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• BEP 68c – English for Meetings: Dealing with Interruptions

  https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/BEP068c-Interruptions.mp3 Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s English for meetings lesson on how to deal with interruptions during a meeting. Meetings are a very important part of work life. They are where decisions are made, relationships are built, and work is coordinated. When meetings go smoothly, they can feel very productive. But meetings can easily become messy and unfocused. In many cases, people compete for time and attention during meetings. They interrupt each other to give new ideas, disagree, or try to get their way. Knowing how to deal with interruptions is a critical skill if you want to participate fully in a meeting. Interrupting people is easier if you learn some useful phrases. You can also learn language to help you stop an interruption and finish what you were saying. In some cases, you might need to concede someone else’s point, either partly or fully. When we concede a point, we are saying “okay, you’re right.” Sometimes that’s the key to moving on after an interruption. In today’s dialog, we’ll join a meeting at a manufacturing company. Bill is the production manager and Mei Lin and Sam work in HR. They are discussing staffing and recruiting for a new production line. Bill is keen to hire new staff, but Sam and Mei Lin want to explore alternative approaches so there’s a lot of disagreement and interrupting during the meeting. Listening Questions 1. What does Bill say is the purpose of the meeting? 2. What is one of the expressions Mei Lin uses to interrupt Bill when he’s speaking? 3. What does Bill say to get back to what he was trying to say after being interrupted? Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post BEP 68c – English for Meetings: Dealing with Interruptions first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

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• BEP 419 – English for Projects: Managing Conflict with Contractors 2

  https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/BEP419-Contractors-2.mp3 Welcome back to Business English Pod for the second part of our look at managing conflict with subcontractors. In this lesson we’re going to focus on dealing with scope creep, cost disputes and conflicting priorities. When things go sideways with contractors, it’s rarely because of one big mistake. It’s usually a thousand small disagreements that pile up. Different expectations, unclear goals, or shifting priorities can spoil what’s supposed to be a healthy collaboration. Learning to manage these conflicts will help you keep projects on track and maintain trust. When problems come up, smart project managers don’t avoid the hard conversations. Instead, they face things head-on. This requires good communication skills, and fortunately, these skills can be learned. Some of the things you might face are conflicts over the scope of a project or resources. And don’t be surprised if you disagree on money, or costs. Learning to face these issues directly is one thing. But you also need to learn the art of compromise and seek constructive solutions. In today’s dialog, we’ll join a telephone conversation between a project manager named Celia and a subcontractor named Raj. Celia works for a software development company that has hired Raj’s team to build a payment gateway module for a new banking app. Listening Questions 1. What piece of work do Celia and Raj disagree about, in terms of whether its part of the project scope? 2. What compromise does Celia suggest on the issue of costs? 3. At the end of the dialog, what solution does Celia state that she wants to see to prevent further problems? Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post BEP 419 – English for Projects: Managing Conflict with Contractors 2 first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

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• BEP 418 – English for Projects: Managing Conflict with Contractors 1

  https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/BEP418-Contractors-1.mp3 Welcome back to Business English Pod for the first in a two-part lesson on English for project management and dealing with subcontractors. In this lesson we’re going to look at how to manage conflict with an external contractor. Very few projects run perfectly smoothly. There are just too many variables involved to expect nothing to go wrong. One of the trickiest variables in any project is the people involved. And some of the trickiest people issues are conflicts with subcontractors or external vendors. Conflict with subcontractors is almost inevitable. Different companies have different goals, priorities, and communication styles. Project managers who know how to handle tension early can prevent escalation and maintain a productive working relationship. And this can keep everyone focused on results instead of resentment. Managing conflicts well requires a very tricky balance. You need to address issues and accountability head-on, while remaining diplomatic. You need to set expectations but steer away from too much blame. And it can be very helpful, as you do this, to reference documents to achieve clarity. In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a telephone conversation featuring a project manager named Celia at a software development company. Her company has outsourced the payment gateway module of a new banking app. Now she’s talking to Raj from the subcontractor about their first delivery, which doesn’t meet expectations. Listening Questions 1. What are the problems that Celia introduces directly near the start of the dialog? 2. What document does Celia refer to in order to clarify their agreement? 3. At the end of the dialog, Celia sets some clear expectations. What’s the timeline she expects for the actions she mentions? Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post BEP 418 – English for Projects: Managing Conflict with Contractors 1 first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

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• Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (2)

  https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.106-Persuasion-2.mp3 Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we continue our look at how to develop a persuasive approach in business. To be persuasive in business, you need more than facts and logic, and you must also connect emotionally. People make decisions with both their minds and their hearts, so showing warmth and friendliness helps make them more open to your ideas. You don’t need to be overly social; simply showing empathy and genuine interest in others is enough. Asking questions not only builds rapport but also gives you insight into what motivates people, allowing you to adapt your approach. Emotions play a key role in persuasion. You can appeal to fear (“sales may drop if we don’t act”), hope (“this plan will give us our weekends back”), or pride (“this will make us leaders in our field”). Another powerful emotion is belonging – people want to feel part of a group or shared vision. You can use this by framing your message around teamwork or industry trends (“the whole industry is moving this way”). A couple of useful techniques are contrasting and hyperbole. Contrasting means presenting two choices where one clearly supports your message. Adding hyperbole, or deliberate exaggeration, can also make your message more memorable (“this could be the most important decision in our company’s history”). Persuasion isn’t purely an exercise in logic. It’s not just people’s minds that you need to consider, but also their hearts. That’s why we try to make a connection with them emotionally, or personally. We try to learn about them so we can adapt our approach. We appeal to a broad range of their emotions. And we use techniques like contrast and hyperbole to ramp up the impact of our ideas. Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (2) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

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• Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (1)

  https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.105-Persuasion-1.mp3 Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to develop a persuasive approach in business. Persuasion is one of the most valuable skills in business, enabling professionals to influence decisions, gain support, and advance ideas. But effective persuasion is not about slick talk or manipulation – it relies on sincerity and well-chosen techniques. Sincerity is the foundation. People are persuaded when they believe you genuinely believe what you are saying. If your audience senses dishonesty or hidden motives, trust quickly erodes. To demonstrate sincerity, share how you came to believe in your idea. For example, acknowledge initial doubts and explain what changed your perspective. Transparency also plays a major role. If you stand to benefit personally, acknowledge it openly while emphasizing broader benefits. This honesty builds trust and credibility. Once sincerity is established, persuasion comes down to tailoring your approach to your audience. Logical thinkers respond to structured reasoning, such as outlining clear criteria for a plan. Others may be more influenced by authority or social proof, in which case citing respected figures or supporters can be effective. The key is to understand what motivates the people you are trying to influence. Beyond adapting to individual mindsets, several techniques are broadly effective. Repetition reinforces ideas and makes them more memorable. For example, emphasizing a chain of cause and effect – like lowering costs leading to stronger growth – creates impact. Rhetorical questions are another powerful tool, framing choices in a way that guides the audience toward your conclusion without directly telling them what to think. In short, successful persuasion blends sincerity with strategy. Believe in your message, be transparent about your motives, and then apply techniques that resonate with your audience. With this balance of trust and skill, you can significantly enhance your ability to persuade in business. Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (1) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

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