You're presenting the Q3 roadmap to stakeholders. Half the cameras are off. Someone's eating.
Another person is clearly checking email. The CEO joins 10 minutes late. Your internet stutters right
when you're explaining the critical timeline. Welcome to online presentations in 2025.
Why This Matters Now
🎯 The Statistics
87% of project managers now run virtual presentations weekly or more (2024 PM Institute Survey)
62% say maintaining stakeholder attention online is their biggest challenge
43% report that miscommunication happens more frequently in virtual presentations
💼 Meet Sarah - Senior PM at a Tech Company
Sarah runs sprint reviews every two weeks with 12 stakeholders across 4 time zones.
Her biggest challenge? "People join late, leave early, or just aren't paying attention.
I need to grab their attention immediately and keep them engaged, even when I can't see their faces."
She learned that the language she uses in the first 30 seconds determines whether people actually listen or start multitasking.
🎤 Meet James - PM in Financial Services
James presents to C-level executives monthly. "They're all on mute with cameras off.
I have no idea if they understand or agree. I need to explicitly ask for input, or I get zero feedback
until it's too late to adjust the project direction."
He mastered the art of inviting participation without sounding desperate or annoying.
The Unique Challenges of Virtual PM Presentations
→You can't read the room - No body language, no eye contact, no way to gauge understanding
→Attention spans are shorter - People are checking Slack, email, or another meeting
→Questions get lost - Chat messages pile up, hands raise virtually, timing gets awkward
→Authority feels diminished - Harder to command presence through a screen
What You'll Master Today
In this lesson, you'll learn 5 essential expressions that professional PMs use to:
Open presentations with immediate impact
Navigate technical difficulties smoothly
Invite participation without begging
Handle questions and interruptions professionally
Close with clear next steps
Think About Your Presentations
Before you continue, reflect:
• What's your biggest challenge when presenting online?
• How do you know if people are actually listening?
• What happens when someone joins late or has technical issues?
• How do you get quiet stakeholders to speak up?
Opening & Navigating Issues
Click each expression to see how to use it
1. "Before we dive in, let me quickly set the context..."
Professional
When to use: Opening your presentation - this signals you're about to start and focuses attention.
Why it works: "Before we dive in" acknowledges everyone's time and signals urgency. "Set the context" prepares people to understand what follows. Perfect for when people are still settling in or joining late.
In Sarah's sprint review:
"Before we dive in, let me quickly set the context. We're two weeks into Sprint 12, and I know some of you are joining from back-to-back meetings, so I'll keep this focused on the three blockers that need your input today."
NOW YOU TRY: You're presenting a project status update. Half the team just joined. Use this expression to open your presentation and focus everyone's attention on what matters today.
2. "For those just joining, here's where we are..."
Professional
When to use: When people join late (which happens constantly in virtual meetings).
Why it works: Acknowledges latecomers without making them feel guilty. Gets everyone on the same page. Shows you're organized and inclusive. Prevents the awkward "should I catch them up?" moment.
James handling a late CEO:
"For those just joining, here's where we are - we've covered the budget variance, and we're now discussing the timeline implications. The key decision we need today is whether to push the deadline or add resources."
NOW YOU TRY: You're 10 minutes into a presentation when the CTO joins. Use this expression to catch them up in 20 seconds without losing momentum with others.
3. "Bear with me for a moment while I..."
Professional / Friendly
When to use: Technical difficulties, switching screens, pulling up documents, fixing audio - any awkward pause.
Why it works: Acknowledges the delay, asks for patience politely, explains what you're doing. Prevents awkward silence. Shows you're in control even when things go wrong.
Sarah's screen share fails:
"Bear with me for a moment while I share my screen again - seems like Zoom is having other ideas. While we wait, I can tell you that the key metric we'll be looking at is the velocity trend from the last three sprints."
NOW YOU TRY: Your slides won't load. Use this expression to maintain professionalism while you fix the issue, and fill the time by previewing what people will see.
Pro Tips for These Expressions
💡"Before we dive in" works better than "Let's start" - it sounds more natural and engaging
💡"For those just joining" is more professional than "Some people are late, so..." - never shame latecomers
💡"Bear with me" keeps your authority - contrast with "Sorry, sorry, hold on..." which sounds flustered
Engaging & Closing
4. "I'd love to hear your thoughts on this..."
Professional / Collaborative
When to use: Inviting input, asking for opinions, getting quiet stakeholders to participate.
Why it works: "I'd love to" shows genuine interest (not obligation). "Your thoughts" is more open than "your opinion" or "questions". Creates psychological safety for people to speak up. Particularly powerful when you name specific people.
James getting C-level input:
"So those are the three options for handling the delay. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, particularly from Sarah and Tom, since this directly impacts your teams. What approach makes the most sense from your perspective?"
NOW YOU TRY: You've just presented a complex technical decision. The call is silent - everyone on mute with cameras off. Use this expression to specifically invite the Lead Developer and Product Owner to share their perspective.
5. "Just to wrap up, the key takeaways are..."
Professional
When to use: Closing your presentation, summarizing next steps, ensuring clarity before ending.
Why it works: "Just to wrap up" signals you're finishing (re-engages people who zoned out). "Key takeaways" focuses on what matters most. Prevents the awkward "So... I guess we're done?" ending. Ensures everyone leaves with clear understanding.
Sarah closing her sprint review:
"Just to wrap up, the key takeaways are: Sprint 12 is on track, we need approval for the API vendor by Friday, and the three blockers I showed need owner assignments. I'll send those action items in Slack within the hour. Any final questions?"
NOW YOU TRY: You've spent 40 minutes discussing a complicated project pivot. Time is running out and you need to ensure everyone knows the 3 decisions made and who owns what next. Use this expression to close strong.
All 5 Expressions - Quick Reference
Opening: "Before we dive in, let me quickly set the context..."
Late arrivals: "For those just joining, here's where we are..."
Technical issues: "Bear with me for a moment while I..."
Inviting input: "I'd love to hear your thoughts on this..."
Closing: "Just to wrap up, the key takeaways are..."
The Professional PM Presentation Arc
1. Open with context → Grab attention immediately
2. Acknowledge late joiners → Keep everyone aligned
3. Handle issues smoothly → Maintain authority when things break
4. Invite participation → Get input from quiet stakeholders
5. Close with clarity → Everyone knows what happens next
Your Presentation Scenarios
Choose 2-3 scenarios that match your real work. We'll practice using the expressions you just learned in contexts that actually happen to you.
Sprint Review / Demo
You're presenting two weeks of work to stakeholders. Some care about technical details, others just want to see results. How do you engage both groups?
Project Status Update
Monthly update to leadership. The project is behind schedule. You need to explain why, present options, and get a decision without causing panic.
Project Kickoff Meeting
Launching a new project with a cross-functional team. Half the people don't know each other. You need to set expectations, align on goals, and get buy-in.
Presenting a Technical Problem
You need to explain a complex technical issue to non-technical stakeholders and get them to approve a solution that costs money or delays timeline.
Change Request Presentation
A stakeholder wants to add features mid-project. You need to present the impact on timeline, budget, and scope - and negotiate what's realistic.
Retrospective Facilitation
Leading a team retrospective. You need to get honest feedback about what went wrong without it turning into a blame session or people staying silent.
Your Selected Scenarios:
Click 2-3 cards above to select your practice scenarios...
For Each Scenario You Selected:
Discuss with your teacher:
1. Opening: How would you use "Before we dive in..." to grab attention immediately?
2. Challenges: What technical issues or late joiners are you likely to face?
3. Participation: Who are the quiet stakeholders? How will you use "I'd love to hear your thoughts..." to engage them?
4. Closing: What are the 2-3 key takeaways everyone must leave with?
Expressions for This Practice
"Before we dive in, let me quickly set the context..."
"For those just joining, here's where we are..."
"Bear with me for a moment while I..."
"I'd love to hear your thoughts on this..."
"Just to wrap up, the key takeaways are..."
Timed Presentation Challenge
The Ultimate Test: Present a real scenario from your work for 3-5 minutes.
Use at least 3 of the expressions naturally. Your teacher will simulate realistic interruptions
(someone joining late, technical issues, questions).
Choose Your Challenge
The Crisis Update
The project is in trouble. Present the situation, explain what went wrong, and propose solutions.
Stay calm and professional even when delivering bad news.
The Complex Decision
Present three options for a major project decision. Each has pros and cons.
Get stakeholder input without leading them to your preferred choice.
The Success Story
Present a completed project or milestone. Celebrate wins while acknowledging the team.
Set up next steps. Keep it engaging despite being good news (which is often boring).
3:00
While You Present:
✓ Your teacher will simulate: Someone joining late, a technical issue, silence when you ask for input
✓ Use at least 3 expressions naturally
✓ Maintain professionalism even when interrupted
✓ Close with clear takeaways
Quick Reference During Practice
Open strong: "Before we dive in, let me quickly set the context..."
Handle latecomers: "For those just joining, here's where we are..."
Navigate issues: "Bear with me for a moment while I..."
Get participation: "I'd love to hear your thoughts on this..."
Close clearly: "Just to wrap up, the key takeaways are..."
Quick Review
The 5 Essential Expressions
Opening: "Before we dive in, let me quickly set the context..."
Late arrivals: "For those just joining, here's where we are..."
Technical issues: "Bear with me for a moment while I..."
Inviting input: "I'd love to hear your thoughts on this..."
Closing: "Just to wrap up, the key takeaways are..."
What Makes These Expressions Powerful
They sound professional, not robotic - Natural language that senior PMs actually use
They handle common problems - Late joiners, tech issues, silent stakeholders, unclear endings
They maintain your authority - You stay in control even when things go wrong
They invite collaboration - You're leading, not dictating
They're immediately usable - You can use all 5 in your next presentation
Practice This Week
Your Challenge
In your next 3 online presentations, deliberately use:
• "Before we dive in..." to open at least once
• "For those just joining..." whenever someone arrives late
• "I'd love to hear your thoughts..." to engage at least one quiet stakeholder
• "Just to wrap up..." to close with clear takeaways
Notice: How do people respond? Does the meeting feel more professional? Do you feel more confident?
Beyond These 5 Expressions
Keep Building Your PM Presentation Skills
These 5 expressions are your foundation. As you get comfortable with them, you'll naturally start adding:
• "Let me share my screen and walk you through..."
• "I'm seeing some questions in the chat - let me address those..."
• "Before we move on, I want to make sure we're aligned on..."
• "I'm going to hand this over to [name] to walk through..."
But master these 5 first. They cover 80% of what you need.
You're Ready
These aren't just phrases - they're tools that make you sound like a confident, professional PM
who knows how to command a virtual room. Use them in your next presentation and notice the difference.