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Lesson

C1EN

Business Presentations in English: Pitch, Persuade & Win

Master the art of business presentations in English! Learn how to structure compelling arguments, use persuasive language, handle tough questions and deliver with confidence. Perfect for B2-C1 professionals who present to clients, boards or international audiences.

8 Activities
1

Presentation Warm-Up

Talk Time

Shared
  1. Describe the best presentation you have ever seen. What made it memorable?
  2. What do you find most challenging about presenting in English professionally?
  3. How do you prepare mentally and physically before an important presentation?
  4. What is the difference between informing an audience and persuading them?
  5. Describe a time when a presentation did not go as planned. What did you learn?
  6. How important is body language and eye contact when presenting to an international audience?
2

Presentation Vocabulary

Speed Match

Individual
  • Hook→An opening statement designed to immediately capture the audience's attention
  • Agenda→An outline of the topics that will be covered during the presentation
  • Transition→A phrase used to move smoothly from one point to the next
  • Call to action→A clear instruction telling the audience what to do next
  • Rapport→A feeling of trust and connection between the presenter and audience
  • Signposting→Using clear language to guide the audience through the structure
  • Anecdote→A short personal story used to illustrate a point
  • Objection→A concern or disagreement raised by a member of the audience
  • Slide deck→The collection of visual slides used during a presentation
  • Elevator pitch→A very short and compelling summary of an idea or proposal
  • Rhetorical question→A question asked for effect that does not require an answer
  • Data visualisation→Presenting numbers and statistics in a graphical format
  • Credibility→The quality of being trusted and believed by your audience
  • Narrative→The story or logical thread that runs through your entire presentation
  • Buy-in→Agreement and support from key people for your idea or proposal
3

Presentation Language

Swipe Battle

Individual

  • "Let me start with a question that might surprise you..."

    An opening that creates intrigue and immediately captures attention

  • "Today I am going to tell you everything about our company history since 1987."

    A strong opening that immediately engages the audience

  • "The data clearly demonstrates a 40% increase in customer retention."

    Specific data that builds credibility and supports your argument

  • "I think the numbers are probably quite good, more or less."

    Confident language that shows mastery of your material

  • "To summarise, there are three key actions I would like you to take away today."

    A clear and actionable closing that leaves the audience with direction

  • "Are there any questions? No? OK, well, that is everything I suppose."

    A passive closing that ends the presentation on a strong note

  • "Imagine you are the customer. What would you want to hear?"

    A technique that involves the audience and builds empathy

  • "This slide has a lot of information but I will try to go through it quickly."

    A phrase that signals poor preparation and loses audience confidence

  • "The evidence suggests that investing now will yield significant returns within 18 months."

    A specific and forward-looking statement that builds a compelling case

  • "Sorry, I am not sure that slide is correct — let me check my notes."

    A phrase that shows honesty and transparency with the audience

  • "Rather than showing you the problem, let me show you the solution."

    A technique that reframes the narrative positively

  • "I will now hand over to my colleague who will cover the financial section."

    A smooth professional handover in a team presentation

4

Presentation Grammar

Word Choice

Individual
  • The research iswashaswere conducted over a period of eighteen months across five markets.
  • It findshas been foundis findingfound that customer satisfaction levels have improved significantly since the rebrand.
  • These findings willcanshouldmust be interpreted with caution as the sample size was relatively small.
  • The strategy iswaswill behas been implemented in phases over the next three years to minimise disruption.
  • It iswaswill behas widely acknowledged that digital transformation is now a business imperative.
  • The conclusions drawn from this analysis will bearehave beenwere challenged by subsequent market research.
  • As showingshowshownshows in the previous slide, the cost savings are projected to reach $2 million by year three.
5

Nancy Duarte: How to Create Better Visual Presentations

Content Block

Individual
Watch video
6

Presentation Dilemmas

Debate Roulette

Individual

Useful phrases

  1. I would argue that...
  2. The most compelling evidence suggests...
  3. From a communication standpoint...
  4. One cannot underestimate the impact of...
  5. That fundamentally depends on the context...
  6. I challenge the assumption that...
  7. In my professional experience...
  8. The key distinction here is...
  1. Slides with lots of text are more professional than minimalist visual presentations.
  2. The best presenters never use notes or scripts — they speak from memory.
  3. Data and statistics are always more persuasive than personal stories.
  4. It is acceptable to exaggerate facts slightly in a presentation if it helps make your point.
  5. Virtual presentations can never be as effective as face-to-face ones.
  6. A presenter who admits uncertainty is more credible than one who projects false confidence.
  7. The opening two minutes of a presentation determine whether the audience will engage.
  8. Humour has no place in a serious business presentation.
  9. A shorter presentation is almost always more effective than a longer one.
  10. The best way to handle a hostile question is to deflect it back to the questioner.
7

The Board Presentation

Roleplay Quest

Individual

Scenario

Four professionals are meeting in a boardroom for a high-stakes presentation. A marketing director is pitching a bold new strategy that requires a $3 million investment. Each person in the room has a different agenda, different concerns and different levels of power. The outcome of this meeting will determine the company's direction for the next three years.

  • Marketing Director

    You have spent six months developing this strategy and genuinely believe it will transform the company. You have strong data but know the CFO will challenge your numbers.

    Secret goal: Present with confidence. Adapt based on reactions.

  • Chief Financial Officer

    You are sceptical. You believe the $3 million figure is optimistic and the real cost will be higher. You are not opposed to the idea but need much stronger evidence.

    Secret goal: Ask precise challenging questions. Do not accept vague answers.

  • CEO

    You are under pressure from shareholders and the board. You privately think the strategy is excellent but need political cover to approve it. You cannot appear to make a quick decision.

    Secret goal: Listen carefully. Ask questions that help build the case. Avoid committing too early.

  • Non-Executive Director

    You represent external shareholders concerned about brand reputation. You ask unexpected questions the presenter may not have prepared for. You are cautious but open to being convinced.

    Secret goal: Raise concerns from an external perspective. Push back on assumptions.

8

Presentation Under Pressure

Drama Event

Individual

Scenario

You are the senior communications team preparing for the most important presentation of the year — a live investor day event in three hours. Everything was ready. Then things started going wrong. React to each dramatic event as a team — communicate, adapt and perform under extreme pressure.

  • 🎲

    wordlist

    credibility rehearse stakeholder contingency compose improvise persuade transparent adapt deadline

  • 🧨

    Crisis

    The main presenter has just called in sick — someone must step in with two hours notice.

  • 🧠

    Revelation

    A journalist has published an article this morning questioning the accuracy of your key data slide.

  • ⏱

    Pressure

    The investors have moved the start time forward by 45 minutes due to scheduling changes.

  • 🚧

    Constraint

    The presentation software has crashed and only the first ten slides can be recovered.

  • 🔄

    Twist

    One of the investors in the audience is known to be considering investing in your main competitor.

  • ⚖️

    Conflict

    Two team members strongly disagree on whether to acknowledge the journalist's article or ignore it completely.

  • 🧭

    Opportunity

    A highly respected industry analyst unexpectedly offers to introduce your presentation and endorse your strategy.

  • 🎯

    Decision

    You must decide in the next ten minutes whether to postpone, proceed with incomplete slides, or deliver without visuals at all.

  • 🎲

    settings

  • 🎲

    settings

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