Conversation Practice to Improve Your Business English — 35 Common Situations

this video contains 35 common situations

to practice basic business English

conversation after listening to these

conversations you will definitely want

to use the Expressions you have

learned lesson one introducing a

friend listen and

practice hi I'm John nice to meet you hi

John I'm Sarah nice to meet you too have

you been with the company Long no I just

started last month how about you I've

been here for 3 years now it's a great

place to work that's good to hear what

do you do here I'm in the marketing

department we handle all the advertising

campaigns interesting I'm in the

accounting department accounting is

important keeping track of finances is

key in business absolutely and good

marketing drives the business forward

True by the way are you attending the

conference next week yes I am are you

going as well yes I think it will be a

good opportunity to learn and network I

agree it's always good to meet people

from different departments definitely

let's exchange contact information it

might be helpful to stay connected

that's a great idea here's my business

card thanks here's mine let's keep in

touch sure look looking forward to it

have a great

day lesson two meeting new

colleagues listen and

practice hi I'm David are you new here

yes I'm Emma I just joined today welcome

to the team Emma which department are

you in thank you David I'm in the HR

department HR that's great I'm in the IT

department we often work closely with HR

oh that's interesting I look forward to

collaborating with you definitely how

are you finding the office so far it's

quite nice everyone seems friendly yes

it's a good work environment have you

been given a tour yet not yet I'm still

getting settled in I could show you

around if you like it's always helpful

to know where everything is that would

be wonderful thank you no problem do you

have any questions about the company Yes

actually What's the culture like here

it's very collaborative and open we have

regular team meetings and value

everyone's input that sounds great I'm

eager to be a part of it you'll fit

right in let's go for that turn now yes

let's do that thanks for your help

David lesson three scheduling a

meeting listen and

practice hi Lisa do you have a moment

sure Mark what's up I'd like to schedule

a meeting to discuss the upcoming

project sounds good when are you

thinking how about next Monday at 10:00

a.m. Monday works but can we do it at

11:00 a.m. instead 11:00 a.m. is perfect

should I book the conference room yes

please and could you invite Tom and

Susan from the design team of course

I'll add them to the invite will an hour

be enough I think so we just need to

outline the initial steps great I'll

prepare an agenda and send it out before

the weekend thanks Mark that'll help us

stay focused no problem do you want to

include anything specific on the agenda

yes let's also discuss the budget and

timeline got it I'll make sure those

points are included perfect I appreciate

you organizing this Mark it's my

pleasure I'll send the meeting invite

shortly thanks see see you

then Lesson Four attending a

meeting listen and

practice good morning Emily are you

ready for the meeting today good morning

Mike yes I've prepared my presentation

excellent did you get the revised agenda

I sent out yes I did the addition of the

client feedback section was a good idea

thanks I thought it would be beneficial

for the team what time will you present

I'm scheduled right after the budget

discussion around 10:30 a.m. perfect

I'll make sure everyone is back from the

break on time thanks Mike how long do I

have for the presentation you have 20

minutes followed by a 10-minute Q&A

session sounds good do you know if the

projector is set up in the meeting room

yes it's all set up I checked it this

morning great I'll bring my laptop

should I bring extra copies of the

report I've already printed copies for

everyone they're in the meeting room

that's very efficient of you Mike thanks

for handling these details no problem at

all let's make this meeting productive

absolutely looking forward to it see you

there lesson five joining a lunch

break listen and

practice hi Anna are you going for lunch

now yes I am Tom just heading out great

mind if I join you I'm new here and

haven't explored the nearby places not

at all I know a great cafe nearby that

sounds perfect do they have a good

selection yes they have sandwiches

salads and some vegan options too

wonderful I'm always up for trying new

food how long have you been with the

company about 2 years now it's been a

great experience I'm glad to hear that

I'm just starting my second week here oh

how are you finding it so far everyone's

been really welcoming I'm in the finance

department that's a busy Department I'm

in marketing myself yes it's been a

learning curve what's your favorite

project in marketing I loved working on

our recent social media campaign social

media is so vital these days did you

have lunch plans already or can we head

to the cafe I didn't have plans the cafe

sounds great let's go perfect I'm

looking for forward to it me too it's

nice to have company for

lunch lesson six asking for help with a

task listen and

practice hi Laura do you have a minute

sure Kevin what do you need I'm

struggling with the budget report can

you help me of course what specifically

is the issue I'm not sure how to

categorize some of these expenses let's

go through them together together I'll

show you how that would be really

helpful I appreciate it no problem

learning the system takes time yeah I

want to make sure it's accurate accuracy

is key in budget reports let's start

with the first item right so where would

office supplies fall under they're

usually classified as office expenses

got it and what about travel costs for

the sales team those are G travel

expenses they're separate from General

expenses I see this is making more sense

now it's all about categorization

anything else you're unsure about just a

couple more items but I think I've got

the hang of it now great I'm here if you

have more questions thanks Laura you've

been a huge help happy to assist Kevin

let's get that report Done

Right lesson seven participating in a

conference

call listen and

practice hi Emily are you ready for the

conference call at 2 p.m. hi Josh yes

I've prepared my notes great do you know

who all will be participating yes the

teams from London and Tokio will join

that's a good mix do you have the call

agenda I do first we'll discuss the

project timeline excellent I'll talk

about the budget after that perfect I'll

follow with the marketing plan sounds

like we're well prepared how long will

the Call be it's scheduled for 1 hour we

need to be concise agreed should we do a

quick Tech check before the call good

idea let's ensure our microphones and

speakers work right we don't want any

technical issues during the call exactly

these international calls need to run

smoothly I'll log in 10 minutes early to

check everything I'll join you then

better to be safe then sorry definitely

let's make this call productive agreed

we have a lot to cover I'll see you

online see you at 2 p.m. thanks Emily no

problem Josh let's make it a great

call lesson eight writing professional

emails listen and

practice hi Lisa can you help me draft

an email sure Tom what's it about

it's to our supplier about a delayed

shipment okay start with a polite

greeting should I say Dear Mr Johnson

yes that's appropriate then mention the

purpose of the email like I am writing

regarding our recent order exactly then

State the issue clearly all right we

have not received the shipment due on

the 5th good then ask for an update

politely how about could you please

provide a status update perfect perf

it's always good to be courteous should

I mention the impact of the delay yes

but keep it professional I'll add this

delay is impacting our production

schedule that's clear and to the point

finally I'll thank him for his attention

to this matter yes and close with us

sincerely Tom thanks Lisa your advice

makes this easier happy to help Tom a

good email is

important let's 9 negotiating with

clients listen and

practice hi Emily we need to negotiate

with a client today hi James what's the

main issue they want a lower price on

our services okay we should start by

understanding their budget right we need

to ask what they can afford and then we

can talk about adjusting the scope yes

maybe we can offer a smaller package

exactly it's a about finding a middle

ground I'm also thinking of suggesting a

longer contract that's a good strategy

it could be more Ben official for both

agreed but we need to stay firm on our

quality standards absolutely quality

should not be compromised I'll emphasize

the value we bring to their business

that's important highlight our strengths

and if we can't agree we can suggest

revisiting the discussion in a few

months that's a good fallback thanks

Emily no problem negotiations are all

about

balance lesson 10 discussing a

project listen and

practice hi Sarah ready to discuss the

new project yes I am Mike where should

we start let's begin with the project

timeline good idea the deadline is in 3

months that's tight we'll need to

prioritize tasks

absolutely let's start with the critical

milestones we should also assign team

responsibilities early agreed I'll draft

a list of tasks for each team member

great what about resources do we have

everything we need we might need

additional software for the design team

let's make sure we allocate budget for

that definitely we can't afford delays

due to lack of tools also how often

should we have project meetings weekly

Mee meetings would be ideal to track

progress sounds good we'll keep them

concise and focused perfect let's make

this project a success lesson 11 giving

feedback listen and

practice hi Anna I need to give feedback

to our

intern hi Jack what kind of

feedback his reports are good but they

lack detail start with positive feedback

first so I should say your reports are

well structured yes and then suggest

adding more detail like it would be

beneficial to include more analysis

exactly it's constructive should I give

examples yes examples make it clearer

okay I'll prepare a few before our

meeting also encourage him to ask

questions right I'll let him know I'm

available for guidance that's good

feedback is about growth thanks Anna I

want to be supportive not critical

you've got the right approach

Jack Lesson 12 receiving

feedback listen and

practice hi Julia I received your

feedback on my project hi Mark I hope it

was helpful yes it was but I have some

questions sure what do you need

clarification on you mentioned the need

for more detailed analysis yes

especially in the market research

section could you give me an example of

what you're looking for of course more

statistics and Trends would be useful

that makes sense I'll work on adding

those great it's important to support

our findings with data also you

suggested a different format yes a more

visual presentation would be effective

like charts and graphs exactly it makes

the report more engaging I'll try integ

those into the next draft that would be

excellent visuals can really enhance

understanding thanks for your guidance

Julia you're welcome Mark I'm looking

forward to the revised

version lesson 13 sharing office

news listen and

practice hi Emma have you heard the

latest office news hi Daniel no I

haven't what's up we're getting a new

team leader next month oh really who is

it it's Susan from the marketing

department that's interesting she has a

great

reputation yes and she brings a lot of

experience how will this change our team

I think it'll bring fresh ideas and

perspectives that sounds promising

definitely plus there might be some

restructuring as long as it's for the

better I agree change can be good true

it's old always exciting to see new

developments absolutely let's keep an

open mind agreed thanks for the update

Daniel lesson 14 reporting

progress listen and

practice hi Sarah how's the project

going hi Chris it's on track thanks have

you met the latest Milestones yes the

design phase is complete that's great

news what's next we're starting the

development phase now keep me updated on

the progress we'll do there might be

some challenges ahead what kind of

challenges mainly technical but our team

is capable good to hear do you need any

additional resources not currently but

I'll let you know if we do all right

remember communication is key Absolutely

I'll ensure regular updates that's

important for the Project's success

definitely we're all committed to making

this a

success lesson 15 solving workplace

issues listen and

practice hi Lisa there's an issue in the

team I need help with hi Paul what's the

problem there's a conflict between two

team members conflict what's the cause

it's about workload distribution have

you talked to them individually

not yet I wanted to get your advice

first it's good to understand both sides

first I plan to meet with them

separately that's a good approach keep

an open mind after that should we have a

joint discussion yes but only after

understanding the issue well I want to

resolve this without escalating that's

the best way handle it calmly I'll try

to mediate and find a fair solution keep

the team's Harmony in mind absolutely

the team's Dynamics are important let me

know if you need any assistance thanks

Lisa I appreciate your support you're

welcome Paul let's keep our workplace

positive Lesson 16 making small

talk listen and

practice hi Emily how was your weekend

hi John it was good thanks went hiking

and yours relaxing I did some reading

what book are you currently into I'm

reading a novel about historical Rome

sounds fascinating I love history books

what's the title Empires and Emperors

have you read it no but I'll add it to

my list do you often hike yes almost

every weekend nature is refreshing I

agree maybe I should join you sometime

that would be great do you like the

outdoors I do photography is a hobby of

mine perfect there are some beautiful

spots for photography I'll look forward

to it what's your favorite Trail there's

one by the lake that's absolutely Serene

I've heard about it must be quite a few

it's stunning I'll show you some photos

sometime I'd like that thanks Emily

anytime John let's plan for that

hike lesson 17 discussing company

policy listen and

practice hi Sarah have you seen the new

company policy updates hi David yes I

just read the email what do you think

about the new remote work guidelines

they seem flexible two days remote work

per week yes it's a good balance do you

think it will affect productivity I

think it might actually improve it

agreed people might be more relaxed what

about the dress code it's more casual

now which I think is a good move

definitely Comfort can boost morale any

thoughts on the new training programs

they look comprehensive especially the

leadership training I was thinking the

same are you considering enrolling yes

I'm interested in developing my skills

further me too continuous learning is

important absolutely it's good to see

the company investing in US yes it shows

they value their employees indeed it's a

positive step

forward lesson 18 planning a business

trip listen and

practice hi Laura we need to plan our

trip to the New York office hi Mike yes

when are we thinking of going how about

the first week of next month that works

should we fly out on Monday Monday is

perfect gives us time to prepare agreed

how many days will we need there

I'd say 3 days we have several meetings

lined up sounds good should we book a

hotel nearby yes something close to the

office would be convenient I'll look

into it any preference on the flight

timings an early flight would be best we

can rest and then prepare okay I'll find

the earliest available flight great

let's also schedule a team meeting

before we go to discuss the agenda and

expectations exactly we need to be well

prepared I'll organize the meeting for

next week thanks Laura this trip is

important for our project understood

Mike we'll make it a successful

one lesson 19 booking travel

Arrangements listen and

practice hi Anna can you help me with

booking a flight hi Paul sure where are

you headed to the conference in Berlin

next month

okay do you have specific dates in mind

from the 15th to the 19th I'll check the

flights any preference on airlines

something with comfortable legro long

flights can be tiring I understand what

about your hotel stay a place close to

the conference venue would be ideal I'll

find a hotel within walking distance

that would be great also can you arrange

a rental car of course do you need it

for the entire St day just for the first

and last days got it I'll take care of

all the details thanks Anna I appreciate

your help no problem Paul I'll confirm

everything

soon lesson 20 attending a networking

event listen and

practice hi Emily are you going to the

networking event tonight hi Tom yes I'm

planning to are you I am

it's a great opportunity to meet

industry peers absolutely have you been

to this event before no this is my first

time any tips just be yourself and have

plenty of business cards good advice how

do you usually approach conversations I

start by talking about common interests

in our industry that makes sense it

keeps the conversation relevant exactly

and don't forget to listen actively

listening is as important as talk

talking right definitely it helps build

genuine connections I'll keep that in

mind any particular people you're hoping

to meet yes a few potential clients and

collaborators networking can really open

doors it can let's make the most of it

tonight I'm looking forward to it thanks

for the advice Emily no problem Tom see

you

there lesson 21 managing time effective

listen and

practice hi Rachel I'm struggling with

managing my time any tips hi Chris sure

have you tried making a daily task list

I haven't does it help yes it helps you

prioritize and focus on important tasks

sounds good how detailed should it be

include key tasks and allocate time for

each I'll try that what about unexpected

tasks allocate some buffer time for

unexpected work that's a great idea and

meetings they take up so much time only

attend meetings that are necessary I'll

keep that in mind what about

multitasking it's better to focus on one

task at a time for efficiency I thought

multitasking was productive it can

actually reduce the quality of your work

that makes sense I'll start with these

tips thanks you're welcome managing time

well boosts

productivity lesson 22 setting goals and

objectives listen and

practice hi Emma I'm setting my goals

for the quarter any advice hi John start

with clear achievable objectives should

they be long-term or short-term a mix of

both shortterm goals lead to long-term

achievements how specific should I be

the more specific the better it gives

you Direction got it what about

measuring progress set Milestones to

track your progress that sounds helpful

should I write them down yes writing

goals makes them more tangible I'll do

that and if I fall behind adjust your

plan but don't lose sight of the end

goal I'll remember that any other tips

share your goals with a mentor for

accountability that's a good idea I'll

talk to my manager about them

great goals keep you focused and

motivated lesson 23 collaborating with

teammates listen and

practice hi Sarah how can we improve our

team collaboration hi Mark regular

communication is key should we have more

meetings not necessarily more but more

effective ones makes sense what about

sharing work clearly Define roles and

responsibilities that would help and

decision-making encourage open

discussion and input from everyone good

idea how do we handle disagreements with

respect and a focus on finding Solutions

I'll remember that what about remote

team members use collaborative tools and

schedule regular check-ins technology

really helps any suggestions on tools

project management software can be very

useful I'll look into that thanks for

the advice Sarah no problem good

teamwork leads to success lesson 24

handling customer inquiries listen and

practice hi Lisa I'm new to customer

service any tips on handling

inquiries hi Alex always listen

carefully to the customer

needs should I take notes yes it helps

you remember details and followup

what if I don't know the answer it's

okay to say you'll find out and get back

to them that's reassuring how about

difficult customers stay calm and

empathetic try to understand their

perspective I'll try that and responding

to emails be clear concise and polite

address their concerns directly got it

what about followup always confirm that

their issue has been resolved that seems

important any final tips treat every

inquiry as an opportunity to improve

customer satisfaction great advice

thanks Lisa you're welcome good customer

service is

crucial lesson 25 making a sales

pitch listen and

practice hi Emily I'm preparing a sales

pitch any suggestions hi Tom start with

understanding the client's needs how

detailed should I about our product be

detailed but focus on how it benefits

them makes sense should I anticipate

questions yes and prepare answers

especially for tough ones I'll work on

that how about the presentation style

keep it engaging and interactive use

visuals if possible good idea what if

they seem uninterested shift the focus

ask them questions to re-engage that's

smart how long should the pitch be keep

it concise respect their time I'll aim

for that any closing tips end with a

strong summary and a call to action that

should make an impact thanks for your

help Emily you're welcome a good pitch

can make all the

difference lesson 26 closing a

deal listen and

practice hi Jessica I'm close to closing

a deal any last minute tips hi I Eric

ensure you've addressed all their

concerns I have should I reiterate the

main benefits yes emphasize how your

product meets their needs got it what

about the contract review it carefully

before the final meeting I'll double

check it should I discuss future support

definitely they should know they're in

good hands I'll assure them of our

ongoing support what if they want more

time give them space but set a follow-up

date makes sense

any closing strategies end on a positive

note summarizing the value you're

offering I'll do that and negotiation

stay flexible but don't compromise too

much on your terms I'll keep that

balance thanks Jessica you're welcome

good luck with closing the

deal lesson 27 discussing budgets and

finances listen and

practice hi Karen I need advice on

discussing budgets with the team hi

Brian start by outlining The Current

financial situation should I include

detailed Financial reports provide

summaries too many details can be

overwhelming makes sense how do I

address budget cuts be honest but also

explain the reasons behind them I'll be

clear about that and if there are

questions answer them directly and if

you don't know promise to find out I'll

be prepared for question questions how

about future budgeting discuss plans and

get input from the team input from the

team is a good idea any tips on making

it engaging use visuals to illustrate

points and keep it interactive I'll

include some charts thanks Karen you're

welcome clear communication is key in

financial matters lesson 28 celebrating

birthdays at work listen and practice hi

Sarah how should we celebrate birthdays

in in the office hi Mark maybe a small

celebration during break time should we

get a cake for each person yes and maybe

ask each person their preferred type of

cake good idea what about gifts a simple

thoughtful gift from the team would be

nice I'll organize a collection for

gifts decorations just a few balloons or

streamers to keep it festive but not

overdone I'll keep it simple should we

make it a surprise yes surprises always

make it more special I think so too what

about singing Happy Birthday definitely

it's a nice touch I'll coordinate with

the team thanks for the ideas Sarah

you're welcome birthdays are a great way

to build team

spirit lesson 29 sharing productivity

tips listen and

practice hi Emily I'm trying to be more

productive any tips hi Tom have you

tried the Pomodoro Technique No what's

that it's working in focused intervals

usually 25 minutes then taking a short

break sounds interesting I'll try it

what about managing tasks prioritize

your tasks daily and tackle the most

important ones first I'll start doing

that any suggestions for email

management check your email at specific

times not constantly that's a good idea

and meetings keep them short and to the

point I've noticed long meetings can be

unproductive any tools you recommend

task management software can help keep

track of everything I'll look into those

thanks for the advice Emily you're

welcome finding what works for you is

key lesson 30 embracing company

culture listen and

practice hi Laura I'm still adjusting to

the company culture any advice advice hi

Jason try to engage in company

activities and social events I've been a

bit hesitant are they important yes

they're great for understanding the

values and people in the company I'll

make an effort to join in what about

feedback culture be open to giving and

receiving constructive feedback I'll

keep that in mind how about dress code

observe what others wear but stay true

to your professional style got it what

if I have ideas to contri rute speak up

in meetings or discuss them with your

team I'm full of ideas collaboration

collaboration is key work closely with

your colleagues I'll try to collaborate

more thanks for the tips Laura you're

welcome embracing the culture makes work

more

enjoyable lesson 31 conversation in a

factory listen and

practice hi Jane how's the assembly Line

running today hi Tom it's running

smoothly no issues great did you update

the maintenance logs yes I did it first

thing this morning perfect are there

enough safety supplies we're a bit low

on gloves I'll order more good call any

updates on the machine calibration the

technician checked them yesterday all

good excellent how's the new staff

adapting they're doing well still

learning but catching on quickly that's

good to hear let's ensure they receive

proper training absolutely safety and

efficiency are our top priorities agreed

are the production targets for this week

on track yes we're even a bit ahead of

schedule impressive keep up the good

work Jane thanks Tom I'll keep you

posted on any

updates lesson 32 job

interview listen and practice

practice good morning Sarah I'm David

the hiring manager good morning David

it's nice to meet you nice to meet you

too why are you interested in this role

I'm excited about the opportunity to

contribute my skills to your team what

relevant experience do you have I have

three years of experience in marketing

which aligns with this role that's great

how do you handle tight deadlines I

prioritize tasks and stay organized to

meet headlines efficiently good approach

how do you work in a team I believe in

open communication and

collaboration those are important here

what's your biggest strength my

adaptability I thrive in Dynamic

environments adaptable employees are

vital any questions for me yes what's

the team culture like here we value

collaboration and continuous learning

that sounds perfect for me thank you for

this

opportunity

lesson 33

dismissal listen and

practice hi Emily we need to talk about

your performance hi Mark I understand

let's discuss it unfortunately it hasn't

met our

expectations I've been trying to improve

can I get another chance we've given

several warnings and haven't seen enough

progress I realized that is there

anything I can do at this point we have

to let you go that's disappointing

what's the next step we'll provide a

severance package and assistance in job

searching I appreciate that how long do

I have your employment ends today but we

support you for the next month thank you

for the support I'll gather my things we

wish you the best in your future

endeavors thanks Mark I've learned a lot

here lesson 34 restructuring

listen and

practice hi Lisa we need to discuss the

company's restructuring hi John yes I

heard about the changes it's a tough

decision but necessary for our growth

how will it affect our department we

have to reduce our team by 10% that's

unfortunate how will we decide we're

evaluating based on performance and

skills it's going to be a difficult time

for everyone we understand and will

support those affected what kind of

support will be offered job search

assistance and Severance packages that's

good to hear we need to handle this

sensitively absolutely we'll communicate

clearly and compassionately it's

important to maintain morale during this

time lesson 35 end of the

day listen and

practice hi Karen it's almost the end of

the day how did it go hi Mike it was

productive thanks and yours busy but I

managed to finish the report that's

great any plans after work I might hit

the gym how about you I'll probably

relax at home tonight sounds like a good

plan do you need any help before leaving

no I'm all set thanks for asking no

problem how's the project coming along

it's on track I'll have an update by

tomorrow

looking forward to it let's lock up the

office sure I'll turn off the lights

thanks Karen have a great evening you

too Mike see you

tomorrow