Define and realise your goals.
Improve your performance.
Build your confidence.
Discuss your plans and how to realise them.
Become more comfortable expressing your ideas.
General English tips :
Finish your sentence. Focus on maintaining communication with the other person. Use the simplest words possible to communicate your idea.
Speak slowly. In English, speaking slowly is a quality that is appreciated. It makes you seem intelligent and considerate. It gives you more time to formulate your phrase, and it gives me more time to interpret your accent.
State the conclusion first. You only have a 10-second window in which to catch and maintain the listener’s attention. The structure of English communication is to begin with the most important information, which can then be supported, if and as necessary. Presenting the conclusion first provides the context in which the subsequent information can be assessed. I need know the context before I can be interested in what you’re saying.
Volunteer information. Be open and honest, and offer information in addition to the strict necessary.
Copy the structure. Present information in the same form that everybody else does. It makes it easier for different sources of information to be compared and assessed.
Repeat the question. Repeating the question shows that you are answering it, and buys you more time to formulate your response. « Yes, I am the best person to undertake this project ». « Yes, my company meets all the requirements ».
Always on. English business culture is 24h/24h. Everything you do is constantly being watched and assessed, even more so in the modern world of pocket video cameras. It’s a protestant ethic well-evident in The Netherlands, where people live with their windows open to the street. Even if you’re going out for a drink with your boss, your colleagues or your clients, you’re still working.
« No » is the correct response if you agree with a negative statement. « It’s not raining outside? » « No, it’s not raining outside. » or « Yes it is raining, you’ll need an umbrella ». « It wasn’t what we were looking for? » « No, it wasn’t what we were looking for. »
Say « Yes ». Clear and direct answers, supported by facts.
Cultural differences: