Phrases Used At a Business Meeting in English

Business meetings are an important part of the working world. For the sessions to produce the desired results, excellent communication is essential. Consequently, it’s crucial to explain your point clearly by using the appropriate words and phrases. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few standard English expressions that can be utilized at various points throughout a business meeting. These words can help you communicate your views effectively and professionally in a variety of situations, such as greetings and introductions, setting the agenda, giving a presentation, guiding conversations, and concluding the meeting. Using these words and phrases in your next business meeting will improve your ability to communicate, establish rapport, and produce better results.

In this lesson, we are going to explore useful English phrases that are used at Business Meetings. Learn the entire lesson and enhance your conversation and communication skills for a good impression.

Table of Contents

Here we will learn:

Common Phrases Used At Business Meetings
Business Phrases: Greetings and Introductions
Business Phrases: Setting the Agenda
Business Phrases: Making a Presentation
Business Phrases: Closing the Meeting

How to Talk English at Business Meetings?

To talk English effectively in a business meeting, here are some tips to follow:

Be straightforward and clear: Avoid technical jargon and speak clearly. Make sure that your message is clear
Talk with assurance: Speak with assurance. Make sure to look your audience in the eye and use suitable body language.
Actively listen to what others have to say before you respond. Be respectful of their views and opinions.
Follow the agenda and refrain from veering off-topic. If someone brings up a disinteresting subject, kindly nudge the conversation back to the subject at hand.
Make queries: To ensure that you comprehend the discussion, ask questions. You can use this to make defensible decisions.
Be aware of cultural variations: Pay attention to cultural variations and modify your words and conduct as necessary. This will enable you to interact more effectively with coworkers from various backgrounds.
After the meeting, follow up on any conclusions or action items that were discussed. This shows that you are dedicated to the meeting’s outcomes.

By following these tips, you can communicate effectively in English during business meetings and achieve better outcomes.

Formal and Informal Talks at Business Meetings

In a business meeting, it’s important to distinguish between formal and informal talk and to use the appropriate language for each situation.

Learn more: English Phrases Used for Expressing Thanks

Formal Conversation

When discussing important subjects like budgets, strategies, and project plans, formal conversation is employed. Here are some pointers for speaking in a formal manner in a business setting:

When speaking to coworkers or clients, use appropriate titles and formal language.
Maintain a professional tone, use complete phrases, and stay away from contractions.
Employ technical language and jargon correctly, and if necessary, explain it.
Avoid using language that might not be appropriate in a professional situation, such as slang and colloquialisms.

Informal Conversation

Informal conversation is more laid-back and appropriate for addressing lighter subjects like team-building exercises or social gatherings. These are some pointers for speaking casually in a corporate setting:

To sound more casual, use contractions and shorter sentences.
When addressing colleagues, use your first names rather than formal titles.
Employ everyday language and jokes that are suitable for a professional context.
Technical jargon or other languages that may be challenging for some of your coworkers to understand should be avoided.

It’s important to remember that the appropriate language for a business meeting depends on the context and topic being discussed. By using the appropriate language, you can convey your message more effectively and build better relationships with your colleagues and clients.

Learn more Phrases: English Phrases for Expressing Gratitude

English Phrases Used at a Business Meeting

Here are some common English phrases used at a business meeting:

Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone.
Let’s get started.
First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming.
Can we go over the agenda for today’s meeting?
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss…
Before we begin, does anyone have any questions?
Moving on to the next item on the agenda…
Could you elaborate on that point, please?
That’s a great idea/suggestion/comment.
I’m afraid I don’t quite follow. Could you explain that in more detail?
I’d like to hear from everyone before we make a decision.
Let’s take a vote on this matter.
Does anyone have any objections to the proposal?
To sum up, we’ve agreed on…
I’ll send out a summary of today’s meeting to everyone.
Our next meeting is scheduled for…
Thank you all for your time and input.

Business Phrases Greetings and Introductions

Here are some common English phrases used for greetings and introductions in a business setting:

Good morning/afternoon/evening.
Nice to meet you.
How do you do?
Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is [name] and I work in [department/position].
What brings you here today?
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
May I introduce you to [name]?
This is [name], our [position] in [department].
How has your day been so far?
Can I get you something to drink?
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.
I’m looking forward to working with you.
Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.
Have a good day/weekend/trip.

English Phrases Used Greetings and Introduction

Business Phrases Setting the Agenda

Here are some common English phrases used for setting the agenda in a business meeting:

Let’s get started with the agenda.
First of all, let’s review the agenda for today’s meeting.
Our agenda for today’s meeting is as follows…
Can we go over the items on the agenda?
The purpose of today’s meeting is to discuss the following topics…
Before we begin, does anyone have any additional items to add to the agenda?
Are there any specific topics that you would like to cover today?
Let’s prioritize the items on the agenda based on their importance.
I suggest we start with the most urgent items first.
Can we allocate a specific amount of time for each item on the agenda?
Let’s make sure we cover all the items on the agenda within the allocated time.
Does everyone agree on the agenda for today’s meeting?
Any objections or changes to the proposed agenda?
If there are no objections, let’s move forward with the proposed agenda.
We will close the meeting after we have covered all the items on the agenda.

Business Phrases Making a Presentation

Here are some common English phrases used for making a presentation in a business setting:

Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone. Thank you for coming to my presentation.
Let me start by introducing myself. My name is [name] and I work in [department/position].
The purpose of my presentation today is to discuss…
First of all, let’s take a look at the agenda for today’s presentation.
I’d like to start by giving you some background information on…
Moving on to the next slide/topic…
As you can see from this slide/chart/graph…
Let me draw your attention to this key point/issue.
To put it simply/straightforwardly, the main idea here is…
Let’s take a closer look at…
Now, let’s turn our attention to the implications of…
In summary/In conclusion, I’d like to emphasize that…
Does anyone have any questions or comments on the presentation?
I’ll be happy to clarify any points you may have.
Thank you for your attention and time.

Click here and Explore More Common English Phrases

Business Phrases Facilitating Discussions

Here are some common English phrases used for facilitating discussions in a business setting:

Let’s open up the floor for discussion.
Who would like to start the discussion?
Does anyone have any thoughts or comments on this topic?
Could you elaborate on that point, please?
Let’s hear from everyone before we make a decision.
That’s a great point. Let’s explore that idea further.
I see your point, but let’s also consider…
Can we go back to the previous point for a moment?
Let’s summarize the key points we’ve discussed so far.
Can we take a vote on this matter?
Are there any objections to the proposal?
Let’s take a break and revisit this topic later.
Does anyone have any additional points to add?
I’m afraid we’re running out of time, so let’s wrap up this discussion.
Thank you all for your input and ideas.

Business Phrases Closing the Meeting

Here are some common English phrases used for closing a business meeting:

We’re almost out of time, so let’s wrap up the meeting.
Before we close, I’d like to summarize the main points we discussed today.
Can we quickly review the action items from today’s meeting?
If there are no further questions or comments, let’s adjourn the meeting.
Thank you all for attending today’s meeting.
I appreciate your time and input.
Let’s reconvene in [timeframe] for our next meeting.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
We will send out a summary of today’s meeting and the action items.
Thank you again and have a great day.

Conclusion

To sum up, good communication is a crucial component of any productive business meeting. You may communicate effectively and professionally, improve your connections with colleagues and clients, and get better results by utilizing the right words and expressions. Regardless of whether you use official or informal language, it’s crucial to pay attention to the situation and subject at hand. You can contribute to the success of your company by speaking English clearly at your next business meeting by using the advice and tips provided in this post.