🧭 How to Plan Your Presentation
👋 Introduction
One of my students once said, “I know what I want to say, but I have no idea how to start.”
That’s something I hear a lot. The good news is, you’re not alone.
Planning is the first and most important step when giving a business presentation in English. If you get the planning right, everything else becomes easier. Your notes, your slides, and your delivery. In this lesson, I’ll walk you through a simple, clear process to plan a strong presentation, even if English isn’t your first language.
📚 Step-by-Step: How to Plan Your Presentation
1. Know Who You Are Talking To
Before you start writing or making slides, ask yourself: Who will listen to this presentation?
Are they managers? Clients? Team members?
Do they already understand the topic, or do they need background first?
💡 Tip from experience: If your audience includes non-native speakers, avoid fast speech, idioms, or complex words. Simple is professional.
2. Decide Your Goal
What do you want your audience to do or understand after your talk?
Some common goals:
- Explain a plan or process
- Report on progress
- Share research or data
- Suggest a new idea
- Promote a product
🎯 Write it in one clear sentence.
Example: “I want to explain the new software update and show why it helps our team.”
3. Choose 2 or 3 Main Points
I often tell my students: Don’t try to say everything. Just focus on the key ideas that support your goal.
Imagine you only have 5–10 minutes. What are the 2 or 3 things your audience must remember?
Example:
If you’re giving a sales pitch, your points might be:
- What the product does
- Why it’s better than others
- How much it costs
💡 Planning tip: I like to use sticky notes or bullet points when I do this part.
4. Organise Your Ideas Simply
Good presentations have a clear structure:
- Introduction – Who you are and what your topic is
- Main Body – Your 2–3 points with examples
- Conclusion – Repeat your main message and thank the audience
🎤 I always practise this aloud — it helps me feel the flow and timing.
5. Think About Time
Business presentations are often short — maybe 5, 10, or 15 minutes. If you don’t plan your time, it’s easy to rush or run out.
🕒 A good rule: One point = 2–3 minutes
So 3 points = 6–9 minutes + time for intro and ending
💡 Tip: Use a timer on your phone during practice. It really helps.
💬 Helpful English Phrases
Try these when starting your presentation:
- “Good morning. My name is…”
- “Today, I’d like to talk about…”
- “Let me begin by…”
- “There are three things I want to explain.”
- “To finish, I’d like to review the main idea.”
✅ Quick Summary
- Think about your audience first
- Choose a clear goal for your talk
- Pick 2 or 3 key points only
- Use a simple structure: beginning, middle, end
- Plan your time and practise with a timer
🔗 What’s Next?
👉 [Next lesson title and link]
👉 Back to the Presentation Course Homepage