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This is a Business English bonus episode.
Two factors that affect your Business English tone.
Welcome to the Business English podcast from All Ears English.
Get the English skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business.
For a presentation, a meeting, or your office party, this is Real Business English with your favorite American hosts, Lindsay and Michelle, coming to you from New York City and Colorado, USA.
Hello, Aubrey. How's everything going today?
Welcome to Business English. Good to have you on the show.
I know. So fun. How are you, Lindsay? I know.
I'm doing great. I'm doing great. And business is always a fascinating topic.
You know what I mean? I'm always sort of consuming news about business.
You know, the big news this week is that Tesla lowered their prices.
Did you hear that? Did you hear about that?
I did. And it was interesting because some people were really up in arms because they had just purchased a Tesla.
Right. And then they immediately dropped the price and they didn't get to take advantage of that.
I can understand the frustration there. Yeah.
I think the market is really shocked by that move by Tesla.
I think they're really like, what's going on?
Why are they doing this? Does this have to do with tax credits?
What has happened? Are they repositioning themselves in the market?
Because they were the leader in electric vehicles for so long.
I actually drive a Tesla and it's been really fascinating to kind of follow the news and see the price differences and there, there are some sort of hidden costs because you have to be able to charge it of course.
And then you need, you know, to install a charger at your home.
There are so many things you don't think about.
I actually almost killed someone the other day because they just, the car is so silent and they stepped right in front of me in a parking lot.
Luckily I was going very slowly. It's so interesting.
The things you don't think about until you're driving a fully electric vehicle.
Interesting. Okay. I'll have to ask you more about that later, but that's crazy.
So that's kind of a matter of not reading the room so much, right?
A little bit. We're talking about reading the room today, knowing the proper tone to use.
And the interesting thing when it comes to something like this conversation, I can imagine, I think about my daughter who can't afford a good car, right?
Yes. So I would have a very different conversation with her if we're talking about, you know, vehicles because she's just going to get annoyed if I'm complaining about a Tesla, right?
So it matters who your audience is, right?
You're not going because you're always thinking as human beings, we're always thinking about kind of the feelings of the others or how something will be received by the other person.
That's connection. Definitely. That is connection.
We change our tone. We change our vocabulary.
We change the topic sometimes. depending on what we know about the person we're speaking to.
It's vital in order to really create good connections.
I love it. I love it. And guys, this is something that's come up in surveys that we've noticed in your questions.
We know this is something that you guys struggle with, right?
And what is that exactly, Aubrey, for our listeners in the business world?
What are they struggling with? How to change the tone for different occasions, right?
Yeah. specifically for certain scenarios.
Like today, we're going to talk about when sharing ideas with colleagues, with team members, how do you know what tone to use, right?
Right. There are so many things to take into account.
So in today's episode, we're going to give you guys two main things to think about, right, Aubrey?
And we're going to simplify it. I love that there's just two.
Yes. I write only two things. This is easy.
We can do this. We can do this. But before we get into it, I want to make sure our listeners, especially on Business English Podcast, know about our new bundle that's only available until February 7th.
Aubrey, what is this offer all about, this special online course offer?
So we are sharing our business English course and bundled with our social English online course, plus a very special bonus package here.
And it's the great thing is you guys can save $100 until February 7th.
So that is a huge savings. Oh my gosh. And I think one of the things our listeners or students in business English, the business English online course love the most is the interviews we did with real native speakers.
25 of them. That's one of the core pieces of the course, guys.
You get to witness video interviews we've done with people in all different industries, Silicon Valley, healthcare, sales, marketing, all these different places that they come from.
But you get to watch these native speakers speak and pull out pieces of advice and parts of the conversation.
Right. Absolutely. This really sets us apart because this is how natives actually speak at work.
Right. These are leaders in industry. And when you see these interviews, you're going to see what we mean.
Like this is how we actually talk at work every day, sometimes more informally than you would expect.
But you're getting lots of great vocabulary and lots of great examples of how we actually speak in business English.
Yeah, that's really the one thing that I keep hearing from our students who are in there now.
They keep saying it's so unique. You really can't find it anywhere else the way we put together this course.
So guys, go to allearsenglish.com slash social at work.
That's one word. Bring it all together slash social at work and get into that course before February 7th to save $100.
So good. And it's really interesting to think about how this social aspect is really what can be difficult about business English.
You may have the vocabulary to run a meeting, but then you find yourself really shy when you just need to make small talk to build those social connections.
This is very vital, too. those are the connections that matter.
As we said on All Ears English podcast a few weeks ago, you know, we need to spend that time, the off time building those relationships because we're going to have to rely on those.
You're not just working by yourself at work.
You're always working in partnership with or in groups and you need help from people, right?
Exactly right. Your network is invaluable.
The people you can rely on, the people you can help and then in turn can help you.
This is so key. Okay, so what are those two key factors, Aubrey?
Let's just give it to our listeners right now.
What are they? And then let's build it out in different scenarios.
Yeah, let's do it. So first, you have to consider the setting, right?
The situation, the scenario. Where are you?
And that is going to help you know how formal your conversation will be.
Hmm. Okay. The setting, it's all about the setting.
So meaning what kind of setting could be an example?
For example, you know, a meeting and even just within a meeting, is it before the meeting has started or is it during the meeting, right?
Is it in a break room or is it at a conference, right?
There are all these different settings, some of which will be quite informal and others, there's a definite shift to where now we're in a situation and interview, a meeting, a presentation where everyone will be speaking much more formally.
Ooh, isn't it interesting that the setting completely changes in the minutes before the meeting is starting and the actual meeting?
I love that. So cool. Yes. And the second one, number two, guys, is the relationship.
So what is the relationship that you have with this person at work?
Did you just meet them? Are they an intern?
Are they new? Are they your boss? Right.
What are some other possibilities? Exactly right.
If they're a client, if they are a prospective employer, right.
Depending on that relationship, how long you've known them and how, um, I guess serious the relationship is.
Right. And how the, there is a bit of a level of, um, authority, right?
Where we're more formal when we're speaking to someone above us in a hierarchy.
Yes, for sure. And then it's also different when we're speaking to clients.
For example, we're taking a client out for dinner, right?
That happens too. And how is that different from talking to your co-workers at the office?
So what are we going to do now, Aubrey, to build this out in our listeners' minds?
Yes. We are going to share three different scenarios and we will give you that information, what you need to think about the setting and the relationship.
And then we'll give you phrases that you would use.
We're going to talk about how informal, how informally would you need to speak in this, with this setting, this relationship, and we'll give you some example phrases.
I'm excited. What's the first scenario? Where are we starting here?
First scenario, your setting is waiting for a business meeting to start.
So in the conference room, let's say, but the meeting has not started yet.
And the relationship is a coworker is sitting next to you that you know very well.
What do you think, Lindsay? How formally are we going to speak?
This is one of the most informal situations because the meeting hasn't started yet.
Probably the person leading the meeting is not in the room yet.
And you're not on stage. No one's really listening.
It's just you whispering to the person next to you, almost like a friend.
Exactly, right? You will be as informal as if you were both in a cafe or a coffee shop grabbing a coffee, maybe at happy hour.
You will not speak more formally just because you're sitting in a conference room.
The setting is still actually very informal.
I love it. So what would be something we might say then to start that conversation?
And of course, there's the small talk. You guys might just chat, but let's imagine...
We're talking here specifically about sharing ideas with team members.
And this is where we know, okay, I'm going to ask, I want to share an idea.
Do I now need to speak formally? Or because it's an informal situation, can I speak quite informally?
That's the trick. And having the vocabulary to do it, knowing which vocabulary words are informal.
So here's an example, right, of how we might start, right?
So, hey, can I run an idea by you sometime?
Exactly, right? Very informally, even though, you know, you're at work, you're talking about work things, this is still really informal to say, hey, can I?
And then use this idiom to run an idea by someone.
Yeah, the informal pieces here, as you said, Aubrey, can is more informal than even than could or would it be possible and run something by someone.
Very informal. Exactly. Yes, these are quite informal with these phrases, very native and natural.
Or here's a second one we can share. Can I bounce an idea off you?
Can I bounce an idea off you? So this idea of bouncing almost like a ball off someone's head, bouncing an idea off someone. is very informal but i use it all the time do you use this one lindsay sure yeah yeah i like this one i like it uh it's the idea of sitting in a brainstorming room and just sort of back and forth it's not like we're committing to ideas we're just throwing things out there Exactly right.
Very informal. Perfect for this setting, for this relationship.
And then we're going to share two more scenarios so you can sort of see the difference in a more formal setting.
The exact same idea, right? You're still wanting to share with a colleague that you would like to share an idea with them.
But the vocabulary, the tone will be very different if it's a different setting and a different relationship.
And it sounds like between these three examples, we're kind of climbing up the ladder of formality.
Is that right? We're going from very informal at the bottom to more formal at the top.
Is that right? Exactly. Yes. The second scenario is you would almost say semi-formal, but still a little bit formal, right?
So for number two, the setting is, again, waiting for a business meeting to start, but the relationship is different.
You're now speaking to a new colleague that you do not know well, but with the same goal of wanting to share an idea.
Yeah, so maybe it's the person's first few weeks at work and we're always a little more formal in the beginning, right?
Until we really know the person behind the position.
So something we might say is, I have an idea I'd like to discuss with you when you have time.
So what pieces of this are more formal? Like let's break apart the sentence.
Yeah. So to first just say, I have an idea I'd like to discuss with you.
This is quite formal vocabulary, that verb discuss instead of run an idea by you or bounce an idea off you.
Imagine someone you don't know very well.
If just out of the blue, you say, can I bounce an idea off you?
It would be very strange, much too informal.
Way too informal. And so I think I'd like is quite formal, right?
As you said, and discuss is formal. And then this idea of when you have time, I think that's kind of formal too.
I agree, right? Being very respectful of their time is a more informal.
We don't feel the need to say this when we know someone very well.
We have that relationship where it's like, you know me, this is implied.
If you don't have time, you'll let me know.
Whereas if we don't know someone as well, The relationship isn't there yet.
This is a great phrase to use to show them you're respecting their time.
I love it. So good. All right, let's move on to number three, the third scenario, the most formal of all of them.
Yeah. Yes. So the setting here is during a business meeting.
So now the meeting has started. A presenter is officially presenting information.
Okay. And the relationship is you are speaking to either the presenter or We're to everyone present, right?
You're not whispering something to someone next to you that you know very well.
This is very formal where you're addressing the entire room.
And I know this is something for our listeners that you guys might struggle with, right?
How do we get the courage up to speak up in that group?
I'm imagining 20 people around a table and someone's presenting right in front of the table, right?
Having the courage, part of it is knowing that you're using the right words in the right tone.
Absolutely, right? If you have some expertise here, you have something vital to share that, and it's timely, right?
It's important to share it now. If we wait until the end, it's going to be awkward and cumbersome to come back.
You need to have these phrases to be able to interrupt, to be able to add some information here.
Yeah. So what is that phrase that we would say?
One more time. So this will be very formal, right?
Like you said, Lindsay, it's one of the most formal scenarios.
You could say, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but can I interject something here?
I love that verb interject. It's so high level.
It's so impressive. And then all of this, like just to say, I'm so sorry to interrupt. is so respectful, is so formal, and is really a good way to interrupt a meeting when you have something vital to share.
Yeah. And I think saying so sorry makes it even more formal, right?
I'm sorry to interrupt it also be formal, but so sorry makes it even more emphatic and more formal, I think.
Yes, I agree, right? It's so fascinating how just adding that word so makes such a difference, right?
I'm so sorry. It feels more genuine. Like you really do feel badly for interrupting their flow, but you're sharing that you have something really important.
So you're sorry, but you need to add here.
Yeah. And as you said, Aubrey, this million dollar word here, interject, very formal.
Anytime we're using kind of fancier, higher level words, it's perfect for that more formal situation, right?
That tone. Exactly. Yes, that's how you change the tone, right?
When we're using more formal, high-level, impressive vocabulary, it is creating that more formal tone.
So it's in our intonation, of course, but also in the vocabulary we choose.
I love it. I love it. This is so good. So here in this episode, Aubrey, we've gone from scenario one, the most informal, to two, and then up to the most formal, where we're literally speaking up during a presentation and everyone's head is going to turn to us, including our manager, our boss, and all the colleagues that we respect.
Yes. And it is so interesting to look at how different the phrases are that we shared, right?
It would be very strange, these more formal phrases, to use them in the more informal scenarios and vice versa.
It's so important. The tone that you use to be very natural and to make everyone you're speaking to feel comfortable.
It's so true. When I think about taking the words from scenario one and put, sorry, three and putting them into scenario one, I have to laugh because it's just completely, I know.
Imagine someone, you know, very well at work and you're sitting, the meeting hasn't stopped.
I'm so sorry to interrupt. Maybe they're on their phone.
Sorry to interrupt. That would immediately.
Well, it would probably cause a person to laugh at you.
Probably. Maybe do it to be silly and funny.
Yeah. But, you know, we don't want you guys to end up in a place where you're unknowingly doing this.
You're unknowingly creating. creating distance between you and your coworkers because it's all about connection.
Success at work is connection. And that's really what's distinct about our Business English course, you know, interviewing the native speakers on video and then teaching you guys informal, formal, and semi-formal English is what's in that course.
Exactly. We specifically share the vocabulary and how you can do this correctly in our course, because this is so vital for our new business world, the tone we're setting.
It's often more informal than you would expect at work.
Tone is huge. What's the takeaway for our listeners?
I mean, that really is it, right? Tone creates connection, which creates success and feeling good at work.
Absolutely. And this is one of the most difficult things to do for a language learner is In business English, right?
We get questions about this all the time, how to know how informal to be, what phrases can we use?
So this is vital. Today's phrases will really help you when you have an idea, something important to share.
Right. Right. Exactly. But remember, guys, today is just a taste, right?
What you really need is a study plan, a schedule.
You need to commit to specific lessons. And we tell you exactly what to do each day in this course.
So get our online course bundle, allersenglish.com slash social at work.
Awesome. Yes, guys, before February 7th, so you can save $100.
Go to allersenglish.com slash social at work.
All right, Aubrey, thanks for hanging out on Business English Podcast.
Great to talk to you today. You too, Lindsay.
See you next time. Take care. Bye. Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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