English for Business Meetings Flashcards
Lesson 1 - Starting a Meeting
SCRIPTS
Meeting A - Formal Meeting
Alex: On behalf of Vision Corporation, I’d like to call this meeting to order. This is a meeting of some of the key players in our company: our top managers. Our purpose this morning is to hear a presentation about a new initiative for outreach and marketing, and to discuss this plan with all of you.
This is a presentation that all of us have looked forward to. This initiative marks a new milestone in the evolution of our company. First, it serves as an assessment of where our company is now in terms of communicating its message to its customers domestically and abroad. Furthermore, this plan has the potential to drive our company forward by transforming our corporate outreach and marketing strategies.
We are delighted that all of the major contributors to this initiative are here today. They will use their unique perspectives to talk about the current state of affairs in terms of outreach and marketing, give details about the
new proposed initiative, and outline the path for implementation.
Meeting B - Informal Meeting
Alex: Okay, everybody. Please take a seat. Let’s get started. I’ve called this meeting of our top salespeople so that all of you get a chance to hear about the new plan to get our company out there in order to reach more of our potential market. First, we’ll hear a presentation from the team that has been working on this. Then, we’ll discuss it to get your feedback and put our heads together to see if there are any other ideas.
While the team is getting set up, let me say a few words. What does this new plan mean for our company? First, it’s a reality check on where we are right now in terms of getting our message to our customers. Second, this plan has the potential to move the company forward. One of our main challenges, as you all know, is staying relevant in this changing market. Today’s presentation has some really innovative ideas about how we can do this.
GLOSSARY
Meeting A - Formal Meeting
to call a meeting to order – to officially begin a meeting
* Mr. Powell always calls his meetings to order at exactly 8:05 a.m.
key player – important team members; people who are very important in a project or business
* Gavin is a key player in that organization, because he is the only person who understands the software program.
purpose – reason for existing; why one does something
* My purpose in applying for this job is to find interesting work in a national technology company.
initiative – program, idea, or project, usually to improve a situation; to use a new approach to do something
* That organization has an initiative to give free breakfasts to every poor child in the city.
outreach – communication with people outside of an organization or business
* The university has an outreach program that teaches farmers to use less water.
marketing – a plan for making other people want to buy a product or service
* The bank’s marketing strategy includes giving customers free coffee when they come into the office.
to look forward to (something) – to anticipate something; to be excited about something that will happen in the future; to be eager for something to happen
* Saji hasn’t had a vacation in five years, so he’s looking forward to his trip to San Francisco this summer.
to mark – to note when or where something occurs; to record something
* Today marks our 10-year wedding anniversary, and I’m glad our friend and family can be here to celebrate it with us.
milestone – a small accomplishment or achievement that is part of a larger project or goal
* Earning a high school diploma and undergraduate degree were major milestones for Larry, who has always wanted to earn a Ph.D.
evolution – development over time, usually of something that begins small or simple and changes to something bigger or more complex
* The evolution of the legal system in the United States has taken centuries.
assessment – evaluation of one’s progress in doing something
* The army’s assessment of soldiers’ health includes their running speed and their strength.
in terms of – regarding; with reference to; related to
* The company has the highest sales in the country, but in terms of the number of employees, it is very small.
furthermore – in addition; also
* Building a new hospital is a good idea because it will bring better health care to the people who live in our city. Furthermore, building costs are very low now.
to drive (something) forward – to help something progress and become better
* Communication technology was driven forward by the Internet in the 1990s.
to transform – to change something in a big and important way
* Opening an international airport transformed the city into an important business center.
perspective – point of view; a way of looking at something
* Danitsa grew up in Eastern Europe, so she has a different perspective than we do about politics in that part of the world.
current state of affairs – the way that things are today; the status of something at the moment
* The current state of affairs is that all of our best employees are leaving because they can make more money at other companies.
to outline – to briefly describe the main points of an idea or plan
* When people don’t have time to read a report, they sometimes ask their assistants to outline the most important ideas.
Meeting B - Informal Meeting
to take a seat – to sit down
* Please take a seat in the front of the classroom so that you can hear the teacher better.
to get (something) out there – to make something more familiar to the public; to increase something’s public presence
* We need to get our message out there so that people know what great work our organization is doing.
potential market – the group of people who do not buy a product, but would probably be interested in it
* Our toys are used mostly by girls ages 4-6, but we believe that our potential market includes boys ages 5-7, too.
feedback – positive or negative reactions to an idea or to someone’s work
* At the end of the course, the teacher will ask us to give our feedback about how to make it better next year.
to put (our/their) heads together – to work as a group to think of new ideas or better solutions
* When Brandon and Antonio put their heads together, they are able to think of some very creative new ideas.
to say a few words – to speak about something for a short period of time
* At weddings, the parents of the married couple usually say a few words to wish the couple a happy life together.
reality check – a realistic look at the true situation; an objective and factual analysis; a reminder of the true facts
* Amanda thought that her dog-walking business would be a great success, but learning that there were already 14 other such businesses in her city was a reality check for her.
relevant – important; related to the current situation
* The cost of books is very relevant for college students who don’t have very much money.
innovative – new, creative, and interesting
* The new CD players have an innovative design that is very popular.
Lesson 2 - Introducing the Participants
SCRIPTS
Meeting A – Formal Meeting
Alex: Before we begin, I would like to take a moment to introduce the participants who have graciously agreed to share their time with us today. I believe that all of you already know me, Alex Aurora, the CEO of Vision Corporation.
On my immediate right is Ms. Hannah Graff, the account
representative from our marketing consulting firm. She has been a visionary leader in coordinating the focus groups and helping us identify our target market. On my far right, the gentleman in the gray suit is Mr. Chris Banda, who is the Senior Vice President of Product Development. Over the past few months, he has shown great flexibility and willingness to adapt his product features to better meet our customers’ needs.
And last but not least, I’d like to introduce our Senior Vice President of Marketing, Mr. Shawn Edwards. He has been coordinating our marketing efforts for the past seven years, and his hard work is culminating in today’s presentation.
With that, I’ll turn it over to our Senior Vice President of Marketing, Shawn Edwards, who will lead the proceedings today. Thank you to all of you for being here, and welcome.
Meeting B – Informal Meeting
Alex: Before we dive into the presentation, I should probably start by saying that I’m Alex Aurora, the CEO of Vision Corporation, just in case there’s anyone here who hasn’t met me in person before today. Could I please get our key team members to introduce themselves? Hannah, why don’t we start with you?
Hannah: Sure. I’m Hannah Graff, an account representative from the marketing firm that has been doing the focus groups. Today I’ll be talking about your target market. It’s my pleasure to join all of you
today.
Chris: I’m Christopher Hanson, the Senior V.P. of Product Development. I’ve been tweaking our product so that it’s a better fit for what our customers are looking for.
Shawn: Hi, everybody. I’m Shawn Edwards, Senior V.P. of Marketing. I’ve spent the past few months trying to keep up with all the great work that Hannah and Chris have been doing.
Alex: Great, thanks. Now I’m going to turn it over to Shawn who’ll be running the show today.
GLOSSARY
Meeting A – Formal Meeting
to take a moment – to do something for a short period of time; to pause or interrupt for a short time to do something; to delay the beginning of something
briefly to do something
* Even though everyone is very busy with the project, I want to take a moment to thank the workers for everything they are doing.
graciously – generously; kindly; very thoughtfully; politely
* If you want to stay friends with the other players, it’s a good idea to learn to lose games graciously, thanking the other person for the game instead of getting angry when you lose.
CEO – Chief Executive Officer; the person who leads a business, similar to a company president
* The CEO of the hospital said that she wants the hospital to purchase a new office building next year so that the hospital can expand.
immediate – next to; nearest; on the side of
* To get to their house, take an immediate left after the bridge.
visionary – full of new, creative, and intelligent ideas for the future
* Her visionary book describes a future where no one is poor.
focus group – a small group of people who are asked to give their opinions about a product or a topic
* Last week, Darnell participated in a focus group about cable Internet services.
target market – the group of people that a company wants to sell its product to, usually with the same sex, race, education, and economic status
* The target market for the new car is well educated, married men who earn at least $60,000 per year.
far – distant; not near or next to
* My favorite chair is in the far corner of the living room, away from the front door.
gentleman – a polite term for a man; a man who is polite and well respected
* When I was walking in the rain today, an elderly gentleman offered to share his umbrella with me.
flexibility – ability to adapt or adjust quickly to changes or new situations
* Vicky wants to work for a company with enough flexibility so that she can work from home a few days each week.
willingness – ready or prepared to do something; agreeing to do something
* Thank you very much for your willingness to come to the doctor’s office with me.
feature – characteristic; something that a product has or does
* The new features on this camera include a better battery and a prettier design.
last but not least – a phrase used to introduce the last person or thing in a group, meaning that it is not less important than the other people or things already mentioned
* I’ve already shown you the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms in this new house. Last but not least, this is the garage.
to coordinate – to organize and lead
* Michelle coordinated the invitations, food, and music for the wedding.
to culminate – to reach the highest point in development; to finish with a specific result
* Their research studies culminated in a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
with that – a phrase used to show that one part of something has ended and now it is time to move to the next part
* The director will welcome the new employees, and with that we’ll ask them to read and sign their contracts.
to turn (something) over to (someone) – to put someone in control of something
* When my co-worker left the company, all of his work was turned over to me for a few weeks.
to lead the proceedings – to run or guide a meeting or discussion
* Dr. McPherson was asked to lead the proceedings because she is a good speaker and she understands the topic very well.
Meeting B – Informal Meeting
to dive into (something) – to begin something right away
* I don’t like cleaning the house, but let’s dive into it and finish it as quickly as possible.
just in case – if something may happen; if something is possible
* Do you think you should take an umbrella just in case it rains?
to meet (someone) in person – to be introduced to someone while being in the same room, so that the two people see each other (not over the phone or email)
* Have you ever met a famous actor or singer in person?
why don’t we – let’s; a polite phrase used to suggest doing something
* Why don’t we eat dinner at a restaurant tonight instead of cooking at home?
account representative – an employee at a consulting company in charge of a project for a company using the consulting company’s services
* Who is the account representative for the new project with Acme Corporation?
product development – the work of creating and improving the products that a company sells
* Everyone in the product development department is really excited about the new cell phone that plays music, videos, and podcasts.
to tweak – to make small changes to something
* Macarena has been tweaking her art project for hours, trying to make it perfect.
to keep up with (something) – to be familiar with all the latest changes in something; to keep up to date with something
* Have you been keeping up with the news about the storms in Florida?
to run the show – to be in charge of something; to lead a meeting or project
* I’ve asked Karen to run the show for today’s conference, and to make sure we stay on schedule.
