4 Presentation Mistakes Taiwanese Professionals Make & How to Fix Them

Presentation Skills for non-native English-speaking professionals

Delivering a presentation in English as a non-native speaker can be challenging—especially in a global business setting. For many professionals in Taiwan, even those with strong technical knowledge, communication barriers can limit the impact of their message.

In this blog post, we’ll explore four common presentation mistakes Taiwanese professionals make and share practical strategies to communicate more clearly, confidently, and professionally in global business environments.

Mistake #1: Not Setting the Stage for Success

One of the most common missteps is diving directly into the content without properly opening the presentation. A strong start is essential to engage your audience and guide their expectations.

To set the presentation up for success, participants need to understand four things:

1. Why they are here – Is the content critical, useful, or just an update?

2. Who you are – Establish your credibility by introducing yourself clearly.

3. What they will gain – Clearly state your objectives, expected outcomes and describe the presentation outline.

4. How they should participate – Let them know when and how they can ask questions.

   
   
   
   

1. Why are they here?

Clarify the purpose of your presentation—Is it a critical update, a technical briefing, or a routine status report? You must set the tone and pitch the presentation at the right level so everyone knows what to expectPresenters from a High-context culture like Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America or Southern Europe might expect the audience to ‘read between the lines’ and understand the tone of the presentation. However, audiences from a Low-context culture, like the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia or New Zealand expect you to clarify the tone and pitch.

2. Who are you?

The audience want to know who you are and why they should listen to you. Build trust by introducing yourself clearly. Include your full name, title, and relevant experience to establish your credibility reassuring the audience that you are the right person to give this presentation. Don’t assume your audience knows who you are—especially in low-context cultures, a brief self-introduction is essential.

3. What will they gain?

In a high-context culture, presenters may not clearly state the presentation objectives or outcomes because they expect the audience to understand this. An audience from a low-context culture will be much more comfortable if the presenter clearly states the objectives using structured and concise language, such as:

“Today, I want to show you how to ……. This is important because …… By the end of this session, you’ll clearly understand ……..”

“Today, I want to cover a few important process changes.It’s critical to implement these changes because ………… By the end of this session, I’m confident you’ll be able to…”

“Today, I’m going to discuss ………. I’ll cover the main points to make sure that you can ……………

I won’t go into details. You can check the details in the attached file.”

Communication Tip: Use a variety of language

When communicating in a global business environment, it’s important to use a variety of language because this demonstrates strong communication skills and helps build credibility. In this situation, say:

“Today, I’m going to discuss ……….

I’ll cover the main points to ……………

I won’t go into details. You can check ........”

Avoid using repetitive language like:  “I’m going to ……. Then, I’m going to ……. I’m not going to …”

Describe the outline

Using an outline or agenda slide to state what you’ll cover is another important way to communicate what the audience will gain from this presentation. This is particularly important when delivering a presentation to an audience from a low-context culture because they’ll expect you to clearly state what will be covered directly.

Communicate in a structured way, using concise language and don’t forget to use a variety of language to build credibility. Avoid repeating the same sentences. For example:

“I’ve divided this training event into four parts:

•        In the first part, I’ll cover ……..

•        In part two, I’ll focus on ……

•        The third part deals with …….

•        I’ll end by outlining ……….”

4. How should they participate?

The final part of setting the presentation up for success is clarifying how the audience should interact. When and how should they ask questions or make comments. Clearly explain how the audience can interact – anytime, at designated points or at the end of the presentation. For example:

Anytime – “Feel free to ask questions or make comments as we go along.”

Designated points – “I’ll pause during the presentation to take your questions.”

At the end – “I’d appreciate if you kept your questions to the end.”

If you follow these four topics, you’ve set your presentation up for success.

Mistake #2: Overloading Slides with Information

Many professionals from high-context cultures prefer detailed slides with lots of information because it helps them deliver their presentation in English. However, audiences in global business often find sides with a lot of content overwhelming and distracting.

Best Practices:

One Slide, One Idea

Design slides that communicate one key message per slide.  message. This makes it easier for the audience to follow your message. It also makes it easier for you to deliver your presentation.

Show Only What’s Necessary

The audience will read everything you put on your slide. Avoid showing all information at once because it will distract them. If you're not talking about it, don’t show it. Reduce distractions.

Keep Slides Clean and Focused

Keep slides clean and organized so the audience can stay focused. Cluttered slides can suggest poor organization or unclear thinking. Present your ideas clearly and concisely.

Use Multiple Slides for Clarity

When presenting four ideas, it’s better to have four clean slides with one key idea than one cluttered slide with four ideas. This approach improves both delivery and audience retention.

Limit Fonts and Colors

Stick to 2–3 fonts and colors. Too many different styles and colors can confuse your audience and reduce your credibility in professional settings.

Mistake #3: Lack of Structure in Communication

In high-context cultures, storytelling or informal delivery is often appreciated. However, audiences in low-context cultures expect a logical and structured approach.

If the presenter doesn’t structure main points, the audience might find it difficult to prioritize information and differentiate between key points and less important details. Therefore, presenters in global business deliver their message in a structured way, highlighting key points and prioritizing information for the audience.

Use a Clear Structure for Each Slide:

1. Introduce the Slide

When first clicking on the slide, briefly introduce the topic to focus the audience. Use language like:

“This slide provides information on ……………”

“This slide describes our QA process highlighting the importance of …”

2.      State the Objective

Next, help the audience stay focused and engaged by briefly outlining your objective for this slide using language like:

“I want to clarify our new QA process, highlighting …….”

“This slide is very important because it demonstrates …… I want to clarify …”

3.      Explain Key Points

Now, that you’ve introduced the slide and stated your objective, you can describe the details. Remember to use structured communication with concise, result-driven language, such as:

“It’s critical to understand ……… because …………”

“First, we need to ………… After that, ……………………..”

“I want to emphasize the importance of …………… because …………. “

“We do this by first ……. Then, ………..”

“Let me highlight …………… I want to focus on three things (a) …… (b) ……. (c) …..”

4.      Summarize the Slide

At the end of your slide, take 60 seconds to highlight the key takeaways. This is particularly important if you’ve covered a lot on the slide. A few quick comments will help the audience understand the key message, increasing their retention and engagement.

“So let me just highlight the three key takeaways from this slide.

First, it’s essential that …

Second, this process is critical for ….., which is why you need to fully understand …Finally, …………..”

5.      Check for Understanding

Before moving on to the next slide, you could quickly check to see if anyone has a question. You don’t need to do this after every slide, but it’s important to check for comprehension from time-to-time because it encourages interaction and shows that you are focused on the needs of your audience.

“Are there any questions or would you like me to clarify anything?”

Following this kind of communication structure will improve your presentation delivery, increase audience retention and make the presentation a more impactful experience for everyone.

Mistake #4: Weak Communication Delivery

When presenting in English, many non-native speakers feel nervous and may:

• Speak too quickly

• Ramble or repeat points

• Struggle to organize thoughts clearly

  
  

Improve Your Delivery with These Strategies:

Guide the Audience through Each Slide

It’s critical to guide the audience through the slide, so they can stay fully engaged and don’t ‘get lost’. Use language like:

“Let me draw your attention to ……. on the right side of ………..”

“On the left-hand side, you can see …………”

Guide the Audience through the Presentation

A presentation is like a journey and your job is to guide the audience along the way. Keep them informed about where they are now, how far they have already gone and where will they go next. Use language like this.

“Okay. Let’s begin by looking at …..”

“Now that I’ve described, I’ll move on to ……”

“In the next part, I’m going to focus on ……..”

Use Signposting Language

Use signposting language to help the audience understand your logic and follow the flow of your thinking. For example:

“I’d like to make four points. First, …… Second, …….. Next, ….. Finally, ……..”

“We need to take a number of steps. First, …….. In addition, ………. Another important step is ………. Finally, we need to make sure …..”

“I’d like to go back to something I said earlier about …….”

“Before I move on, I’d like to highlight the data about ……”

Use Your Voice Effectively

• Pause for Impact: Pausing allows the audience to absorb key points and shows confidence.

• Vary Your Pace: Slow down on important parts; speed up through minor details.

• Stress Key Points: Use your voice to emphasize key words, phrases or sentences, drawing attention and focusing the audience on your most important message.

These techniques help the audience follow your flow and make your message more memorable

Summary of Key Takeaways:

Set Your Presentation Up for Success

Clarify the purpose, introduce yourself, state your objectives, and explain participation.

Design Slides that Support Your Message

One idea per slide. Avoid information overload. Keep slides clean, focused, and visually consistent.

Use a Structured Approach

For each slide: Introduce → State Objective → Present Key Points → Summarize → Check Understanding

Deliver with Confidence

Guide the audience, signpost your points, vary voice (pause, pace) and vary your speed.

Final Thought

Delivering presentations in a global business environment requires more than just English proficiency. It demands clear structure, cultural awareness, and professional delivery. With the right strategies, you can present with confidence, clarity, and credibility—no matter who’s in the audience.

Brian Mc Closkey is the CEO at NextGen Business Communication Training, a business communication training company for non-native English-speaking professionals in Taiwan.

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