This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 605.
What's the vibe you're going for at work?
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,
Aubrey and Michelle coming to you from Arizona and New York City, USA.
Hello, Michelle.
How are you today?
Hi, Aubrey.
I am doing well.
Excited to record with you.
How are you?
I'm great.
I am curious.
What vibe do you think the All Ears English branding gives?
Hmm.
Good question
I think it gives like happy vibes
Um i think it like a little like because it's because it's so bright and yellow
Um i also think you know it's inspiring i mean as part of connection not perfection right that's our that's our motto um and yeah just full of friends
Happy all that bright yellow and our smiling faces
Yeah it's super happy and it's a fun vibe
Right we're going for fun vibes because we're fun fun
Yes exactly so
Actually i'm glad we're talking about this word vibes
This is a really um common word now
And we're going to answer a listener question using this word, about this word.
This is from Sasan.
So Sasan asked this question on YouTube.
Guys, you can ask questions on YouTube.
And I can read it for us.
Yeah, I understand.
Sasan says, hi, guys.
I noticed at five minutes and 48 seconds of the episode, you said, that's the vibe we are getting at here.
But as far as I know, or based on my language intuition, the right preposition will be in...
Or without any position, just that's the vibe we're getting here.
What do you think, Sasan?
Great question.
I love this question.
It's so interesting because Sasan is clearly...
Familiar with the vocabulary vibe, what vibe means, right?
But often this happens where one native speaker will use something with one preposition and then someone else will use something else.
Or you'll realize, oh, this word is used with multiple prepositions depending on what exactly is being said.
So this is such great observation of language.
I know a lot of you listeners out there notice this as well.
Like, why?
Why is it this preposition?
And then sometimes this one.
But it's impressive that you are at that level where you're noticing this.
Yeah, absolutely.
I love it.
So thank you for this question.
So we're going to share when each of these phrases work, along with other ways to talk about them.
Vibes at work.
So this is going to be a really fun episode.
So guys, make sure you hit the follow button wherever you're listening to the Business English Podcast.
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Absolutely.
Yes.
Vibes are so important at work, everyday life as well, but in work situations too, right?
It's that unspoken energy of a person, a group or situation.
And vibes can also be the energy that you're trying to convey, whether that's
In person at work meetings, or maybe online Zoom calls, right?
Maybe in a marketing campaign, a website.
Vibes are always really key.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah.
So really, vibes can be, you know, it's just like you said, it's that energy.
And for example, like a product packaging could feel elegant, right?
Or an advertisement can feel playful, or it could be about a person, right?
A manager could be approachable or not.
So much.
These are all vibes.
Exactly, right?
So let's talk about this phrase without prepositions at the end, right?
To say that's the vibe we are getting here.
When we use this, we're talking about the
You know, that energy, we can sense it through tone of voice, body language, maybe design choices, color, font, layout, style.
All of that gives us a certain vibe.
Right.
Okay.
So let's do a little role play to show how this might work.
Do you want to start?
Okay.
Yes.
Since it's a tea company, we tried to show the brand's warmth and coziness.
Well, you nailed it.
That's the vibe we're getting here.
Yeah, this means the audience picked up on the message, right?
If we nailed a vibe, it means whatever we were trying to give that feeling, we were successful.
And here, when we say we're getting here, right, that makes it specific.
So we're talking about something that's right in front of us.
Yes, but you can also drop the here to be more general.
So here's a quick role play that shows that.
How do you think the client felt?
They seemed hesitant.
Yeah, that's the vibe I'm getting too.
So here, the client might not be right here, but that's the vibe that we've been picking up on in general from, who knows, emails, in-person calls, we're getting a certain vibe.
Right, exactly.
So now let's talk about that first phrase the listener mentioned.
So that was, that's the vibe we're getting at here.
So what could you shorten it to?
Yeah, we could say, that's the vibe we're getting at here, right?
Oh, wait, is that what I just said?
No, you're dropping that.
So first, the first option is
That's the vibe that we're getting at here.
And then you can shorten it to that's the vibe we're getting at here.
We often drop that.
This is very common.
We should do a whole other episode about this because it's kind of hard to know sometimes when to drop that, when you can't.
It's pretty in general, guys, a good rule is you can usually drop that or keep it.
It doesn't really matter usually.
Yes, exactly.
So, but when we add at here, right?
So that's the vibe we're getting at here.
It means that's the vibe we are trying to convey.
So the message that we're trying to send.
So let's show how that sounds.
All right.
So are we positioning this as a premium or a more accessible product?
Premium.
That's the vibe we're getting at here.
Nice.
Or how would you describe the website's aesthetic?
It's a wellness company, so happy and healthy.
That's the vibe we're getting at here.
Nice.
Right.
So what we mean here is that's the vibe we're aiming for.
The vibe we're getting at here, this is the vibe we're trying to create.
Yes, exactly.
Okay, so Michelle, are there other ways to say this?
Yes, of course.
Of course there are.
So when we're aiming for a specific vibe or trying to convey a specific theme or message,
We definitely can say this in different ways.
So number one, let's teach this one is that's the vibe we're going for.
I like that.
That's like about your goal.
That's what you're hoping that people get from whatever you're putting out into the world.
Yeah.
And sometimes we'll even drive up the vibe and say, that's what I'm going for.
That's what we're going for.
And it's implied that what we mean is that's the vibe we're going for.
That's our aim.
That's our goal.
So here's a little role play with that one.
We want the website to feel calm and minimal.
Got it.
Okay.
That's the vibe we're going for.
Nice.
What you mean is that's what we're aiming for.
Yes.
Yeah, exactly.
Which happens to be our next one, but we'll get to that in a second.
Okay.
Or you can say, should the campaign feel bold or subtle?
Bold, but still elegant.
That's the vibe we're going for.
I use this all the time.
I hear it all the time.
This is very common to say the vibe we're going for, meaning the feeling that we're trying to hit.
Yes, exactly.
And then yeah, as Aubrey used this word aiming, so you could also say that's the vibe we're aiming for.
Same idea.
So what kind of brand identity do we want?
Something modern, but still approachable.
That's the vibe we're aiming for.
Yeah, it means the same thing.
Yeah.
Or should this feel more corporate or more casual?
Casual and creative, but still professional.
That's the vibe we're aiming for.
It's nice to have multiple ways to say this because this is so common, especially at work.
That you're talking about your goal with whatever you're doing, whether that's in marketing or the message that you're, you know, the verbiage you're using for a message.
We need lots of different ways to say this so we're not repeating the same phrase over and over because we talk about this so much at work.
Yeah, absolutely.
Or here's one more.
That's the vibe we're trying to get across.
Same idea.
Here's a role play.
Why did we choose these visuals?
We wanted to feel human and relatable.
That's the vibe we're trying to get across.
Yeah.
Nice.
Or do you think the message is clear to users?
Yeah, it feels simple and friendly.
I think that's the vibe we're trying to get across.
Yes.
Awesome.
I love this one too, to get across.
And we use this lots of different ways, not just with vibes, right?
That's the message I'm trying to get across.
That's the feeling I'm trying to get across.
You just mean that's my goal.
This is what I'm trying to make people feel.
Yeah or see or hear or understand
You're trying to convey something right exactly um all right so should we do a role play aubrey
Yes you and i work for a marketing company here we're developing the brand identity for a yoga clothing company
I'll start us out okay
Okay this is a rough draft but what are your first impressions of the home page
The soft colors and clean layout feel really calming.
That's the vibe I'm getting here.
Perfect.
That's exactly the vibe I'm going for.
But are you trying to go for a more modern angle or an earthy one?
I can't really tell from the website alone.
Hmm, that's something we're still trying to figure out, but I definitely want the clothing to feel accessible to the everyday consumer.
That's the vibe we're trying to get across here.
Hmm, how are you planning to convey that?
I was thinking of adding relatable photos of everyday people doing yoga at home, nothing too polished or fancy.
Okay, so yeah, now I can see the vision.
It's casual yoga wear and with a lower price point than premium brands.
Exactly.
That's the vibe we're getting at here.
So this is really interesting.
I know we mentioned this a lot that in one conversation like this, we probably wouldn't use them exactly like this.
Instead of saying, that's exactly the vibe I'm going for.
And then that's the vibe we're trying to get across.
I would adjust that.
The next time I say it, I'd be like, yeah, that's exactly the feel I'm going for.
That's the message I'm trying to get across.
That's the takeaway we want people to get.
There's a lot of other ways to say this as well.
And so you would use some of those to switch it up so you're not saying vibe over and over.
Yeah, exactly.
But for the purposes of this roleplay, we wanted to show you all these.
So first I said the soft colors and clean layout feel really calming.
That's the vibe I'm getting here.
Yes.
And then I said, perfect.
That's exactly the vibe I'm going for.
And this I could see repeating.
I agree.
I was just gonna say that, too, because it's like, oh, that's that's the vibe I'm getting here.
Well, that's the vibe I'm going for.
Right.
You know, we do that a lot.
We'll intentionally repeat the vocab to mirror to them that like, yes, that's exactly what I was going for.
I would do that.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Yep.
And then I said, that's the vibe we're trying to get across here.
This is the one where I would probably switch it up.
Like we've already said the vibe twice.
So instead, I would probably say, you know, I definitely want the clothing to feel accessible to the everyday consumer.
That's what I'm aiming for.
Or that's what I'm trying to get across here.
I probably would drop the vibe here.
Yeah, I don't want to be too repetitive.
I think I would say that's what...
Right that's what i'm going for that's what i'm trying to get across yeah
And then you said at the end i said and with a lower price point than premium brands
And you said exactly that's the vibe we're getting at here
So um that i would probably say if i'm not using vibe i might say like that's like the feeling or
We're getting at here or that's the
That's the goal
Yes that's the goal maybe
That's probably what i would say
Yeah because this is sort of after you've had this conversation with a co-worker this is almost like a summary to just be like yes nailed it right
I'd probably be like exactly that's the goal
Right, exactly.
Yeah.
So, yeah, wow, this is so interesting.
I'm glad that this listener asked this question, Sasan.
There's really so much that we can do with this word vibe.
And, you know, we went through how to say it in different ways, how to use it at work.
Um and the and your specific question about you know the different actual words that you're using with it so guys also check out we did episode 560 was business advice we swear by so give that a try
Yeah, and that's a good one to point out here because swear by, that could mean something totally different with a different preposition.
Swear on, swear at.
So, this is very common.
It's impressive that you are noticing the different prepositions we use with these phrasal verbs or with these expressions.
That is higher level B2C1 thinking, and it's impressive.
And we know you listeners are ready for that.
So we're excited to be able to share these details with you so that you can use these at work.
Yep, yep, absolutely.
All right, Aubrey.
Well, this was fun talking about this.
And yeah, we hope we gave you guys all good vibes for today.
And we'll talk to you next time.
Yes, nothing but good vibes.
Awesome.
Thanks, Michelle.
See you next time.
Bye.
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