Mastering the Art of Presentations: Essential Phrases and Techniques

 

Giving a presentation can be daunting, but mastering a few essential phrases can help you sound confident and professional. Here’s a guide to help you deliver a polished and engaging presentation.

Greeting Your Audience

Before diving into your presentation, start by greeting and welcoming your audience.

• “Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone.”

• “Welcome to [name of event].”
  Example: “Welcome to our 3rd Annual Sales Leadership Conference.”

• “First, let me introduce myself. I am [name] from [company].”

Beginning Your Presentation

Once introductions are complete, smoothly transition into your topic.

• “Let me start by giving you some background information.”

• “As you’re aware, …”
  Example: “As you’re aware, the CEO of DHL Express has often said that globalization is here to stay.”

Transitioning to the Next Topic

Use these phrases to signal a shift to a new point.

• “Let’s move on to…”
  Example: “Let’s move on to our second sales strategy.”

• “Turning our attention now to…”
  Example: “Turning our attention now to the results of our 2016 customer survey.”

Providing More Details

To elaborate on a specific point, use these phrases:

• “I’d like to expand on…”
  Example: “Now I’d like to expand on my point about increasing our market share.”

• “Let me elaborate further.”

Linking to Another Topic

These phrases help connect different ideas within your presentation.

• “As I said at the beginning, …”
  Example: “As I said in the beginning, we’ll see an increase in profit if we follow these five steps.”

• “This relates to what I was saying earlier…”
  Example: “This relates to what I was saying earlier about increasing production to meet the year-end demand.”

• “This ties in with…”
  Example: “This ties in with the way we’ve been doing business for the past 20 years.”

Emphasizing a Point

To highlight an important message, try these phrases:

• “The significance of this is…”
  Example: “The significance of this is, if we complete this project on schedule, we’ll have more people available to work on the next project.”

• “This is important because…”
  Example: “This is important because any marketing effort we put in now will help to boost demand for our products in the long run.”

• “We have to remember that …”
  Example: “We have to remember that people are our most important resource.”

Making Reference to Information

Support your discussion points with credible data.

• “Based on our findings, …”
  Example: “Based on our findings, 74% of our market is made up of teenagers who find our clothing line stylish and upbeat.”

• “According to our study, …”
  Example: “According to our study, 63% of working people in this city go directly to the gym after work.”

• “Our data shows …”
  Example: “Our data shows that more than 23% of men in this town who used to drive to work now prefer to save money and the environment by cycling instead.”

Explaining Visuals

When presenting charts or graphs, use these phrases:

• “I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you…”
  Example: “I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you a chart of the number of people in each age group who prefer to shop online.”

• “This chart shows a breakdown of …”
  Example: “This chart shows a breakdown of the ingredients we use in our gluten-free products.”

Restating Your Point

For clarity, rephrase your point to make it more memorable.

• “In other words, …”
  Example: “In other words, we need to change our current design to make it more attractive to older children.”

• “To put it simply, …”
  Example: “To put it simply, we’ll need you to work harder at making this launch a success.”

• “What I mean to say is …”
  Example: “What I mean to say is that we need to change the way we market our products.”

Concluding Your Presentation

End your presentation on a strong note and invite questions if appropriate.

• “In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.”

• “Thank you for your attention. Now I am happy to answer any questions you might have.”

Final Thoughts

By mastering these 25 essential phrases, you’ll gain confidence and command over your presentations. With practice, these expressions will come naturally, helping you engage your audience and deliver a compelling presentation.

Good luck!