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4ORGANIZING A MEETING
I’d like to officially open our meeting now.
You can also say...
1.
2.

It’s a great pleasure/ honor for me to open...
I declare...

Conversation:
A: Because everyone is already here for today’s meeting, I would like to call on ourproject manager to open the meeting.
B: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I’d now like to open officially our meeting.

Questions:
1. Have you tried opening a meeting?
2. What do you usually do to ensure everyone’s time in the meeting is productive?

Note:

The way a meeting leader opens a meeting is usually anindicator of how effective and productive the rest of themeeting will be.

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I’d like to thank Mr. Smith for attending today’s meeting.
You can also say...
1.
2.

I really appreciate...
Thank you for gracing us...

Conversation:
A: We are pleased to announce that we have an important person here with us, Mr. KennyRogers, whose presence is vital in today’s meeting. A round of applause, please.
B: Thank you for the warm welcome. The pleasure is all mine.
A: (After the meeting) I will put into writing your suggestions and will have them read by
the president, himself. They will certainly save us a lot of time and money. Again, I’d like tothank you, Mr. Rogers, for attending our meeting.
B: Thank you for having me here. It was good to hear what everyone had to say.

Questions:
1. Have you experienced being the guest speaker of a meeting? Describe your experience.
2. How do you thank guest speakers in your country?

Note:

You will need to have focused on at least one point made during the speechto make your thank-you speech sound both relevant and sincere.It should beshort and should not express any argument with the guest speaker or makeany corrections to that speech.

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4

He is the marketing head for the North American project.
You can also say...
1.
2.

He is in charge...
He is responsible...

Conversation:
A: I’d like to welcome everyone to our meeting. As you all know, we are trying to get an
important account that will help increase our company’s income. To help us do that, I wouldlike to call the head of marketing for the said account. Please join me in welcoming him.
B: Thank you very much. I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts regarding this matter.

Questions:
1. What is one successful project that you headed? What did your colleagues say about it?
2. Have you tried talking with a person of high position? How did you address him?

Note:

Every person with a higher position deserves a thoughtful and professional
introduction. If you have been asked to introduce him/her, it is an honor thatshould be taken very seriously. Your purpose is to help establish the speaker’s
credibility and to set a positive tone for the meeting.

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4ORGANIZING A MEETING
Our goal is to provide good quality not quantity.
You can also say...
1.
2.

The aim is...
Our purpose here is...

Conversation:
A: I am calling this meeting with regard to the overwhelming response of the public to ournewly released product.
B: According to the survey made, our product is currently on top of every consumer’s list,
which is why we have to work double time to meet the growing demands.
A: That is true. But, let us always bear in mind that our goal is to provide the public withgood quality rather than quantity.
B: Yes sir, of course. Our company’s goal will never be sacrificed.

Questions:
1. What is your primary goal in life?
2. What is the primary objective that your company would like to project to the public?

Note:

Objective/Goal/Aim/Purpose/Target is the process of deciding what you want toaccomplish and devising a plan to achieve the result you desire.

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Can we hear from our sales manager about the sales
report for this month?
You can also say...
1.
2.

I’d like to call...
He will talk to...

Conversation:
A: As you all know, our company is currently undergoing a serious technical mishap. It is agood thing that our senior vice president, Mr. Roy Andersen, specializes in this field. Now,I would like to call on Mr. Andersen, to talk to us about the project proposal that he has
prepared.
B: Thank you for that wonderful introduction. I am confident that this matter will be
resolved quickly. I am looking forward to having your full cooperation.

Questions:
1. Have you been a bearer of good or bad news? What did you feel at that time?
2. Tell me about a significant situation where an issue arose and how you dealt with it?

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If you look at the sales this year, our income went up
by twenty percent.
You can also say...
1.
2.

I’d like to draw your attention to ...
As you can see...

Conversation:
A: Good afternoon everyone. Today, we will talk about the status of our marketing sales in
the Western part of the region. If you look at the chart, there is a twenty percent increasein sales compared to last year. What do you think this means?
B: I strongly believe that our consumers from the Western part are satisfied with thequality of our products.
A: Correct! With this increase, we must always monitor the productivity of our company.
Job well done, everyone.

Questions:
1. How do you manage to cope up with your shortcomings?
2. Do you strive doing your best after succeeding?

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What we really need is to have the most responsible
employee do the task.
You can also say...
1.
2.

What we are looking for is...
What we have in mind is...

Conversation:
A: Demand for bottled drinking water has been growing rapidly since the 1980s as a resultof the declining consumer confidence in the safety and quality of municipal water supplies.
Consumer demand for bottled water is expected to continually increase, as water supplies
worldwide are deemed undrinkable or unhealthy. Then, how should we address thisproblem?
B: What we really need to do is produce bottled water by the gallon, rather than singly,
will meet the increasing demand. This will also benefit the company itself.
A: Your suggestion will be raised to the higher management and a feasibility study will bemade. Thank you for that.

Questions:
1. What is your motivation in life?
2. Do you get easily swayed when you do not meet others’ expectations?
3. What is one thing you are really good at?

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The fall in sales is mainly due to the recession affectingworld markets.
You can also say...
1.
2.

...is caused by...
...is because of...

Conversation:
A: The delay of our products’ release is mainly due to a strike of the union. Have you any
suggestions on how to resolve this issue?
B: I believe one answer is hiring skilled workers who will be given compensation only.
A: That’s great! In a week or two, we will be hiring employees. I hope our problem will besolved by then. Meeting adjourned.

Questions:
1. What are the common problems in the world of business?
2. What do you suggest to lessen these problems?

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I suggest that we change our distribution strategy to meetchanging consumer demands.
You can also say...
1.
2.

I propose that...
Maybe we should think about...

Conversation:
A: Due to the growth in consumer demand, our need to supply is also increasing. With thatin mind, I would value any suggestions on ways to improve our products.
B: Firstly, I suggest that we do a survey to determine their individual needs. Then we needto establish how to meet those needs.
A: Brilliant! I must say your suggestion will save us a lot of time, effort, and money.
B: Thank you, sir.

Questions:
1. What vital suggestion have you raised that profited your company’s success?
2. Do you listen to other people’s suggestions or comments? How well do you handle them?
(Note: Giving suggestion and providing constructive criticism to others in the workplace is an important skill to 			develop. You can do this by focusing on the current issue, being objective and specific in providing constructive 			criticism/suggestion, and helping develop a plan to identify specific actions for the employee to take.)

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4ORGANIZING A MEETING
I totally agree with Mr. Smith’s opinion.
You can also say...
1.
2.
3.

I have come to the same conclusion with...
I have to agree with...
You are with...

Conversation:
A: I think the best way to expand our sales is to lower our target consumers.
B: I agree with Mr. Smith’s opinion. We should also consider the class C people who want tobuy our products but can’t afford them.
C: That’s a brilliant idea. That’s a good option.

Questions:
1. Are you a person who easily agrees without weighing things?
2. What do you do to come up with a good conclusion?

D10

ORGANIZING A MEETING