English for Business Presentations

Opening: the first 30 seconds

The opening does three things: it says who you are, what the presentation is about, and how it is organised. Announcing the plan is not a formality — it tells the audience when to ask questions and what to expect, which reduces interruptions.

• "Good morning, everyone. I'm Yassine, from the logistics team."
• "Today I'd like to walk you through our Q3 results."
• "I'll cover three points: what happened, why, and what we recommend."
• "It should take about ten minutes, and I'll take questions at the end."

Signposting: moving between sections

Signposting is the skill that most clearly separates a confident presenter from a nervous one. These phrases are short, fixed, and can be learned in an afternoon.

• "Let's start with the numbers."
• "That covers the first point. Moving on to the second —"
• "Before I continue, one important detail."
• "This brings me to my main recommendation."
• "To give you some context —"

Presenting figures and slides

• "As you can see on this slide, sales rose by 12% compared with last year."
• "The blue line shows our target; the orange line shows where we actually are."
• "There's a significant drop here, in March."
• "Roughly speaking, that's one order in five."
• "The key takeaway from this chart is that demand is stable."

Closing and calling for action

• "To sum up: costs are down, delivery time is up, and we need one more person on the team."
• "My recommendation is to approve the second option."
• "What I need from you today is a decision on the budget."
• "Thank you for your time. I'm happy to take any questions."

Handling questions you did not expect

The question section cannot be scripted, so it needs strategies rather than sentences: buy a moment, confirm you understood, answer briefly, offer to follow up. Saying you will check a figure is far stronger than inventing one.

• "That's a good question — let me think for a second."
• "If I understand correctly, you're asking about the delivery cost?"
• "I don't have that figure with me. I'll send it to you this afternoon."
• "Does that answer your question?"
• "Can we take that one offline after the meeting?"

How to rehearse properly

• Rehearse out loud, standing, at least twice — silent reading does not count
• Time yourself: most presentations run long by a third
• Write the opening and closing word for word; improvise the middle
• List the five questions you hope nobody asks, and prepare answers for them
• Do one full rehearsal with a teacher who interrupts with hard questions

Frequently asked questions

Should I memorise my presentation in English?

Memorise the opening and closing, and use notes for the rest. Fully memorised presentations collapse as soon as someone interrupts.

What if my accent is strong?

Clarity matters more than accent. Speaking slightly slower, finishing your words and pausing between sections make you far easier to follow than trying to change your accent.

Can I rehearse a real presentation with an Englify teacher?

Yes. Learners regularly bring their actual slides to a private session and rehearse with feedback on structure, language and Q&A.

How much does a private Business English class cost?

100 MAD per hour, with monthly plans from 500 MAD for 4 hours to 2,000 MAD for 20 hours, and a free trial class and level assessment first.

How much do English lessons cost in Morocco?

At Englify, small-group online English classes are the most affordable option and private one-to-one classes cost more per hour, because a private teacher works with one student only. Current group and private prices are confirmed on WhatsApp (+212 724 744 137) and on our prices page, since they depend on the format, the number of hours per week and the length of the plan. The trial class is free and no card is required.

Explore more

• Business English in Morocco
• Private Business English classes
• Private English classes in Morocco
• English for meetings
• Professional emails in English
• English job interview guide
• All English learning guides