Business English – English Dialogues at Work
Tips for holding a business conversation
Follow these tips for a successful business conversation:
Introduce yourself
If you’re new to networking and speaking with people in your industry, it can be easy to forget to introduce yourself at the beginning of the conversation. Try to keep in mind that introducing yourself to someone is the best way to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Ask for their name by shaking their hand and gazing into their eyes.
Share what you do
It’s crucial to discuss what you do at your current company, especially at a networking event where you might meet someone from your industry with whom you can establish a mutually beneficial professional relationship. Inform the person you’re speaking with about the company you work for, how long you’ve been there, a typical day at work, and key contacts. With this knowledge, your counterpart might be able to see how you two could collaborate now or in the future.
Establish commonalities
When you can establish common interests, you can have some of the best business conversations. Asking someone else about ostensibly simple subjects like the weather or the neighborhood sports team is acceptable. You can learn a lot about someone through open conversation, including things like their favorite book, what they do on the weekends, how their family is structured, and more. If you connect and become more at ease with one topic, it will be simpler to switch to others.
Ask open-ended questions
Although most people will elaborate on any questions you pose, you might want to only ask open-ended queries if you want to ensure that the conversation goes beyond a one-word response. Open-ended inquiries help you learn more about a person and establish a stronger rapport more quickly. They’ll likely ask you follow-up open-ended questions so you can get to know each other better.
Show genuine interest in the conversation
It’s likely that if you’re attending a networking event, you want to meet people in your industry. But you want to be sure to let the people you speak with know that. It may be easy to become distracted by everything going on around you as you hear conversations among nearby individuals, but try to concentrate on the person or people you are currently speaking to. Show them that you care about the answers to the questions you are posing by your actions.
Invite others into the conversation
You might be in a sizable room with lots of people during a business event. In these situations, there are typically some people who are by themselves and have no one to talk to. So that you can grow your group and meet more people, invite them into the conversation. It’s polite to invite others to join your group because it demonstrates your sincere desire to get to know those in your immediate vicinity. You might even be assisting someone else to overcome their anxiety when approaching people.
Get to know multiple people
When you strike up a sincere conversation with someone, you might find yourself spending the majority of your time at the event talking to them. Even though both of you might benefit from this, think about meeting new people. By conversing with more people, you can widen your circle and possibly discover opportunities that you’ll like. Navigating the room can also help with this because networking events also give you the chance to learn from others.
Thank the other person for speaking with you
Make sure to express your gratitude for their time, especially if you’ve had a pleasant conversation with them and/or they’ve inspired or encouraged you. Inform them that you enjoyed speaking with them and that you hope to do so again soon. Don’t be afraid to share specifics about the conversational thread you found most enjoyable and what you learned from it.
Exchange business cards
Before parting, ask to exchange business cards. Invite your counterpart to get in touch with you if they need any help or run into a situation where they are looking for a new opportunity. If you conclude with this thought, they might as well. You might also think about connecting online or arranging to meet once more at an upcoming occasion or conference.
Why is business conversation important?
Business conversation is crucial, especially if you’re at a networking event, so you can establish stronger connections with people in your industry. You can learn from each other, expand your professional network, ask questions, and possibly form a project partnership by conversing with a person in your field.
Business conversation starters
The next time you’re networking, attending a conference, or at an event related to your industry, try these professional conversation starters:
FAQ
How do you start a business conversation?
Information sharing within and outside of a company is called “business communication.” To achieve organizational goals, management and employees must interact effectively in the workplace. Its purpose is to improve organizational practices and reduce errors.
How do you keep a conversation going for a business?
- Ask a question (not related to the sale). …
- Say something about the weather. …
- Ask if they are enjoying the event. …
- Ask about their work. …
- Comment on the venue. …
- Praise something they did. …
- Compliment them on their clothing.
What is business conversation useful?
- Before attending a meeting, find out as much as you can about it.
- Know your audience. …
- Develop conversation starters. …
- Topics for discussion. …
- Pretend you’re a reporter. …
- Don’t be afraid to work the room. …
- Carry a small note pad and pen. …
- Follow up.
