56 Business English Phrases For Speaking Professionally

56 Business English Phrases for Speaking Professionally and Adv... https://www.fluentu.com/blog/business-english/how-to-speak-bus...
FluentU Business English Blog

Want to speak English naturally?
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by RRO
OBBEERRTTLLYYN
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How to Speak Business

English Expertly: 56
Essential Phrases for
Meetings, Phone Calls
and More
On your way to becoming a global
businessperson?
English is the most essential language for

business success at the moment.
In big business China, more people are currently

studying English than in any other country.
Recent studies have shown that larger

international hubs (centers) use English to
communicate, while less populated areas (places
with fewer people) are less likely to do so.
If you are planning to travel for work, you will

probably find yourself in some major urban (big
1 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
city) centers. English will be the universal

(common) language in the office, so to get ahead
in business it’s good to know some of the
language you will be using every day.
D o w n l o a d : This blog post is available as a

54 convenient and portable PDF that you can
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take anywhere. Click here to get a copy.
(Download)
49
Ways to Improve Speaking for Business

5
English
There are tons of ways to improve your English

speaking skills for business matters. The key is to
always keep practicing—and to find the perfect
resources for your business purposes!
G e t s o m e p o d c a s t s . This series of podcasts

from the British Council will help you to
improve your English in your workplace.
They are suitable (appropriate) if you are at
an intermediate or advanced level.
L i s t e n t o o t h e r s . Pay attention to every

native speaker you encounter. When
answering a question they ask you, listen
carefully to their choice of words and try to
use those same words in your answer.
Re a d , r e a d , r e a d ! Uptick from Forbes is for

more advanced business English learners.
The articles are written for and by native
speakers, so the language is very current
and focused on business. Business Wire is a
Canadian online magazine that operates as
a business news and press release network.
They cover an incredible range of business
sectors (areas) so the language varies a
great deal. The English Learning Blog is a
wonderful list that includes free e-books you
can download.
Business English Phrases for Speaking
2 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
in 3 Conference Call Situations
Skype. Face Time. Tinychat. Google Talk. Or

WebEx. The list goes on and on. If you are in
business, it is almost certain that you’ll use one
or more of these tools. These programs are used
in business for person-to-person calls, interviews,
54 conference calls, instant messaging or recording
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audio files.
49 Before discussing phrases you can use during

conference calls, let’s talk a little bit more about
what you should expect.
5
First, it is always a good idea to learn the

software you will be using beforehand. Your
conference call will go a lot smoother with just a
little preparation before you start. Get on the
software and learn where all the key features
are. Try a test call to see how things go.
Talk with a friend at work and look at the agenda

together (there should be one—if there is not,
ask for one). The agenda is a document that will
list the topics of the upcoming meeting. You will
be able to ask your work friend about the words
you don’t understand and practice talking about
them.
Use the mute button if you are not speaking

while on an audio conference call. It is more
polite and business-like, and can give you time to
really listen and think about what people are
saying.
If you are on a video conference call, look

interested and nod your head when appropriate.
It can be a bit strange at first but try to be as
engaged (involved) as possible. Try to be as
natural and friendly as you normally are. (I’m sure
you are!)
The British Council has some fabulous resources

for practicing your conference call skills.
3 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
Some native speakers may use complicated

idioms during conference calls. If you feel
confident enough “dive in,” join in and give it a
try too. However, in business English on a
conference call, a plain spoken approach with
fewer idioms will get your point across more
clearly and reduce your stress levels.
54
Shares Here are some scenarios you may come across
when on a conference call, and some phrases to
help you through them.
49
5
56 Business English Phrases
for Speaking Professionally
and Advancing Your Career
1. Beginning a Conference Call
You will either hear these phrases or need to use

them yourself while talking to people on a
conference call.
“Are we all on?”
“Can I ask that we all state our names,

please?”
“I’m here. It’s [your name] in [your city].”
These are useful phrases to check if everyone is

present and has joined the conversation. When
asked, just respond, “yes” and give your name
and position, or job at the company.
• “Can everybody hear me?”
The chairperson or person in charge of the

meeting usually says this. It’s useful to make sure
everyone is present for the start.
2. Clarifying Things on a Phone Call
When talking on a conference call, there is a

chance that your Internet connection will be
4 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
poor, or that the quality of the call will be poor. In

these cases, you might miss out on something
that someone said.
• “Could you speak more slowly, please?”
• “Could you repeat that, please?”

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• “Would you mind spelling that for me,
please?”
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• “Could you explain that in another way,
please?”
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• “I’m afraid I didn’t get that.”
3. Taking a Break from the Conversation
Conference calls can be stressful. It is perfectly

fine to excuse yourself, but make sure you are
polite and clear when you do it. Try these
phrases if you need a break.
“[Your name] speaking. I need to leave for

ten minutes. Is that okay with everyone?”
When you return, let everybody know you are

back by saying:
“[Your name] here. I’m back on the line

again.”
“[Your name] just coming back in here,

thanks everyone.”
4. Starting a Great Presentation
At some point you may be called on to give a

presentation. Even native English speakers
should keep these simple and not get too
complicated. Business presentations can and do
have a reputation for being dull. Not a lot of
people enjoy sitting through tons of PowerPoint
slides…do you?
Keep it moving quickly and people will still be
5 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
interested. Try these helpful phrases for a

presentation:
Introduce yourself and keep it loose and breezy

(informal and light)—it will put everyone at ease.
“Welcome everybody, my name is [your

54 name] and I am the designer for GPLZ
Shares Video.”
“Hi, I’m [your name] and I’m the designer for

49 GPLZ Video.”
“Good morning/afternoon/evening ladies

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and gentlemen, I’m [your name].”
“Hi everyone, I’m [your name]. I’m going to

keep this brief, as I know you’re all busy
people. I’m going to make this quick for
you…”
Note: remember to use the contraction “I’m”

instead of “I am” to sound more friendly and less
formal.
5. Introducing the Topic of Your

Presentation
6 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
After you’ve introduced yourself, it is time to

introduce your topic of presentation.
“Today I’m here to talk to you about…”
“I’m delighted to be here today to tell you

about…”
54 “Today I would like to outline our plans for…”

Shares
This gives your audience a map, or an idea of

49 what you will be talking about. Here are some
phrases that will provide sst r u c t u r e for your
presentation, making your message neater and
5
more organized.
“Firstly I’ll talk about…” or “I’ll start with some

general information on…”
“Then I will look at…” or “then we’ll go over…”
“And finally we’ll look at…” or “ To conclude

we’ll touch on…”
“I will be glad to answer any questions that

you may have at the end of this
presentation.”
Try to look up from your notes as often as

possible so you can engage and interest your
audience and relax. Try to have fun. People are
generally forgiving if you make a few mistakes.
6. Ending Your Presentation
This is a very simple part. Once you have given

your presentation and are ready to finish, use
these phrases.
“Well, that brings me to the end of my

presentation, thanks so much for listening.”
“It was a real pleasure being here today.

Goodbye and thank you.”
“Well that’s it from me. Thanks a lot.”
7. Being an Active Participant in
7 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
Meetings
You will, at some point, be asked to take part in a

meeting at your workplace. It is a good idea in
business meetings to speak as clearly as
possible and to be firm (strong). Remember
though, “firm” does not mean “rude” or “pushy.”
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It can be easy to seem pushy if you don’t add the
all-important “please” and “thank you” to your
49 phrases. These polite terms go a long way in
business English. Meetings are all about listening
and letting people know you understand what is
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being talked about. Try these phrases when you
are in a business meeting or participating in a
conference call.
First, you can use these phrases if you

accidentally speak over somebody or stop them
from saying something.
“Sorry, I interrupted you. You were saying…?”
“Please go on…”
“After you…”
If you are not sure what somebody said, u s e

these phrases to clarify:
“I’m sorry, but could you speak up a little?”
“I didn’t quite hear that, sorry, can you say

that again?”
“I didn’t catch that last bit. Can you say it

again please?”
Signal phrases for when you have a question.
• “Am I to understand that…”
• “Sorry, but just to clarify…”
• “So, what we’re saying is…”
Agreeing with people.
8 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
• “That’s an excellent point [person’s name], I

totally agree with you on that.”
• “Okay, I think we are all on the same page

here…”
• “Yes, I get what you’re saying…”

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Disagreeing with people.
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Hopefully you won’t need these too often!
Remember to be polite but firm.
5
• “I’m sorry but I think you may have that
slightly wrong…”
• “From our perspective, it’s a little different.

Let me explain.”
• “Well, yes and no—can I tell you how we

see it?”
8. Negotiating Successfully
When you are taking part in a negotiation, you

might get what you want, but sometimes you
may not. Here are some phrases that will work
for each situation. Remember, be polite, but be
firm. Professional businesspeople never lose
control of their emotions.
Sometimes in a negotiation you know you are

not going to win. When you go into a negotiation,
you should know your “deal breaker” is. A deal
break is absolutely not negotiable, or a condition
that you will not accept no matter what. For
example, the lowest price you are willing to
accept for a product is $100 per piece. You will
walk away if somebody demands a lower price.
Perhaps you are protecting your “bottom line.”

The bottom line is the financial situation beyond
which you cannot operate. Try these phrases to
get the negotiation “back on track” if it seems
you are “not on the same page.” Meaning: Get
9 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
the negotiation going in your favor if you are not

in agreement.
• “I understand that we can’t do that, but can

we discuss some other alternatives?”
• “I hear what you’re saying, but our bottom

54 line is very clear on this one.”
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• “This is the deal breaker for us, we can’t

budge.” (Budge means move, change or give
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up.)
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9. Planning for Future Meetings
Everybody has a phone now, and in business it is

really important to know how to greet people
and leave them with a positive impression of
yourself and the company you work for. Many
customers’ and clients’ first interactions with you
(and the company you work for) will be on the
phone. Make sure you leave them with a great
first impression with these phrases when you
want to meet with them again:
• “I’d like to set up a meeting with you at

your earliest convenience. When are you
free?”
• “Are you free to talk again next week?”
• “When can we talk about this again?”
• “How does 2:30 p.m. Thursday sound?”
• “Does Thursday at 2:30 p.m. suit you?”
After the person has agreed to the time, it is

customary to confirm one last time just to make
sure the other person has really heard. If you are
working in a place like an airport where there
could be confusion as to the time, add the
“a.m.” or “p.m.” just to be sure you have been
understood:
10 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
• “Thursday at 2:30 p.m. then, that would be

fine.”
• “Okay, I look forward to seeing you then.”
• “Thursday at 2.30 p.m. Looking forward to

it, see you then.”
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• “Thursday at 2.30 p.m., bye for now.”
49
If you are already in business and your English is
pretty good, learning new phrases and language
to climb the corporate ladder (get a promotion) is
5 always going to get you farther.
English is the universal language of business all

over the world. The better your English gets, the
more in demand you will be as an employee.
Keep listening and keep talking!
D o w n l o a d : This blog post is available as a

convenient and portable PDF that you can
take anywhere. Click here to get a copy.
(Download)
And One More Thing…
To learn these phrases (and more) with fun

videos, you’ll love F l u e n t U . FluentU takes real-
world videos—like music videos, movie trailers,
news and inspiring talks—and turns them into
personalized and fun English learning lessons.
It has a large library of English videos that native

English speakers watch regularly.
11 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
54
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FluentU has an entire business category filled

with authentic business-related videos covering
six language levels.
To show the variety of videos even inside this

single category, real-world business videos on
FluentU include “Introducing Business
Colleagues,” “Business Buzzwords,” “Control
Your Inbox!” and “What Warren Buffet Thinks
About Cash.”
If you want to work on other topics later, simply

use the same, familiar FluentU platform to learn
with videos from other categories (such as
“Science and Tech,” “Politics and Society” or
“Arts and Entertainment”).
Every video has English subtitles. Each word

comes with an in-context definition, image and
multiple example sentences.
12 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
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Just tap or click on any word in the subtitles to

get more information. For example, if you tap on
the word “brought,” you will see this:
13 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
54 Plus, FluentU also has iin t e r a c t i v e f e a t u r e s and

Shares a c t i v e l e a r n i n g t o o l s , like multimedia flashcards
and fun questions.
49
To get started, sign up for FluentU on the

website or download the app from iTunes today!
14 de 17 03/03/18, 18:39
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If you liked this post, something tells me that

you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English
with real-world videos.
Experience English immersion online!
∠ 3 Simple Steps for Scoring a Successful Business

Negotiation in English
Catching Up in Business English: 25 Phrasal Verbs for
Excellent Communication ∠
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56 Business English Phrases For Speaking Professionally

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56 Business English Phrases for Speaking Professionally and Adv... https://www.fluentu.com/blog/business-english/how-to-speak-bus...

FluentU Business English Blog

How to Speak Business

English is the most essential language for

In big business China, more people are currently

Recent studies have shown that larger

If you are planning to travel for work, you will

city) centers. English will be the universal

D o w n l o a d : This blog post is available as a

Ways to Improve Speaking for Business

There are tons of ways to improve your English

G e t s o m e p o d c a s t s . This series of podcasts

L i s t e n t o o t h e r s . Pay attention to every

Re a d , r e a d , r e a d ! Uptick from Forbes is for

Business English Phrases for Speaking

in 3 Conference Call Situations

Skype. Face Time. Tinychat. Google Talk. Or

49 Before discussing phrases you can use during

First, it is always a good idea to learn the

Talk with a friend at work and look at the agenda

Use the mute button if you are not speaking

If you are on a video conference call, look

The British Council has some fabulous resources

Some native speakers may use complicated

You will either hear these phrases or need to use

“Are we all on?”

“Can I ask that we all state our names,

“I’m here. It’s [your name] in [your city].”

These are useful phrases to check if everyone is

• “Can everybody hear me?”

The chairperson or person in charge of the

2. Clarifying Things on a Phone Call

When talking on a conference call, there is a

poor, or that the quality of the call will be poor. In

• “Could you speak more slowly, please?”

• “Could you repeat that, please?”

• “I’m afraid I didn’t get that.”

3. Taking a Break from the Conversation

Conference calls can be stressful. It is perfectly

“[Your name] speaking. I need to leave for

When you return, let everybody know you are

“[Your name] here. I’m back on the line

“[Your name] just coming back in here,

4. Starting a Great Presentation

At some point you may be called on to give a

Keep it moving quickly and people will still be

interested. Try these helpful phrases for a

Introduce yourself and keep it loose and breezy

“Welcome everybody, my name is [your

“Hi, I’m [your name] and I’m the designer for

“Good morning/afternoon/evening ladies

“Hi everyone, I’m [your name]. I’m going to

Note: remember to use the contraction “I’m”

5. Introducing the Topic of Your

After you’ve introduced yourself, it is time to

“Today I’m here to talk to you about…”

“I’m delighted to be here today to tell you

54 “Today I would like to outline our plans for…”

This gives your audience a map, or an idea of

“Firstly I’ll talk about…” or “I’ll start with some

“Then I will look at…” or “then we’ll go over…”

“And ﬁnally we’ll look at…” or “ To conclude

“I will be glad to answer any questions that

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