h. As a final point, I’d like to ...
i. I’m now nearing the end of my talk...
j. Just to summarize the main points of my talk ...
k. What I’d like to suggest is ...

18.Unscramble the sentences to make typical sentences from a conclusion.

1. Well,/the end of/today/brings me/to/my talk/that

_________________________________________________________________________
2. Before l/key issues/go over/the/stop,/let me/again
_________________________________________________________________________
3. As a/means/let me say/for us/what this/final point,
_________________________________________________________________________
4. Finally,/like to/issue/highlight/I’d/one/key
_________________________________________________________________________
5. To sum/looked at/product range/up then,/the new/first/we
_________________________________________________________________________
6. That/logistics/just about/to say/about/l wanted/everything/covers

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19.Complete the sentences with words below.

come back • figures we have • final point • briefly summarize • my opinion • now approaching • suggest
that • to highlight

1. If I may___________________________ the pros and cons.

2. Based on the__________________________, it is clear that we must act quickly.

3. Well, I’m ______________________ the end of my talk.

4. OK, I’d now like _______________________ the key figures.

5. Let me make one_________________________________

6. In _________________________________ we need a new sales strategy.

7. Let me __________________________ to the key issue.

8. I ________________________ we work together with our French partners.

20.Match the two parts to make final statements from conclusions.

1. To put it in the words of Albert Einstein, a. ‘Look for your choices, pick the best one, then
2. I would like to finish my talk go with it.’
3. Let me go back to b. with an important question.
4. So, now it’s c. about the new branch in Tokyo?
5. Remember that story I told you d. get down to work!
6. As the famous basketball coach Pat Riley said: e. what I said at the start of this talk.
7. OK, and now let’s f. ‘The important thing is not to stop questioning.’
g. up to you.

21.Complete the sentences with prepositions from the box.

about • by • for • in • on • out • through • to

1. Based_____________ what we know, we can optimize our procedures.

2. _____________ my opinion, we should go ahead with the project.

3. OK, this brings me_____________ the end of my talk.

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4. What does this mean_____________ our business?

5. Let me just go_____________ the key issues again.

6. We found_____________ that our sales force needs more support.

7. Well, that’s all I wanted to say_____________ strategic planning.

8. We saw that the delays were caused_____________ technical problems.

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