Static (non-movement) Description

Sales stood at $1,400,000 in 1998.

Profits were $27,000 in 1999.

There was a loss of $21,000 in 2001.

***

Let's start with . . .

Let's start by . . .

The first item on the agenda is . . .

We need to discuss . . .

Let's look at item number one.

Let's move on to number two.

The next item on the agenda is . . .

What's next on the agenda?

Does anyone have any comments?

Any comments?

Are there any comments on that?

What do you think?

Good idea.

Good point.

Does everyone agree on that?

For Business Letters

1. Receiver (Who are you writing this to?)

Someone you know (friend, colleague, business partner, group, company)

Some one you don't know (To whom it may concern, Dear Sir/Madam)

How do you expect the receiver to respond?

2. Sender (Who are you?)

What is your relationship to the reader/receiver(s)?

What role are you assuming in the letter?

(friend, colleague, etc.)

3. Context (What background information does the reader need?)

Bring the reader up to date first.

Establish a connection

As requested . . .

It was nice meeting you in Toronto last week . . .

I read your article in Vague Magazine . .

Supporting details

Time frame (sequence of events)

4. Message (What do you want the reader to know or do?)

What do you hope to accomplish with the letter (inform, persuade, initiate action)

I am writing to inquire about . . .

Could you please send me . . .

Polite requests

Please . . .

Would you mind . . .

Could you please . . .

Would you be so kind as to . . .

5. Medium (What is the appropriate format?)

Fax, e-mail, formal business letter, memo, informal note

6. Tone (What tone do you wish to convey?)

informative

polite

business-like

friendly

humble

assertive

urgent

irate

7. Other recipients (Are there others who need to be informed of this communication?)

cc: courtesy copy

***

Pre-closing

It's been nice talking to you.

It's been great talking with you.

I really enjoyed meeting you.

It was nice meeting you, Mr. Brown.

I'm sorry, but I have to go now.

I'm afraid I have to leave now.

Thanks for the information/ the tour/ your time.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

Follow up

I'll give you a call.

I'll send you an e-mail.

I'll put a packet in the mail for you.

We'll send out that information right away.

I'll have my secretary schedule an appointment.

Could you send me a brochure/some more information?

Could I contact you by e-mail/at your office?

How do I get in touch with you?

How can I reach/contact you?

Closing

I look forward to seeing you again.

We'll see you on Friday.

See you next week.

Let me give you my business card.

Here's my e-mail/office number.

Let's keep in touch by e-mail.

We'll be in touch.

Call me if you have any questions.

E-mail me.

Beginning a presentation

It is common to greet the audience and introduce yourself when giving presentations:

Good morning,/afternoon/evening

I'm _________, the new Finance Manager.

My name is ________ and I represent _______

Let me take a minute to introduce myself.

Let me start by telling you a little about our company.

I've already met some of you, but for those I haven't , I'm ______

Introducing the topic

I'm here to talk about . . .

Today, I'd like to say a few words about . . .

I'm going to give you an overview of . . .

The main reason I'm here today is . . .

The focus of my remarks is . . .

I'd like to introduce . . .

Time consciousness

Thank you for your time

Thank you for taking the time to be here

I will probably take about . . . minutes

This should last only a few minutes

I hope to be finished by . . .

Showing organization

I've divided my topic into three sections/parts. They are . . .

This presentation can be divided into the following subtopics:

First, Second Third Finally

First of all Secondly Thirdly Last

The first point is . . . The next point is . . . Next, we come to . . . The final point is . . .

Sequencing

Let's move on to . . .

That brings us to . . .

Giving Reasons

This is why . . .

The main reason is . . .

Therefore,

So,

Generalizing

Generally,

Usually,

As a rule,

Most of the time,

In most cases,

Highlighting

Actually,

In fact,

As a matter of fact,

In particular

Particularly

Especially

Giving Examples

For example,

For instance,

Such as

Summarizing

To sum up

To summarize

In brief

Concluding

To conclude,

In conclusion,

Follow-up

Are/Were there any questions?

We have just a few minutes for questions

Standard Business Questions

There are a number of standard business questions used when making general inquires into the nature of a company. The following dialogue covers a number of standard business questions. The reference section then provides variations and related business questions for a number of the standard business questions used in the dialogue.

Business Reporter: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.
Manager: It's my pleasure

Business Reporter: Who do you work for?
Manager: I work for Springco.

Business Reporter: What does Springco do?
Manager: Springoco distributes health products throughout the United States.

Business Reporter: Where is the company based?
Manager: Springco is located in Vermont.

Business Reporter: How many people do you employ?
Manager: Currently, we have 450 people on staff.

Business Reporter: What's your annual revenue?
Manager: Our gross revenue is about $5.5. million this year.

Business Reporter: What type of distribution services do you provide?
Manager: We distribute to both wholesale and retail outlets.

Business Reporter: What sort of internet presence do you have?
Manager: We have a storefront, as well as an online forum.

Business Reporter: Is your company public?
Manager: No, we are a privately held company.

Business Reporter: What type of logistical structure do you have?
Manager: We ship from four regional warehouses.

Business Reporter: Where are your products manufactured?
Manager: Most of our products are manufactured abroad, but a number are also produced here in the United States.

Standard Business Questions

Who do you work for?

Variations:

Which company do you work for?
Where do you work?