The Ultimate English Guide for Entrepreneurs

2
All rights reserved © 2020 Master Business English

The Ultimate English Guide for
Entrepreneurs, Managers, Professionals,
Consultants, and Vendors
Practical English Guide for Meetings, Negotiations, and Sales.
I completely understand the burden you have every time you lose a sale or a
customer just because you simply do not know how to communicate effectively:
to persuade, to highlight to your client the advantages of your services or
products, and to sell!
I also know how frustrating it is to try to communicate in another language and

not be able to express what you need and want to demonstrate your skills and
professionalism as a professional, consultant, and expert in your field. Instead
you just stay there quietly watching and smiling.
Even more, if you are a Manager and you have to meet those foreign customers
who come to buy your company's products or services at breakfast, lunch or
dinner, the worst thing is that you do not understand them and all you can do is
smile. Many times you feel like people do not take you seriously because you
do not know English. And you can even feel the disadvantage of not being able
to explain your great idea to others which can even solve all the problems your
company or customer is going through, simply because they do not understand
you. Therefore your idea is not even taken into consideration.
To avoid this and to help you, I offer you this practical guide with techniques
and tips to help you gain confidence and start having effective communication
that will help you as the professional and the expert you are. And above all to
obtain, keep your clients and give them the treatment they deserve thus
enabling you to launch your benefits to the stars.
This e-book was made to teach you some tricks and give you precise
guidelines so that you can get started putting it into practice immediately without
the need for any classes or an English teacher.
My goal is to give you a clear idea to let you start with the key elements that
you should take into account when having a meeting, building relationships,
dealing with customers, making a phone call, writing an email, etc.
Your business, your career, your sales, your clients CANNOT WAIT!
Start putting into practice this Guide in: Meetings, Negotiations, and Sales. This
will ensure you will obtain the best results allowing you to: increase your profits,
improve your corporate image, achieve more sales, offer a more professional
service, gain and retain more clients.
2
Contents:
1. The Art of "Small Talk": Short Conversations

2. How to Make Questions and to be More Empathetic
3. How to Get an Effective Meeting
4. Learn the Keywords to Give an Opinion, Agree, and Disagree in a
Polite and Formal Way
5. Super Power Tip: Storytelling
6. Investor Pitch
7. How to Ask Polite Questions?
8. Handle Phone and Conference Calls Fluently
9. Write Effective Emails
10. Negotiations
Currently, there is no way to avoid meetings and we must know how to close
a good contract, how to sell and how to sell ourselves to others.
Try a lesson and a Consultation for FREE!

Write us: +44 7543 815052 and copy this code:EBKLWFC
3
1. The Art of "Small Talk”
To generate a sale, a business, or achieve a professional goal we must

definitely start a conversation by creating relationships, trust, and empathy and
this is achieved by asking questions. I know most people do not know how to
ask questions in English and are terrified of them.
However, they are necessary especially if they are people with whom you
should negotiate or discuss important issues.
And I recommend doing it during the coffee break, that is, outside the meeting
or at mealtimes.
Þ But what kind of questions are the most appropriate?

Well, here are some neutral formal questions you can use to strike up and build
a relationship.
Open questions:
l Do you mind me asking where you are from?

l What part (of America, of Europe, etc) are you from?
l What’s special about your region?
Professional background:
l What did you do before you came here?

l How long have you worked in your company?
l When did you start work in your company?
l How is this job different to/from your last one?
Build relationships with questions:
l Where did you go to college?

l Where did you work before you worked here?
l How was your last job different?
l Have you travelled or studied abroad?
l Where are you going for your holiday?
Open statements at any moment:
Imagine that someone makes a comment or explains an idea to you so then

you can respond in the following ways:
l Oh! Really, I didn’t know.

l Oh! That’s great.
l Good to know, thanks.
l I’m curious to know more about it.
4
l Tell me more about…
l I’m curious to know your story.
l Tell me about your highlights at [company name].
l Tell me about your weaknesses or low points at [company name].
If you want to continue the conversation, I advise you to prepare and base it
on a topic you know.
Þ DO NOT IMPROVISE unless you have good control of your English.
l It’s amazing what happened in (country/place/event) last week/this week...

l Tell me more about…
l I hear that…
Closed questions: IMPORTANT TIP TO FOLLOW - continue reading!
These types of questions do not promote a fluid conversation and do not ask
for information. They simply ask for a short answer: YES or NO
They are also used to point out facts and get quick answers.
l It's great weather, isn't it?

l Where do you live?
l What time is it?
l Are you down here for vacation?”
l Did you have a good summer holiday?
l Did you have a good flight/journey?
l Did you enjoy your lunch?
l Have you been to (name of town/city) before?
l Did you hear about (the event)?
l Are you keeping up with the Olympics/World Cup/football?
l Have you been to the Sydney Festival before?
They are also perfect because with them we can VERIFY that our listener has
understood us.
Þ Remember that in a negotiation or explanation about our services or

products it is very important to understand us.
l Have you understood the main characteristics/benefits of our

service/product?
l So, you want to buy our product/service with some additional issues, is
that correct?
l Do you agree that this service/product can help you to get more benefits?
We must rely on this type of question to allow us to establish a negative or

positive mental attitude of our potential client or supplier. So, then we will be
able to understand their thoughts and wishes when beginning a negotiation.
We can even create several successive questions with obvious answers: yes
or no, that allow the customer to self-sell our product or service.
5
l Are you happy with your current supplier?
l Do they give you all that you need?
l Would you like to find a better supplier?
l Do you want to try our product/service?
l Would you like to check the benefits of our product/service?
Another interesting trick is that these types of closed questions can be used
to achieve the closure of a persuasion (looking for yes to the big question).
l If I can deliver this tomorrow, will you sign for it now?

l If I offer you a discount, will you pay for the product/service now?
Another way that brings very good results is to use the "Tag Questions". With
this, you can turn any opinion into a closed question which will force a yes or
no answer. And for this you should only add at the end of your sentences:
l "isn't it?"
l "don't you?"
l "can't they?"
NOTE: Keep in mind the first word of the question: the auxiliary/modal
establishes the dynamics of the closed question and forces you to obtain the
answer in a very easy way. These auxiliaries or modals are: do, will, would, can,
are, have, etc.
2. How to Make Questions and

to be More Empathetic.
Open questions allow us to start a conversation because they require a long

answer from the attender or attendee. These types of questions easily get an
answer from the attender without forcing them to tell us a lot about them.
These questions in English are called "WH questions" because they use
interrogative pronouns such as: what, when, how, where, which, whose, why,
etc. Some examples:
l How are you?

l How are you today?
l How are you going/doing?
l How have you been?
l How are things?
l How are things going?
Although any question can receive a long answer, open questions deliberately
seek longer answers and are the opposite of closed questions.
6
These types of questions have the following characteristics:
1. Make the listener think and reflect.

2. They allow them to give you their opinions and express their
feelings and wishes.
3. They give you complete control of the conversation to the
questioner.
Let's see how to apply them more deeply:

We can use them after closed questions or build a conversation and open up
someone who is shy or silent.
l What did you do on your holidays?

l What sport do you play?
l What do you do in your free time?
l How was the weekend?
l When did you arrive in (insert name of town/city/country)?
l Which hotel are you staying at?
l What do you think of (insert name of town/city/country)?
l What did you study?
l What’s the most exciting thing about your business?
l What’s the most exciting thing about your product?
l What’s the most exciting thing about your team?
l What’s the most exciting thing about your industry?
l How do you keep focused on your work?
We use the next questions to obtain more information about a person, his/her
wishes, needs, problems, etc.
l What's keeping you awake these days?

l Why is that so important to you?
l What type of results are you looking for?
l What type of benefits do you want to get?
l What are your main goals?
l What can we do for you in order to help you?
l What’s your biggest priority right now?
l What’s your lowest priority?
l What is your boss fixated on right now?
l What’s your number one most important metric?
l Which industry events are you planning on attending?
l How are your efforts in [related business area]?
l What’s the most significant change at your company in the past six
months?
l If you could go back one year in time, what would you do differently?
Professionals can ask the following questions:
l What’s your industry like right now?

l Do you need any introductions?
7
l As an expert in [field], I’d love to hear your thoughts on [event,
announcement, major change].
l Tell me about your latest work win or latest work achievement.
l We’ve discussed your role before, but it’s probably evolved since then,
explain any changes.
l Which blogs do you read to stay informed on [topic]?
l You’re still one of the only people I know who [did X, achieved Y].
They also make people realize their problems (for which, of course, you
have the solution).
l I wonder what would happen if your customers complained even more?

l What will happen if your company doesn’t get more customers?
l What will happen if you cannot continue keeping those low prices?
l What can I do to help you achieve [X goal]?
l What can I do to make you even more successful?
l How has the business changed since we last talked?
The last group of questions should be asked if we know that our product or
service has contributed to obtaining a benefit or performance for our client.
They are very useful if you want these people to feel good replying to you when
you ask them questions about their health or to show them some human
concern.
l How have you been feeling after your operation?

l You're looking down. What's up?
l Is everything okay? How may I help you?
l What are you worried about?
l What are you happy about?
Conversations about work
In this part, we will discuss conversations about your work and the people you
work with. Also how to talk about the activities/tasks you do at work. In this way,
we generate contacts.
At work:
l What do you do?

l What are you working on this week?
l What are you doing at the moment?
l Who do you usually speak to by phone/face-to-face?
l Do you prefer communicating with people by email or on the phone?
l How much of your day do you spend talking with other people?
l How much of your day do you spend working alongside…?
The trick to highlight!
Short formula to remember: Verb + Preposition + Verb + ING
8
Answers:
l My job consists of answering (the phone to customers).

l He’s involved in (developing new software).
3. How to Get an Effective Meeting.
In business, people have meetings all the time. There are formal and informal
meetings. The language of meetings can vary depending on the culture,
objective, people, and topics to discuss. In formal meetings with our customers,
there are certain lexical items which are quite common. What we do in a
meeting involves: passing on information, persuading, justifying, defending a
position, arguing, clarifying, summarizing, etc.
Starting the meeting:
l Thank you for joining the meeting.

l Shall we start the meeting now?
l Let’s kick-off, shall we? (informal)
l Let’s go round the table and introduce ourselves (if people don’t know
each other)
Establish clear objectives and matters arising:
l Let’s establish the facts.

l Our objective must be to get the project back on schedule.
l Let’s be clear about what we want to achieve.
l Are there any matters arising?
l Can we take the minutes as read?
Interrupting a speaker or asking to intervene:
l Excuse me, can/may I interrupt, please?

l Could I just come in here?
l Could I just say something?
l But…
l In my opinion,
l I think,
l I just wanted to say something about…
l My main point is…
l That’s all I wanted to say.
l That’s what I think we should do.
l Ok?
l Do you agree?
l Ok or I agree.
l Good point, Maria.
l I take your point, Maria.
9
l Just let me finish, please.
l Hold on a moment, please (informal)
l Sorry.
l Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.
l As I was saying, …
l Thanks, John, you’ve made your point. Can we move on?
l Thank you, John. I think we’ve all got the point.
l We’re short of time, John. Can you sum up very briefly?
l About…
l So what you are saying is…,
l That isn’t exactly what I meant,
l Do you mean…?
l How about if we did this?
l Why don’t we do this?
l Can we just recap?
l Let me just go over that again.
Ensure information is transmitted:
l Could you let me have a copy of the paperwork?

l Can you send a note to remind everybody?
l Can you circulate the report you mentioned?
l Keep me up to date with developments on a daily basis.
l Can you keep everybody posted on developments?
Manage the discussion:
l Rather than looking to blame, let’s look for solutions.

l What is the main problem as you see it?
l What are our options?
l Let’s go round the table and get suggestions.
Keep to time:
l Can we keep to time? I have another meeting after this one.

l Time’s moving on. Can we move on to the next item?
l We’re almost out of time. Can you be brief?
Agenda items:
l Let’s move on to the agenda.

l Item 1.
l Could you speak about that, Tom?
Noting results:
l Could you minute that?

l Let’s minute that.
AOB: Any other business? Let’s go round the table.
10
Achieve a successful outcome:
l Let’s set up a meeting to deal with that.

l Those are all good suggestions.
l I think we’ve made good progress.
l We’re making excellent progress.
Date of next meeting:
l Let’s agree on the date of the next meeting. Same time, same please
next month?
Close:
l Thank you very much, everybody.

l Can you send me the minutes and I’ll circulate them?
4. Learn the Keywords to Give an Opinion, Agree,

and Disagree in a Polite and Formal Way.
Giving your opinion in a meeting is vital. It makes people notice you and it gives
you a reputation. How you give your opinion is especially important since it will
either increase or decrease the influence you have.
Tips to increase your influence and get what you want from business meetings:
l Make sure you know what you want to say and that it is a useful contribution.
l Focus on action. Explain simply and clear WHAT you want people to think
or do. Then say WHY they should think or do it.
l Be objective. Be prepared to recognize both sides of an argument and then
state your position.
l Focus on the problem, never the person. Be objective and fair. Focus on the
facts as you see them. If you do this, more people will agree with you.
l Don’t judge. Say: “I feel this is wrong”. Don’t say: “You are wrong”.
l Show respect: Respect the other person even if you disagree with them. If
you are wrong, be prepared to concede your point politely, never angrily.
l Be consistent. Don’t change your views or your principles and people will
respect you. However, if you do change your view, say so, and explain why.
l Be calm. Measure your tone of voice to get respect from your audience.
Always use a calm balanced tone of voice.
Secondly, there is a technique which helps us to organize our ideas and to

deliver better communication in all senses by using linking words which are very
important to go straight forward in our meeting, conversation, presentation or
negotiation.
11
Þ Sequence: First, secondly, finally, another, next, in the first place, to begin
with, last(ly), last but not least, first of all, then there is.
Þ Talking generally: In general, usually, on the whole.
Þ Contrast: however, nevertheless, on the other hand.
Þ Adding another point: In addition, moreover, on another point, furthermore,
additionally, besides, on the top of that, … as well as …, what is more.
Þ Examples: For example, for instance, e.g.
Þ Alternatives: Either, or, alternatively, instead of..
Þ Real (surprising) situation: In fact, actually, as a matter of fact.
Þ Something is obvious: Clearly, obviously, of course.
Þ Most important point: Especially, above all, in particular.
Þ Rephrasing: In other words, that is to say, i.e.
Þ Result/consequence: As a result, therefore, for this reason.
Þ New topic: In relation to, regarding, with reference to.
Þ Summarizing: to conclude, to sum it up, summarizing, to recap briefly, all in
all, in other words, that’s to say.
REMEMBER: in a meeting or conference call, your voice is your brand.
How to agree:
l Absolutely! / Definitely / Exactly.

l No doubt about it.
l I’m absolutely certain that….
l I’m convinced that….
l I quite agree with you.
l I suppose you are right.
l I share your view / I think so.
l I really think so.
l I completely agree with what you just said.
l I couldn’t agree more.
l I’d go along with that.
l (The author / the narrator / the protagonist / etc.) is right.
l He is quite right / absolutely right / He may be right.
l I have no objection. / I approve of it. / I have come to the same conclusion.
l I hold the same opinion/ We are of one mind / of the same mind on that
question.
l I am at one with him on that point. / It is true. / That is right.
l That's just it! / Fair enough! / Quite so!
l Just so! / Yes of course!
l That’s a good point / I see your point.
l I see where you’re coming from.
How to disagree:
l With all due respect, I completely disagree.

l I’m afraid I can’t agree with you on that one.
l I am sorry, but that is not accurate.
l I see why you might think that.
12
l With regard to your request, unfortunately, we are not able to…
l We regret to inform you that…
l I am afraid I disagree.
l I beg to differ.
l I’d be inclined to disagree.
l That’s not the way I see it.
l I don't agree. / I disagree. / I don't think so.
l You are wrong/ he is wrong. / I think otherwise.
l I don't think that's quite right.
l I’m sorry, but I don't agree with you/him.
l I don't agree with what you say.
l I am afraid that is not quite true.
l I take a different view.
l I don't share his/her/your view.
l This argument does not hold water.
l Not at all!
l Nonsense!
How to be objective:
l If we look at the situation objectively, …

l The facts of the matter are these.
How to concede:
l I take your point.

l In that case, I withdraw my objection.
How to manage disagreement:
l Can I suggest a compromise on this?

l I see your point, but…
l I kind of agree with you/that.
l I agree with you to an extent, however.
l You make a good point, but…
How to agree to disagree:
l Let’s agree to differ.

l I’m afraid we have to agree to disagree on this.
Giving opinion:
l In my opinion / In my eyes…
l From my point of view…
l I believe / I think…
l My position is…
l What are your thoughts on this? My thoughts on this are…
l I’d like to make a point…
l I would say that…
13
l I feel / I have the feeling that…
l My impression is that / I am under the impression that / It is my
impression that…
l My own feeling on the subject is that…
l I have no doubt that…
l To my mind / As far as I am concerned / Speaking personally…
l As for me / As to me…
l My view / opinion / belief / impression / conviction is that…
l I hold the view that…
l It seems to me that…
l I am sure / I am certain that…
l I think/ consider / find / feel / believe / suppose / presume / assume that ...
l I hold the opinion that …
l (I form/adopt an opinion.)
l I dare say that ...
l I guess that ... / I bet that.… / I gather that ...
l It goes without saying that …
l I am of the opinion that...
Giving your opinion:
l In my opinion / In my humble opinion...

l I reckon / I suppose...
l I know...
l May I...
l If you ask me...
l If I were you...
l To be honest...
l I could be wrong, but...
l I’m no expert, but...
l Personally...
Asking Opinions:
l What do you think/reckon?

l Do you see what I’m getting at?
l Do you know/see what I mean?
l Do you agree with me?
l Would you go along with that?
l Would you agree with me that …?
l What are your thoughts on that?
l Don’t you think (that) …?
To summarize:
l Before we close today’s meeting, let me just summarize the main points.
l Let me quickly go over today’s main points.
l To sum up,
l OK, why don’t we quickly summarize what we’ve done today?
l In brief, ...
14
l Shall I go 5. Super
over Power
the main points?Tip: Storytelling
If we want to build a conversation and involve our client, supplier, or boss we

need to learn the art of what is called in English as “storytelling”. That is: to tell
stories. And in this way, we begin to establish a connection with people during
our story. The goal is to try to build a relationship with the person in order to
generate a productive meeting.
But Karyme, how do we effectively involve the person in our story? Start like in
any play: set the stage by explaining about the background. In this way, we
begin to create a state of being appropriate to the situation we want to generate.
Here we can be funny, serious, professional, etc. But it is important to set what
state of being we want to transmit.
From the following sentences, you can go on and start telling the story, starting
a conversation, engaging people, sharing personal information, demonstrating
you are a caring person, and not a cold business person just there to make a
deal:
l Imagine if…
l Just the other day…
l You won’t believe what I saw the other day…
l Let me show you how it’s real…
l Yet there’s obstacles that stand in the way of this promise being more
available.
l Here’s what excites me.
l Something really funny happened the other day…
l An amazing thing happened at work the other day…
l I remember when …
l If we’ve done this much since we began, imagine where we can go in
the next five, ten years ahead.
l Guess what? That possibility is already real. Let me show you how it’s
already happening…
l Have you ever wondered why / how…
l How crazy is that? I know I'm sure not going to try that again.
l This, ladies and gentlemen, is an excellent example of why you
should …
On top of that, it is about how the business, the company, the product, or service
that we offer are like because they exist in real life and have a story to tell.
Because every business has a story to tell. The art of telling storytelling helps
us to provide added value to all this, allowing us to highlight the benefits or
characteristics that we wish to show to our clients.
Þ This is my favorite quote on storytelling which I use in my business:
“The ability to articulate your story or that of your company is crucial to almost
every phase of enterprise management. It works all along the business food
15
chain. A great salesperson knows how to tell a story in which the product is the
hero. A successful line manager can rally the team to extraordinary efforts
through a story that shows how short-term sacrifice leads to long-term success.
An effective CEO uses an emotional narrative about the company’s mission to
attract investors and partners, to set lofty goals, and to inspire employees.
Sometimes a well-crafted story can even transform a seemingly hopeless
situation into an unexpected triumph.” Peter Guber, author, American film
producer & executive and Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment,
from HR Magazine September (2008).
Þ To summarize, to create a small talk we need to make the right

questions to engage people with our short stories.
Bear in mind: “facts tell, but stories sell”.
6. Investor Pitch
This is all about you: who you are, what you do, and what you want to do in
the future.
It is the best way to share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively
with people who don't know you. It helps you introduce yourself to career and
business connections. It can also help you build your network, land a job, or
connect with new colleagues on your first day of work.
Do you know the most effective way to present your business idea?
Well, it is through a pitch deck that your presentations will make you shine as
an entrepreneur or a professional getting your target audience excited.
Although using storytelling in your pitch will capture your customers, investors,
suppliers’ attention.
On the whole, the most important matter is how to deliver it, not what to include
in a pitch. And to do it:
You don’t need to think that is a great idea, you need to feel it too!”
So your pitch needs a story to bring it to life. Therefore the power of the
storytelling comes here with 3 sections:
1. The setup the scene
l Have you ever met…?

l Do you know much about…?
l Hands up if you have ever … (great for groups)
l I was with a group of people.
l If you had been there, in that group of people.
l Imagine yourself in that group of people.
16
l Claudia is a bit like Monica from Friends, in that…
2. The struggle, describe the conflict and confrontation.
l I saw this all the time.

l You see this all the time.
l When I spoke to other CEOs, I learned that…
l When you speak with other CEOs, you’ll learn that…
l ‘I knew I had to do something.’
versus
l ‘My board member looked straight at me and said, ‘Dave, you have to
do something!’
l ‘Customers take on average 2–3 hours to…’
versus
l ‘James actually sat down with a stopwatch and measured how much
time it took to… and it took him — an expert — 2 hours and 48 minutes.’
l ‘She came to me in tears. [Pause] That’s when I knew…’
l ‘How would you feel if you…?’
l ‘Imagine what it feels like when….’
3. The solution is the idea, strategy, product or service that helps the character
to overcome the struggle.
l What if there was a way to. . .?

l It was at that point that her husband, sitting behind her, chimed in and
said something profound . . .
l We took our client’s productivity from 60% [hand position one] to 80%
[hand position two].
7. How to Ask Polite Questions?
Well, in English, our way of being polite is through the modals. In this way, we
demonstrate how to be polite and educated in various circumstances.
Keep in mind that Could and Would are more courteous and formal than Can.
l Could… speak to you a moment?

l Can… you tell me your name?
l Can… have another drink, please?
l Could… call me again tomorrow?
l Could… repeat that, please?
l Could… help me for a moment?
l Sorry, could you say that for me again?
Introduce yourself:
l Can I introduce myself?

l My name’s / I’m …
17
Introducing others:
l Can I introduce you to …?

l This is …
Answers:
l Nice to meet you.

l How do you do.
l Nice to meet you too.
Questions about a person, job, or company:
l What about you?

l What’s your name (again)?
l Where are you from?
l Who do you work for?
l What do you do?
l Why are you here?
Asking for clarification to be more confident:
l How/what do you mean exactly?

l What exactly do you mean by?
l What does this point mean exactly?
l Are you saying?
l Can you just clarify your last point?
l Could you be more specific on this point?
l How would this work in practice?
l What does (insert idea) refer to?
l When you said (insert confusing idea), what did you mean?
l So what you’re saying is that …
l I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow you.
l I’m not totally sure what you mean.
l If I understand you correctly, you would like us to…
l Let me see if I’ve got this right. You would like me to…
8. Handle Phone and Conference Calls Fluently
18
USEFUL TELEPHONE PHRASES
• Hello/Good morning/Good afternoon.

• This is ...
• Could I speak to ....please?
Making contact I'd like to speak to ... please.
• I'm trying to contact .....
• I'm calling from Tokyo/Paris/New York/Sydney.

Giving more information • I'm calling on behalf of (Mr. X ...).
• X speaking.
Taking a call • Can I help you?
• Who's calling, please?

Asking for a • Who's speaking?
name / information • Where are you calling from?
• Are you sure you have the right number/name?
• Hold the line, please.

• Could you hold on, please.
Asking the caller to wait
• Just a moment, please.
• Thank you for holding.

Connecting • The line's free now ..... I'll put you through.
• I'm afraid the line's engaged, could you call back later?
• I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment.
Giving negative • I'm sorry, he's out of the office today.
information • I'm afraid we don't have a Mr/Mrs/Miss ... here.
• I'm sorry, there's nobody here by that name.
• Sorry, I think you've dialed the wrong number.
• The line is very bad. Could you speak up, please?

• Could you repeat that, please?
Telephone problems
• I'm afraid I can't hear you.
• Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you say that again, please?
• Can I leave/take a message?

• Would you like to leave a message?
• Could you give him/her a message?
• Could you ask him/her to call me back?
Leaving/taking a message • Would you like him/her to call you back?
• Could you tell him/her that I called?
• Could you give me your name, please?
• Could you spell that, please?
• What's your number, please?
19
Þ Let’s put it in practice!
Answering the phone: Problems:
l Good morning/afternoon/evening, l I'm sorry, I don't understand.

York Enterprises, Elizabeth Jones Could you repeat that, please?
speaking. l I'm sorry, I can't hear you very
l Who's calling, please? well. Could you speak up a little,
please?
l I'm afraid you've got the wrong
Introducing yourself: number.
l I've tried to get through several
l This is Paul Smith speaking. times but it's always engaged.
l Hello, this is Paul Smith from l Could you spell that, please?
Speakspeak International.
Putting someone through:

Asking for someone:
l One moment, please. I'll see if Mr.
l Could I speak to John Martin, Jones is available.
please? l I'll put you through.
l I'd like to speak to John Martin, l I'll connect you.
please. l I'm connecting you now.
l Could you put me through to John
Martin, please?
l Could I speak to someone who… Taking a message:
l Can I take a message?

Explaining: l Would you like to leave a
message?
l I'm afraid Mr. Martin isn't in at the l Can I give him/her a message?
moment. l I'll tell Mr. Jones that you called
l I'm sorry, he's in a meeting at the l I'll ask him/her to call you as soon
moment. as possible.
l I'm afraid he's on another line at the
moment.
Putting someone on hold:
l Just a moment, please.

l Could you hold the line, please?
l Hold the line, please.
Þ In a conference call:
The main problem is to identify people’s voices because you can’t see people.
So ask the people to say their name clearly when intervening.
20
Þ Greet people and check who is online:
Let’s check who is online. Bill, are you online?

Hi everybody, Bill here.
Þ Identify yourself and ask people to identify themselves when

intervening:
(It’s) Bill speaking.

Jess here.
Could you identify yourself, please?
Who’s speaking?
Þ Ask people to be quiet:
Please be quiet.
Please press your mute button.
Please stop tapping your keyboard.
Þ Avoid “dead air” time:
Are you there?

Yes, I’m here.
Is Nina online?
Þ Ask people to slow down or repeat or to hurry up:
Sorry, could you slow down a bit, please?

Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you say it again, please?
We’re running out of time.
Could you come to your point, please?
Could you sum up briefly, please?
Þ Referring back to before a communication breakdown:
As I was saying before we were interrupted, …

Where were we?
Let me pick up where I left off.
Þ Summarize action points:
Thanks, just let me summarize that.

Before we end, let me summarize the key points as I understand them.
Let me sum up.
To sum things up, …
Þ Thank everyone for participation:
That’s the end of the conference call.
21
Thanks to everyone for9.participating,
Write effective emails
bye for now.
EMAILS
USEFUL PHRASES
Starting • We are writing to inform / to confirm / to request you that…
• Thank you for your letter of March 15 ...

Referring to • With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday ...
previous contact • Further to our meeting last week ...
• We would appreciate it if you would ...

• I would be grateful if you could
Making a request • Could you possibly ...
• It would be helpful to us if ...
• We would be happy to...

• Would you like us to...
Offering help
• We are quite willing to...
• We are pleased to announce that ...

• I am delighted to inform you that ...
Giving good news
• You will be pleased to learn that ...
• We regret to inform you that ...

• I'm afraid it would not be possible to ...
Giving bad news
• Unfortunately...
• We are sorry for the delay in replying ...

• I regret any inconvenience caused
Apologizing
• I would like to apologize for ...
• I am enclosing/attaching ...
• Please find enclosed/attached ...
Enclosing documents
• You will find enclosed/attached ...
• If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know

• If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact
Closing remarks me
• Thank you for your help
• I look forward to seeing you next week

• Looking forward to hearing from you
Referring to future contact • Looking forward to receiving your comments
• I look forward to meeting you on the 15th
22
10. Negotiations
The first issue you need to do when you begin a negotiation with a new
partner, supplier or customer is to make your organization’s status clear to
them. Never assume that your negotiating partner knows all.
Tips to impress the person you are negotiating with:
l Introduce yourself including your own role in your organization.

l Explain where your organization is based, what it does, your market
sector, your products or services in more detail.
l Explain the importance. Tell your partner where you stand in
comparison to the competition in your market sector(s).
l Describe the size of the operation. Give information about your
branches, factories, offices and so on.
l Describe your client base. Tell your partner about the kinds of
companies and people you sell your services or products to.
Explain the type of company and the core business:
l We’re a family business based in Milan.

l We’re a multinational travel company with our headquarters in …
l We’re a logistics company, specializing in supply chain management.
l We’re a food processing company, specializing in meat products and a
line of ready meals.
Explain the financial position:
l We have a 270,000 euros turnover.

l Our turnover last year was 390,000 euros.
Explain the importance:
l We’re the market leader in waste treatment technology.

l We’re among the top five manufacturers in Spain.
Describe your client base:
l Our key customers are the leading supermarket chain in Europe.

l We sell to major stores in Italy.
23
7 Elements of a Negotiation:
Þ Interests – What do people really want?

Þ Options – What are the sources to be gained?
Þ Alternatives (BATNA*) – What will I do if we do not agree?
Þ Legitimacy – Always ask yourself, is that true?
Þ Relationship – Can I separate people from the problem?
Þ Communication – Am I listening effectively?
Þ Commitments – Have we considered the steps to implementation?
*Check the glossary at the end of the ebook.
1) Prepare: Outline your general position
l The key issue in our market is a quality product.

l The problem we face is how to source quality products at a reasonable
price.
l What we want to achieve are quality, price, and delivery.
2) Explore: Find out about your partner’s position
l Tell me what you feel about the products currently on the market.
l Tell me what you think about the competition.
l On the one hand, you want quality, on the other hand, you want
reasonable prices. Can you have both?
3) Propose: Make initial proposals.
l I propose we do this.
l I’m proposing we do this.
l I suggest we start small and grow the business step by step.
l Let’s do this first.
l What would happen if we offered a low price but for a bulk order?
l Suppose we rebranded as our own product, would that be acceptable?
l How would you feel if we put in a trial order to test the product?
4) Bargain: Focus on the detail of the proposal
l If we make a large first order, will you give us a discount?

l If you agree to this, we are ready to sign an agreement.
l If you can’t agree with this, we’ll have to withdraw our offer.
l This is a deal-breaker for us.
l I’m not happy with that. I need to rethink.
5) Close and Settle: Agree terms
l I’m happy with that.

l I’m comfortable with that.
l I can live with that.
l Let’s agree on that.
l I think we can proceed along these lines.
24
A successful negotiator needs to be….
Þ Professional
Þ Confident, relaxed, at ease
Þ Open, honest, sincere & credible
Þ Respectful of other people’s values
Þ Show empathy, and understanding
Þ Committed to a WIN: WIN result
Þ Continually enhancing their skills
To win, win a deal:
Þ Become a good listener!

Þ Negotiators are detectives.
Þ They ask probing questions and then remain silent. The other
negotiator will tell you everything you need to know – all you have to do
is listen.
Fix the agenda:
l Let’s start by agreeing on the main points we want to cover.

l What are the main points you want to raise?
Agree on the procedure and state your goals:
l How do you want to proceed?

l What we want to achieve is a win-win solution.
l My aim is to clarify the situation so we can see the way forward and
plan the next steps.
Listen positively and use questions:
l That’s interesting
l Yes, please go on.
l Could you say a little more about that?
l If I understand correctly, you are concerned about on-time delivery.
l Is that right?
Make a proposal and invite counter-proposals:
l Let me make a proposal.

l I suggest we do this.
l I propose we do this.
l How do you respond to this?
l What do you think of this proposal?
l How do you feel about this?
25
Sell the benefits and explain the benefits:
l This will help you maximize your business.

l This will give you a higher profile in your market.
l This is a very good offer.
l The advantages, from our point of view, are…
l This relationship will help our company achieve a higher market profile.
l Working together will enhance our profitability.
No offer without condition:
l If you can agree with this, I can offer you a discount.

l If you could manage this, I could agree that.
l If I ordered a million units, what discount would you offer?
Don’t argue, question:
l Can you explain why you feel that?

l Please explain to me once more how you arrived at that figure?
l Can you tell me how you reached that decision?
Always confirm agreements:
l Let’s summarize what we agree on so far.

l Let me recap on what we’ve agreed.
l Before we discuss outstanding issues, let’s confirm what we’ve agreed.
26
Glossary
(n) = noun
(a) = adjective
(v) = verb
(p) = phrase
Bargain.- (n). A bargain is an agreement, especially a formal business

agreement, in which two people or groups agree what each of them will do, pay,
or receive.
= deal
e.g. I'll make a bargain with you. I'll play hostess if you'll include Matthew in your
guest-list.
Burden.- (n). If you describe a problem or a responsibility as a burden, you

mean that it causes someone a lot of difficulties, worry, or hard work.
e.g. I'm sorry but you have become a burden to us in this company. We need
to fire you.
Counter-proposals.- (n). An alternative proposal made in response to a

previous proposal that is regarded as unacceptable or unsatisfactory.
e.g. The union rejected the airline's counter-proposal.
Look forward to.- (expression) - to feel happy and excited about something
that is going to happen.
Probing questions.- (p). Ask for more detail on a particular matter. They are
meant to clarify a point or help you understand the root of a problem, so you
know how best to move forward.
Probing questions are not just about clarifying specific details; instead, these
questions dig much deeper than the surface. An effective probing question
helps to get a person to talk about their personal opinions and feelings and
promotes critical thinking.
Reckon.- (v). If you reckon that something is true, you think that it is true.
(INFORMAL)
= to think
e.g. They reckoned that they would reach the meeting at 3 pm.
Rely.- (v). If you rely on someone or something, you need them and depend on
them in order to live or work properly.
e.g. They relied heavily on the advice of their professional advisers.
27
Revenue.- (n) - Revenue is money that a company, organization, or
government receives from people. (BUSINESS)
e.g. ...a boom year at the cinema, with record advertising revenue and the
highest ticket sales since 1980...
Sum up.- (v). If you sum something up, you describe it as briefly as possible.
e.g. Well, to sum up, what is the message that you are trying to get across?
Turnover.- (n) - The turnover of a company is the value of the goods or

services sold during a particular period of time. (BUSINESS)
e.g. The company had a turnover of £3.8 million.
Withdraw.- (v). If you withdraw something from a place, you remove it or take
it away. (FORMAL)
= remove
e.g. withdraw cash from a cash machine.
To Clear Up!
My business guide is meant to be a quick reference point, of course, there’s

more you can learn about this, but it has covered the absolute, essential
information. I hope you learned something new!
Now, it’s time to practice in your next Meetings, Negotiations, and Sales!!
If you have any question or need to learn about Business English, please
contact us:
Þ Whatsapp: +44 7543 815052
Þ Mail: info@mbusinessenglish.com
Talk soon,

28

The Ultimate English Guide for Entrepreneurs

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Ultimate English Guide for Entrepreneurs

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2

All rights reserved © 2020 Master Business English

I also know how frustrating it is to try to communicate in another language and

1. The Art of "Small Talk": Short Conversations

Try a lesson and a Consultation for FREE!

To generate a sale, a business, or achieve a professional goal we must

Þ But what kind of questions are the most appropriate?

l Do you mind me asking where you are from?

l What did you do before you came here?

Build relationships with questions:

l Where did you go to college?

Open statements at any moment:

Imagine that someone makes a comment or explains an idea to you so then

l Oh! Really, I didn’t know.

l It’s amazing what happened in (country/place/event) last week/this week...

Closed questions: IMPORTANT TIP TO FOLLOW - continue reading!

l It's great weather, isn't it?

Þ Remember that in a negotiation or explanation about our services or

l Have you understood the main characteristics/benefits of our

We must rely on this type of question to allow us to establish a negative or

l If I can deliver this tomorrow, will you sign for it now?

2. How to Make Questions and

Open questions allow us to start a conversation because they require a long

l How are you?

1. Make the listener think and reflect.

Let's see how to apply them more deeply:

l What did you do on your holidays?

l What's keeping you awake these days?

Professionals can ask the following questions:

l What’s your industry like right now?

l I wonder what would happen if your customers complained even more?

l How have you been feeling after your operation?

Conversations about work

l What do you do?

The trick to highlight!

Short formula to remember: Verb + Preposition + Verb + ING

l My job consists of answering (the phone to customers).

3. How to Get an Effective Meeting.

Starting the meeting:

l Thank you for joining the meeting.

Establish clear objectives and matters arising:

l Let’s establish the facts.

Interrupting a speaker or asking to intervene:

l Excuse me, can/may I interrupt, please?

Ensure information is transmitted:

l Could you let me have a copy of the paperwork?

Manage the discussion:

l Rather than looking to blame, let’s look for solutions.

l Can we keep to time? I have another meeting after this one.

l Let’s move on to the agenda.

l Could you minute that?

AOB: Any other business? Let’s go round the table.

l Let’s set up a meeting to deal with that.

Date of next meeting:

l Thank you very much, everybody.

4. Learn the Keywords to Give an Opinion, Agree,

Secondly, there is a technique which helps us to organize our ideas and to

REMEMBER: in a meeting or conference call, your voice is your brand.

l Absolutely! / Definitely / Exactly.

l With all due respect, I completely disagree.

l If we look at the situation objectively, …

l I take your point.

How to manage disagreement:

l Can I suggest a compromise on this?