This is the video version of our first 925English lesson, a new series we’ll launch next year. Our first 925English lesson is about how to say hello to colleagues and customers in English. We look at three different situations: How to greet someone you don’t know, how to respond to a greeting and how to informally greet a colleague or friend. For each situation we provide lots of examples and you can practice the language with some short role-plays.
925English is a new business English series for beginners and lower intermediate learners that we’ll launch early next year. 925English lessons will focus on chunks of language and English expressions that you can use in work and business. We’ll look at language you can say in different situations and advice on why and how we use it.
This is a preview lesson from 925 English, a new series we’ll launch next year. Appropriately enough, we’re kicking off with a 925 English lesson on how to greet and say hello to colleagues and customers in English.
925English a new business English series for beginners (CEFR A1-A2) and lower intermediate (B1) English learners. 925 English lessons focus on chunks of language and English expressions that you can use in work and business. We get straight to the point with lots of examples. We give you phrases you can say in different situations and advice on why and how to use them.
So, it’s pretty easy to greet someone in English, isn’t it? We can say “good morning” or “hello” or just “hi.” And we might add something like “my name is Tim Smith,” or a question like “how’s it going?” But what’s the difference? How do we choose which greeting to use? Well, in business, like in life, it depends on the situation. That includes who we’re talking to and where we’re having the conversation. So let’s go through three situations and practice some appropriate ways of saying hello.
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English idioms for discussing negotiations.
Making deals and coming to an agreement can be tricky business. We give, and we take. We win a little, and we lose a little. And both sides hope that they can get more than they need to give up. This is the tough competition known as negotiation, a competition that puts the drama in the world of business.
And like any kind of drama or competition, we love to talk about it. Who won and who lost? Who got what? How much did they pay? And just how did they get such a good deal? In English, we have lots of idioms to talk about negotiations. Today we’re going to take a closer look at some of these idioms and how to use them.
We’re going to rejoin a conversation between two colleagues, Jose and Neil. Neil has been talking about a tough negotiation he’s been going through with a company from Singapore.
Listening Quiz
1. How does Neil say he’s going to respond to the other company’s demands on payment terms?
2. According to Jose, why might the other side be negotiating with another firm besides Neil’s company?
3. What is Neil’s biggest fear?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on idioms related to negotiations.
Negotiation is at the heart of business. We negotiate salaries, partnerships, prices, terms, timelines, business deals, and pretty much everything, in fact! And to do this, we discuss, we persuade, and we make trade-offs all in the name of closing the deal.
Yes, almost everything in business is a kind of negotiation, a push and pull in which we try to get what we want. And it should come as no surprise that in English we have a lot of different idioms for talking about negotiations. Today we’ll look at some of these idioms and how to use them.
You will hear a conversation between two colleagues, Jose and Neil. They are talking about some negotiations they’ve been involved in recently. In particular, Neil has been experiencing some challenges in a negotiation with a company from Singapore.
Listening Questions
1. What surprising demand does Neil say the other company made early on?
2. After explaining his own experience with a Brazilian company, what does Jose suggest Neil try?
3. What does Neil think he might have to do instead of doing what Jose suggests?
Whether it’s ridesharing with Uber, lending your power drill to a neighbor with Peerby, taking advantage of a home exchange with Airbnb, or dozens of other examples, the so-called “sharing economy” is firmly established in our daily life. While the concept has been in place for some time, numerous enterprising groups have found a way to make the most of the current economic environment.
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on wrapping up a presentation in English.
Some people say that the start of a presentation is the most important part. That’s where you grab people’s attention and give them a reason to listen. But the end of your presentation is just as important. If you do a great job of engaging your audience but then have a weak finish, they’ll walk away with a bad last impression. And you want to avoid that at all costs.
So what exactly is involved in a good conclusion to a presentation? What do you need to do to make sure people walk away feeling that they learned something, they want to buy something, or they agree with you?
Today, we’ll learn some great ways to do just that. We’ll look at a variety of English presentation techniques such as summarizing key ideas, closing inspirationally, and opening up for questions. We’ll also learn how to connect your ideas with the big picture and wrap up at the end of the presentation.
In this lesson, we’ll hear how two different speakers finish their presentations. The first speaker is Nick, a recruiter for a medical supplies company. He’s been trying to convince potential recruits that his company is great to work for. In the second dialog we’ll hear Diane, who’s finishing up a report about her company’s third quarter financial statements.
Listening Questions
1. In his summary, Nick mentions several topics that he covered. What are they?
2. To inspire his listeners, what does Nick ask them to think about?
3. What does Diane say is the company’s larger vision?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on delivering an engaging and organized presentation.
Getting up in front of a room full of people to give a presentation in English can be a difficult task. Whether you’re reporting information or trying to convince people to buy something, you need to catch their attention. Then you need to keep it. And at the end of it all, you want them to walk away feeling like they learned something, or they agree with you, or they want to buy what you’re trying to sell them.
Sure, it might seem difficult, but there are skills you can learn to make it much easier. Several techniques in both presentation and delivery can help ensure an engaging English presentation that will wow your listeners.
In today’s lesson, we’ll take a closer look at some of these techniques, including asking people to imagine a situation in order to persuade them, and focusing on the “why” behind your ideas rather than the “what.” We’ll also learn how you can use a single thread throughout your presentation and how you can transition between ideas. And finally we’ll cover how to check in with your listeners and add emphasis.
Today we’ll hear two short dialogs from different presentations. In the first, we’ll rejoin a recruiter called Nick who is presenting to some potential recruits for a medical supplies company. In the second, we’ll hear finance manager Diane continue with a report about her company’s quarterly financial results.
Listening Questions
1. What does Nick ask his listeners to imagine?
2. What is the key idea that Nick keeps coming back to?
3. After talking about fuel savings, what does Diane do before moving on to her next idea?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on getting your English presentation off to a good start.
We all know a skilled presenter when we see one. It’s a person who catches our interest right away and connects with the audience. He gives us the information we need without droning on and putting us to sleep. He’s clear about his purpose, he’s organized, and he answers our questions.
But most skilled presenters weren’t born with those skills. They learned to be good presenters. And you can learn the same skills in order to inform, persuade, or motivate any audience. In today’s English presentation lesson, we’ll take a closer look at some great techniques you can use at the start of a presentation. We’ll learn how to get started, build rapport with the audience, and introduce a single key idea that can run throughout your presentation. We’ll also cover how to state your purpose and headline your key ideas.
Of course, your approach to a presentation might be different depending on your audience. So today we will hear two short dialogs from the start of two different presentations in English. In the first, we’ll hear a recruiter named Nick, who works for a medical supplies company. He’s giving a presentation to a group of potential recruits at a university. In the second dialog, we’ll hear a finance manager named Diane giving an internal presentation about her company’s third quarter financial statements.
Listening Questions
1. What question does Nick ask his audience at the start of his presentation?
2. What is the key idea that Nick says his company is all about?
3. What does Diane say is the purpose of her presentation?
Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on more great tips for improving your business English skills.
You’ve probably heard that one of the traits of a great business leader is the ability to communicate. So, what does it mean to be a good communicator? What does a good communicator actually do? Well, there are a few things that every good communicator does. In our last lesson I covered a few of these special techniques, and today I want to add to that list.
Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on some quick and easy hacks you can use to improve your business English.
Business is all about relationships, and relationships are founded on good communication. And while English may seem like a difficult language, being a great communicator and connecting with people isn’t rocket science. You can learn just a few techniques that will take your business English skills to the next level. And I’m not talking about learning a thousand new words or some obscure rules of grammar. The tips I want to give you are fully within your grasp right now.
