In this Business English Podcast lesson we’re going to take another look at making presentations in English with the first in a two-part series focused on question and answer – popularly referred to as Q&A.
This listening is from the Q&A session that follows on from our previous episode on closing presentations – BEP 33. It takes place during a meeting of senior sales and marketing staff at Harper-Tolland, a global producer of special purpose steel. As we begin, Nick Fisher, the European sales director, is just finishing his presentation.
In today’s Business English Podcast lesson, we’ll be looking at closing down and summarizing your presentation in English.
As we mentioned a while back in BEP 101 (Click this link to listen to the podcast), a strong introduction is important to give your audience a reason for listening. Similarly, a strong conclusion is very important to leaving your audience with a great impression and giving them a clear message about what action to take.
So what structure should you use to close down an English presentation? We suggest this simple format:
1. Give your audience a clear signal that your are going to finish. 2. Briefly summarize the main points of your presentation. 3. State your recommendation or give your call to action – let your audience know what you want them to do. 4. Finish off by thanking your listeners and inviting questions or discussion.
In today’s listening we’ll be exploring this format. The listening takes place at Harper-Tolland, a major global producer of special purpose steel. Last year Harper-Tolland launched a new product line but the sales results in Europe have been quite disappointing. Nicholas Fischer, the new regional sales director for Harper-Tolland, has been hired to fix the problem. He is just finishing off a presentation in which he has been discussing his proposal.
In this Business English podcast we look at the language of signposting.
Signposting is informing listeners about what is to be presented in a presentation, and constantly informing listeners as to where they are during that presentation. The term “signposting” comes from signs posted on street corners, which tell travelers where they are and where they are going.
In the dialog, we’ll hear the middle of a presentation about sales performance. As you, listen focus on the phrases the presenter uses to signpost the structure of his talk.
Making a good introduction to your presentation is key to getting your audience’s attention. This Business English Podcast episode looks at the language used in making an internal presentation during a videoconference and particularly the language used to make your introduction.
