The Art of Business English

Hi again and welcome back for another episode of The Art of Business English. Today’s episode is part two in a 2-part series on simple expressions to help you sound more persuasive for negotiating.  

Firstly, if you haven’t done so already, you should take a look at part one of this series. If you are required to negotiate in your working life, then this series is for you. We look at some simple expressions that are very persuasive and can make the difference between getting a yes response or a “I’ll think about it”.

The best thing about today’s episode is that the expressions are so simple to implement. Our objective here is to get you feeling more confident leading the negotiation and to know when the right time is, to use these magic words.

Last week we looked at 3 expressions, “I’m not sure this is right for you but…”, “How open-minded would you be about…” and “What do you know about…”.

In today’s episode we are going to look at a few more expressions to help you sound more persuasive and less pushy.

So, in today’s episode we are going to cover:

1. 3 simple expressions to make you sound more persuasive
2. Example of how to use them
3. The reasons for why they are so effective

Let’s get started!

The first thing we need to have clear is the basis for why people make decisions. Most people are motivated by obtaining something new and desirable or wanting to avoid losing what they have. So, therefore if we want to motivate people to buy our product or service we need to show them how they are going to win or even better, show them how they are going to avoid losing. People are more motivated by avoiding lose than they are by gaining something new.

Secondly, we need to understand that people make decisions based on emotion and logic. However, decisions are always made for emotive reasons, then the brain logically justifies the decision. For example, people buy an iPhone for emotional reasons and then justify the purchase with logical ones, such as characteristics and functionality.

If we understand the motivation behind why and how people, make decisions then we can use the expression “How would you feel if…?” in a very effective way. This expression is effective because you allow the other person to think and imagine about the future and trigger the emotional senses of how they will feel when they succeed or avoid lose as a result of what you are trying to help them with.

The beauty is that they create the idea in their mind and connect those ideas with their emotional feelings, you don’t even need to create those images for them.

Let’s look at some examples:

How would you feel if this decision led to a six-figure income?

How would you feel if you missed this opportunity and your competitors crushed your business?

How would you feel if you could quite your current job and do what you have always dreamed of?  

How would you feel if you risked everything and then lost?

How would you feel if in the net 12 months you had quite your job, launched an online business and only worked 4 hours a week?

So, you can see just by hearing these expressions, we already start to put ourselves in the situation of the person and start to imagine what our life would look like.

Let’s take a look at the next expression.

The next expression is one of my favourites. The reason why I love it so much is that it does all the work for you. It is impossible for you to create a perfect picture in your potential customers mind, so why not get them to do it for you.

Going back to what I said earlier. People make decisions emotionally, so for that to happen people must first imagine the scenario and the outcome and how the result of their decision will look. This means people imagine themselves doing something before they actually do it. Our mind is incredibly powerful, we must visualise ourselves completing a marathon before we actually decide to do a marathon. If we can’t see ourselves as being able to achieve something in our minds first, then there is no way we will make the decision to actually do it in the first place.

Therefore, our job is to get people to create the images in their mind, let them actually envisage what will happen as a result of their decisions. We need to create these images via story telling. The best public speakers are those who can tell a very convincing story. We’ve all heard the expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. The principle here is the same. We need to engage our listeners in a mini-story and then get them to create the images for us.

We need to use “Just imagine”, this expression is the introduction to our mini-story, then we add the scenario and outcome that we desire to project to our potential buyer. They then start to imagine the outcome that we are trying to project and directing them towards the decision that we want them to take.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Just imagine how amazing this weekend will be, just you and me, an amazing hotel and full body massage.

Just imagine what your partner would say when you drive into the garage with a surprise new car for them.

Just imagine how you will feel when you have completed the program and you have lost 15 kilos.

Just imagine how you will feel when you walk into your boss’s office and tell him you resign.

Using this technique makes people create their own story in their mind and gets them thinking about the outcomes that you want them to see. People’s imagination can create a much more vivid and real scene than you could ever transmit with your words.

Let’s look at the last expression in today’s two-part series.

Conditional statements are a fundamental part of negotiating. Let’s quickly review some of them.

It is common to use the 1st and 2nd conditional structures when negotiating. These two conditional forms take on the following structure.

First conditional

If + subject

+ Simple Present

+ Future Simple

If you give us a 10 % discount, then we will accept the offer.

Second conditional

If + subject

+ Simple Past

+ Would/Could

If you gave us a 10% discount, then we would accept the offer

Remember, the 1st conditional is more probable than the 2nd conditional. This means that if you use the 1st conditional then you are more open to accepting the result of the condition. We can modify how committed we are to a decision by either using the 1st or the 2nd conditional.

Now on to the expression. Our brain has been programmed from a young age to interpret conditions. For example, our parents used to say, “If you don’t do your homework, then you won’t go to the party”. This is an example of an If…then condition that elicits an emotional response.

We can use the same techniques in our negotiations to encourage people to make a decision based on condition. The if…then structure is the 1st conditional, this means that it is a probability. The only thing that needs to happen for the 1st conditional to occur is that the condition being set is met.

By setting these conditions, you can attach guarantees that are very difficult for people not to believe. We have been conditioned to believe this if…then conditional structure from a very young age.

OK, let’s take a look at some examples of this in action.

If you decide to try out company, then I promise you’ll have 30 days to change your mind.

If you accept my proposal, then you will get an additional month for free.

If you want to lose weight and feel 10 years younger, then this is the program for you.

If you have always seen yourself as a successful business person, then this training program will take you to the next level.

What is also interesting to point out, is that these expressions are also very effective in your sales copy or sales pages. You can motivate people to take decisions by creating these conditional messages that people will naturally accept.

Well, what next? Well, I recommend purchasing the book “Exactly What To Say: The magic words for influence and impact”. It is a great read and very short, perfect for English language learners. The link is in the show notes. You can also check out and download a copy of the Magic Words e-book. Everything is in the show notes.

As always, the best way to implement these expressions is to plan on using a few in your next negotiation. You can also try and use them in your written communication to start practicing without any pressure.

Remember, these expressions will work on most people in most situations, but not always. The art is learning how to implement them at the right time in the negotiation and in a very natural way. Practice makes perfect here.

Well, that is all we have time for today. I trust you have enjoyed today’s episode and these little expressions to make you sound more persuasive in your next negotiation. Just imagine how you will feel when you close the next deal successfully. How will you feel when you get your big commission cheque from your boss with a massive smile on their face.

Remember, if you enjoyed this episode then please share it with your friends, colleagues and family. Please send me your comments and questions. If you do have any areas that you would like me to cover then just send me an email and I will be happy to prepare an episode, just for you. Take care now and have a great week. Bye for now.

Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact
de Phil M Jones
Enlace: http://amzn.eu/0omrDOk  

Hi again and welcome back for another episode of The Art of Business English. In today’s episode we are going to be looking at some fantastic language to make yourself sound more persuasive. At the moment I am reading a fantastic book. I will put the book in the show notes, I encourage you all to buy a copy, it is very interesting and helpful. It is also short and easy to read, so definitely a great book for English language learners.

If you need to negotiate and be persuasive in your job, then this episode will definitely be for you. The art of persuasion is indeed a very powerful skill set to have. Luckily it is not as hard as you think. Most people interpret things that are said to them on a subconscious level and in many cases are unaware of the reasons why they say yes or no to certain suggestions.

In today’s episode we are going to look at part 1 of a 2-part series on persuasive expressions that can help you to know exactly what to say next time you are trying to sell or promote your products and services. Today, we will be looking at the following:

1. 3 simple expressions to make you sound more persuasive
2. Example of how to use them
3. The reasons for why they are so effective

So, let’s not waste any time and get straight into it.

The reason why most people have trouble selling to others or getting their ideas accepted is because they are fearful of rejection. This quite ironic, because if you are trying to sell a product or service, then you are more likely to be rejected than accepted.

If this sounds like you then the following magic words will help you greatly. The best thing is, they can be used at practically anytime or with anybody.

These magic words are, “I’m not sure it is for you, but…”

This structure is effective because it instantly does a number of things. Firstly, it triggers the subconscious brain to think, “There is no pressure here.” If you do the opposite, pushing the person telling them they must try something, then instantly they become defensive. Here we are making them feel comfortable. However, it also does something else. By telling someone that “something” is not for them, you instantly spark their interest. They want to know what it is that they may not like. They become intrigued. Finally, it also triggers the brain into decision making mode. People instantly know that a decision has to be made, however, without any pressure.

The second part of the sentence is also incredibly important. The three-letter word “but” is usually a dangerous word to use. Why? Because it negates everything you said before it. If I tell you that the dinner you cooked was amazing, but I think it needed more salt. Then you only here the negative part and think I didn’t like the dish because it didn’t have enough salt. Therefore, in our scenario, if I say “I’m not sure this is for you, but…”. Your brain instantly thinks, hang on a minute, there could be something here for me.

Let’s look at some examples:

I’m not sure this is for you, but would you be interested in developing a passive income source that would give you more free time to spend with your family?

I’m not sure this would be for you, but we are thinking of investing in a new venture with projected annual returns of 10% and currently only a select few people are being accepted.

I’m not sure this would be for you, but we currently have a special deal running for the month of June and it would be great if you could take advantage of it.

Again, the purpose here is to spark the person’s interest and get them listening to what you have to offer in a more open and non-defensive way. We want our prospects to be open to our ideas and feel that they are making decisions freely.

Let’s take a look at the next expression.

Most people consider themselves to be open-minded. We want to be modern and forward thinking. We think of ourselves as open-minded because this makes us feel young and cultured. The best part here, is that the alternative to open-mined is, well, closed-minded. Nobody wants to be labelled close-minded. It has such a negative connotation, it makes you sound old and angry at the world. OR worse, racist and a simpleton.

So, if we want to take advantage of this subconscious need to be considered or viewed as open-minded then we can use the following expression when introducing a new idea to a stranger or potential client. “How open-minded are you about…?” From here we would paint a picture of the scenario that we are trying to have adopted. This helps to increase your chances of having your idea accepted, as everyone wants to be seen to be open-minded.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

How open-minded would you be about trying this new product? It has several innovations that set it apart from current models.

Would you be open-minded about at least trying my idea for a week?

How open-minded are you about increasing your monthly salary without doing any extra work?

Would you be open-minded to the idea of us meeting for lunch to discuss this further in person?

Using this technique makes it difficult for people to straight up reject your idea. People will be more open to taking a look at what you are proposing. The subconscious mind thinks it is being given a choice but really you are heavily influencing people to accept your proposal.

Let’s look at the last expression in today’s two-part series.

One of the worst things that can happen during a discussion is trying to convince someone about an idea when they think they know everything. This person will often enjoy the feeling of superiority as they try and lecture you about something, giving you little chance to put forward your ideas. this often happens when someone doesn’t even really know what they are talking about. Trying to convince them with logical counter arguments can actually make things worse.

The first thing we can do to retake control of a conversation is to try and move a person’s position from certainty to doubt. The worst way to do this is to counter with a challenge and end up arguing with them. You often here this on radio interviews. Both people argue their point and talk over each other and the interview turns into chaos.

This can also occur when we are trying to convince someone to adopt our ideas, they think they know best when in reality, they are not even willing to listen to what you say. The best way to overcome this situation is to question people’s knowledge of the topic. The ideal outcome is that they accept that their views are based on insufficient evidence, however you must never make them feel like an idiot. By saying “What do you know about…”, you are softly challenging their opinion and making them give you evidence to support their opinion.

OK, let’s take a look at some examples of this in action.

What do you know about my company, the services we offer and our products?

What do you know about everything that has happened since our last meeting?

What do you know about how this product really works in real life?

What do you know about our company culture and how we deal with our clients?

There are two outcomes from using this. Firstly, the person calms down and reflects on what you have asked. They quickly realise that their opinion is unfounded. Or secondly, they tell you exactly the foundation for their argument and opinion which gives you a chance to contrast your ideas with them and verify if their views are in fact correct.

Remember, if you argue with someone, then everybody loses. You will unlikely convince the person to adopt your idea, product or service, so it is best to go softly.

To finish up today, I am just going to give you some tips on how to implement the language. Remember, you can use these expressions in both English and Spanish, the theory is the same, so you just need to translate. If you feel more comfortable starting in Spanish, you can see how they work. When you are ready, you can start by using them in less formal situations. Try them on your English-speaking colleagues.

The secret is to start using them frequently so that they sound more and more natural when you use them. Once you have adopted them as part of your vocabulary, they will be a powerful tool in any negotiation.

So, there you have it, three simple expressions that anyone can use to help them have their ideas adopted by others. Remember, this is part 1 of a 2-part series, so make sure you all join me again next week for some more persuasive expressions. As always, if you enjoyed this episode head over to iTunes and give us a rating. This helps us greatly. You can also share this episode with your friends and family. If you do have any questions, then don’t hesitate to let me know. I have also put a link to the book on persuasion in the show notes, check it out. Till next week take care.

Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact
de Phil M Jones
Enlace: http://amzn.eu/0omrDOk  

Present and Future Perfect for talking about sales in meetings or presentation

Hello and welcome back to The Art of Business English. As always it is a pleasure having you here. In this week’s episode we are going to be looking at the Present and Future Perfect and how we can use them to talk about change when we are presenting in a meeting or discussing things such as sales from the previous quarter or looking at sales forecasts in the future.

If you need to talk about change in your organisation and always use the same structures, then this episode will help you to understand how you can talk about change over time and how you can make predictions for things that will have happened or finished in the future.

Here at The AOBE we appreciate that the present perfect tense can sometimes be a little confusing, especially for Spanish speakers, so today, we are going explain to you how to use it and implement it in your next meeting are presentation.

So, in today’s episode we will be covering:

1. The use of the Present and Future Perfect
2. How to apply them for past and future use when discussing sales figures and forecasts
3. Some examples of these structures in use

Let’s begin with the present perfect, we use the present perfect when we want to show a link between the past and the present.

The present perfect simple has the following structure:

Affirmative

Subject + have/has + past participle

Sales have been strong

Negative

Subject + have/has + not + past participle

Sales haven’t increased

Question

Have/has + subject + past participle

Have sales gone down?

Note: Contracted forms and pronunciation

We use the present perfect simple:

• To talk about a time period that is not finished (e.g. today, this week)

We’ve seen strong sales during this quarter (Quarter is not closed).

• To show that something happened at some point in the past before now. We don’t state when it happened:

We have received a lot of feedback from the last marketing campaign.

The following time expressions are often used: ever, never, before, up to now, still, so far.

These are the best sales results we have ever seen (at any point before now).

Remember: If we say when something happened, we must use the simple past.

Sales were flat in the month of May.

• To talk about a present situation which started in the past, usually with for/since:

Sales have been strong for the last two months.

Note: We use for plus a length of time. e.g. For two minutes/ days/ weeks/ months/ years.

We use since with a point in time. e.g. since Monday, since 1996, since I last saw Mark, since I started working here.

• To talk about a something that happened at an unmentioned time in the past, but has a connected with the present:

We have closed the accounts for the first quarter and the results are better than expected.

The following time expressions are often used: recently, just, already and yet with negative sentences or in questions.

I’ve just seen the latest sale report.

Have you spoken to Graham yet?

Now that we understand the present perfect simple, let’s look at the present perfect progressive.

The present perfect progressive has the following structure:

Affirmative

Subject + have/has + been + Ving

Sales have been increasing month on month.

Negative

Subject + have/has + not + been + Ving

Sales haven’t been doing as well as they should.

Question

Have/has + subject + been + Ving

Have sales been improving this quarter?

We can use both the present perfect simple and the present perfect progressive to talk about how long a situation or activity has been occurring (often using for or since):

I’ve worked here for 10 years.

I’ve been working here for 10 years.

I’ve written a report this morning.

I’ve been writing this report all morning.

Let’s now look at the difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect progressive.

Present Perfect Progressive

Present Perfect Simple

The emphasis is on the duration

Emphasis on the number of times

I’ve been working on this report all morning

I’ve written two reports this morning

Focuses on the activity (does not show whether the activity is completed):

Focuses on the result or completion of the activity:

I’ve been writing this report all morning (we don’t know if the report is finished).

I’ve written the report (The report is finished, but we don’t know when)

OK, by now you should understand how to talk about past actions that are relevant for the present and understand how to do this by using the present perfect. In the next part of the episode we are going to look at how we can use the future perfect to talk about future actions that will be finished in the future and how we can apply them to forecasting.

The future perfect simple has the following structure:

Affirmative

Subject + will +have + past participle

Sales will have expanded by December.

Negative

Subject + will + not + have + past participle

Sales won’t have met expectations by the end of the year.

Question

Will + subject + have + past participle?

Will sales have reached our targets by the end of this quarter?

We use the future perfect simple to talk about a future event that will finish before a specified time in the future, often with before, by + fixed time, or in + amount of time:

By the end of the quarter sales will have grown considerably.

I’ll have finished the full sales forecast by the end of the week.

This time net week, we will have finished the sales presentation.

Now that we understand how the present and future perfect work at a grammatical level, we are now going to look at how these structures can be applied to a sales meeting or presentation.

The first thing to remember when using the present perfect in English is that it can be used to talk about things that happened in the past and are still happening. This can sound a little strange to a Spanish speaker. Let me demonstrate.

I have worked here for 5 years.

In English this transmits that the person has been working in the company for 5 years and continues to work in the company.

He trabajado aquí durante 5 años.

However, in Spanish the sentence gives the impression that the person no longer works for the company. We must have this clear or we will not apply the present perfect correctly.

Secondly, in Spanish we can use the present simple to talk about things that started in the past and are true in the present.

Desde hace 5 años que trabajo aquí.

The above structure in English is impossible, we are forced to use the present perfect, because we can only include time in the past up to the present by using the present perfect. You cannot mix since and ago with the present simple.

So, if we are in a meeting and we need to provide a sales report or give a presentation in the form of a sales presentation, then we can use the present perfect simple and the present perfect progressive in the following way.

Context: Monthly managers meeting at the beginning of March (1st quarter = January to March)

“Hello everyone, thanks for joining me. I am happy to report that this quarter has been very profitable for the company. We have seen sales jump by almost 20%. We have also seen an increase in our market share. Sales of our line of winter boots have increased steadily and sales of coats has also been stronger than expected.”

In this example, the quarter being referred to has not finished, the person is reporting on the progress of sales during this quarter, even though the quarter has not been closed. 

Context: European key accounts manager meeting, client evolution update.

“John, could you please inform us about the client Marshall S.A., how are they evolving?”

“Of course, Mark, my pleasure. Marshall is evolving positively. They have steadily increased their orders month on month. So far, we have supplied them for 3 big contracts that they were awarded. Furthermore, they have won a considerable number of smaller contracts recently and they have required a large number of references to complete these jobs.”

Here we can see that a number of things have occurred over a period time. We are not sure exactly when they happened, but the information is relevant now in the present, so we must use the present perfect to demonstrate this.

Context: Describing the evolution of sales over a 1-month period since product launch.

“Sales have been steady for the past month. Since we launched the new product we have been happy with the evolution of sales, especially in Europe where adoption has been strong.”

In the above example, we can see the use of for + time expression. Remember, with English during and for are used differently and should not be confused.

Right, let’s take a look at the present perfect progressive and see how we can apply this to our meetings and presentations.

The first thing to keep in mind, is that often, the present perfect simple and the present perfect progressive will both work for certain structures. However, the progressive form is generally used to focus on the duration of the activity and the activity itself. It doesn’t express if the action has finished.

Context: Talking about a marketing campaign over a period of time.

“The summer marketing campaign has been running since early June and the results so far have been positive. We have been tracking sales volumes and can report that they have been trending upwards as we have been focusing our energies on a coordinated social media marketing campaign on all the major platforms.”

As you can see in the example, we are talking about the on-going activities. The marketing campaign started in the past and continues in the present. None of the activities has finished and we use the progressive form to focus on the fact that these activities are still in progress.

Now we are going to turn to the last perfect form to complete our examples of them in use. Let’s look at the future perfect simple.

Firstly, remember that the future perfect simple is very easy to use and translate as it is practically the same in Spanish. An example of the future perfect simple in Spanish is, “Este Viernes al medio día habré terminado mi informe.” So, in English we can quickly translate that to, “I will have finished the report by Friday lunchtime.” Let’s take a look at an example in context.

Context: Making future forecasts in a meeting based on sales projections.

“John, can you please give us your thoughts on sales volumes for the next month?”

“My pleasure Mark. Based on correct sales trends we will have reached our sales objectives before the end of this month. If sales continue at this rate, then by the end of the quarter we will have beaten our sales targets by close to 10%. On the down side, we will have to increase production to meet demand, meaning by the end of the quarter we will have gone over budget on our labour cost predictions.”

Again, here we can see that each of these activities will be or are predicted to be completed at a future point. So, we can use the future perfect simple to talk about sales forecasts into the future. However, remember, that it is to say whether the activity will be completed or not.

OK, in the last part I want to bring it all together and give you a final example of how we can use them all together.

Context: Giving a sales report in a meeting.

“Hello everyone, today, I am going to give you a quick update on how the sales in the second quarter of this financial year have been evolving. As you all know the first quarter was a bit weak, however, I am happy to report that sales in the second quarter have been improving. We have seen strong growth in our cosmetics line. We have also seen good sales from our perfume brands and I am happy to say that our newly launched line of bags has been performing well too. If things continue this way, then sales will have beaten our initial forecasts by the end of this quarter.”

Well, there you have it, using the present and future perfect to talk about sales in meetings or presentations. Be sure to review all of the vocabulary and structures at our website. You can download a PDF copy of the site from our website to help you with your study plan. I hope you have enjoyed the episode and got a lot of value from it. If you liked the episode, then please leave us a comment and share it with your friends. If you have any questions regarding the use of the present perfect or future perfect then please get in touch, we are more than happy to help. Well, that is all we have time for today, so take care and I will see you all in next week’s episode. Bye for now.

Hello again and welcome back to the Art of Business English. Today I have a really useful episode for you. If you are serious about improving your English, then you need to set realistic goals and prepare yourself to reach your objectives.

Do you often think that you should work harder at your English but never seem to find the time? Do you often wonder what is the best way to practice your English? Well, if you have asked yourself these questions then you will get some serious value out of today’s lesson. I am going to show you step by step, how to create a study plan and then give you some tips on how you can stick to it. 

So, in today’s episode we will be covering the following

1. How to set realistic goals
2. How to manage your time
3. How to develop a study plan
4. How to locate resources

So, let’s take a look at these top 4 tips.

We all start out with good intentions, but we often find that we don’t achieve our goals. What are the reasons for this? Well, basically many people set unrealistic goals or goals that don’t fit in with their lifestyle. The problem with setting unrealistic goals is that we feel defeated and demotivated when we fail to achieve these goals. The result of this, for example, with learning English can be the feeling that you will never learn English or that languages are not your thing. Obviously, this is ridiculous, and I hate when people tell me that they were born bad at learning languages. It is true that some people find it easier than others, however, learning a language is like any other skill, with practice you improve and master it.

So, what is the best step. Firstly, you need to set realistic goals. When learning English, the mathematics are simple. The more hours you can dedicate to your English, the faster you will improve. The trap here is that if you then decide that you will spend 2 or 3 hours a day studying English, then you will improve quickly. What happens here is that you can only do this for a few weeks. Then it becomes too much and instead of doing less hours you get frustrated with your failure and decide to give up.

The second issue with language learning is that things don’t improve overnight. Progress is slow and steady. You don’t wake up one day to the next and suddenly understand everything. The acquisition of a language occurs over time.

Therefore, the first rule is to set realistic learning goals. For example, if you work, have kids and a busy life, I recommend dedicating between 15 minutes and 1 hour a day maximum to your English. The goal should also be measurable, meaning we can easily see the progress we are making.

I want you to think about what you could realistically dedicate in terms of time to studying English. Once you have done that, we can move onto the next part of the episode and look at time management. 

The wonderful thing about being an animal living on this planet is that we all have the same number of hours in a day. It doesn’t matter if you’re the richest person on Earth or an average worker. We can only achieve so much in one day. We need to balance, family, kids, exercise, friendships and work. We should also add personal development to this. So, how can we manage our time.

The first rule is to make the time in your calendar. You need to spend 20 minutes reviewing your Google calendar or what ever system you use for tracking your agenda. I recommend waking up 30-60 minutes earlier in the morning, as this will give you the quiet time you need to study. I don’t recommend studying late at night after a long day. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier and use the 30 minutes in the morning. You will be much more productive and motivated.

Secondly, and most importantly. If you plan to study during the day mark the time in your calendar as something such as weekly team meeting or something that is very hard to change. If others have access to your calendar, then make sure you protect this study time or disguise it. You need to mentally block this time and if someone asks you to meet or do something, just say you can’t as you are busy. Society and technology are constantly trying to steal our precious time and most people allow this to take place. They have reminders and notifications and many external distractions. They answer the phone whenever it rings. Turn the phone of, flight mode, do not disturb. You will save time and most things are not urgent at all.

Right, we have decided on how much time we will spend studying and what time/days. Let’s now move on to how to develop a study plan.

Now I am going to explain how to prepare a study plan. You can download an example from the AOBE website.

The first thing you need to understand is what things you need to study. When learning a language, it is generally accepted that there are 5 main areas that need to be worked on. These are, listening, speaking, grammar, reading and writing.

In this example, I am going to develop a 5-day study plan, the time is irrelevant, as you can dedicate 15, 30 or 60 minutes. Just modify the activities to fit the time you have available.

Firstly, you can start on Monday by listening to a podcast, like you are now. Many podcasts are only 20 minutes long, so perfect for a quick English lesson. Many sites like the AOBE also provide you with study material and extra material.

On Tuesday you can program a speaking class. In this case, you will need to find a conversation class. Some companies provide this at work, this is fine. If you don’t have access to qualified English coaches, then contact us as we can assist you with this.

On Wednesday you can focus on improving your grammar. There are many, many grammar books that you can find online or websites dedicated to grammar. Personally, I prefer purchasing a digital grammar book as this allows you to follow a logical progression, instead of looking for random grammar on websites. There are generally accepted grammar steps to learn, so better to have a book.

On Thursday, you can do some reading. In fact, reading is very easy and can be done every day. If you listen to a podcast and have the transcript, you will also be reading. If you follow a grammar book, you will read. If you want to enjoy reading, then I encourage you to purchase a subscription to a magazine in English. This way you can read about a topic that you enjoy and learn at the same time. The beauty of magazines is that you only read short articles and you don’t need to follow a story line and remember the plot and all the characters. If you want to save money, then simply read one news article in English and take some vocabulary down. Another option is to find a blog you like and follow the posts. For the more adventurous, you could start reading a book. However, make sure it is adapted to your level or you will not enjoy the experience and stop within a short period of time.

Finally, on Friday you can do a bit of writing. I suggest journaling, this has become very popular. It is a great way to put down your thoughts and is good for your mental well-being. If you have an English coach, then you can write emails to them, or get them to help you correct your work emails in English. Writing is a very important skill and most students try and avoid it.

So, that is how we can put together a study plan. It is important to note, that this should all be mapped out over a 4 -week period in advance. You should develop your study plan for a month and have all the material and resources in place before you start. You cannot prepare your study plan on a weekly basis. This will lead to failure. Remember to download the study plan at the AOBE to help you plan your month.

Let’s look at some ways to find study material.

Firstly, if you need listening material, I recommend the AOBE weekly podcast. You can listen to it on iTunes or from our website. Obviously, there are many more podcasts, you can search for them on the iTunes directory.

For grammar books and material, you can do 1 of the following 2 things. Purchase a grammar book from Amazon, preferably with answers so you can self-study. The most famous grammar book is English Grammar in Use. There is a link to the book in the show notes. You could also do a Google search for a PDF version of the book. Secondly, you could do a Google search for English grammar websites or take an English grammar online course.

With regards to speaking, we recommend starting English coaching and conversation classes with the AOBE team. We offer online classes via our interactive learning platform. If you need an experienced English coach, then get in touch.

Fourthly, for your reading, I have mentioned lots of ideas already. The most important thing here is to find something that you’re interested in a search for that topic. This will be the most enjoyable way to acquire new knowledge and practice your English at the same time.

Finally, writing is something we should do as often as possible. If you have the chance write as many emails as possible at work. There are many resources and videos at the AOBE website for improving your writing skills. If you work with a trainer, be sure to send them a weekly writing task for correction. It takes quite a long time to learn how to write effectively in a foreign language.

Well that is all we have time for today. Make sure you download your free copy of the study plan template. If you have any questions regarding this episode, then please get in touch. If you are interested in English coaching services, then please contact us as we will be more than happy to advise you on the best strategy for your learning needs.

 I hope you have enjoyed this episode, make sure you share it with your friends and family. Until next week, take care and I look forward to having your all again soon. Bye for now. 

English Grammar in Use http://amzn.eu/eBsRdNP

Hi there, welcome back to The Art of Business English. Today we are going to look at some language and techniques to help you clarify your ideas. Specifically, we will be looking at language for sequencing and giving examples.

If you have ever struggled putting your ideas into a logical order, then this lesson will definitely be for you. We are going to teach you some simple techniques that will have you speaking clearly in no time.

At the end of the today’s lesson you will be able to do the following:

• Use expressions to gain time to allow you to think about what you are going to say
• Use sequencing language to structure your sentences
• Give examples to clarify your ideas

In the final part of the episode, I will give you a model example of how we can put these skills into a coherent paragraph.

So, let’s get started.

Have you ever found yourself in a meeting where you don’t have time to think about what to say? Do you feel embarrassed when your ideas come out all wrong and mixed up? I know exactly how you feel. So, in the first part of this lesson, we are going to look at some expressions you can use to buy some time.

Buying time

Example

That’s a good question…

That’s a good question… I need a second to answer that… Well, I think…

Hmm, that is an interesting question…

Hmm… that is an interesting question, I would say…

OK, in other words…

OK, in other words, the project is over budget.

Let me think about that…

Let me think about that, oh yes, well I agree…

I think it is also worth mentioning…

I think it is also worth mentioning that we didn’t initially accept this proposal.

Let me put that in different words…

Let me put that in different word, when I said … I was trying to say…

Let’s see,… That is not an easy question to answer…

Let’s see,… That is not an easy question to answer. I would say that…

I’m glad you asked me that question…

I’m glad you asked me that question, if it was up to me I would accept the current proposal.

If you aren’t already aware, sequencing language is a super simple way for you to gain more confidence when speaking and help to structure your ideas into a logical flow. Using a combination of time buying expressions and sequencing language we can give ourselves enough time to think and put what we want to say into an easy to follow order.

Secondly, we can also use sequencing to signal to the other participants in a meeting or conference call that we have a number of points to contribute to the conversation. This can help prevent people from interrupting you.

A simple example of how this can work in practice is the following. “I would like to say 2 things in response to the question (here you are making it clear that you will be adding two points), firstly, I believe this client has some financial problems and secondly, if this is true, I believe we should consider our options before supplying any further products.

As you can see, we have said at the beginning that we will be adding 2 ideas. Then we have used sequencing language to order each point and prevent interruptions. This can be very useful on a conference call when the other person can’t actually see you. So, you are missing all of the body language queues. If you are using this techniques in a in-person meeting, then you can hold up 2 fingers to clearly demonstrate.

Let’s take a look at some sequencing language.

Sequencing language

Example

In the first place / first / first of all

In the first place, I believe that I told you that the funding will come through next week.

In the second place / secondly / next / then / after that / afterwards

Secondly, as you are aware, we cannot take this forward until the funding is received.

NB Remember that you must use after that followed by S+V+O. After is followed by an object.

In the third place / thirdly / next / then / after that / afterwards

Next, I would like to cover sales projections for the coming month.

Finally, / in the end / lastly / last of all

Lastly, I will be looking at future developments in the sector.

In conclusion / to sum up

In conclusion, I will just wrap things up by saying…

Right, now that we have ordered our thoughts and can put our ideas into a logical flow, it’s time to help demonstrate what we are trying to say by giving examples. Giving examples is the fastest way to make what you’re saying seem more credible. It helps to provide evidence to support your arguments. It is no secret that when writing a thesis at university, you must provide evidence to support your arguments and backup your claims. The same is true in business. We need to show to others what we are saying is true.

So, let’s take a look at some simple expressions for providing examples.

Giving examples

Example

For example,

For example, 2 years ago the same issue arose on another project.

For instance,

For instance, we could offer a rebate to entice the client.

If I can use an example,

If I can use an example, just the other day I came across the same problem.

I’d like to illustrate my point by adding,

I’d like to illustrate my point by adding that with a 10% reduction in capital expenditure, we could breakeven

Such as, (followed by a list)

We could contact our top 3 clients, such as Volvo, BMW & Ford.

Let’s bring it all together and look at some model answers.

1. “John can you please explain why sales are down 10% this quarter?”

“I’m glad you asked me that question, let me just think for a second… Well, there are two main reasons for the current drop in sales, firstly, unseasonably warm weather for this time of year. For instance, this has meant less people are buying our heaters. Secondly, due to this drop-in demand our competitors have undertaken aggressive discounting on their heaters. As you can imagine this has had a negative effect on our sales.”

1. “I still don’t see why we should start working with your company.”

“I think it is worth mentioning that there are three main reasons why you should work with us. In the first place, we have the best distribution network of all companies in Spain. For example, we move more than 1 million products a day. In the second place, we can offer competitive pricing and scalability for your business. And finally, we have the best customer support team of any company in the sector.”

So, before I wrap things up I would just like to finish by saying that sequencing and giving examples are powerful communicative tools for improving your communication skills in English.

The best way to practice these skills is by planning to use them in two ways. You can start by incorporating them into your emails. Here you will have time to think and it will be easier to implement sequencing. Secondly, and this is key, plan your next conference call and meeting. Think about the types of questions you might get asked. Prepare the technical information and think about how you can present that information in sequential order.

Finally, try practicing with your colleagues some phrases for buying time. Make a conscious effort to use at least two of them during your next encounter in English.

Well, that is all we have time for today. As always, we hope you have found this episode interesting. Please feel free to share this episode with your friends, family or colleagues and if you do have any questions then don’t hesitate to contact us or leave us a comment. We look forward to having you *next week and till them take care.

It’s great to be back, I hope you’re having a great week. I’ve got a super interesting and useful video podcast episode for you today. In this episode we are going to be looking at the 3rd part of our 3 part series on improving email. We are going to look at how we can use the passive voice to make our emails sound more formal.

Have you ever thought to yourself that your emails are too informal and you always use the same language, even though you know that you should be modifying your style and tone for different business situations? If you have ever been frustrated by your lack of formality when writing emails then today’s episode is going to take your emails to the next level. In this episode we are going to explain how to form the passive voice, some common passive voice expressions and also show you how to modify an email to make it sound more formal.

So, grab a pen and get ready to take some notes as we show you first hand how to improve your emails.

I hope you love the episode, if you do then spread the word and share it with your friends and work colleagues.

Welcome back to the Art of Business English. We have another exciting episode for you today full of helpful tips to supercharge your email writing skills. Once again, we have produced a video podcast designed to improve your email writing skills. In today’s episode, we are going to focus on the use of linking words to help improve the flow and clarity of your writing.

If you have struggled with confusing emails and a general lack of knowledge on how to use linking words then today’s episode will be a real eye opener and have you writing clearer, more concise emails in no time.

So, make yourself comfortable, grab a pen and get ready to take some notes on. Be sure to check out the free guide on linking expressions over at the AOBE.

Hello again and welcome back to the Art of Business English. Today we are going to produce our first video podcast. In this episode, we will be showing you some basic skills to improve your business emails.

If you struggle with your email and often have problems with things like clarity and communicative ability, then you will definitely enjoy this episode.

During this video podcast, we will be looking at relevant skills to help you improve your clarity when writing emails. We have divided the video into 6 different sections. Firstly, we are going to look at the context of the email so that you understand what the email is regarding. Secondly, we will show you how to start or open an email. Then we will cover the mechanics, with things such as grammar, layout, organisation and spelling. In the fourth part, we will be covering style and tone, specifically what type of language. Moving on from there we will look at ways to improve clarity.  In the final part, we will give you some bonus expressions to help you finish up.

So, grab a pen and be ready to take some notes as this episode is sure to be a powerful lesson and give you the insight you need to improve your emails.

Welcome back to the Art of Business English. Today we are going to finish the third part of our 3-part series looking into dependent prepositions. In the last episode we are going to look at nouns with dependent prepositions collocations.

As with the previous episodes I have divided this one into three parts. First, we will look at what noun proposition collocations are. Then, I will give you a list of common noun + prepositions and finally, in the last part I will provide you with some examples in context.

If you struggle with collocations and prepositions, then this episode is definitely for you. Understanding and using the correct preposition after nouns is essential to sounding more fluent. If you haven’t already listened to the previous two episodes in this series, then I encourage you to do so.

Hi everyone and welcome back to the Art of Business English. Well if you are new to the AOBE, today is the second episode of a three-part series on using dependent prepositions. If you haven’t checked out last weeks episode on dependent prepositions after verbs, then I encourage you to do so. In this week’s episode we will be looking at adjectives with dependent prepositions.  

As I mentioned last week, even though we are looking at prepositions we are not covering the basics like prepositions of movement, time, place etc. We are looking at more advanced structure with fixed expressions. I personally love these as once you have learnt them, they don’t change, you know them for life.

As you will see, I’ve divided this episode into three parts, first we will look at what adjective + dependent preposition means, then I will give you a list of adjectives with dependent prepositions and their translation. Finally, I’ll give you some sample sentences in context. The sample sentence will be given in the context of business English, and the business area.