Formal and Informal Expressions for Opening a Meeting
If you are new to running meetings or if you are looking for some more expressions to help you better open a meeting in English, then today I have got you covered.
Running a meeting can be difficult, especially so if English is not your native language. If you are the chairperson for a meeting, then you are responsible for opening a meeting and ensuring that it stays on track.
As with most things in business, there are both formal and informal ways to go about doing business. Sometimes we need to run a small team meeting in an informal setting, while other times we need to host formal meetings with important clients or contractors.
I myself have faced this challenge when working in Spanish. I found it difficult to set the right tone using the Spanish expressions I “thought” I knew would be effective for opening a meeting. Just like I am sure you have worried, I too worried about leaving a good impression with my colleagues and with whoever else was attending the meeting. If you have felt uncomfortable at times with running a meeting in English then I know exactly how you feel.
With this is mind, today I am going to share with you some tips for opening a meeting as well as both formal and informal expressions to help you open your next meeting.
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Pre-meeting considerations
Before we go any further, let’s start by looking at some quick ideas and tips for opening a meeting.
As we discussed in last week’s episode, all important meetings require planning and preparation. Therefore, one of the first things you should do before your meeting starts is to ensure that you have all of the relevant information with you. Additionally, you should test any technical equipment and makes sure your slides and PC work, especially if you are giving a presentation.
The next thing that we should be aware of is “small talk”. We should try and engage in small talk right at the beginning of a meeting, even if everybody has not arrived. Small talk can help your guests or other colleagues to feel comfortable and help everyone start to relax before the meeting officially starts.
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Small talk before the meeting
Firstly, we should then consider some expressions for small talk. The golden rule is to keep it light and make sure the questions are easy to answer. You should avoid talking about religion or politics.
Below I have included some of the types of questions you could use to engage in small talk.
Small talk with someone you know
The phrases below are great if you already know the person that you are chatting to at the beginning of the meeting. You will notice that they are less formal and suggest that you know aspects about their life.
How are you? | Have you been to the Sydney Film Festival before? | Are you interested in the cricket/baseball/football? |
How are you today? | How was your holiday/vacation? | How was the weekend? |
How are you going/doing? | How was your flight/journey? | Are you keeping up with...(insert a current world event)? |
How have you been? | How was the beach? | How´s the family? |
How are things? | How was the meeting? | How´s the (insert name) project coming along? |
I hear the Sydney Film Festival is on. | Did the meeting go well? | What is the latest in (insert village name)? |
I hear the Sydney Film Festival starts on Friday. | Are you watching the Olympics/World Cup? | Did you hear about (insert event)? |
Are you going to the Sydney Film Festival? | Are you keeping up with the Olympics/World Cup/football? | What about... (insert event or persons name)? |
Small talk with someone you do not know
The follow sentences should be used when you are small talking with a customer or someone you have not had a long relationship with. These expressions are more polite and express correct forms for asking people questions, without being too personal..
How are you? | Have you been to the Sydney Film Festival before? | Are you interested in the cricket/baseball/football? |
How are you today? | How was your flight? | Can I offer you some recommendations on places to eat? |
How are you going/doing? | Did you find us OK? | Are you keeping up with...(insert a current world event)? |
How are you finding Sydney? | Have you seen much of Sydney yet? | Are you watching the Olympics/World Cup? |
Is this your first time to Sydney? | Are you enjoying your stay at the hotel? | I’m told you are from Wales. What’s it like this time of year? |
Did you know the Sydney Film Festival is on? | Would you be interested in going to the Sydney Film Festival? | Do you have anything you would like to see while you are in Sydney? |
Now that we have aspects of small talk covered, let’s move on to the next part where we cover formal and informal expressions for opening a meeting.
Formal expressions for opening a meeting
Take a look at the following expressions, they can be used to open a meeting. They set a formal tone and should be used when dealing with important external participants.
Opening the meeting
Welcoming participants
Referring to the agenda
Referring to timing
Handing over to another participant
Informal expressions for opening a meeting
Now that we have the language for opening a formal meeting, we can now move on to the final part of today’s episode. In the following section I will provide you with some examples of the same steps using informal language.
Opening the meeting
Welcoming participants
Referring to the agenda
Referring to timing
Handing over to another participant
Final thoughts
Leading a meeting in English can seem like a challenge, but with these expressions you should feel confident when opening a meeting.
Remember, small talk is a great way to make people feel comfortable, so make sure you practice that. Once you have broken the ice and started with a few questions, things get much easier.
Well, over to you my friends, let me know if there are any expressions that you like to use when opening a meeting.
Take care and I will see you all next week.
Confidence in Business Meetings
Do you get embarrassed when you need to attend a meeting in English? Maybe you feel frustrated when you can't express yourself clearly. Do you want to be invisible in a meeting, hoping that you won't need to answer any questions?
If you would like to learn how to confidently participate in meetings that lead to successful outcomes and more business for you and your company, then I've got the answer.
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