Business socialising

In this programme we join Carmela and business English expert David Evans, for the last in the series of Business Language to Go – the series that brings you the kind of everyday English
That you won’t learn from your standard text book.

Carmela: Today we’re looking at business socialising. And as usual I’m joined by business English expert, David Evans. David – how would you describe business socialising?

David: Well I suppose business socialising really means any kind of communication between business people which doesn’t relate specifically to the job that they are doing at that time. So it could be some colleagues socialising after work, or it
Could be people entertaining their customers maybe over a meal or over drinks. It could be the kind of conversation that happens at a conference or at some kind of party or social event at which business people are meeting one another. In fact socialising is often one of the hardest things for business people to do. In a meeting or in a presentation there is a clear purpose to the business communication but when you are socialising there are just no rules.

Carmela: But having said there are no rules there are certain expressions that you’ll often hear and we’ll be looking at those throughout today’s programme. Let’s join our first scenario. We’re going to a breakfast meeting of Business Network International – a group of people from all professions who regularly get together to make business contacts.

Louise: Oh Hello, you must be Darren Johnston.
Darren: Yeah, hi there. Nice to meet you. You are…?
Louise: I’m Louise Moore. I think we met last time in Birmingham.
Daren: Right. Yes of course. Sorry I forgot all about it. That’s right, that was a couple of years ago wasn’t it.
Louise: Actually Darren, I think there would be somebody that would be really useful for you

to meet. Let me introduce you to Kevin Hann later. He’s a financial advisor.

Carmela: A very typical start to a conversation there. David, can you talk us through some of the phrases those two people used.

David: Yes, they used a lot of very good expressions for introducing people or meeting people. Right at the beginning we heard her say you must be Darren. She’s using that phrase because she thinks she knows his name, she’s not certain of it but she thinks she does, so she says you must be. Then they remember the previous time that they met and if you think you’ve met someone before you might well say I think we met last time in…in Birmingham, in this case. And then finally when she wants to introduce the man to somebody else she uses
Again a standard phrase – let me introduce you to Kevin, she says.

Carmela: Now let’s hear another conversation. This next one is the kind you might have during a coffee break at a conference.

Callum: Hi I’m Callum. I don’t think we’ve met before.
John: No, hello I’m John.
C: Pleased to meet you
J: So what line of work are you in?
C: I work in new media… mainly online projects, web design, that kind of thing. And what about you?
J: Well quite similar to you really. I’m in new media too… but more on the broadband technology side.
C: Oh broadband, do you know Alison Weaver? She’s also here at the
Conference. She’s in broadband too.
J: No, I don’t think I’ve met her.

Carmela: So some similar expressions to the ones we heard earlier, can you pick some of them out?

David: There was a very good way of introducing yourself to someone you don’t know there.