- Have you ever had to explain your ideas
in a stressful meeting in English?
Going into your meeting with a plan
can make all the difference in sounding smart
or in sounding unclear and confusing.
So today I'll help you come up with a plan
that's perfect for you.
Let's go.
Hi, I'm your English coach, Christina,
and welcome to Business English with Christina,
where you become better at English and better at business.
Now, I also wanna take a minute to say
that I made this video after hearing about
one of my client's horror stories from work.
We'll call her Anna.
Of course, that is not her real name,
but you know, you know what kind of story this is gonna be,
because we've all got these kind of work horror stories
where, you know, something happens, you feel embarrassed
you did something wrong, you forgot something.
Hey, it happens to the best of us.
But, let's hear about this story.
So what happened to Anna?
Well, one day in a meeting with a client,
her boss turned to her and said, you know,
"Anna, can you explain our company's solution
for the client?"
And it didn't go so well.
Anna got so nervous that she took way too long
to get to her point.
And she confused everyone in the room, including herself.
And you know, I don't know if this
has ever happened to you in English.
I know it's happened to me in French.
You know, someone asks you a question,
probably in a professional context,
and you start explaining but you're thinking
as you're trying to explain
and then suddenly you're listening to yourself speak
and you realize I don't even remember
what the original question was
and I don't know where I'm going with this explanation.
It happens, but it doesn't have to.
Okay, so I will tell you about an answer
with the solution that I've come up with
because I've been thinking about what will help us
with the problem.
So I have a solution and it's that we contact the client
to discuss their needs more in detail.
This is gonna hurt.
After the meeting, Anna's boss like took her aside
and said to her, "Anna, you take way too long
to answer questions.
Just get to the point next time."
Ooh, ouch.
Now, just to be clear, not every boss will come out
and say something so directly to you.
I mean, yes, that was embarrassing for Anna
but it's also probably very awkward for the boss
but here's something that you have to know.
People won't tell you that you're not effective in meetings
but they're thinking it.
All right, now, let's make sure that you're ready
for your next meeting in English.
And these tips all were inspired by an article
from the Harvard Business Review,
very trusted, reputable source
for improving your business skills.
And I've just adapted them for people
who are working on their business skills
but also working on their English skills, like you.
The most important thing that you can remember
is that it's okay to slow down.
You know, take a deep breath, like...
(inhales deeply)
And then take the time to pronounce your words.
And this is especially important for you, and for me,
when we are trying to explain something
in a foreign language,
and it might take a little extra time
to formulate your thoughts.
You don't have to speak fast.
You know, native speakers, they speak fast,
and that makes them difficult to understand.
Why would you want to do that?
Tell the people in your meeting
what ideas you're going to share.
For example, if your client asks,
you know, why your product is different
from your competitor's product,
you can say...
Well, there are two main differences.
First we offer 24 hour tech support based here in the US.
And second, we only work with companies
in the automotive industry.
So basically we are experts in what we do.
Or to explain why you're suggesting
a specific solution for your client,
you could say...
There are three reasons why you should consider
letting us help you with your cyber security.
And then just go on to list your ideas.
Are you taking notes in this video?
Well, let me make that a lot easier for you
so that you can focus on showing your business expertise
in your meetings.
You can go over to my website
and get a free worksheet that goes with this video
so that you can remember the expressions faster.
You can test your knowledge.
And like I said, just focus on becoming
more confident in your meetings in English,
so that you don't have any work horror stories
to tell in the future.
One thing that you might do in a meeting in English,
it's thinking out loud,
like when somebody asks you a question,
but you know, you haven't really had the time
to think about it because they just asked you the question
and you're trying to find the solution as you speak.
And that's totally normal.
Everybody does that.
Something you can say when you're thinking out loud
in a meeting is...
Well, let me just think out loud here for a minute
and feel free to come in with any ideas that you have.
What if we talked to the client
and we decided more about what they're really looking for.
And then you can share your idea or your ideas
and see if anyone else in the room has something to add.
It's basically like a group brainstorming.
And you know, as we say in English,
two heads are better than one.
Unless it's on the same body,
and then that's just a little weird.
Now, remember that article from Harvard Business Review
that I mentioned?
Well, here's some exact advice
that they gave in that article.
Learn some typical sentences
that you can use in tricky situations in meetings.
So yes, even native speakers or very advanced speakers
sometimes just need to have that set phrase
so that they know exactly what to say
in a difficult situation.
Now, if you don't have the answer to the question,
you can say something like this.
I don't have that information right now,
but I can find out and get it to you before 3:00 PM today.
Saying that you're willing to find the solution
and by a specific time makes you sound like a professional
who is like on top of their game.
But then you have to actually do it
by that time that you said.
So what are some phrases that you can use
to respond to surprises in meetings?
Well, if you're not sure that you've completely understood,
which is totally fine, you can say this.
Could you tell us a bit more about what you're saying?
Now, if you've been listening to your client for a while
and you still disagree with them,
here's how you can say that politely.
I think I understand your point
but I see it a little bit differently.
May I explain?
So that's just a wait to show that yes, you're listening,
but you have other ideas.
So there you have it, some concrete simple steps
that you can have to be a better professional,
feel more comfortable in English in your meetings
and avoid those work horror stories like Anna's.
And remember, if you don't use it, you lose it.
And here's some ways that you can use what you learned
in this video today.
Do you have a work horror story?
In the comments, please share it.
Oh, please share it.
Because I love reading these stories.
Not because I love that you had horror stories,
but because we see that it's totally normal,
that we all experience these, you know, awful moments.
It's just part of life, but we can look at your stories,
we can see...
You know, you'll see you're not alone.
Other people will see you're not alone.
You might give me an idea for a future video
that I can help you with.
And of course, it's the perfect opportunity
to practice your English and share with our community.
Now, if this lesson was helpful for you
I would love for you to tell me.
And there are three ways that you can do that.
On YouTube, give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel
so that we can continue learning together every week.
You can also go over to christinarebuffet.com/worksheets
and get the worksheet that goes with this lesson
so you can really practice and learn
everything in this video today.
And you can go ahead and watch this next lesson,
which is gonna give you some exact phrases that you can use
in your meetings in English.
All right, thank you so much for learning with me
and I'll see you next time.