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Business English News 54 – Tech Takeovers

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, IT and Tech / August 1, 2023

In this Business English News lesson we look at business English vocabulary related to tech takeovers or mergers and acquisitions.

Takeovers are a huge part of the tech business, and they’re not always hostile. In fact, many young entrepreneurs build niche companies hoping to be acquired. And for the giants of tech, mergers and acquisitions are a critical growth strategy. With the personalities and egos involved, takeovers keep the news cycle buzzing, as the drama at Twitter has shown. According to the Guardian:

Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in 2022 promised the biggest shake-up since the company was founded. The former world’s richest man was keen to take on the project after becoming disillusioned by the site’s perceived biases and content moderation policy. But Twitter’s revolution became a bloodbath in the process, cutting staff by 80% to hone in on the new direction. Then they lost users and advertisers as a lean team struggled to manage disinformation, trolling and impersonation online.

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BEP 30c – English for Meetings: Making Suggestions

Business English, English for Meetings, Functions / July 16, 2023

Welcome back to Business English Pod. Today’s lesson is the first in a series about making and responding to suggestions in meetings in English. This is part of a broader project to take another look at some of our older lessons.

Solving problems and coming up with ideas in groups is a big part of work. Succeeding in business means participating effectively in these kinds of group meetings. And to do that, you need to know how to make and respond to suggestions. It’s no use having a good idea if you can’t express it!

In this lesson, we’re going to focus on how to make suggestions. We’ll look at several different expressions we use to suggest ideas. Expressions like “one possibility,” and “maybe,” and “how about” are essential when you want to make suggestions in a meeting. And it’s good to have lots of different expressions for different situations.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between four people who work in marketing for a sports shoe company. They are discussing a new ad campaign and coming up with ideas for a “spokesperson,” or a famous person to advertise their new shoes. In their conversation, they use lots of expressions for making suggestions.

Listening Questions

1. What words does Sven use to introduce his suggestion of using a famous business executive?
2. What suggestion does Miguel introduce with the word “perhaps?”
3. How does Charles introduce his suggestion of choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy?

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BEP 399 – English for Sales: Financial Services (3)

Business English, Finance and Accounting, Sales English / July 2, 2023

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the third in a three-part series on how to sell financial services.

For people with money, choosing a wealth manager is a high stakes decision. They want to be able to sleep well at night, knowing their hard-earned money and assets are in good hands. They want to choose a financial services professional – or a firm – they can trust.

To build the trust required to sell financial services, you need to ask the right questions and provide the right information. To develop rapport and understanding with a potential client, you might ask about their major financial concerns. And you might have to answer tough questions about your performance to convince them that you’re the right choice.

In our last lesson, we learned a lot of great collocations, or common expressions, related to financial services. Some expressions are well-known, but you may find yourself explaining some jargon or special terms to a potential client. And at a certain point in the discussion, you’ll have to find a diplomatic way of introducing the topic of fees.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation between Robert and Jessica. Robert works for Vickers Wealth Management as a financial advisor. Jessica is a potential client. She’s looking for someone to help manage her assets. Now, they’re nearing the end of their first conversation in Robert’s office.

Listening Questions

1. What are Jessica’s biggest worries about?
2. What is Robert going to send to Jessica to help her understand his company’s performance?
3. What special wealth management term does Robert explain to Jessica?

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BEP 398 – English for Sales: Financial Services (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Collocations, Finance and Accounting / June 19, 2023

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the second in a three-part series on selling financial services.

When many people think of making money, they think of having a job and earning a salary. But if you’ve ever saved money or made an investment, you know there are other ways to make money. I mean, the money itself can do the work, if you make smart decisions with it. And just as there are lots of ways to invest money, there are lots of words we use to talk about money and investments.

In our last lesson, we were introduced to the world of “wealth management.” And we met a character in the dialog who was “planning for retirement.” These expressions, “wealth management” and “to plan for retirement,” are what we call collocations.

A collocation is a natural combination of words. Proficient English speakers know to use the verb “to plan for” with the noun “retirement.” The words combine to create a collocation, or a set expression. Learning collocations can help you sound more natural, and it can be easier to remember words together, rather than separately.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Jessica, the person who’s planning for retirement, and Robert, a wealth manager. Jessica is visiting Robert’s office to learn more about his services. And Robert is trying to gently persuade Jessica to become his client. During their conversation, they use many English collocations, which we’ll explain later in the debrief.

Listening Questions

1. What kind of approach does Robert say his firm takes to wealth management?
2. Besides managing investments, what is another service that Robert’s firm offers to people like Jessica?
3. What type of investing does Jessica say she is particularly interested in?

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BEP 397 – English for Sales: Financial Services (1)

Business English, Finance and Accounting, Sales English / June 4, 2023

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the first in a three-part series on selling financial services.

A wise person once observed that sales isn’t just about selling. It’s about building trust and educating. Nowhere is this more true than in world of professional services. And one of the highest stakes professional services to sell are financial services.

Convincing someone to let you manage their money is no easy task! Just think of your own savings, assets, and investments. You probably wouldn’t just entrust them to a faceless business entity. You want to know who’s managing your wealth and you want to know you can trust them to do a good job. Indeed, it’s all about trust.

So, when you’re meeting a potential client considering your financial services, it’s important to start by building personal rapport and establishing credibility. From there you can begin asking questions about a person’s priorities and level of wealth. Discussing these topics will set you up for looking more deeply into the person’s situation and demonstrating you’re the right one to manage their wealth.

In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a conversation between Robert and Jessica. Robert is a financial advisor with a company called Vickers Wealth Management. Jessica is a working professional looking for financial help as she plans for her future. Robert and Jessica have been introduced by a mutual friend. Now they’re sitting down for the first time in Robert’s office.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Robert mention when the company was founded and their advisors’ qualifications?
2. What does Robert want to ask about before discussing Jessica’s current situation?
3. What does Robert want to get a “rough idea” about?

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