This is a shout out to all professionals who feel they need to improve their business English, but something is holding them back.

Yes, I am talking to you! I know you are a highly skilled professional, and all you need is confidence to let your talent and personality shine at work!

I also know that fear lies behind your inaction most of the time.

You may find excuses to please your inner self, like “I don’t have the time now!” or “I cannot afford it at this moment!”.

But as I said, they are excuses.

I’m sure you can spare money and time to invest in your business English.

The thing is that these two kinds of fear play tricks with you and stop you from making the right decision: 

• the 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (that you don’t have what it takes) and 
• the 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 (that you will fail again as you did in the past).

What are the signs of fear?

Fear is the root of all evil, be sure of that.

The thing with fear is that it creeps in silently and, in most the cases, without any apparent signs until it is usually too late.

I’ve seen many professionals look and sound confident when we work together, but when the time comes, and they need to speak English at work, it all crumbles.

Furthermore, fear often appears disguised in the form of rational thinking. Let me explain.

It’s very common that professionals don’t take any action to work on their business English because they feel the time is not right.

So, they postpone it until it’s too late. Fear is closely linked to procrastination. And fear is fed by the unknown.

It’s human, though. The less you know about something, the more fear you feel about it and the less action you take to tackle it.

In any case, there are two distinct types of fear that most professionals’ self-blockages fall into.

1. The fear of inadequacy

The fear of inadequacy is the false belief that you don’t have what it takes to nail your business English. This might be your current English skills or your overall potential.

In the first case, you may feel that your English level is low or you lack specific skills like grammar or vocabulary, and as a result, you CAN’T take part in meetings, calls, presentations or other occasions at work where English is needed.

In the second case, professionals feel they are not clever or competent enough to learn good English and practice them at work. They think they are not cut out for speaking foreign languages whatsoever. So, they essentially quit.

Common signs are when you say to yourself things like

• I’m not there yet. I need to study more!
• I don’t feel ready to speak in front of an audience. My English is not that good.
• I plan to improve my English by the end of the year, so I will be more into taking part in international meetings and calls.
• I find it hard to learn good English. Perhaps I can’t do it.

Can you hear fear do the talking?

2. The fear of failure 

The fear of failure is about the false belief that you will not make it, although you have tried hard to improve your English. And you probably have improved a lot.

With this type of fear, there are usually two patterns that have to do with focusing on all the wrong things: the past or the future.

It’s true that we’ve all had bad experiences at work, more so when speaking in a language other than our native one (like me in Swiss German!). Professionals often stick to past trauma and let self-doubt kick in. They fear what happened in the past was horrendous and marked their whole existence. They usually beat themselves up for failed meetings or presentations in English. There is a clear focus on the past and not the present that matters more.

A prevailing pattern is professionals focus on the final outcome too much. They become fixated and stress enormously about what will happen. Will they make it or fail again, like they did last time? They fear they will not succeed, so they self-sabotage and actually prep themselves for failure. Failure is part of the game, mistakes are human. 

Common signs are when you say to yourself things like

• I will not make it at the meeting again.
• I feel I will mess up again in the presentation and everybody will laugh at me.
• I can’t do it. I can’t handle another failure.
• I will take it slow and perhaps take part in a call in English sometime in the future when I feel ready.

Can you spot fear?

Now you know what fear is all about and what the signs are. Time to roll your sleeves up and get ready to work on fighting back. First, you need to know your options.

What are your options?

There are two choices:

👎 you don’t take action, your business English level stalls, and you miss out on opportunities at work (because of your fear that you won’t be able to speak English with confidence or that you will mess up – again).

👍 you decide to do something today, starting with small mindful steps, like acknowledging your issues with English, taking it easy and not beating yourself up for that failed meeting or presentation.

In the first case, other professionals (um… your colleagues) will take advantage (in a good way), seize the opportunities you left and achieve their career goals.

In the second case, it’s all in your hands. YOU are the one to take control of your life and career. Let go of perfectionism (the right moment to start OR enough money saved).

Most probably, they won’t ever come. Taking action TODAY is the first step towards improving your English and speaking naturally and confidently.

How to fight the fear against the fear of failure

“I will mess up again next time I will have to speak English at work!”

“No way I can pull it off, I know I will freeze and lose my words again when speaking in English at work!”

How do these statements sound to you? Pessimistic? Like a loser? 

Because this is what they are: self-blockages that hold you back from being yourself and letting your personality and talent shine, simply by using the English you already know!

Here is the pattern:

I messed up last time ➡️ I don’t speak good English ➡️ I don’t have what it takes ➡️ Others are better than me ➡️ I can’t do it ➡️ It’s going to be a disaster again

You overreact on a previous, failed occasion (like a meeting or presentation), catastrophise & project your past failure to the future.

You have to break the pattern, or it will suck you up. All your energy and efforts will go in vain. You just have to use what you already know in a 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 way!

My goal is to help you get over it & claim what you deserve at work by getting your message in English the right way.

Here are two ways to let go of the fear of failure

1. Let go of past trauma & change your mindset 

What’s done is done. You can’t reverse things. What you can do, though, is to take control of your life and career, learn to use what you already know in English, and shift to a positive mindset.

One that accepts mistakes as parts of the learning process.

Mindfulness can help with that mindset change.

2. Stop judging others

If you judge others for their English, your inner self will start judging you next time you need to speak English at work.

And this is an instant blockage. “What will my colleagues say when I open my mouth? I will sound terrible and lose my words! I won’t do it.”

You may not believe it, but judgment is a massive self-blockage. When you judge, criticise or laugh at others for their English, you prep your own mind for reminding you of the same bad things, and how others might judge you. And there you have it, fear creeps in and makes you lose it.

Ηow to fight the fear against the fear of inadequacy

“I don’t have what it takes to speak English like a pro!”

“My English level is not good enough. I’d better avoid speaking English at work and getting embarrassed!”

It’s fear that is playing tricks with your confidence. And most professionals have a hard time with it. In most cases, perfectionism is to blame (thank you, social media!).

Many of my clients tell me they feel a rush to speak perfect English, just like the acclaimed professionals who make videos on LinkedIn or Instagram, charming the audiences with their impeccable English skills.

This pressure creates enormous anxiety and makes you quit before you even start! All these are signs of the fear of inadequacy, one of the most prominent self-blockages among professionals like you.

Here are 3 surefire ways to deal with it once and for all:

1. Prepare

We are all afraid of the unknown. To deal with it, do your best to prepare thoroughly. The more prepared you are AND feel, the more the chances to let go of fear and anxiety and let your personality and talent shine in a business call, presentation or meeting! 

2. Set realistic goals & expectations

Don’t put an extra burden on your shoulders. Take small positive steps towards your goal with English and let progress accumulate over time. 

3. Acknowledge your imperfection

There is no perfect English! Even native speakers make mistakes! You need to make friends with your mistakes and take them mindfully. They are human & the next time you speak English at work, you can improve. Reach your English goals one mistake at a time.

What I need from you (and do yourself this favour) is to take action. Stop procrastinating or postponing. Seize the day & start your quest to become a natural English speaker & claim what you deserve at work!

~~~

Here at ProEnglish, this is my end goal. To empower non-native, highly-skilled professionals like you to claim what you deserve by breaking down the language blockage in a safe, kind and trustful environment.

I am Vera Daskalaki, your mindful English coach. You, being here and reading this, really means a lot to me. Let me know if anything above hits a nerve, and feel free to send me any questions.

If you want to talk about your goals and struggles in English and create a customised plan, just like I’ve done for dozens of professionals in the past, book a free Clarity Call by clicking below.

BOOK YOUR FREE CLARITY CALL

It’s a free 30-min call. No commitment, no obligation. We will talk about your challenges and needs for business English and lay out a path to achieve your goals. 

No catch. Let’s talk and take it from there.