Learn how introduce yourself in a business meeting
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| Becky: Introducing Yourself in an American Business Meeting. Becky here. |
| John: Hi, I'm John. |
| Becky: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to break the ice and actively introduce yourself in a business meeting. The conversation takes place at a trade fair. |
| John: It's between Linda and Paul Handerson. |
| Becky: The speakers are strangers, therefore, they will speak formal English. Okay, let's listen to the conversation. |
| DIALOGUE |
| Linda: Hello. I’m Linda Baker from Green &Blue. |
| Paul Handerson: Hi, pleased to meet you. I’m Paul Handerson. I'm the sales manager at Rainbow's. |
| Linda: Nice to meet you. Here’s my business card. |
| Paul Handerson: Thank you, here's mine. |
| Becky: Listen to the conversation one more time, slowly. |
| Linda: Hello. I’m Linda Baker from Green &Blue. |
| Paul Handerson: Hi, pleased to meet you. I’m Paul Handerson. I'm the sales manager at Rainbow's. |
| Linda: Nice to meet you. Here’s my business card. |
| Paul Handerson: Thank you, here's mine. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Becky: Do Americans use business cards when they first meet a potential business partner? |
| John: Although business cards aren't as large of a part of business culture in America as they are in other countries, they are still used. |
| Becky: What does a typical business card include? |
| John: A typical business card includes the employee's name, company name, and their contact details. Usually, these are contact details for work, such as a work email address or direct line, but sometimes they can include personal contact information depending on their job role. |
| Becky: As for the design, business cards are kept plain and professional, but will usually have the company logo on them. |
| John: More decorated and colorful business cards are becoming more popular, especially for businesses related to art, design, or media. |
| Becky: When do you usually exchange business cards? |
| John: Usually during the first meeting, after the first handshake. While handing it to the other person, you can say “Here is my business card.” |
| Becky: Is it okay to ask for someone’s business card? |
| John: Yes, if you meet someone new and need their contact details, you can ask if they have a business card or you can give them yours. |
| Becky: Okay, now onto the vocab. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Becky: Let’s take a look at the vocabulary from this lesson. The first word is... |
| John: hello [natural native speed] |
| Becky: used as a greeting |
| John: hello [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| John: hello [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next, we have... |
| John: to be pleased [natural native speed] |
| Becky: to be happy with something |
| John: to be pleased [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| John: to be pleased [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Then, we have... |
| John: sales manager [natural native speed] |
| Becky: the person in charge of a company's sales |
| John: sales manager [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| John: sales manager [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next up is... |
| John: business card [natural native speed] |
| Becky: a small company card that has one's name and contact information on it |
| John: business card [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| John: business card [natural native speed] |
| Becky: And lastly... |
| John: from [natural native speed] |
| Becky: indicates point of origin |
| John: from [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| John: from [natural native speed] |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| Becky: Let's have a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. The first word is... |
| John: hello |
| Becky: This word is used as a greeting. You can use it any time of the day. |
| John: Though it may sound casual, in America it's quite common, even for a first-time meeting, to be used in a business setting. For example you can say “Hello, sir, how may I help you?” |
| Becky: If you’re still not sure, when dealing with clients and customers, use “good morning,” “good afternoon,” or “good evening,” as they sound more formal. |
| Becky: Okay, what's the next word? |
| John: to be pleased |
| Becky: ...meaning "to be happy with something." |
| John: "Pleased" is an adjective, and it means "happy" and "satisfied." |
| Becky: You can use this adjective to show that you are happy about something. “Pleased” is more formal than "happy," but isn't so formal that it can't be used in more casual situations. |
| John: For example, you can say "I'm pleased that you could make the party." |
| Becky: There’s also the verb, "to please," which means to make someone else feel happy. |
| Becky: Okay, now onto the lesson focus. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Becky: In this lesson, you'll learn how to break the ice and actively introduce yourself in a business meeting. |
| John: When you introduce yourself in a business meeting, you give your name first and then add your company name as well. Usually, people give their full name and avoid any nicknames. |
| Becky: Let’s give some examples. |
| John: “My name is John Smith and I work for the ABC company.” |
| Becky: This sounds very polite and would be best in formal settings or when speaking to somebody who has no knowledge of you or your company. You can also use shorter sentences. |
| John: Right. For example “I’m John Smith from the ABC company” or even “John Smith, ABC company.” |
| Becky: The second one is more informal and quick and is best used in a situation where you meet many new people in a short period of time. |
| John: You may be in a situation where you have more time to talk. Other things you can include are your job title, the location of the branch or office you work at, and the number of years you’ve worked there. |
| Becky: For example “Hi, I’m John Smith from the ABC company. I’ve been an engineer at the LA branch for seven years.” |
| John: Sometimes you may be in a situation where deciding who introduces themselves first might be a little tricky. |
| Becky: Right, however, if the meeting is in an office, then the person whose office it is should go first. |
| John: If the meeting is in a neutral place and you know that the other person has a higher position in their company, then let them go first as well. |
| Becky: Finally, if you don’t know the other person’s position, then whoever says “hello” or makes eye contact first should take the initiative. |
| John: Okay, now let’s see some words for professions that can come in handy when making introductions in a business setting. |
| Becky: For example an “engineer” is a person who designs things, such as systems and materials, using scientific knowledge. |
| John: A “salesperson” is a person who sells goods to customers. |
| Becky: An “office worker” is a person who works in an office, usually doing computer-based tasks. |
| John: A “mechanic” is a person who fixes and maintains machines. |
| Becky: An “IT worker” is a person who works with information technology - computer information systems, hardware, and software. |
| John: Listeners, be sure to check out the lesson notes to learn more profession names! |
Outro |
| Becky: Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening, everyone, and we’ll see you next time! Bye! |
| John: See you! |
Comments
Hide