What to Say in a Meeting in English

Everyone spends a lot of time in meetings at work: you can’t avoid them! Taking part in a meeting in English can be quite stressful, too: you not only have to think about what you’re saying but also how to say it. In this article, we will explore how you can sound professional and natural when you talk in a business meeting in English. Are you ready? Let’s go!

Prepare in Advance

Before the meeting, make sure you have a clear agenda. Be careful! An “agenda” in English means “l’ordine del giorno”: it’s a piece of paper (or Word file) with all the points you want to talk about in your meeting. (By the way, the book where you write your appointments is called a “diary”, not an agenda!)

Send the agenda to everyone who will attend the meeting. In the email you can say:

• Here’s the agenda for the meeting tomorrow. Please let me know if there are any additional topics we need to discuss and I will add them.

You should prepare any questions or comments you might have. Familiarise yourself with specific terminology related to the meeting’s topic. And if you’re organising it, think about the people who you want to speak in the meeting and how to respond to them. (In this article, we’ll look at some key phrases you can use.)

Start with Greetings and Introductions

Begin with a friendly greeting and introduce yourself if there are new members. A simple “Good morning! I’m [Your Name], [Your Position],” can set a professional tone, e.g.

• Good morning! I’m Giovanni Provolone, Head of Marketing.

You can introduce anyone new by saying who they are and what they do:

• Giovanni: I’d like to introduce Steve Mallett. He’s a consultant from PQR Consulting who’s going to tell us about the Chicago project. Welcome, Steve.

Steve: Thanks, Giovanni. Great to be here.

Starting the Meeting

Once everyone has been introduced, it’s important to make sure they know what the meeting is about. Avoid just having an open-ended discussion that last for two hours:

• OK, everyone’s here. Let’s get started.
• First, thank you all for being here on time. I know we all have busy schedules, so I appreciate your commitment to our monthly check-in.
• I hope everyone’s seen the agenda.
• We’ve got a lot to get through this morning.
• OK, the first item on the agenda is the new sales strategy.

Here, you’ve got the phrasal verb “to get through” (work): it means to complete / finish the work.  “To check in” means to make contact with your team (usually on a regular basis).

You should establish the principle objective(s) of the meeting at the beginning:

• Our main goals today are to align our marketing strategies with the upcoming product launch and discuss the milestones for the Chicago project that Steve will brief us on.

Note: if something is “upcoming” it means it will happen soon. “Milestones” are agreed targets or things that should happen during a project.

Asking people to speak and reacting

It’s really important to make sure that people have an opportunity to speak in the meeting. Here are some expressions you can use to encourage them and invite them to share their input. You should also react in a positive, supportive way to any comments:

• Giovanni: Maria, could you give us an update on the current status of the social media campaign?
• Maria: Certainly, Giovanni. The campaign is on track, and we’ve seen a 20% increase in engagement this quarter.
• Giovanni: That’s excellent news, Maria. OK, everyone, let’s think about how we can build on this momentum.

Other phrases you can use include:

• Barry, would you like to come in here?
• Veronica, what’s your opinion?
• Mike, what’s your take on this?

Interrupting Other People

Sometimes, you may need to intervene to keep the meeting on track or to allow other people to speak:

• Mike, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we haven’t got a lot of time. Can we talk about this later?
• Sorry to break in here but I’d like to hear from Tom about the budget. Tom, what do you think?

“Break in” is another phrasal verb. Here, it means “to interrupt”.  Note that in a typical Anglo-Saxon business meeting the language used is quite informal. Try and avoid using very formal language: it just makes communication more difficult!

Tip: If you want to discover lots of informal expressions that sound natural in a meeting, have a look at my website, PayAsYouLearn.com.

Managing the Meeting

Keep the meeting moving and ensure that all the topics you need to cover are discussed.  Being able to manage a meeting effectively is an important business skill!

• Right, we’ve covered the first three points on the agenda. Let’s move on to the budget overview and if there’s time at the end we can discuss the plans for the Summer Party.
• Tom, you’ve been looking at the budget. Please go ahead.

“Go ahead” means start or continue.

Running Out of Time

You’re getting to the end of the meeting. If there isn’t very much time left and you still have something you need to discuss, you can say:

• We’re running out of time. Let’s prioritise the remaining topics and schedule another meeting if necessary.
• We’re a bit short on time. Can we skip the next item on the agenda and go straight to the action plan.

Here we’ve got another phrasal verb: if you are “running out of” something, such as time, money or milk, etc, it means that there isn’t much left.

Concluding

Finish the meeting by summarising the main points you have discussed and make sure you have an action plan that everyone has agreed on. Don’t forget to thank the people who came to the meeting.

• So, to sum up, we’re on track with our marketing objectives, and Steve will provide us with a detailed plan for the Chicago project by next week. I’d like to thank everyone for their contributions today.
• Great meeting, guys! Thanks for coming.

Follow-up

Ensure that there is a plan for following up after the meeting:

• Alec, can you send out the minutes by the end of the day, including the action items we’ve agreed upon. If anyone has any further questions, feel free to reach out to me.

The minutes of the meeting are a written record of what was discussed. This can be quite a brief summary. The key thing is to include any action points that were agreed in the meeting.

“To reach out” means to ask someone for help or information.

Some extra tips for successful meetings:

Be clear and concise

When you speak, be as direct as possible. Avoid using filler words like “um” and “like.” If you’re presenting a point, structure it with a beginning, middle and end to make it easier for others to follow.

Be polite and “soften” your language

Politeness goes a long way in a professional setting. Use phrases like “Could we consider…”, “I would suggest…” or “May I add something?”

Listen actively

Show that you are engaged by nodding your head and using phrases like “I see,” “That’s interesting,” or “I agree.” Active listening demonstrates respect for the speaker and helps show you understand.

Clarify and confirm what has been said

If you’re unsure about something that’s been said or it wasn’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. You can say, “If I understand correctly…” or “Could you elaborate on that point?”

Manage disagreements in a diplomatic way

If you disagree with someone, express yourself professionally. Say “I see it differently…” or “From my perspective…” rather than bluntly stating “I disagree.”

Conclude your points effectively

When finishing your input, summarise your main point to reinforce your message. You might end with “To sum up…” or “So, my main point is…”

Offer thanks and positive feedback

Always thank contributors and provide positive feedback where appropriate. Phrases like “Thank you for sharing,” or “I appreciate your input,” help to create a positive atmosphere.

You can also find a lot more phrases and tips for meetings on my website: PayAsYouLearn.com. The full Learn Business English course has an extensive section on Meetings and includes a lot of examples and advice on how to make your meetings more effective and enjoyable.

And, of course, read my Business English tips here on EasyMilano.com and watch the special videos I have created to help you learn key expressions and pronunciation in a fast, easy way.

Talk to you next time!

Article by Robert Dennis for Easy Milano

Robert Dennis is a writer and Business English teacher based in Milan. He has been teaching for other 30 years both in the UK and in Italy. A long-time collaborator with John Peter Sloan, Robert published Business English (Gribaudo) in 2020. The book was launched with “Il Sole 24 Ore” and sold in newsstands throughout Italy. Robert has a website for people who want to learn Business English: PayAsYouLearn.com. The site features keywords and phrases, audio and exercises to help professionals improve their language skills. A graduate in English from Oxford University, Robert is a regular contributor to Easy Milano who often writes about plays staged in English in Milan and other cultural events in the city. He is also a translator and “buongustaio” who loves Italian food! robertdennis.it

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