What happens when you use German Eloquence in business English?

#1. Why does my presentation sound heavy in English even though it's clear in German?

This question comes up particularly often among German professionals who regularly present, negotiate or lead meetings in English.

When you look at the question, it seems contradictory. The presentation sounds heavy in one language and clear in the other.

But why?

Because a language is not just words that you can translate into another language and get the same meaning. It is influenced by the culture in which it is spoken.

German is a more technical language, and English is a diplomatic language with the purpose of building trust in business.

What is the number one pitfall I see German business professionals make before presentations?

They take their presentation in German and translate it directly into English instead of creating it from scratch in English. 

The result is typically:

• Long, complicated sentences such as, "Considering the numerous challenges that have arisen, we need to implement new approaches, not everybody might appreciate, but which are necessary.
• abstract words and nominalizations such as: implementation, procedure, optimisation

Both are common ways of signalling eloquence and expertise in German, and sometimes simply a way to impress your audience.

Instead, in English, it is more important to design your presentation for your audience.

Ask yourself:

• Who is going to listen to this presentation?
• What do they need and want to hear?
• What takeaways matter most to them?

It is also a good idea to start the presentation with a short introduction that serves as a mind opener for your audience. It could be a question regarding the topic you are going to present or a fact. e.g. "What's your guess on how many people use AI regularly at work?"

As you start thinking about who you are creating your presentation for, you'll start to anticipate your audience's needs and what they understand.

This brings me to an easy-to-implement technique that can help make sure you're presenting in a way that your readers can follow. It's a way of delivering for them, so they understand and begin to trust you. What's the technique?

Signposting.

Do you use signposting when presenting in English?

Signposting is simply using sentences like:

• Today, you are going to hear about…
• If you would just take a look at…
• This brings me to my next point.
• To sum up, we have…

All of these expressions make it easier for the audience to follow your thoughts. They give you confidence and show your professional attitude.

When you consider the points I have just discussed, you can create clarity in your English presentation.

Quick reflection
When you present in English, do you focus more on sounding eloquent or on guiding your audience?

If you’re curious how your communication might be perceived in English, the Business Communication Check

can offer a first, neutral perspective.

#2. How can I stop translating my German communication style into English?

This is a question clients and people I've worked with often ask.

To begin with, you can learn and use the functional language of the area you are going to talk about in English. Functional language is like a component of the language with a purpose. If you take the example of signposting in presentations. You might use expressions like: This brings me to my next point.; Today's presentation is about; Let me walk you through the next steps; are typical functional language for a presentation. The function of the language is signposting. Your benefit is that you gain confidence and clarity, and you appear professional.

Here's an exercise I use with my clients: Practice thinking in English first.

You could also try to use the words that come to mind. Here you could start with some of your favourite topics and take it from there.

It is important not to start thinking in German and then translate. The outcome is Denglish – German sentences with English words. 

Practising thinking in English requires a little discipline. But when you try to do it as an exercise once or twice a day, you'll notice a difference soon.

#3. What‘s the difference between German Eloquence and business English?

There are a couple of differences between German Eloquence and business English.

You might have heard of KISS – keep it short and simple. Not to be confused with simple language. It just means no long, complicated sentences or abstract words.

Instead, try to be a little more polite and human.

How can you sound polite and human?

Avoid being overly polite. Which is another trap business professionals fall into.

Sentences like:

• "I kindly inform you that…" or
• "We kindly accept your offer" appear incredibly formal, a little old-fashioned, and bureaucratic.

Instead, it is better to say:

• "I would like to inform you that" or
• "We are pleased to accept your offer".

See the difference?

In this example, you can also see that you cannot translate German 1:1 into English and hope to get the same meaning. It is simply impossible.

It also tends to make you sound too formal, detail-oriented, and structured.

You can appear cold and distant that way. Because it is the way German seems to appear in business. At the same time, English tends to appear polite, relationship-building, and accessible.

Key takeaways

As you prepare for your next presentation or business meeting, try to keep the ideas you just learned in mind:

When you speak English in business, make sure you:

• Don’t translate 1:1 from German into English. Because when you translate German business language into English, you end up with formal or very formal business English.
• You risk sounding bureaucratic, cold, or distant.
• Try to make a little effort and start to learn to think in English.
• Use functional language for the business area you need to communicate in helps you hit the right tone and gain more confidence in speaking.
• Make sure you use the KISS formula when you are tempted to make a complicated sentence with abstract words.

If you keep working on speaking for your audience instead of speaking eloquently, you'll soon notice that you get better feedback in presentations or in meetings, create better business relationships because you use the language to engage with people and create trust.

Would you like to work on your English eloquence in real business situations?

In my coaching, we focus on clarity, tone and impact – not on translating German into English, but on communicating effectively across cultures.

You’re welcome to book a first, no-obligation session to explore what would support you most here.