CAN I MAKE A POINT HERE Business English

CAN I MAKE A POINT HERE? Business English for Meetings – week 3

What do you do?

1. You want to make a point in a meeting. a) b) Wait until someone else invites you to speak? Make your point immediately?

2. Someone is speaking in a meeting and you have something to say. Do you: a) b) Wait until they have finished speaking Interrupt them with your own point?

3. Someone wants to make a point while you are speaking, do you: a) b) Prefer that they wait until you have finished speaking? Prefer that they interrupt you to make their point?

4. Someone is talking nonsense, do you: a) b) Stop them? Let them go on?

5. There is a long silence in a meeting, do you: a. b. Say something (anything) to end the silence? Relax and wait for someone else to speak up?

5. Someone is not being clear, do you: a. b. Interrupt and ask the to explain? Let them finish and hope that you will understand them in the end?

5. Nobody wants to listen to you, do you: a. b. Stay calm and continue talking? Get angry and stop talking?

Matching 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I think this was due The market is still a bit depressed because Sales were up here for the reason I think this was as a The IT sector performed poorly, the reason A. B. C. D. E. result of some bad planning on our part of debt and lower share prices being that we made some mistakes in our market research. that the telecoms team performed extremely well to excellent work by our production team.

Fill in the blank 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. result As a ______ of some aggressive cost-cutting, our pre-tax profits are better than expected. because The board postponed the IPO ______ of the current lack of stock market confidence. being Mr. Allman has left his job, the reason ______ that we were unhappy with his performance. reason We’re looking for a new PR agency for the _____ that our current agency has run out of interesting ideas. due The project failed _____ to a lack of interest among the senior management.

first at telecoms look let’s

situation a quick here’s overview the of 40 Seconds

now pharmaceuticals to let’s turn 40 Seconds

on to I’ll now finance move the sector 40 Seconds

IT about now what

grammar We use the past simple to talk about developments in finished time frames: Our customer base increased in size… -last year –two years ago –in June. –between 2004 and 2008

We use the present perfect to talk about developments in unfinished time frames: Our sales have increased… -during the current quarter. –for the last two years. –recently. –since last year

Past simple or present perfect

1. Apple’s market share (decrease) in size in the last quarter of 2004.

2. The number of profit warnings issued by major companies (go up) in the current quarter.

3. The time we spend on customer acquisition (go down) this year.

4. The size of HP’s workforce (increase) two years ago.

5. Microsoft’s capital investment spending (level off) since last year.

Past simple or present perfect 6. Complaints (decline) dramatically since 2004.

7. The rate of unemployment (reach a high) in 2007.

8. The number of franchisers in Europe (rise) steadily between 2004 and 2008.

9. Since 1994, our staff size (remain stable)

10. In 2004 and 2005, the cost of parts (fall) significantly.

What verbs describe the change in the price of petrol? Go up Increase rise

What verbs describe the price change of solar power panels? Decrease Go down Decline fall

What verbs the price of polymers? Level off Remain stable Reach a high

Matching 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Are you saying that we C. Can we come back E. Could I just B. Could I make A. Do you think that F. Would you like D. a. b. c. d. e. f. a point here? interrupt you there? should cancel our stand at the trade fair? to make a point here? to your point in a minute? we should increase our marketing budget

1. 2. 3. 4. Hold on a moment, A. If I understand B. correctly Just a moment, D. please, I What do you think C. a. b. c. d. please. We’ll come back to you soon. you’re saying that we should end the contract. about that point? promise we’ll come right back to you.

Interrupting politely

In business environments, interrupting is acceptable. However, it is important to be polite. Do not talk loudly over someone to make a point. You can interrupt by saying: Sorry to interrupt you I apologize for interrupting, but… Could I come in here? Could I make a point here? Could I just comment on that?

Asking for clarification

If you don’t understand: I’m afraid I don’t understand your point here. I’m sorry, could you clarify that point? Could you explain that a little more for me?

Ask someone to clarify their opinion: Are your saying that we should have invested more time in the project? Do you mean that it was a mistake to lower prices? Is your point that we need to start earlier than planned?

Seek clarification by using a statement If I understand you correctly, you need more time to finish the report.

You can clarify what you are saying: What I meant to say is… I was trying to say that…

that we saying more are staff should you hire

another meeting think that we should do you have 40 Seconds

the training budget should increase your point that is we

upgrade saying that are you our IT system we should ?

his customers point that is your spend more time with he should

you feel conference next year we should increase do the length of the

Useful phrases Giving your opinion: I think… We should… I’m convinced that we should… I tend to think that it’s… It seems to me that…

Useful phrases

Interrupting: Sorry, but… Sorry to interrupt, but I feel that… Could I come in here… I’d like to make a point here if I could. Can I just say something about that?

Asking for clarification: I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. Do you mean that… ? Are you saying that… ? If I understand you correctly, you think that…?

Dealing with interruptions: Hold on, please. We’ll come back to you in a moment. Just a second, please. I promise we’ll come right back to you

there could just you I interrupt

that what point about you think do

a moment come back promise you I in to we will

something add would you like to here

you saying the budget should that increase are we

I’m don’t I really afraid follow argument your

Quick meeting Your company has decided to appoint an English language teacher. Call a meeting and discuss the requirements for this post. When you have decided on the job description, design an advert to attract good candidates.