Presenting an Action Plan to a Customer
Read/Listen first
Tomorrow I am meeting our German customer to present our new action plan for the factory. First, I am going to give a short overview of the problems: people leaving, skills decreasing, and delays in production. Then I will explain our 80–20 training programme. Workers are going to spend eighty percent of their time on normal tasks and twenty percent on focused training activities. After that, we will review each department’s milestones and deadlines in detail. When we agree the priorities, I will show a simple timeline so everyone can see who is responsible for each action. Finally, we are going to plan a follow‑up meeting next month to check progress and to decide any extra support they need. If the customer asks for changes, we will update the plan together and send a clear summary by email the same day.⚡ Learning goals
- Can present a simple action plan to a customer in a meeting.
- Can clearly sequence steps using linking words like first, then and finally.
- Can confirm responsibilities, deadlines and follow-up meetings in polite business English.
✨ Key language
- We are going to… “We are going to focus on training first.”
- First, then, after that, finally “First we review problems, then we agree the next steps.”
- Who is responsible for… “Who is responsible for each action on this timeline?”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Future plans with going to
Rule: Use be going to + verb to talk about plans and intentions decided before the meeting.
Examples: We are going to present our action plan.; I am going to start with an overview.; They are going to review the deadlines.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often forget the verb be. Always use am/is/are before going to.
Choose the best sentence for a planned action.
Tip: Remember to use am/is/are before “going to” for planned actions.
Fill with the best answer: Tomorrow we ____ present our action plan to the customer.
Tip: Use “are going to” for a future plan that is already decided.
2️⃣ Decisions in the meeting with will
Rule: Use will for decisions, promises and offers we make during the meeting.
Examples: We will update the plan after your feedback.; I will send you a summary today.; We will add an extra training session.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use “going to” for quick decisions. Use “will” when you decide at that moment.
Which sentence shows a decision made during the meeting?
Tip: Use “will” when you decide something in the moment.
Fill with the best answer: If you prefer, we ____ move this milestone to June.
Tip: Use “will” for an offer or decision you make during the conversation.
3️⃣ Sequencing with first, then, after that, finally
Rule: Use sequencing words like first, then, after that, finally to present the steps in your action plan clearly.
Examples: First we review the problems.; Then we explain the 80–20 training.; Finally we agree the follow-up meeting.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes jump between steps. Keep the order clear and logical for your listener.
Which sentence shows a clear sequence of steps?
Tip: Put “first” at the beginning and “then” before the next step.
Fill with the best answer: First we review the problems, and ____ we discuss solutions.
Tip: Use “then” or “after that” to show the second step.
4️⃣ Time clauses with when and after
Rule: In time clauses with when and after, use the present simple, and use will in the main clause for future results.
Examples: When we agree the priorities, we will show the timeline.; After we review the action plan, you can ask questions.; When the training starts, we will monitor results.
Common pitfall + fix: Avoid “when we will”. Use “when we finish” + “we will…” for the future result.
Which sentence is correct?
Tip: Use present simple after “when”, and “will” in the main clause.
Fill with the best answer: After we review the plan, we ____ fix any problems.
Tip: Use “will” in the main clause to describe the future result.
✍️ Vocabulary
action plan
Meaning: a detailed list of steps to solve a problem or reach a goal.Synonyms: strategic plan, roadmap, programme.
Chunk/Idiom: present an action plan to a customer.
Example: Tomorrow we will present our action plan to the customer.
Morphology: noun phrase; action (noun) + plan (noun).
Self-practice: Write three bullet points for your own action plan.
milestone
Meaning: an important point or stage in a project or process.Synonyms: key stage, checkpoint, target.
Chunk/Idiom: set clear milestones for each department.
Example: We agreed three milestones before the training programme starts.
Morphology: noun; mile (noun) + stone (noun) originally.
Self-practice: List two milestones for a project you know well.
deadline
Meaning: the final time or date when something must be finished.Synonyms: due date, time limit, cutoff.
Chunk/Idiom: meet a deadline for an important customer.
Example: Each action on the plan has a clear deadline.
Morphology: noun; dead (adj.) + line (noun) historically.
Self-practice: Write one sentence about a deadline you have this month.
timeline
Meaning: a visual line that shows when different actions will happen.Synonyms: schedule, project plan, Gantt chart.
Chunk/Idiom: show the whole project on one timeline.
Example: The timeline makes it easy to see our progress.
Morphology: noun; time (noun) + line (noun).
Self-practice: Draw a simple timeline for the next three months.
responsible
Meaning: having the duty to take care of something or someone.Synonyms: in charge, accountable, answerable.
Chunk/Idiom: be responsible for each action on the plan.
Example: One manager is responsible for every training activity.
Morphology: adjective; related noun is responsibility.
Self-practice: Say who is responsible for three tasks in your job.
follow-up meeting
Meaning: a later meeting to check progress after first decisions.Synonyms: review meeting, progress meeting, check-in.
Chunk/Idiom: schedule a follow-up meeting to review the action plan.
Example: We planned a follow-up meeting to check the new training.
Morphology: noun phrase; follow-up (adj.) + meeting (noun).
Self-practice: Decide when you need your next follow-up meeting.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
We are going to start with a short overview of the problems.
Then we will explain the 80–20 training programme in simple steps.
After that, we will agree who is responsible for each action.
Finally, we are going to plan a follow-up meeting next month.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the best sentence about tomorrow’s meeting.
Tip: Use “be going to” for a fixed future plan.
Which sentence is correct for a decision made now?
Tip: Use “will” + base verb when you decide during the meeting.
Fill with the best answer:
____ we agree the priorities, we will update the timeline.Tip: Use “when” before the time clause describing the future moment.
Fill with the best answer:
First we review the problems, and ____ we explain the training programme.Tip: Use “then” or “after that” to move to the next step.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
What is a milestone in an action plan?
Tip: Think about important stages you must pass on the timeline.
In the mini text, what is a deadline?
Tip: A deadline is always connected to time and dates.
Fill with the best answer:
We will show a simple ____ so everyone can see the plan.Tip: In the mini text this word shows the order of actions.
Fill with the best answer:
Finally, we are going to plan a ____ to check progress.Tip: This meeting comes after the first presentation.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
Manager: We are going to start with a short overview of the problems.Customer: Good, then we will look at the 80–20 training programme.
Manager: After that, we will agree who is responsible for each action.
Customer: Finally, we will plan a follow-up meeting to check progress.
Why this matters:
Clear action plans help customers trust your company. They make responsibilities visible and realistic. They also create a shared timeline so everyone works toward the same goals.Verb & Adjective Pack:
present an action plan — We will present an action plan for the factory.review — First we review the problems in each department.
update — We will update the plan after your feedback.
responsible — One manager is responsible for the training actions.
realistic — The deadlines must be realistic for the team.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: We are going to ____ the action plan step by step.
Tip: Use a verb that describes showing information to someone.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: After we will review the action plan we send you a summary.
Tip: Use present simple after “after” and “will” in the main clause.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
When we agree the priorities, we will share the final timeline.
Tip: Notice the rhythm of “when we agree the priorities, we will share…”.