How to Present Data Clearly in Business English (With Practical Phrases)

Read Time: 4 – 5 minutes

If you work in business, chances are you’ve had to present numbers, maybe in a meeting, on a report slide, or during a performance review. It could be sales figures, customer satisfaction scores, or financial projections. But here’s the truth: the numbers don’t speak for themselves.

What matters most is how you explain them.

Whether you’re addressing clients, colleagues, or leadership, clear language builds trust. It shows you’re organised, analytical, and confident. And when you can present data in a way that’s easy to follow, people listen. They also remember.

In this post, we’ll look at five key areas to improve your data presentation skills in English. Each section includes practical advice and real phrases you can use to sound more professional and more in control.

1. Set the Scene Before the Numbers Come In

One of the most common mistakes is starting a presentation by jumping straight into a graph or spreadsheet. When you do this, your audience is forced to guess what they’re looking at and why it matters.

Instead, start with context. Tell people what the numbers show before you show them. Give them a reason to care.

Instead of:

“Here are the numbers.”

Try:

“This table highlights the key trends in customer feedback.”

Useful phrases:

• “Let me walk you through the results of our latest report.”
• “This chart shows the sales growth over the last quarter.”
• “Here we can see a comparison between this year and last year.”

When you set the scene first, you immediately sound more structured and prepared. It helps your audience understand what to focus on and makes your delivery feel smooth and professional.

2. Focus on What Really Matters

Another common issue is reading every number out loud, especially when presenting dense reports or dashboards. This not only overwhelms your audience but also weakens your message.

A better approach is to select one or two key figures and explain why they’re important. You don’t need to explain everything. You need to explain what matters most.

Useful phrases:

• “The most significant figure here is…”
• “What stands out is that revenue increased by 12 percent.”
• “It’s important to note that customer satisfaction dropped slightly.”

Highlighting key data shows that you can think critically. It also signals confidence. You’re not just reading, you’re analysing and leading the conversation.

3. Describe Movement Clearly

Charts and graphs are used to show change, but if your explanation is too basic, it can sound vague or even uncertain. Saying something like “sales went up” doesn’t give enough information.

To sound more professional, use specific language that shows how things have changed and to what degree.

Instead of:

“Sales went up.”

Try:

“Sales increased steadily over the past six months.”

Useful phrases:

• “There was a sharp decline in Q2.”
• “We can see a gradual improvement in response rates.”
• “The numbers have remained stable since the last quarter.”

TMT Tip: Use adverbs like steadily, slightly, gradually, or sharply to describe change more accurately.

Describing trends clearly helps you sound more precise and confident. It also makes your message easier to follow, especially for colleagues who may not be familiar with the data.

4. Make Comparisons That Add Value

Your audience often wants to know how the current numbers compare to something else; last month, last year, or industry benchmarks. Simple statements like “It’s better now” do not tell the full story.

Instead, use direct comparisons that help people understand progress, gaps, or goals.

Instead of:

“It’s better now.”

Try:

“This year’s profit is ten percent higher compared to last year.”

Useful phrases:

• “We’ve made significant gains since our last annual review.”
• “Our results are higher than the industry average.”
• “This figure is slightly lower than expected.”

When you make comparisons clearly, you help your audience understand the significance of what they’re seeing. It also shows that you’re paying attention to the bigger picture.

5. End with a Clear Takeaway

It’s easy to end a presentation with the final chart and move on. But that leaves your audience wondering, so what?

Always finish by explaining what the data means for the team, project, or business. It doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to give a clear sense of next steps, progress, or areas for improvement.

Useful phrases:

• “To sum up, the data shows strong growth in new markets.”
• “The key takeaway is that we need to improve customer retention.”
• “In conclusion, these results suggest that our strategy is working.”

Ending with insight shows you’re not just presenting. You’re interpreting. It’s a leadership skill, and it leaves your audience with something meaningful to think about.

Final Thoughts

Presenting data clearly is about more than just having the right words. It’s about helping people understand what matters.

When you give context, highlight key figures, describe trends clearly, and end with a takeaway, you don’t just sound better. You sound more confident, more prepared, and more professional.

This is the kind of communication that builds trust. It shows that you understand your role and that you can lead others through complexity, not just report on it.

That’s what confident Business English sounds like.

👉 Want to practise these skills in real scenarios?

Join a TMT live course and build the confidence to speak clearly, lead meetings, and explain data with impact.