Business English Vocabulary: Words That Will Boost Your Career

Section 1: Meeting Vocabulary

Opening Meetings

Formal Expressions:

1. “I’d like to call this meeting to order.”
2. “Let’s get started with today’s agenda.”
3. “Thank you all for coming today.”
4. “I hereby open this meeting.”

Semi-formal Expressions:

1. “Shall we begin?”
2. “Let’s kick things off.”
3. “Is everyone ready to start?”
4. “Let’s dive right in.”

Meeting Management

Discussing Agenda Items:

1. “Moving on to the next point…”
2. “Let’s address the issue of…”
3. “Turning to item number three…”
4. “Could we discuss the matter of…”

Time Management:

1. “In interest of time…”
2. “Let’s table this for now.”
3. “We need to move things along.”
4. “We’re running behind schedule.”

Participation Management:

1. “Would anyone like to weigh in on this?”
2. “What are your thoughts on this?”
3. “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t spoken yet.”
4. “Could you elaborate on that point?”

Closing Meetings

Formal Closings:

1. “This brings us to the end of our meeting.”
2. “Thank you all for your contributions.”
3. “The meeting is hereby adjourned.”
4. “We’ll follow up with the minutes.”

Action Items:

1. “To summarize our action points…”
2. “Let’s review our next steps…”
3. “Who’s responsible for what…”
4. “Our deadlines are as follows…”

Section 2: Email Communication

Email Openings

Formal:

1. “Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name],”
2. “To whom it may concern,”
3. “Dear Sir/Madam,”
4. “Dear Board Members,”

Semi-formal:

1. “Hi [Name],”
2. “Good morning/afternoon,”
3. “Dear team,”
4. “Hello everyone,”

Email Body Language

Making Requests:

1. “I would appreciate if you could…”
2. “Would it be possible to…”
3. “Could you please…”
4. “I was wondering if you could…”

Providing Information:

1. “I’m writing to inform you…”
2. “Please be advised that…”
3. “I wanted to let you know…”
4. “For your information…”

Email Closings

Formal:

1. “Yours sincerely,”
2. “Best regards,”
3. “Kind regards,”
4. “Yours faithfully,”

Semi-formal:

1. “Thanks and regards,”
2. “Best wishes,”
3. “Many thanks,”
4. “Looking forward to hearing from you,”

Section 3: Negotiation Vocabulary

Opening Negotiations

Establishing Position:

1. “Our initial proposal is…”
2. “We’re looking to achieve…”
3. “From our perspective…”
4. “What we’re proposing is…”

Exploring Options:

1. “Let’s explore possible solutions…”
2. “What if we considered…”
3. “Have you thought about…”
4. “Another option might be…”

Negotiation Tactics

Making Concessions:

1. “We’re willing to compromise on…”
2. “We could meet you halfway on…”
3. “What if we adjusted…”
4. “We might be able to work with…”

Standing Firm:

1. “This is a key requirement for us.”
2. “We need to maintain our position on…”
3. “This point is non-negotiable.”
4. “We can’t budge on this issue.”

Closing Deals

Agreement:

1. “We have a deal.”
2. “Let’s finalize the terms.”
3. “Shall we draw up the contract?”
4. “We’re ready to move forward.”

Next Steps:

1. “Let’s put this in writing.”
2. “We’ll send over the paperwork.”
3. “Our legal team will draft…”
4. “Let’s schedule the signing…”

Section 4: Project Management Terms

Project Planning

Key Terms:

1. Deliverables
2. Milestones
3. Timeline
4. Scope
5. Resources
6. Stakeholders
7. Risk assessment
8. Critical path

Common Phrases:

1. “Let’s set some SMART goals.”
2. “What’s our timeline looking like?”
3. “Who are the key stakeholders?”
4. “We need to define the scope.”

Project Execution

Progress Tracking:

1. “We’re on track.”
2. “We’re falling behind schedule.”
3. “We’re ahead of schedule.”
4. “There’s a bottleneck at…”

Problem Solving:

1. “Let’s identify the root cause.”
2. “What’s our contingency plan?”
3. “We need to mitigate this risk.”
4. “Let’s brainstorm solutions.”

Section 5: Financial Terms and Expressions

Basic Financial Terms

Revenue and Profit:

1. Revenue (turnover)
2. Gross profit
3. Net profit (bottom line)
4. Profit margin
5. Overhead costs
6. Operating expenses
7. Cash flow
8. Break-even point

Common Expressions:

1. “We’re in the black” (profitable)
2. “We’re in the red” (losing money)
3. “The bottom line is…”
4. “Our margins are tight”
5. “We need to cut costs”
6. “Revenue is up/down”

Investment Terms

Key Concepts:

1. Return on Investment (ROI)
2. Market share
3. Shareholders
4. Dividends
5. Assets and liabilities
6. Portfolio
7. Capital expenditure
8. Depreciation

Useful Phrases:

1. “The ROI looks promising”
2. “We’re gaining market share”
3. “The shareholders expect…”
4. “Our assets outweigh our liabilities”

Section 6: Human Resources Vocabulary

Recruitment

Job-Related Terms:

1. Job description
2. Person specification
3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
4. Cover letter
5. References
6. Notice period
7. Probation period
8. Benefits package

Interview Language:

1. “What are your strengths?”
2. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
3. “Tell me about your experience in…”
4. “What can you bring to the role?”
5. “What are your salary expectations?”

Employee Development

Training Terms:

1. Professional development
2. Skill set
3. Competencies
4. Performance review
5. Career progression
6. Mentoring
7. Upskilling
8. Cross-training

Performance Management:

1. “Setting SMART objectives”
2. “Areas for improvement”
3. “Meeting targets”
4. “Exceeding expectations”
5. “Development opportunities”

Section 7: Marketing and Sales Vocabulary

Marketing Terms

Key Concepts:

1. Target market
2. Brand awareness
3. Market research
4. Customer segmentation
5. Value proposition
6. Marketing mix
7. Digital marketing
8. Content strategy

Common Phrases:

1. “Our target demographic is…”
2. “We need to build brand awareness”
3. “The market research shows…”
4. “Our unique selling point is…”

Sales Language

Sales Process:

1. Lead generation
2. Prospecting
3. Qualifying leads
4. Closing deals
5. Follow-up
6. Customer retention
7. Sales pipeline
8. Commission structure

Sales Expressions:

1. “Let’s close this deal”
2. “What’s in the pipeline?”
3. “Our conversion rate is…”
4. “We’re hitting our targets”

Section 8: Technology and Digital Business

Digital Transformation

Key Terms:

1. Cloud computing
2. Digital infrastructure
3. Cybersecurity
4. Data analytics
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
6. Machine Learning
7. Digital adoption
8. System integration

Technical Phrases:

1. “We’re migrating to the cloud”
2. “The data shows that…”
3. “We need to upgrade our systems”
4. “The platform is scalable”

Remote Work Vocabulary

Communication Tools:

1. Video conferencing
2. Virtual meetings
3. Collaboration platforms
4. Screen sharing
5. Digital workspace
6. Remote access
7. Virtual team
8. Hybrid working

Common Expressions:

1. “Can everyone mute their microphones?”
2. “I’ll share my screen”
3. “Let’s take this offline”
4. “Is everyone connected?”

Section 9: Business Strategy Terms

Strategic Planning

Key Concepts:

1. Mission statement
2. Vision statement
3. SWOT analysis
4. Strategic objectives
5. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
6. Competitive advantage
7. Market positioning
8. Business model

Strategic Phrases:

1. “Our competitive edge is…”
2. “We need to pivot our strategy”
3. “Let’s leverage our strengths”
4. “The market opportunity is…”

Change Management

Important Terms:

1. Organizational change
2. Change resistance
3. Stakeholder management
4. Transition period
5. Implementation plan
6. Change communication
7. Impact assessment
8. Risk mitigation

Useful Expressions:

1. “Managing the transition”
2. “Getting buy-in from stakeholders”
3. “Rolling out the changes”
4. “Addressing concerns”

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