18- Business English

** Well Larissa , this is our first Business English Lesson. As we have agreeded , every other class we will study Business English. As far as I'm concerned it's almost impossible to talk about Business without talking about time. There is an important saying in English everybody knows : Time is money. To get money you need to deal with your time. For this reason in this lesson we will learn some business idioms with regard to time. Ready?

Time Idioms

There are a lot of idioms talking about time as if it were money.



You can spend time.


** I spent 3 hours doing that.

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You can waste time.


** I wasted an hour waiting for her.

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Time can be a waste.


** It's not worth going. The whole exhibition is a waste of time.

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You can value time.


** I value every minute I get to spend with my baby.

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You can run out of time.


** I didn't get the project finished as I would have liked. I ran out of time.


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You can spare time.


** Can you spare me a few minutes?

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Time can be precious.


** I travel a lot so the time I spend at home is very precious to me.

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You can afford time.


** We can't afford to spend any more time on this. We have a lot to cover today.


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You can save time.


I've already dug out the old files to save time today.


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You can be short of time.


** We're short of the time we need to do a good job on this.


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You can have plenty of time.



** We have plenty of time to worry about this later.


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How to Start Conversation with Anyone

** Being able to have a conversation with almost anyone will help propel your career. A great skill to have at business dinners or at work functions, the ability to have a conversation with others is one your boss will notice and reward.



* Step 0ne


Small talk: Ask personal questions but not too personal.

Sure, starting conversation with a stranger can seem scary. But people love to talk about themselves! Sure, we all seem shy for the first few minutes, but once you find a topic someone's passionate about, they'll talk forever. Especially if they think the listener is really interested. So feel free to ask someone about their kids or career.

* Step two

Do not have conversations about potentially aggressive topics.

Topics reserved for conversations with only people you know very well include politics, human rights, poverty and whatever your mother-in-law told you last night. You want to make the other person feel comfortable, not like they're starting an argument with a stranger. Especially if you're in a workplace setting, starting an aggressive conversation with someone can tank your career reputation. Stick to the light stuff like family, travel, hobbies and sports.

* Step three


Don't criticize.

Dale Carnegie once said, "Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do." Even if you think otherwise, compliment the person you are speaking with during your conversation, and don't correct them if you don't have to. People will be more likely to enjoy your company and want to be around you if you don't criticize.

Another reason to choose being empowering over criticizing? It puts people in awe and respect of you. Best-selling author Barbara Colorose once said, "The beauty of empowering others is that your own power is not diminished in the process." It's true. Even if you don't agree with someone on every topic, find something to compliment them on. They'll feel good about themselves, and it will make them feel good about you.

If you absolutely must argue something during your conversation, argue the point and not the person. For example, if you are speaking to someone who holds Labor Party beliefs and you want to criticize the President Lula, don't criticize the Labor Party because the person you're speaking to identifies with that group. By criticizing the PT, you'd be insulting the person you're speaking with.

Step four

If someone tells you their name, remember it.

Most people don't remember names, for the simple reason that they don't take the time and energy necessary to concentrate and repeat and fix names indelibly in their minds. They make excuses for themselves; they are too busy.

When you remember someone's name and repeat it back to them in conversation ("That's a great point, J."), they remember. They remember that moment and they remember you in a positive light. Not remembering a name isn't detrimental to your career, but remembering a name can propel you forward fast.