Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

Are you ready to create your presentation introduction in English?

Now that you have considered the five important points for planning a business presentation in English, we will talk about the correct English phrases to use when you introduce your presentation.

The introduction is the most important part of the speech.

This is your chance to set the tone and tone is EVERYTHING!

In the United States, it is sometimes good to begin with a casual opening phrase or a joke, but this is not appropriate in all business situations. 

Keep reading to learn about the phrases that you can use in your introduction.

1. The Opening:

• "Hi everyone, thanks for coming"
• "Shall we get started?"
• "Let's begin"
• "Let's get the ball rolling" (cultural note: casual idiom, use with American audiences)

2. Introduce yourself and the title and topic of your presentation:

• "My name is ____. I work in the sales office in Tokyo and I have been asked to come here today to speak to you about intercultural communication skills"
• "I am the manager of our marketing department and I would like to speak about inbound marketing today"

3. Involve your audience and find out what they know:

Cultural Note: In the United States, it is good to introduce a topic by getting the audience to participate.

• "Have you ever heard of ____?"
• "How many of you know ____?"

4. State your goals and objectives:

• "My goal today is to help you understand ___"
• "I would like to illustrate ____"
• "I will demonstrate_____"
• "I will give you some background on ____"

5. Explain your outline or your plan for the presentation:

• "First, I will present some simple definitions"
• "Then, I will explain ____"
• "In the next section, I'd like to show ___"
• "Finally, I'm going to ask you to take part in a demonstration"

The next question is this: What English phrases do you need for the main body of the speech?

(photo by Brendan Biele)