As you know – business meetings can be difficult. Everyone has an idea and wants to share their thoughts. Some people speak louder than others and tend to always get to speak.
What’s more – if you are a non-native speaker, attending a business meeting in English can be an even bigger challenge.
You might feel like you sound funny in English.
Perhaps you speak softer in English than you do in your native language.
Maybe you don’t know the words to politely interrupt?
I wanted to share some quick tips and vocabulary that you can use in your next business meeting in English to be confident, and get your ideas heard.
If you want to skip straight to the vocabulary, just skip to the bottom of this article.
But before that, I would also like to share with you 3 mindset tips (ways to change the way you think about yourself), that might help you in business meetings generally, and of course in English.
- Have Confidence in Yourself and your Value
Here’s the thing- chances are, you’ve been invited to the meeting because you have something valuable to offer. You’re wanted and valued – so be confident in that! You’ll likely have expert knowledge or skills related to the topic being discussed. And hey, even if you aren’t an expert, perhaps your manager thinks that it’s a good learning opportunity for you, and they’re interested to see how you perform in this new situation. So the very fact that you are in the meeting means you are highly valuable. - Keep It Short, With No Apology
Don’t preface your contribution with an apology. But at the same time, be respectful of other people’s time, and keep it short. Start and end your contribution with conviction. Avoid starting off with phrases like: “I’m sorry, but…” This will immediately weaken your position. Start strongly but politely with, “I’d like to say…” or “Can I just add…?”
Once you’ve said what you want to say, simply finish speaking. These days if you’re on a virtual call, like Zoom, Skype, or Teams – close with, “Over to you, Jimmy.” People will appreciate your efficient delivery.
- Prepare to speak
Speaking up at meetings is a skill and there is no reason to be embarrassed or to feel shame in practicing ahead of time. Find a group outside of work where you can practice speaking in English or even simulating language or conversations around English. If you don’t have a community in English – you can create your own group with friends and colleagues. (P.S. – If you are looking for 1:1 effective coaching to help you improve your performance in Business English specifically – be sure to check out my customized English coaching on my website: www.danielleiwata.com)
Great! Now that we’ve discussed these mindset tips, I’d like to share with you 5 specific phrases you can use in English to get heard and to share your idea.
- I’d like to share something
This is a great phrase that you can use when you are starting a topic or conversation. You can usually use it when you are starting, or someone is asking your opinion.
Example:
I’d like to share something I learned since working from home due to the pandemic.
or
I’d like to share a strategy that our team in Rio de Janeiro uses.
- Can I say something?
Example:
This is a great phrase that you can use to politely interrupt or request to share your idea.
Hi Bob, can I say something here? ….(and then proceed with your idea)
That’s a great point – can I say something here? - Could I add something?
Again – this is an incredibly polite way to interrupt someone who is already speaking if you have an idea that has to do with exactly what they are talking about.
Example:
You know, speaking about the last quarter’s sales – could I add something here?
Could I add something, Sally? The sales team just had a meeting talking about their liaison with the South American cluster.
- If I could just jump in here…
Polish up your English using this phrasal verb: jump in. Of course, not literally “jumping”, but meaning that you are interrupting someone.
Example:
If I could just jump in here, there is an important point to consider before we discuss the sales strategy. - I’d like to interject something here…
This is one of my favorites. This is a polished, highly elegant way to interrupt someone. The verb interject means: say (something) abruptly, especially as an aside or interruption.
So if you’d like to interject someone….it’s a fancy way to say…interrupt😉
Example:
While that is an interesting thought – I’d like to interject something here (….and then proceed with your idea)
I’d like to interject something here – John’s latest investigation really proved that most of our sales were trafficked from Google, not our website.
Now. Time for you to take action! In the comments below, write down your 1 example of how you would use these phrases to politely interrupt in your next business meeting!
Cheering for you!