Mem-PowerfulPresentations part 2

Transcript

1. PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH SPEAK TO LEAD POWERFUL PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH
2. ABOUT TODAY... The Psychology of Speaking Storytelling for Structure The Language of Impact Nonverbal Communication Common Mistakes
3. What’s the best presentation you’ve ever seen—and why?
4. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SPEAKING www.englishpriority.com
5. Why does public speaking make us nervous? Our brain perceives public speaking as a social threat. The amygdala triggers a fight-or-flight response, increasing anxiety, heart rate, and tension. When presenting in English (a second language), the brain works harder: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation — increasing cognitive load.
6. According to Dr. Amy Cuddy (Harvard), changing your body posture for just 2 minutes can change your hormones: Increases testosterone (confidence hormone) Decreases cortisol (stress hormone) The power of posture and mindset Amy Cuddy’s research This is known as Power Posing — expanding your body posture signals dominance and calm to your brain. Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy | TED Amy Cuddy: Power Poses
7. Closed body posture: Reduced voice power, fast speech, shallow breathing. Open body posture: More breath, calmer delivery, more expressive tone. If your body feels safe, your brain feels safe → more fluent language. Your body shapes your voice and language
8. Key Takeaways Your body is always talking to your brain. When you open your posture, you open your voice Fluency begins with safety. Let’s teach your brain you’re safe. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be present.
9. STORYTELLING FOR STRUCTURE www.englishpriority.com
10. Types of Presentations in the Workplace
11. Types of Presentations in the Workplace Type Purpose Audience Style & Tips Informative Share updates, data, or procedures Internal teams or departments Be clear, concise, structured — use visuals, don’t overload with data Persuasive Convince others to approve, invest, or act Decision-makers, clients, leadership Use the Sparkline (what is → what could be), emphasize benefits Status Update Report on progress Managers, team leads, project stakeholders Use clear metrics, avoid jargon, highlight blockers and next steps Pitch Sell a product, idea, or proposal Investors, clients, executives Keep it short, energetic, with clear “problem → solution → benefit
12. Types of Presentations in the Workplace Type Purpose Audience Style & Tips Training or Instructional Teach a process, tool, or skill Employees, partners, new hires Be logical, break into steps, check for understanding, use visuals Demonstration (Demo) Show how a product or tool works Clients, partners, users Focus on real-world value, show results not features, anticipate questions Motivational or Vision Talk Inspire, align, or energize a team Team, leadership, company-wide Use personal stories, metaphors, strong openings and endings
13. Key Takeaways Know your goal: Inform? Persuade? Inspire? Adapt your structure: Don’t just “report” — guide your audience. Know your audience: What do they care about? What’s in it for them? Practice different tones: Formal? Friendly? Urgent? Visionary?
14. Why business audiences disconnect Overloaded slides, unclear messages, no emotional hook: Cognitive Fatigue , Business leaders hear dozens of presentations — Structure is what makes it memorable According to Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988) when you reduce complexity, you increase impact
15. Enter the Duarte Sparkline Model (Resonate, 2010) What could be (desired future) → What is (current state) → Repeat → New Bliss (call to action/result) Think of it like a business pitch: What is: “Here’s the challenge, the current numbers, the inefficiencies” What could be: “Imagine if we reduce costs, gain market share, or streamline operations” A proven 4-STEP structure for compelling business communication:
16. Enter the Duarte Sparkline Model (Resonate, 2010) What could be (desired future) → What is (current state) → Repeat → New Bliss (call to action/result) Example: What is: “Customer churn has increased by 12% in the last quarter.” What could be: “With an improved onboarding system, we could cut churn by half.”
17. ➡️ What is: “Currently, we’re using different tools across departments. Project timelines are unclear, and communication gaps are frequent.” ➡️ What could be: “By adopting a unified platform like Asana, we could streamline collaboration, reduce missed deadlines, and gain real-time visibility.” ➡️ Repeat contrast: “Right now, status updates take days. Imagine if they took seconds.” ➡️ New Bliss (Call to Action): “With your approval, we can pilot Asana next month with 2 teams — and measure the results.” What could be (desired future) → What is (current state) → Repeat → New Bliss (call to action/result)
18. WHAT IS - Sentence Starters: “Currently, we are dealing with…” “At this moment, our process is…” “The main issue we’re seeing is…” “Our team has identified that…” “As it stands, we have…” “The current performance indicates…” “We’ve noticed a trend in…” “This approach has worked until now, but…” Vocbaulary ideas WHAT COULD BE - Sentence Starters: “Imagine a scenario where…” “What if we could…” “Let’s consider the potential of…” “We have an opportunity to…” “This would allow us to…” “If implemented, this solution could…” “An optimized process would look like…” “We envision a system where…” “Ideally, our workflow should…”
19. NEW BLISS - Sentence Starters: “With this solution in place, we could…” “The result would be a team that…” “This change would position us to…” “Moving forward with this plan means…” “Here’s the long-term impact we can achieve…” “This is a strategic move toward…” “Ultimately, this would lead to…” “We’d finally be able to…” “Let’s take the first step by…” “Our next move should be…” Vocbaulary ideas long-term impact sustainable growth measurable improvement increased agility stronger alignment elevated performance market advantage higher engagement strategic positioning seamless integration scalable results
20. Key Takeaways If your presentation has a clear story, your audience doesn’t have to work hard to follow you. Simple structure = confident delivery. It helps you focus on impact instead of perfect words This works whether you're proposing a change, sharing results, or pitching a new idea.
21. Now that your message is structured, let’s make sure you’re using the right English to deliver it smoothly and professionally — from your opening to your closing line.
22. 1- Open & Confident Posture: ✅ Sit or stand with your back straight and shoulders relaxed. ✅ Keep your hands visible on the table or at your sides—this signals openness. ✅ Avoid fidgeting, which can make you appear nervous." Body Language & Tone "Did you know that more than 70% of communication is non-verbal? www.englishpriority.com
23. THE LANGUAGE OF IMPACT www.englishpriority.com
24. Openings – Grabbing attention and setting the scene Purpose Sentence Starters ,
25. Transitions – Keeping your audience oriented Purpose Sentence Starters ,
26. , Emphasis – Highlighting Key Messages Purpose Sentence Starters
27. , Endings – Closing with Impact and Clarity Purpose Sentence Starters
28. Key Takeaways it’s not about perfect grammar — you need confident structure Simple, strategic phrases make you sound professional and credible These phrases give you control of the room and your message
29. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION www.englishpriority.com
30. Why nonverbal matters more than you think In a presentation, your audience reads how you speak as much as what you say Especially for non-native speakers: , Posture and tone can support your message when words are not the ideal choice
31. Why nonverbal matters more than you think Open posture = confidence, authority Closed posture = nervousness, uncertainty Facial expressions = authenticity and emotional connection Eye contact = builds trust (scan the room — don’t stare) , Body Language Basics Voice & Tone Use pauses to give your audience time to process Vary your pitch to avoid monotone delivery Slow down: clarity beats speed (especially in English) Volume: speak slightly louder than conversational tone to project presence
32. Tone elements to practice: Element Description Example
33. Say it with... Sentence: “We need to take action now.” Authority → slow, steady, slightly lower pitch Excitement → faster pace, higher pitch Concern → slower, softer tone, slight pause Optimism → upward intonation, smile in voice Urgency → louder, fast, clipped tone
34. COMMON MISTAKES & HOW TO FIX THEM
35. Why It Matters: If your audience struggles to understand your key words (e.g., numbers, verbs, company names), the impact of your message is lost — even if your content is great. ,
36. A - Common Pronunciation Issues Error Example Fix
37. Excessive “uh”, “ehhhh” breaks your credibility and makes you sound unsure B - Filler Words ⚠️ Common Fillers: “Umm…” “Like…” “You know…” “So…” “Actually…” “Basically…”
38. ⚠️ Symptoms of Bad Pacing: Running out of breath Long, uninterrupted speech No pauses between ideas Ending with rushed conclusions When nervous, speakers tend to rush — making them hard to follow. In English, this is even worse because you lose word clarity and emphasis. www.englishpriority.com C - Pacing Problems
39. Key Takeaways Your ideas deserve clarity. Let’s slow down and land them well. Simple, strategic phrases make you sound professional and credible Your audience needs space to digest what you’re saying.
40. That’s the power of a presentation. It’s not about perfect grammar — it’s about presence, clarity, and connection. Think about one way you’ll show up differently the next time you present. www.englishpriority.com
41. www.englishpriority.com