How many times have you been asked a simple question at work and responded in an equally dead simple way? How did that feel? 

The chances are that it didn’t feel good or right. Perhaps it was correct (i.e. you used words correctly), but it wasn’t good enough.

I regularly talk about minimalism with business English. Yes, simplicity wins. Less is more, too.

However, there is a fine line between speaking English correctly and efficiently and using the same cliché words and phrases time and time again.

What is communication, after all? Do you have a chat, call or meeting to keep it basic? Or do you want to engage with others, so there is a fruitful outcome?

I bet the latter. But to do it, you need to go beyond boring and cliché vocabulary everyone uses all the time.

It’s a way to differentiate yourself, both on a linguistic and professional level.

Human interaction at work involves exchanging views and opinions, solving problems, engaging with others and creating meaningful relationships.

Poor vocabulary won’t get you far with any of these goals.

It’s about the words and phrases you use, how often you use them and how you can expand on questions and answers, during a conversation.

Using less frequently used (but correct and to the point) words and phrases can help your personality and talent shine, create more opportunities for true engagement and ultimately lead you towards achieving your goals.

Never underestimate the power of vocabulary, more so in a language other than your native one.

We talk with words, and if we can’t grow the pool we have AND use, then the whole communication becomes problematic.

Today, I’ve gathered useful words and phrases to use when you happen to come across # very common work situations at work.

“How are you?” or introducing at the start of a business occasion (like call, meeting or presentation)

“Thank you!” or responding to appreciation at work

“What do you think?” or responding when asked about your opinion

You may think that these situations are basic level communication but trust me, you will soon discover how tweaking or spicing up your responses can have tremendously positive effects on your communication style. 

This is how professionals like you can up their game while speaking English at work and achieve what they deserve: engagement, appreciation, opportunities.

#1 How to ask & respond to “How are you?”

“Hello, how are you?”

This is the most cliche, boring, unengaging, even inappropriate way (in more formal situations) to ask.👀

Suppose you want to give a good impression & build meaningful relationships (be it with a potential client or stakeholder). In that case, you need to level up your vocabulary & expand the pool of phrases you use.

This is especially important when you meet someone for the first time.🙌

Read on to discover the most appropriate phrases to use & the ones you should AVOID at all costs.

Top-5 ways to ask others how they are doing like a pro

 ✔️ “How are you doing?” definitely sounds better than the too common “How are you?”

 ✔️ “How do you do?” is the best option when meeting a much older or very high-profile person

 ✔️ “Are you well?”, “I hope you are well?” or “I trust you are well?” sound elegant & empathetic (“well” has a very positive connotation in English)

 ✔️ “How are things coming along?” is more suitable for asking about how things progress

 ✔️ “How’s everything coming together?” helps you express genuine interest in their situation & has a positive vibe that all is working out fine

Avoid these phrases

❌ “Hiya!” “What’s up?” or “What’s new?” are slang, too friendly & casual 

❌ “How is your health?” or “How are you feeling?” is too personal

❌ “What’s going on?” or “What are you up to?” have a slightly negative connotation (implying trouble or secrets)

❌”How’s life?”, “How are things going? or “How’s things?” are too general (“things” does not sound very well in English)

 (you can download the graphic below by double-clicking on the image and saving it. Keep it for future reference and/or stick it somewhere you can see it everyday for inspiration and action)

How to respond to “How are you doing?” like a pro

If you want to make a good impression, with both your English & attitude, you need more advanced, interesting & creative ways to respond. Here they are!

✔️  “I’m good / well!” or “I’m doing well!” sound very nice as a response (Attention! “I’m doing good!” is not an option, it means you do charity or other good things).

✔️  Spice it up with “pretty” or “quite” (more formal) or even “really” (if you want to emphasise more). Try these: “I am pretty/quite good, thank you!” or “I’m doing really well!” 

✔️  Show progress is made with “So far, so good!”

✔️  Be modest with “Can’t complain!” or “Good enough!” but say it with a positive tone of voice

How body language can help

Body language is super important when it comes to introductions or greetings.

Always make sure you keep eye contact with the other person, speak with a confident yet calm voice, & use the appropriate tone of voice to signal the right emotions.

(you can download the graphic below by double-clicking on the image and saving it. Keep it for future reference and/or stick it somewhere you can see it everyday for inspiration and action)

#2 How to respond to “Thank you!”

If you do business with English-speaking professionals (international and native ones), this is the one phrase you will hear most often: “Thank you!”.

Εven for trivial things, showing appreciation is a non-negotiable social norm, apart of the culture. 

Responding with “Your welcome!” (pun intended*) is so ordinary & boring and doesn’t let you show the extent of your business English skills, nor help you build meaningful relationships.

* Please, pay attention & write it the correct way, this mistake is sooo common among professionals.

Top-5 ways to respond to “Thank you!”

✔️ “You are most welcome!” is a posh response, expanding on the very common “You’re welcome!” a little bit

✔️ “Happy to help!” signals a positive can-do attitude & gives you extra points

✔️ “Much obliged!” can sound very formal but is heartfelt & can bring people together

✔️ “We appreciate your business / custom!” is a very mindful response, so be my guest! (use “business” when talking to a client or “custom” if you’re talking to a customer)

✔️ “The pleasure is mine!” or just “My pleasure!” signals you want to help & do it happily!

Avoid these phrases

All of the phrases below are pretty casual & informal, so you’d better avoid using them on business occasions. 

Also, some of them might signal a negative feeling (you don’t want that!) & intonation and tone of voice might change their meaning entirely, so watch out! 🤐

❌ “No problem!” or “It was nothing” imply that you see it as a problem

❌ “I know you’d do the same for me!” is very, very personal & implies reciprocation

❌ “Anytime!” or “Sure!” are rather indifferent

❌ “That’s alright!” or “No worries!” might signal you didn’t want to do it, but you did it because you had to

(you can download the graphic below by double-clicking on the image and saving it. Keep it for future reference and/or stick it somewhere you can see it everyday for inspiration and action)

Mindfulness in action

As you can see, what you say and how you say it matters a lot.

Picking the correct phrases as a response to “Thank you!” must be 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 and 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁. This is how you break the ice & start building relationships.

Also, pay attention to your 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲: speak with a smile & a warm voice, and watch out for your intonation/tone of voice as they might alter how your response sounds & cause misunderstandings.

Right! You now know how to sound like a pro when replying to someone who thanks you for something. 

You need to respond in ways that are interesting & help you showcase how naturally and confidently you can speak English.

#3 How to respond to “What do you think?”

If you had to choose one word to take out of your regular vocabulary pool, that would be the word “think”.

OK, thinking is a wonderful thing & I admire people who use their brains to think. A lot. Like me (overthinking sometimes…).

BUT…

constantly using the phrase “I think…” at work won’t get you far. 

Think as a verb means to form or have something in mind. It’s perfectly OK to use it with friends or family in everyday situations (but don’t overuse it either).

However, you certainly don’t want your colleagues, clients, boss or stakeholders (God forbid!) to hear you repeat this phrase too often.

It implies uncertainty & doesn’t help with building trust & proving your competence.

You need to find more interesting, engaging & trustworthy ways to express your opinion.

Right! Today, I’ve got two ways to help with that: a short one & a more sophisticated one. Stay with me! 

Top-5 phrases to use instead of “I think”

If you want to share your opinion or point of view & give a good impression as a professional at the same time, consider these phases 

✔️ In my view…

✔️ As far as I’m concerned…

✔️ The way I see things/it…

✔️ From my point of view…

✔️ It is my belief that…

A quick way to save the day

The following options are spot-on when you have to think and talk fast & need appropriate yet handy phrases to express your opinion.

Just when you are about to say “I think…” try these

✔️ “𝗜 (𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆) 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁…” this one sounds very confident RECOMMENDED

or

✔️ “𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁…” this one is slightly more emotional but is also a quick and mindful alternative

Extra mindfulness tips for meetings & presentations

When expressing your opinion, it’s essential to be honest, & transparent. Hiding things under the carpet, table or [you name it…] won’t work.

Offending others or ignoring their point of view or feelings (even worse…) won’t do either.

Body language is important, too. Smile, speak with a gentle yet confident voice, point out with your fingers if you need to show or explain something, stand firm to defend your opinion.

(you can download the graphic below by double-clicking on the image and saving it. Keep it for future reference and/or stick it somewhere you can see it everyday for inspiration and action)

In any case and at all times, remember this: 

People may forget what you say to them, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

So, yes, words matter, but how you say things matter equally. 

Talking to your colleagues, boss, stakeholders, clients or others in a trustful and empathetic way is as important as the words and phrases you choose to use.

You need both elements to communicate effectively and achieve your goals, however small or big they are on any given occasion 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.

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