HOW TO SLOW DOWN A MEETING

Helpful Phrases:


Before we move on
Before we move on I believe we should hear Jackie's point of view.
Wait a minute
Wait a minute. We haven't discussed the forecast yet.
Shouldn't we postpone?
Shouldn't we postpone the decision till Lindsay is back from her office?
Not so fast
Not so fast. We haven't finished our coffee yet!
Take it easy
Take it easy. What's the hurry? We have the whole weekend ahead of us.

HOW TO PLAY DOWN A POINT

Helpful Phrases:


This is a minor issue
This is a minor issue. Price is the main concern.
This is of secondary importance
This is of secondary importance if we compare it with our real problem.
Who cares?
Who cares about PR when the whole business is in danger?
It’s irrelevant
His view is irrelevant, completely worthless.
It’s not significant
This matter is not significant at all. Let's move onto what is crucial.

HOW TO EMPHASIZE ON A POINT

Helpful Phrases:


This is a key issue
Labor relations are a key issue now.
I’d like to emphasize on
I'd like to emphasize on point three of my presentation.
This is highly significant
Nora's attitude is highly significant. She's certainly against us.
This is vital
Turning a profit this year is vital if we wish to survive.
It’s imperative
It's imperative to solve this problem now.

HOW TO FOCUS ON THE MAIN ISSUE

Helpful Phrases:


The major
The only major problem we need to solve is absenteeism.
Our primary concern is
Our primary concern isn't only increased sales but better quality as well.
What is the real issue?
What's the real issue? Managers are not committed to their jobs.
The most important
The most important hurdle of this negotiation is to convince Mr.Brown.
We really need
We really need to look after our workforce.

HOW TO POSTPONE AN ISSUE

Helpful Phrases:


We’ll defer
We'll defer the matter till we have all relevant information.
Let’s leave
Let's leave this issue aside for the time being.
It’s too late to
It's too late to discuss advertising today. We'll have more time tomorrow.
Shall we leave it for?
Shall we leave the final decision for this afternoon's session?
Let’s postpone
Let's postpone the discussion till everyone has arrived.

HOW TO COME BACK TO A TOPIC

Helpful Phrases:


Now, where were we?
Now, where were we? Yes, prime time ratings.
What were we saying?
What were you saying when Carl interrupted us?
As I was explaining
As I was explaining before lunch, higher prices don't always deter buyers.
Return to
Let's return to point five: Clay Corporation.
This leads us back to
This leads us back to the subject we were discussing yesterday.

HOW TO KEEP A MEETING IN TRACK

Helpful Phrases:


That’s another subject
Finance is another subject altogether. Now we'll just talk about sales.
We can’t discuss that issue
We can't discuss that issue today. It's not on the agenda.
That's outside the scope
That's outside the scope of our meeting so we'll leave it for now.
Let's get back on track
Let's get back on track. We're wasting too much time.
We’re digressing
We're digressing. I want to stick to the main subject.

HOW TO KEEP A MEETING IN ORDER

Helpful Phrases:


We can’t all speak at once.
We can't all speak at once. Hector, you start.
Let’s concentrate on
Let's concentrate on the agenda for the day.
Shall we take turns?
Shall we take turns? We can vote one by one.
Please lower your voice.
Please lower your voice. You won't convince anyone by shouting.
Will you let Maria speak?
Jake, will you let Marian speak? She has important things to say.

HOW TO CORRECT WHAT’S WRONG

Helpful Phrases:


That is not right
Sorry, that is not quite right. Toronto is not the capital of Canada.
It’s wrong
It's all wrong. Can't you see the formula's incorrect?
You've made a mistake
You've made a mistake so it's your turn to set matters right.
That needs correction
Those figures need correction. We need to add maintenance costs.
This is different to
This is different to what we had agreed. You must change it.

HOW TO CORRECT MISUNDERSTANDING

Helpful Phrases:


There’s a misunderstanding
I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. I said fourteen, not forty.
This isn't what I meant
This isn't quite what I meant. Sales diminished but didn't plummet.
I don’t think you've understood
I don't think you've actually understood me. I am not against you.
It was not my intention
It was not my intention to offend you. I am sorry.
I’m sorry about the confusion
I'm sorry about the confusion. I thought Ms.Taylor was a customer.