Business Meetings

*Activity #1: Match the vocabulary with its definition

1. Absent ( ) A. To close a meeting

2. To Accomplish ( ) B. To assign roles or tasks to certain people
3. To Address ( ) C. To deal with; speak about
4. To Adjourn ( ) D. Not present
5. Agenda ( ) E. Thinking to gather ideas
6. To Allocate ( ) F. List of objectives to cover in a meeting
7. Brainstorm ( ) G. To succeed in doing something
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8. To Collaborate ( ) A. To begin
9. To Commence ( ) B. Private; not to be shared
10. To Comment ( ) C. To assign
11. Confidential ( ) D. To work together as a pair or group
12. Deadline ( ) E. To make something happen; follow through
13. To Designate ( ) F. To express one’s opinion or thoughts
14. To Implement ( ) G. Due date for completion
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15. Mandatory ( ) A. Goals to accomplish
16. Minutes ( ) B. On time; not late
17. Objectives ( ) C. Required
18. Punctual ( ) D. To finish
19. To Recommend ( ) E. Raised hands to express an opinion in a vote
20. Show of hands ( ) F. Plan to make something work
21. Strategy ( ) G. A written record or everything said at a meeting
22. To Wrap up ( ) H. To suggest

*Activity #2: The phrases below are helpful phrases that you may use. Read the phrases
and add some of your own ideas.
*Opening the meeting:
1. Good morning/afternoon everyone.
2. If we are all here, let’s begin.
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Welcoming and introducing participants:
1. Please join me in welcoming (name of participant)
2. It’s a pleasure to welcome (name of participant)
3. I’d like to introduce (name of participant)
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
* Stating the principal objectives of a meeting:
1. We’re here today to…
2. Our aim is to…
3. I’ve called this meeting in order to…
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Giving apologies for someone who is absent:
1. I’m afraid (name of participant) can’t be with us today. He/She is…
2. (name of participant) would like to apologize for being absent.
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Reading the minutes of the last meeting:
1. First, let’s go over the report from the last meeting which was held on (date).
2. Here are the minutes from our last meeting.
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Dealing with recent developments:
1. Jack, could you tell us how the XYZ project is progressing?
2. Jack, how is the XYZ project coming along?
3. Has everyone received a copy of the report on current marketing trends?
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Moving forward:
1. So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let’s move on.
2. Shall we get down to business?
3. Is there any other business we need to discuss before we begin this meeting?
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Introducing the agenda:
1. Have you all received a copy of the agenda?
2. There are three items on the agenda. First…
3. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go in order.
4. If you don’t mind, I’d like to skip item one and move on to item two.
5. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Agreeing on the ground rules for the meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.)
1. We will hear a short report on each point, followed by a discussion.
2. The meeting is due to finish at…
3. We’ll have to keep each item to ten minutes. Otherwise, we’ll never get through.
4. ____________________________________________________________________________

*Allocating roles:
1. (name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes.
2. (name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on this matter.
3. (name of participant) will lead point one. (name of participant) will lead point two…
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Introducing the first item on the agenda:
1. So, let’s start with…
2. Shall we start with…
3. So, the first item on the agenda is…
4. Pete, would you like to start.
5. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Closing an item:
1. Shall we finish this topic and move on?
2. If nobody has anything else to add, we can continue.
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Next item:
1. Let’s move onto the next item.
2. The next topic on the agenda is…
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Giving control to the next participant:
1. I’d like to let Mark, who is going to lead the next topic, speak.
2. Right, Megan, over to you.
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Summarizing:
1. Before we close, let me just summarize the main points.
2. To sum it up…
3. In brief…
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Finishing up:
1. Right, it looks as though we’ve covered the main items.
2. Is there any other business we need to talk about?
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Suggesting and agreeing on a time, date, place, etc. for the next meeting:
1. Can we schedule the next meeting, please?
2. So, the next meeting will be on (date).
3. ____________________________________________________________________________

*Thanking participants for attending:

1. Thank you all for attending.
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
*Closing the meeting:
1. The meeting is now adjourned.
2. ____________________________________________________________________________

*Activity #3: Read the following meeting dialogue

Meeting Chairman: If we are all here, let's get started. First of all, I'd like you to please join me
in welcoming Jack Peterson, our Southwest Area Sales Vice President.
Jack Peterson: Thank you for having me, I look forward to today's meeting.
Margaret Simmons: May I also introduce my assistant, Bob Hamp.
Meeting Chairman: Welcome Bob. I'm afraid our national sales director, Anne Trusting, can't
be with us today. She is in Tokyo at the moment. Ok, we’re here today to discuss ways of
improving sales. First, let's go over the report from the last meeting. Tom?
Tom Robbins: Thank you Mark. Let me just summarize the main points. We began the meeting
by approving the changes in our sales reporting system. After briefly revising the changes that
will take place, we did a brainstorming session concerning customer support improvements.
Meeting Chairman: Thank you Tom. So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let's move
on to today's agenda. Have you all received a copy of today's agenda? If you don't mind, I'd like
to skip item 1 and move on to item 2: Sales improvement in rural market areas. Jack has kindly
agreed to give us a report on this matter. Jack?
Jack Peterson: Before I begin the report, I'd like to get some ideas from you all. How do you
feel about rural sales in our sales districts?
John Ruting: In my opinion, we have been focusing too much on rural customers and their
needs.
Alice Linnes: I'm afraid I can't agree with you. I think rural customers want to feel as important
as our customers living in cities. I suggest we give our rural sales teams more help.
John Ruting: I don't quite follow you. What exactly do you mean?
Alice Linnes: Well, we provide our city sales staff with database information on all of our larger
clients. We should be providing the same sort of knowledge on our rural customers.
Jack Peterson: Would you like to add anything, Jennifer?
Jennifer Miles: I must admit I never thought about that before. I have to agree with Alice.
John Ruting: I suggest we break up into groups and discuss some ideas.
Meeting Chairman: Unfortunately, we're running short of time. We'll have to leave that to
another time.
Jack Peterson: Before we close, let me just summarize the main points: 1. Rural customers need
special help to feel more valued. 2. Our sales teams need more accurate information on our
customers. 3. A survey will be completed to collect data on spending habits in these areas. 4. The
results of this survey will be delivered to our sales teams
Meeting Chairman: Thank you very much Jack. Right, it looks as though we've covered the
main items. Is there any other business?
Donald Peters: Can we schedule the next meeting, please?
Meeting Chairman: Good idea Donald. How does Friday in two weeks sound to everyone?
Let's meet at the same time, 9 o'clock. Is that OK with everyone?

*Activity #4: Speaking

Have a conversation with your teacher… How often do you have meetings? Do you participate?
Are your meetings in English? What makes meetings difficult? How can you participate more?