IEN 312 ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS MEETINGSA.Warisa Suksomboon

Week 5

Networking in business• Networking is about interacting with people and engaging

them for mutual benefit.

• Networking is about building a relationship.

• Networking is about both receiving and giving information.

• It can help you establish a new business or grow an existing one. You can also use networking as a tool for finding investor, customers, staff, suppliers and business partners with minimal cost to your business.

Networking opportunities• Conferences and events• Business contacts• Industry associations• Networking groups

• SME businesses

• Online networking• LinkedIn and Facebook

• Personal contacts and social events

Planning your networking• Prioritising your time

• Think about what you hope to achieve. Consider who you want to meet and why, and think about what you have to offer

• Talking about your business• Think about what you want to say about your business. • Research the people and businesses you’d like to be introduced to.

• Business cards• Following up

• Follow up with people soon after you meet them.

• Develop a system• Create a database of contacts, including details of where you met

them and what they do. This can help you recognise new opportunities and develop your business relationship.

Introducing yourself• Your introduction should tell people who you are and it

should encourage people to be interested in speaking to you.

• When introducing yourself, apart from your name you should consider including:• your business, trade, role or industry• a brief description of your business• a 'memory hook' (quick, ear-catching phrase that people are likely

to remember)• a benefit statement of one particular product or service you offer.

Introducing yourself• Talk casually about yourself and ask other people about

themselves and their business. Be polite and avoid doing the ‘hard sell’.

• Shake hands confidently, and smile and look people in the eye when you talk to them.

• Be sensitive to cultural differences. What is acceptable, such as hand shaking, bowing, and relations between men and women, can vary in different cultures.

• Use a bit of humour can put people at ease, but remember that certain types of humour offend.

Cultural differences• Every culture has its own way of meeting people in

business for the first time. • In Brazil, an initial handshake is considered very important. There

is likely to be a great deal of small talk before the meeting properly starts, and the tone set here can be very be important in the relationship development cycle.

• In Russia, meetings are often very formal, structured and serious. Many Russian negotiators believe that a formal meeting is a serious affair and should be treated accordingly. Humour is rarely used in such serious situations.

• In China, formal exchanges of business cards are performed at the beginning of a first meeting. The respect you show the card equates with the respect you show the person.

Conversations• Manage your time effectively by moving around the room and

talking to as many different people as possible. • Break into a group conversation by smiling and say something

like “Do you mind if I join you?’• Prepare some conversation openers like “What type of

business are you in?”• Learn useful techniques to remember names like repeating a

person’s name back to them (Good to see you, Bob!)• Keep discussions non-political and avoid controversial

subjects and social and personal issues.• Be positive and professional. • Treat everyone equally. Speaking with everyone also offers

more opportunities.

Using your networks• You may be able to use your business networks to find:

• Staff• Suppliers• Customers• Business partner and investors• New locations to operate in• New opportunities • Information on current business trends in your industry• Information to help you benchmark your business

Opening a meeting• Whether you are holding the meeting or attending the

meeting it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. You should discuss things unrelated to the meeting, such as weather, family, or weekend plans.

Opening a meeting • Well, since everyone is here, we should get started. • Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today.• I think we’ll begin now. First I’d like to welcome you all.• Thank you all for coming at such short notice.• I really appreciate you all for attending today.• We have a lot to cover today, so we really should begin. • It think we can launch proceeding now.• Let’s get the ball rolling.• Let’s get this show on the road!• Let me introduce myself formally to everybody, I’m…• I’m chairing the meeting and my PA is taking the minutes• Does everyone have a copy of the agenda?

Attracting people’s attraction• Dear colleagues! Sorry to interrupt your fun, but could I

have your attention please?

• I think we’ll begin now. First I’d like to welcome you all and thank everyone for coming, especially at such short notice. I know you are all very busy and it’s difficult to take time away from your daily tasks for meetings.

Roll Call / Apologies• If the meeting is a small group, it is probably unnecessary to

take attendance out loud. The person who is taking the minutes will know everyone personally and can indicate who is present and who is absent. In a larger meeting, it may be necessary to send around an attendance sheet.

• It looks like everyone is here today.• If you notice anyone missing, please let Jane know so that she

can make a note of it.• Unfortunately, Ken cannot join us today. He has been called

away on business.• Tony had a sporting accident last week, so he’s in hospital.• Lisa couldn’t make the trip. She’s snowed under with the

quarterly sales figures.

Listen to how Bernie continues his introduction and answer the following questions.

• Why isn’t Renate Bromma at the meeting?

• What role does Bernie’s PA have in the meeting?

• What sort of lunch are they having?

• What are they doing immediately after the meeting?

She is snowed under with the quarterly sales figures.

She is going to take the minutes.

They are having a very short buffet lunch – just half an hour.

They are doing a tour of the factory and warehouse.

Asking participants to introduce themselves

• Why don’t you introduce yourself to everyone.• Tell us a bit about yourself.• Could you tell us all who you are and say something

about yourself?

Introducing yourself• I’m the business development manager.• I’ve been with Intel since 2002.• I’ve worked for the company for four years.• I’m based in the Bangkok office.• I work at our Silom branch.

Introducing yourself at a meeting• I was born in…• I went to school in…and after school I studies…• I got a degree in…• I worked for a year as a… in…• My first job was as a…• Two years ago, I got a job as a…• About five years ago I joined…• Last year I was offered a job as…• I started my current job… months ago.• I’ve been working for/at… for three years.

Practice 1• Make note about yourself. Include something about your

education, your first job and what you are currently doing.• Where were you born?

• I was born in….

• Where did you go to school?• I went to school in…

• Where and what di you study?• I studied…

• What was your first job?• My first job was as…

• What is your current job?• I’m…

• When did you join your present company?• I started my current job…

Practice 2• Introduce yourselves to each other, without looking your

notes if possible.