5 things you MUST KNOW to master Professional English | Business English

Hello, lovely students, and welcome back to English with Lucy.

Today, I have something special for you.

We're changing things up a bit.

We're going to explore an area of English that I don't talk about very often, but

it's extremely important—professional English, or business English, as it's

sometimes referred to.

English for the workplace or for

professional situations, whether you dream of an international

career, or you just want to impress your boss and get a well-deserved pay rise,

mastering English in the workplace is essential for so many of you.

So, to help you reach your professional English goals, I'm going to share the

5 key topics that you absolutely need to master to navigate any professional situation.

But, that's not all.

Because your time is precious, I have

also created an extremely detailed professional English phrasebook to go

along with this video so that the lesson doesn't end up being 30 minutes long,

although I'm sure some of you wouldn't mind that.

This phrasebook is packed with essential phrases, explanations, and interactive

exercises, and I've also covered five additional topics in the e-book.

Basically, if you want to sound professional in English, you need this e-book.

You will not believe that we are giving this 51-page e-book away for free.

We released it as a test to a small group of students to see their reaction, to see

what they thought of it, and the feedback was incredible.

They really felt that this e-book would help them reach their career goals.

It gave them the right direction, a bit of a path to follow.

I'm also very excited to announce that we are soon launching our Professional

English Programme.

So, when you download this phrasebook, I

will put you on the waiting list for those.

All you have to do is click on the link

below or scan the QR code here, you enter your name and your email address, and the

e-book will arrive directly in your inbox.

Once you've signed up for my mailing

list, you will receive my free weekly lesson PDFs, plus all of my news, course

updates and offers.

It's a free service, and you can

unsubscribe at any time.

Alright, enough water cooler gossip,

"let's circle back" to professional English.

Okay, our first topic—making small talk

and building rapport.

Starting a new job or meeting potential

clients is often quite scary, but luckily, making a great first impression

is easier than you think.

Small talk plays a key role here.

These friendly, light-hearted chats help you connect with colleagues, build trust

and make the work environment more positive and comfortable.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind.

Don't be afraid to talk first!

You don't have to jump straight into talking about business.

Start with simple observations about things like a cool painting or the

weather, like—'Wow, this rain came out of nowhere!'—we love it in the UK.

Give compliments!

Compliments are an excellent way to build

rapport, especially if they are sincere.

For example—'That report you wrote was so

easy to follow!'—or— 'How did you make those beautiful charts?'

You should also ask open questions!

These are questions that need more than a

'yes' or 'no' answer.

For example—'What are your plans for the weekend?'

instead of—'Do you have plans for the weekend?'

Or, as we just saw—'How did you create

those beautiful charts?'

I've included several phrases in the

Professional English Phrasebook that will help you make small talk and sound

natural while doing it.

Let's move on to our next topic, number

two—presenting ideas and sharing thoughts.

Presenting ideas can be a major challenge

in an English-speaking work environment.

You might have a fantastic idea but find

it difficult to express it clearly.

Here is how you can impress your audience

and communicate your ideas effectively.

Organise your thoughts. Use short, clear

sentences and support your ideas with facts and reasons so everyone understands

your point of view.

For example, if you propose a new

marketing campaign to your team, you would start by stating the campaign's

goal clearly.

'We want to increase website traffic by 20%.'

Next, describe the steps to achieving this goal.

For example—'We'll run targeted social media ads and offer a discount code to

first-time visitors.'

This clear structure will make it easy

for your team to understand your plan.

Grab their attention.

You can also start with something surprising or interesting like—'Did you

know that 90% of customers don't make a purchase on their first visit to a website?'

This grabs their attention and sets the stage for you to explain your ideas and

wrap it up.

End by reminding everyone of your main points.

You want to leave a lasting impression with a strong closing line like—'In

short, this plan has the potential to increase our profits by 25%.'

You can find lots more phrases in my free e-book.

Next point, number three, let's talk about a common challenge in English-speaking 

professional environments— asking for clarification.

It's perfectly normal not to understand everything immediately.

What is important is how you ask for more details.

Here's how you can make sure you

understand every part of  your tasks and conversations.

Phrase your requests politely.

Start by thanking the person for the information they've already given.

For example, you might say—'Thank you for that detailed explanation.

Could you help me understand more about the project timeline?'

This shows respect for the speaker's efforts and keeps the conversation positive.

Be specific with your questions.

It's also important to be clear about

what's confusing you.

Ask specific, direct questions like—'What

steps should I take to start the assignment?'

This prevents misunderstandings and helps

you get the information you need.

Encourage open communication.

A two-way conversation is  key to clear communication.

You might say—'That's interesting!

Could you explain further how that affects our current workflow?'

This will deepen your understanding and build a stronger connection with your colleagues.

A win-win, if you ask me.

Remember, asking for clarification isn't

admitting what you don't know.

It's showing your commitment to getting

things right!

That's really important to remember.

I've included some more really useful phrases in the phrasebook.

Next, and we're entering some dangerous waters now—agreeing and disagreeing.

Navigating through agreement and disagreement in the workplace is an art

that every professional should master, and unfortunately, few actually have.

Whether you're supporting an idea or expressing a different opinion. The key

is to communicate effectively while maintaining respect.

Let's explore how you can handle these situations without offending anyone.

Build on agreements.

When you agree with someone, show you're

really listening by adding your own ideas or examples.

For example, if someone suggests increasing social media use to get more

sales, you might say—'Absolutely, and maybe we can also use customer reviews to

build trust.'

Offer alternatives when disagreeing.

Disagreements don't have to cause arguments if you handle them carefully.

Instead of just saying 'no' to an idea, offer a different option.

You could say—'I see your point, but what about the costs?

What if we test your idea for a short time first to see how it works?'

Use phrases like—'I see your point, However…' to start sharing different views.

This shows you understand the other person's idea before you share your own,

which helps avoid making them feel bad.

There are so many other phrases just like

that one that I've included in the e-book.

Learning how to agree and disagree

respectfully will improve your work relationships and show that you are a

considerate and skilled communicator.

Number five—changing the subject and

getting back on topic, both equally important.

You might know the phrase, 'time is money.'

Staying on track during meetings and discussions is crucial in professional

settings where time is valuable, time is money.

Whether you're leading a meeting or

participating in a group discussion, knowing how to get the conversations back

to the main topic or move them in a different direction when necessary is

such an important skill.

Let's look at how you can masterfully

guide discussions without stepping on anyone's toes.

Link to a previous point. To smoothly change the subject, link to something

already mentioned.

For example, you might say—'Speaking of

lunch, hygiene is really important in food prep, which reminds me, don't we

still have a few points to go over about the new hygiene standards?'

Politely refocus, when conversations wander off-topic, it's important to

gently bring everyone back to the main agenda.

You can say something like—'I appreciate

your insights on that, but let's try to focus on project deadlines. We need to

finalise those today.'

Suggest a later discussion. If an off-topic

yet important issue arises, acknowledge it, and suggest addressing it

at a later, more appropriate time.

For example, you might say—'This is an

important topic and deserves our full attention. Let's schedule a separate

meeting to dive into this.'

Knowing how to manage discussions

effectively shows leadership and respect for everyone's time and ideas.

For more tips and phrases to help you with this and lots and lots of exercises,

you know it, it's in the e-book.

Download it now to discover the 10

further topics that we cover.

That wraps up this lesson, I really hope

these insights will help you in your professional English journey.

Remember that mastering these topics requires a lot of practice.

If you have dreams of working in an international company, of speaking

English confidently in the workplace, if you have goals of achieving a higher

salary or you simply want to impress your boss and feel more confident in

professional situations, my brand-new Professional English Programme might just

be exactly what you need.

We're going to launch it very, very soon,

click on the link in the description box to join the waitlist or scan the QR code here.

I will see you soon for another lesson.

Muah!