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BEP 302 – Business Trip 5: Socializing with your Boss

Business English, Socializing / April 1, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on socializing in english with your boss.

If you’re like most people, you might find socializing with your boss a little uncomfortable. It’s not like socializing with your friends or colleagues, which is an opportunity to relax and have fun. With your boss, you might have to be a bit more careful, both with what you say and how you act.

But this doesn’t mean you can’t be yourself or engage your boss on a more personal level. In fact, socializing with your boss is a really great opportunity to get to know each other better. And that can only help your position and career.

One thing you might want to do if your boss is visiting from afar is to point out things that might be interesting, like places of interest or aspects of culture. That can help break the ice. And it’s a good idea not to talk about yourself too much. Show interest in your boss; you can even ask about his or her professional background.

When you do talk about yourself, you might want to bring up your own history if the conversation provides a natural opportunity. But don’t be boastful. Be sure to respond with modesty if your boss praises you. And if you’re lucky, and your boss seems interested, you might even have the chance to bring up some ideas for the company.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear David and Lily, who work at the Shanghai office of an American clothing company called Boston Vintage. They’re hosting their boss Cam, who is a production planner with the company. He’s been visiting China to talk with his staff about company strategy and to investigate some potential production facilities.

Listening Questions

1. What place of interest does Lily point out to Cam?
2. How does David respond to Cam’s praise of his team’s work?
3. How does Lily introduce the fact that she has some ideas for improving the company?

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925 English Lesson 9 – Talking about your Ideas in English

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video / March 26, 2017

In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to learn how to talk about your ideas in English.

You might be full of great ideas about your company, your products, or how to connect with your customers. But those ideas aren’t very useful if you can’t tell other people about them.

925 English is a new business English course for beginners. 925 English lessons focus on English expressions that you can use in work and business. Each 925 English lesson features English phrases you can use in different situations and advice on why and how we use them in Business English.

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BEN 38 – Automation and the Rise of AI

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, IT and Tech / March 18, 2017

Throughout the course of history, society has often been hesitant to accept widespread change. A day doesn’t pass without a new technological advance being reported. This has led many to worry about the effects of artificial intelligence, or AI, on our daily lives.

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BEP 301 – External Meetings in English (Part 2)

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings / March 11, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on communicating effectively in an external meeting in English.

Everyone talks about the importance of good communication skills in business. And one situation that clearly demonstrates this importance is external meetings. An external meeting is one where you meet with people or groups outside your own company. That might mean another firm or organization that you’re collaborating with. Or it might mean the government or other regulatory agencies.

In external meetings, there’s a lot of push and pull. Everyone at the table might have a different agenda, or different goals. And these goals might be in competition. If I get more of what I want, it might mean you get less of what you want.

Being successful in external meetings might involve steering the topic of conversation. To do that, you need good ways of introducing new topics or issues. And when others steer the conversation, you might not like where it goes. For that reason, you might have to stall if you need more time to respond or if you don’t want to commit to something. You might also want to avoid answering a question altogether.

So if everyone’s trying to steer the conversation, how does anything get done in an external meeting? Well, in some cases you just have to be insistent. I mean, you have to say “listen, this is the way it has to be.” Coming to agreement might also require you to give in to pressure, since you can’t always get everything you want. So you might need some good ways to back off a position or opinion that you were arguing for.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation about the development of a new shopping mall. We’ll hear Nicky, the project manager, and Jennifer and Carlos, the architect and engineer who are working for the developer. They are meeting with Frank, who represents the local government. In this situation, there’s a lot of push and pull between the developer’s side and the city government side.

Listening Questions

1. What issue does Jennifer interject with before the group discusses timelines?
2. What does Frank say to avoid answering Jennifer’s question about parking spaces?
3. When Frank backs off his previous stance, what does he say to show hesitation or reluctance?

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BEP 300 – External Meetings in English (Part 1)

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings, Popular Lessons / March 4, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on taking part in an external meeting in English.

When you think of business English meetings, you might immediately think of staff meetings, project meetings, or other internal meetings with people in your company. But in business we often have to work with outside companies or organizations so we have to deal with external meetings as well.

External meetings in English can be quite tricky situations. Because everyone might have different goals and opinions, you need to be very diplomatic. You want to be careful not to promise too much while trying to get others to commit. In this way, external meetings are a lot like negotiations, where you try to make an agreement that is in your favor.

In this back and forth of negotiation, you have to convince other people of your position. And when they attempt to convince you of something, you have to respond skillfully. That could mean remaining non-committal, when you don’t want to give a clear yes or no answer. It might also mean saying that you don’t have the power or responsibility to make a decision.

But if everyone remains non-committal and says they can’t make decisions, how can people come to an agreement? Well, sometimes you need to introduce creative solutions or ideas. But even when someone presents a good idea, you shouldn’t always just agree right away. Like I said, this is sort of like a negotiation. So you might want to express doubts about an idea, rather than just accepting it immediately.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a meeting between several people discussing the construction of a strip, or small shopping, mall. Jennifer is the architect on the new development, and Carlos is a consulting engineer. They need to come to agreement with Frank, who represents the local government. The meeting is chaired by Nicky, the project manager.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Jennifer think the city should give the developer a break on the number of turn lanes?
2. Who does Frank say insists on having two turn lanes?
3. What solution does Carlos suggest?

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Skills 360 – 9 Habits of Highly Effective Language Learners (2)

Business English, Business Skills 360 / February 25, 2017

Welcome back to the Skills 360 as we continue our look at the habits of highly effective English learners.

Yes, I said habits, because good habits are the foundation of a lot of success and achievement. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about getting fit or being productive or learning a new skill. Good habits will serve you well. Why else do you think that Stephen Covey has sold over 25 million copies of his book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People?”

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Skills 360 – 9 Habits of Highly Effective Language Learners (1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Mobile Learning / February 18, 2017

Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on the habits of highly effective language learners.

How is it that some people seem to pick up language easily, while others struggle for years and can’t seem to get the hang of it? Well, you might think it’s all about talent, that some people just have a knack for languages, while others don’t. Talent is part of it, but only a small part of it. In fact, most people who do a good job of learning a language aren’t necessarily smarter than everyone else, they just have good habits.

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BEP 299 – Sales English 6: Post-Sales Follow-Up

Business English, Sales English / February 4, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on following up with a customer after a sale in English.

In sales, your work doesn’t end when the customer agrees to buy what you’re selling. Good salespeople understand the importance of following up, of making sure the customer is satisfied, and of helping them understand their new product or service. After all, happy customers continue to be customers, and selling more to existing customers is easier than finding new ones.

How exactly do you make sure customers are satisfied? For one thing, you might need to reassure them that what you’ve sold them is the right solution. They might worry about quality or reliability, and it’s your job to tell them clearly that they have nothing to worry about.

But sometimes a customer has a problem with their product, a problem that you need to resolve. In this case, it’s important to state confidently that they’ll have a quick solution. Besides these kinds of worries, it’s very helpful if you can show the customer how their product works using clear language. You might also provide extra tips that improve their experience with the product. And finally, we often discuss things the customer shouldn’t do when using the product.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a post-sales follow-up conversation between Aaron, Eva, and Dave. Eva is the manager of a hotel with a new café, bar, and restaurant. Aaron has just sold them refrigerated coolers for the café and bar. And Dave is a contractor working on the hotel’s renovations. Aaron is talking with Eva and Dave to make sure everything went well with the installation of the coolers.

Listening Questions

1. What does Aaron promise when Dave points out that there is a “kick plate” missing?
2. What special tip does Aaron share on cleaning the display cases?
3. What expression does Aaron use to caution Eva against forcing the glass door open too far?

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BEP 298 – Sales English 5: Dealing with Setbacks

Business English, Sales English / January 28, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on dealing with setbacks near the end of the sales process.

Working in sales can be really tough. Sometimes you put a lot of hard work into the process but still things don’t work out the way you want. You might understand your customer’s needs and propose a great solution. But still, some customers might not see the value of what you’re offering.

In some cases, that means they decide not to buy what you’re selling. In others, it means they don’t completely accept your price or terms. Whatever the case, you’ll need to be prepared to deal with these kinds of setbacks. After all, a good salesperson is not just a good talker, they can adapt and face challenges with confidence.

One part of dealing with setbacks is responding to the bad news with understanding and a positive attitude. Tell the customer you understand their concerns and let them know you’re still interested in doing business in the future. And you should be careful not to use language that shows disappointment or frustration.

If you have to negotiate on the price or terms, you need to proceed carefully. Sometimes you might agree with hesitation, making sure to tell the customer why something might be difficult. And sometimes you’ll need to stay firm, while remaining polite and friendly. It’s also a good idea to know the language we use to offer something, such as little extras that will make the customer happy. And finally, at this point in the sales process, you will often have to discuss or make suggestions about the schedule and timelines.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Aaron, who works in sales for a commercial refrigeration company. Aaron has been trying to sell cooling systems to a hotel undergoing remodeling. He has offered some great solutions and overcome some obstacles, and now he’s about to hear the customer’s decision. Aaron is talking on the phone with Eva, the hotel manager.

Listening Questions

1. How does Aaron respond when he first hears Eva’s decision?
2. What does Aaron emphasize about the deli cases in response to Eva’s concerns about the price?
3. What extra does Aaron offer to Eva to help push her to accept the price?

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VV 52 – Financial English: Company Finance and Startups (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Video, Finance and Accounting / January 23, 2017

In this Financial English vocabulary lesson, we’ll look at business English vocabulary related to company financing.

Companies may seek ongoing funding through debt financing, or loans, which require collateral. Or they may use factoring and lines of credit to access cash quickly. Other sources of funds include crowdfunding and public offerings, in which a company sells shares.

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