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BEP 141 – Presentations: SWOT Analysis 1

Advanced, Business English, Management English, Presentation in English /

In this Business English Pod lesson, we start the first in a 2-part series on presenting a SWOT analysis.

A SWOT analysis is a simple but powerful framework for analyzing your company’s strengths and weaknesses – these are internal to the company – as well as the opportunities and threats you face outside the company. This analysis helps you focus on your strengths, minimize threats, and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available to you.

In today’s lesson, we’ll focus on the first two stages of a SWOT: strengths and weaknesses. We’ll practice language for providing an overview, introducing your main strength, maximizing positive aspects, and acknowledging and introducing a weakness.

We’ll be listening to Terry, a partner at a growing firm of accountants, talking to Susan, the company’s newly hired marketing manager. Terry needs to brief Susan about the company and SWOT is a quick and easy-to-understand framework for giving a quick overview of a company and its position.

Listening Questions

1) What is the main source of business for the company?
2) What is the main strength identified by Terry?
3) What weaknesses does Terry mention?

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Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 140 – Dealing with Problems over the Phone

Business English, Customer Service, Intermediate English, Telephone English /

In this Business English Pod lesson we’re going to look at discussing problems over the phone. For the example today, we’ll focus on chasing up an outstanding invoice, or a bill that hasn’t been paid on time.

In business, it’s not unusual to have a customer who’s late with a payment. Sometimes an invoice just hasn’t been received; other times the customer might not have the funds to cover the bill. Eventually, you need to call, discuss the problem, and try and work out a solution.

In today’s podcast, we’ll practice phrases for introducing the problem, clearly stating the details in a polite but firm manner, making an offer and proposing a solution.

The dialog features Marcy, who works for Computer Solutions. Marcy’s company provided software and training for Jack Fountain’s department at ATI Communications. Months have passed since Marcy submitted her first invoice, but no payment has been made. Now she’s calling to find out why. First, she speaks with Donna in the Accounts Payable department.

Listening Questions:

1) Where does Jack think Marcy’s invoice might be?
2) What are the payment terms that Jack agreed to?
3) What solution does Jack suggest?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 131 – Presentations: Pitching an Idea (3)

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings, ESL Podcast, Presentation in English /

This is the final episode in our three-part Business English Podcast series on pitching an idea to your colleagues.

In the last episode, we saw how a manager presented an idea to her colleagues and persuaded them to take it seriously. She then defended and supported her argument in front of her peers, who were not sure of the feasibility of the proposal at the start of the meeting.

In today’s lesson, we’ll introduce language for connecting your ideas to company strategy, emphasizing points, setting an action plan, and assigning tasks at the end of your presentation. Once you have convinced your colleagues, you need to provide a plan for getting the work done. We will show you how to use language effectively to follow through on your outstanding idea.
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BEP 130 – Presentations: Pitching an Idea (2)

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings, ESL Podcast, Presentation in English /

In the last Business English Podcast lesson, we saw how a manager pitched an idea during a meeting. She explained how the company website could be revamped so that customers could order off-the-shelf products directly, instead of having to contacting a sales representative.

In today’s lesson, we’ll introduce language for dealing with unexpected objections, signposting your presentation, supporting your points and persuading other people. Once you’ve pitched an idea, your colleagues will try to find weak points in your argument and you will have to give evidence that your idea is worth supporting. We will show you how to make coherent, persuasive arguments, and use language effectively to support your points.
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BEP 129 – Presentations: Pitching an Idea (1)

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings, ESL Podcast, Presentation in English /

This is the first in a three-part Business English Podcast series on pitching, or presenting, your ideas persuasively and convincingly.

Business people often come up with ideas about how to do things better, or how something can be changed to provide greater cost benefits to the company. Being able to present an idea to your peers and persuade them to support your proposal is a crucial skill for all business managers.

So in today’s lesson, we’ll introduce phrases for organizing and structuring your ideas, supporting your points and using other people’s comments to lead into the next part of your presentation. We will show you how to make coherent, persuasive arguments, and use language effectively to support your arguments. It is your colleagues’ task to find the weak points in your argument and you will have to predict their objections and deal with them before or when they come up.
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