Delivering a Presentation - English with Lee

Exercise 1VocabularyinvestVerbɪnˈvɛstto spend money on something, hoping to make a profitMany people are investing in real estate these days.

He made his wealth by investing in the stock market.

Every month I invest some of my salary in my retirement account.The sudden drop in stock prices a few months ago caused me to rethink my investing strategy.I invested a lot of money in my brother's company.

have high expectationsPhrasehæv haɪˌekspekˈteɪʃnzto expect something/someone to perform wellWe have high expectations for this project.projected salesPhraseˈprɑːdʒektɪd ˈseɪlzestimated salesThe projected sales did not seem convincing to the investors.pick upPhrasal Verbpɪk ʌpto increaseSales always pick up during the holiday season.prolongVerbprəˈlɔːŋto lengthen in durationHe liked to prolong meetings with his complicated questions and confusing opinions.shelf lifeNounˈʃelf laɪfthe length of time that an item may be stored before becoming unfit for use or consumption (usually used for fresh and uncooked food, like vegetables)This product doesn't have a long shelf life, so we should eat it soon.point outPhrasal Verbpɔɪnt aʊtto draw attention to; to demonstrateCould you point out my mistakes?Exercise 2Useful Expressions

Today I am going to talk about/present/examine...
I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about…
Firstly/First of all/I'll start with...
Secondly/Next/Then,...
Last but not least...
Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions.
There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.
As you may know,...
Before I move on, I'd like to ask...
Now that we've looked at..., let's move on/turn to...
I'd like to point out/emphasize that...
I'd like you to look at this...
If you look at this..., you will see...
This... illustrates/shows/indicates...
That brings me to the end of my presentation.
Thank you for your time.

Exercise 3Dialogue PracticeRead the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

David is delivering a presentation about the new supplement his company is about to sell.
David	Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today I am here to talk to you about our new supplement. I’ll start by presenting the projected sales of this product. Then, I'll share our plan for future improvements. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation. Before I begin, I'd like to know if anyone has any questions about the product itself or are you all familiar with it?
Mark Smith	Thank you, David. I think everyone is familiar with the product, as we had a presentation about it a few weeks back. So, feel free to continue.
David	Very well, thank you, sir. As you may know, we have been working on this product for over 5 months. We have invested a lot in it. Therefore, it is natural that we have high expectations for it.
Mark Smith	Indeed.
David	Our Market Research has shown that it should have a good opening on the market. I'd like you to take a look at this graph. As you can see, the projected sales are quite high. Naturally, the sales are expected to move a bit more slowly initially, but they should pick up quite quickly. We are optimistic we will reach our target of 500,000 units by the end of the first month.
Nicole	The numbers look promising.
David	They sure do. Now that we've looked at the projected sales, let us turn to our plans for future improvements. Once the product is established on the market, we are planning to start adding other extra components to further prolong its shelf life. If you look at this chart, you will see all the components that we intend to add, as well as their effects. I would also like to point out that our test subjects have given us a lot of positive feedback. So, I hope that this gives you a clear picture of what we intend to accomplish in the near future. And that brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your time. Now, I will be happy to answer your questions.
Mark Smith	When will we be able to launch the product?
David	The product itself is ready. We are currently waiting for the Marketing Department to agree on some details regarding the sales promotion. From what I know, it should be ready in about two weeks.
Mark Smith	Thank you, David.

Check your understanding:1.What was David's presentation about?2.What are the projections regarding the sales?3.What do they plan to add in the future and why?Exercise 4Role PlayRole-play the following situation with your teacher.Situation

Imagine you want to get investors to support your project. Hold a short presentation about the project, explaining your ideas. The project's subject is of your choosing (related to your work, study, interests, etc.). Your teacher will act as one of the investors and will ask questions. You may use the following expressions:

I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about…
First/Next/Finally...
As you may know,...
Let's now move on to...
Please, take a look at this graph.
Thank you for listening.

Exercise 5Discussion1.In your line of work, do you often need to deliver presentations? How do you feel about giving presentations?2.What kind of tools do you usually use when delivering a presentation? Do you find them useful?3.What do you think are some essential things to keep in mind when delivering a presentation?4.Are you good at public speaking? How can a person improve their public speaking skills?

Delivering a Presentation