The most common business English vocabulary and conversation samples

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Strategy

A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term goal

"Our five-year strategy focuses on expanding into Asian markets."

Implement

To transform a strategy or idea into real actions

"We will implement the new customer service protocol next month."

Delegate

To assign tasks or responsibilities to others

"Effective managers know when to delegate challenging projects to their team."

Collaborate

To work jointly on an activity or project

"Our departments need to collaborate more effectively on cross-functional initiatives."

Innovate

To introduce new methods, ideas, or products

"Companies that fail to innovate risk becoming obsolete in today's market."

Visionary

Person with original ideas about what the future could be like

"As a visionary CEO, she anticipated market trends years before competitors."

Initiative

The ability to assess and initiate things independently

"We're looking for employees who show initiative rather than waiting for instructions."

Accountability

Taking responsibility for one's actions and decisions

"The new framework increases accountability at all management levels."

Empower

Give someone the authority or power to do something

"Good leaders empower their teams to make important decisions."

Facilitate

Make a process easier or more efficient

"The workshop was designed to facilitate communication between departments."

Oversight

Supervision and monitoring of activities

"The board provides oversight of all major financial decisions."

Mentor

Guide or advise less experienced colleagues

"Each new hire is paired with a mentor during their first six months."

Transformation

A complete change in form or appearance

"The digital transformation has revolutionized our business model."

Restructure

Organize a company or system differently

"We plan to restructure the sales department to improve efficiency."

Objective

Something that one's efforts or actions are intended to attain

"Our primary objective is to increase market share by 15% this year."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Budget

A financial plan outlining expected income and expenses

"The marketing department exceeded its quarterly budget by 12%."

Revenue

Income generated from business activities

"Our revenue increased by 25% after launching the new product line."

Profit

Financial gain, the difference between revenue and expenses

"Despite higher sales, profits declined due to increased production costs."

Invoice

A document showing goods/services provided and amount due

"Please submit all invoices by the end of the fiscal month."

Audit

Thorough examination of financial records and practices

"The external audit revealed several areas for improvement in our accounting practices."

Asset

Something valuable that a company owns

"The building is our most valuable physical asset."

Liability

Legal financial obligation or debt

"The company must report all liabilities on its balance sheet."

Cash flow

The movement of money into and out of a business

"Maintaining positive cash flow is essential for our small business operations."

Dividend

Portion of company profits paid to shareholders

"The board approved a dividend of $0.50 per share for the second quarter."

Depreciation

Reduction in an asset's value over time

"We account for equipment depreciation over a five-year period."

Fiscal year

12-month period used for financial reporting

"Our fiscal year ends on March 31st, not December 31st."

Overhead

Regular business expenses not directly related to products

"We need to reduce overhead costs by consolidating office space."

Margin

The difference between cost and selling price

"The new production method has improved our profit margins significantly."

Capital

Wealth in the form of money or assets

"The startup secured $2 million in venture capital for expansion."

Expenditure

The action of spending funds

"Capital expenditures will increase by 15% next year to support growth."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Brand

Type of product manufactured under a particular name

"Apple's brand is consistently ranked among the most valuable in the world."

Target market

Specific group of consumers a product/service aims at

"Our target market consists of professional women aged 25-45."

Campaign

Organized course of action to promote a product/service

"The summer campaign generated 200% more leads than forecasted."

Lead

A potential customer or client

"The trade show generated over 500 qualified leads for our sales team."

Conversion

Process of turning a potential customer into a paying one

"Our website's conversion rate improved after redesigning the checkout process."

Market share

Percentage of total sales in a market by a company

"We currently hold 23% market share in the enterprise software segment."

Demographics

Statistical data about the characteristics of a population

"The product appeals to a broader demographic than we initially anticipated."

Value proposition

Statement explaining benefits a product offers

"Our value proposition centers on saving customers both time and money."

USP (Unique Selling Point)

Factor that differentiates a product from competitors

"The waterproof feature is our main USP in this competitive market."

Acquisition

The process of gaining a new customer

"Customer acquisition costs have decreased by 15% this quarter."

Retention

Keeping existing customers

"Customer retention is more cost-effective than acquisition."

Segmentation

Division of market into groups with similar needs

"Market segmentation allows us to tailor our messaging more effectively."

Branding

Process of creating a unique identity for a product

"The rebranding exercise has modernized our company's image."

Engagement

Interactions between a brand and customers

"Social media engagement has increased by 45% since the campaign launch."

Funnel

Visual representation of customer journey

"We need to optimize each stage of our sales funnel to improve conversions."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Recruit

To find new people to join an organization

"We need to recruit at least five developers for the new project."

Onboarding

Process of bringing a new employee into an organization

"The comprehensive onboarding program helps new hires become productive quickly."

Performance review

Formal assessment of an employee's work

"Annual performance reviews will be conducted in December."

Compensation

Payment or reward for work done

"The compensation package includes both salary and stock options."

Diversity

Including people from various social and ethnic backgrounds

"Our company is committed to promoting diversity in the workplace."

Turnover

Rate at which employees leave a company

"High turnover rates can indicate problems with company culture."

Benefits

Additional advantages provided to employees

"The benefits package includes health insurance and paid parental leave."

Talent acquisition

Process of finding and acquiring skilled workers

"Our talent acquisition strategy focuses on both technical skills and cultural fit."

Retention strategies

Methods to keep valuable employees

"Flexible working hours are part of our employee retention strategies."

Job description

Formal account of employee responsibilities

"The job description clearly outlines all responsibilities and requirements."

Probation

Trial period for new employees

"All new employees have a three-month probation period."

Development

Growth of employee skills and capabilities

"We invest heavily in professional development for our team."

Competency

Ability to do something successfully or efficiently

"Leadership competency is essential for all management positions."

Workforce

Total number of people employed

"Our global workforce exceeds 10,000 employees."

HR policy

Rules and guidelines that govern employment

"The updated HR policy addresses remote working arrangements."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Supply chain

Network between a company and its suppliers

"The pandemic revealed vulnerabilities in our global supply chain."

Inventory

Complete list of items in stock

"We conduct monthly inventory checks to prevent stockouts."

Outsource

Obtain goods or services from an outside supplier

"We decided to outsource our customer support to improve service quality."

Streamline

Make a system or organization more efficient

"The new software will streamline our order processing system."

Quality control

System of maintaining standards in products

"Rigorous quality control measures ensure our products meet all specifications."

Procurement

Obtaining goods and services for business use

"The procurement department negotiated better terms with our suppliers."

Distribution

Process of making a product available to consumers

"We're expanding our distribution network in Southeast Asia."

Logistics

Detailed organization and implementation of operations

"The logistics team coordinates all aspects of product shipping and delivery."

Optimization

Making something as effective as possible

"Process optimization has reduced production time by 30%."

Bottleneck

Point of congestion in a production system

"We identified the packaging stage as the main bottleneck in our production line."

Just-in-time

Inventory strategy to reduce storage costs

"Our just-in-time inventory system minimizes warehouse costs."

Capacity

Maximum amount that can be produced or contained

"The factory is currently operating at 85% capacity."

Efficiency

Achieving maximum productivity with minimum waste

"Automation has significantly improved operational efficiency."

Warehouse

Building for storage of goods

"We're opening a new warehouse to support our expansion in the western region."

Vendor

Person or company offering something for sale

"We maintain relationships with multiple vendors to ensure supply continuity."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Digital transformation

Adoption of digital technology in business

"Our digital transformation initiative has revolutionized customer service."

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Simulation of human intelligence in machines

"AI algorithms help us predict customer purchasing patterns."

Cloud computing

Using internet-based servers for data management

"Moving to cloud computing reduced our IT infrastructure costs by 40%."

Cybersecurity

Protecting systems from digital attacks

"We've increased our investment in cybersecurity following recent industry breaches."

Big data

Extremely large data sets for analysis

"Big data analytics drive our product development decisions."

Machine learning

System that can learn and adapt automatically

"The machine learning model becomes more accurate with each transaction."

Interface

Point where two systems meet and interact

"The user interface has been redesigned for better customer experience."

Algorithm

Set of rules for solving problems or calculations

"Our recommendation algorithm analyzes past purchase behavior."

Automation

Use of largely automatic equipment

"Automation of routine tasks has freed our team to focus on strategic initiatives."

Integration

Process of bringing together subsystems

"System integration challenges delayed the project by two months."

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Software licensing delivery model

"We've switched to a SaaS model for most of our business applications."

Bandwidth

Capacity for data transfer

"Increasing our bandwidth will improve the application's performance."

Prototype

First or preliminary version of a product

"The engineering team will demonstrate the prototype at next week's meeting."

Scalability

Ability to be changed in size or scale

"Scalability was a key requirement when designing the platform."

Beta testing

Testing phase before commercial release

"The product is currently in beta testing with select customers."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Milestone

Key achievement marking progress in a project

"We've reached the first major milestone ahead of schedule."

Deliverable

Goods or service provided upon project completion

"The final deliverable will be presented to the client next Friday."

Scope

Extent of area or subject matter covered

"The project scope expanded after additional requirements were identified."

Agile

Project management method with short work phases

"Our team follows agile methodology with two-week sprints."

Stakeholder

Person with interest in a business or project

"All stakeholders must approve changes to the project timeline."

Timeline

Schedule for project completion

"According to our timeline, the design phase should be completed by March."

Resources

Assets available for project execution

"We need additional resources to meet the accelerated deadline."

Objective

Specific result that a person or system aims to achieve

"The primary objective is to reduce processing time by 50%."

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

Measurable value showing achievement of objectives

"On-time delivery is one of our most important KPIs."

Risk assessment

Evaluation of potential project risks

"The risk assessment identified several potential supply chain issues."

Sprint

Set period when specific work has to be completed

"The development team completed all tasks in the current sprint."

Task allocation

Distribution of work among team members

"Task allocation should consider both skills and current workload."

Dependencies

Tasks that cannot start until others are completed

"We've identified several critical dependencies in the project plan."

Gantt chart

Visual representation of project schedule

"The Gantt chart clearly shows the overlapping phases of the project."

Critical path

Sequence of tasks that must be completed on time

"Delays in the critical path will affect the final delivery date."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Briefing

Meeting for giving information or instructions

"The team received a comprehensive briefing before the client meeting."

Pitch

Presentation to sell a product/service or attract funding

"Our pitch to investors emphasized the unique market opportunity."

Networking

Interacting to exchange information and develop contacts

"Industry conferences provide excellent networking opportunities."

Feedback

Insights about work used to guide improvements

"Constructive feedback helps improve the quality of our deliverables."

Negotiation

Communication process to find mutually beneficial solutions

"The contract negotiation lasted for three intensive days."

Persuasion

Act of influencing someone to take a particular action

"Effective persuasion requires understanding the audience's needs."

Articulate

Express thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively

"She articulated the complex concept in easy-to-understand terms."

Coherent

Logical and consistent communication

"His presentation was coherent and well-structured."

Rapport

Harmonious relationship with mutual understanding

"Building rapport with clients is essential for long-term relationships."

Rhetoric

Art of effective speaking or writing

"His rhetoric skills make him an outstanding spokesperson."

Concise

Giving a lot of information clearly in few words

"The executive summary should be concise yet comprehensive."

Engagement

Capturing and holding someone's interest and attention

"High audience engagement indicated the presentation's success."

Clarification

Making a statement or situation more comprehensible

"I asked for clarification about the project requirements."

Interpersonal

Relating to relationships or communication between people

"Strong interpersonal skills are essential in customer-facing roles."

Mediation

Intervention to resolve a disagreement

"The HR director offered mediation to resolve the departmental conflict."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

Corporate Social Responsibility

Managing business operations responsibly

"Our CSR initiatives focus on education and environmental protection."

Sustainability

Ability to maintain or support a process over time

"Sustainability considerations are integrated into all business decisions."

Transparency

Conducting business operations openly

"Financial transparency builds trust with investors and customers."

Compliance

Action of complying with a wish or command

"Regulatory compliance is non-negotiable in our industry."

Ethical

Acting in ways consistent with good values

"We pride ourselves on ethical business practices in all markets."

Governance

System by which an organization is controlled

"Strong corporate governance protects shareholder interests."

Accountability

Obligation to account for activities and decisions

"The new framework increases accountability at all levels."

Integrity

Quality of being honest and having strong moral principles

"Integrity in business relationships is a core company value."

Stakeholder engagement

Process of involving relevant parties

"Our stakeholder engagement strategy includes regular community forums."

Carbon footprint

Amount of carbon dioxide released by activities

"We've committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 30% by 2030."

Triple bottom line

Framework measuring social, environmental, financial performance

"Our annual report addresses all aspects of the triple bottom line."

Green initiatives

Programs promoting environmentally friendly practices

"The company's green initiatives include transitioning to renewable energy."

Social impact

Effect of business activities on communities

"We regularly assess the social impact of our manufacturing operations."

Due diligence

Reasonable steps to avoid harm to others

"Due diligence processes are mandatory before any acquisition."

Fair trade

Trading partnership based on dialogue and respect

"We source all our coffee beans through fair trade partners."

Business english vocabulary

Definition

Used in a sentence

ROI (Return on Investment)

Performance measure evaluating investment efficiency

"The marketing campaign delivered a 300% ROI within six months."

B2B (Business-to-Business)

Commercial transactions between businesses

"Our B2B model focuses on providing software solutions to enterprises."

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

Measurable value showing achievement of key objectives

"On-time delivery is one of our most important KPIs."

Scalable

Able to be changed in size or scale

"We need a scalable solution that can grow with our business."

Disruptive

Causing disruption of an established business model

"Their disruptive technology revolutionized the taxi industry."

Benchmark

Standard against which others can be measured

"Industry benchmarks help us evaluate our performance objectively."

Diversification

Varying a range of products or field of operation

"Diversification into related markets reduced our business risk."

Merger

Combination of two companies to form a new company

"The merger created the largest telecommunications provider in the region."

Acquisition

One company purchasing another

"The acquisition strengthened our position in the European market."

Start-up

Recently established business

"The tech start-up secured its first round of funding last month."

Entrepreneurship

Process of designing, launching, and running a new business

"The university offers courses in entrepreneurship and innovation."

Franchise

Authorization to sell a company's goods in a particular area

"They purchased a franchise and opened three locations in the city."

Intellectual property

Intangible property resulting from creativity

"Patents protect our intellectual property from competitors."

Bootstrapping

Starting a business without external help or capital

"The company succeeded through bootstrapping in its early years."

Venture capital

Financing provided to start-ups with long-term growth potential

"The start-up raised $5 million in venture capital for expansion."

English business conversation samples

How do you do?

How is it going? How are you doing?

I don’t usually work overtime.

This has been a hectic week. I have had lots of tasks.

How long does it take you to get to work?

How do you get to work?

How long have you worked here?

It’s been great talking to you, but I’ve got to get back to work.

Here’s my business card.

English business conversation samples

I wonder if you could explain about ______.

Would you mind telling me a little bit more about benefits at this company?

Can you describe my role in more detail?

Who will I be working with in my team?

What are the typical work hours here?

Are there opportunities for advancement within the company?

How long has your company been established?

How many departments do you have?

How many employees do you have?

English business conversation samples

Glad to have you in our team, Mr Martin.

Welcome to your first day in our company.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

Do you want me to show you around the place?

Are you new here?

I've just joined as a/an _______.

I'm really looking forward to contributing to the team's success.

Could you show me the _______ Department?

Are there any specific company policies or procedures I should be aware of?

Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm eager to get started.

I appreciate your time and guidance. I'll do my best in this role.

I'm excited to start this new journey and I'm fully committed to giving it my best effort.

English business conversation samples

What kind of thing do I have to do?

How long does it take for my internship?

Do I have to take part in a training course?

Who is my supervisor?

How will you evaluate my performance?

I'm eager to prove myself and contribute to the team's success during my probation period.

I see this as a valuable opportunity to learn and grow in my role.

English business conversation samples

What time does the meeting start?

What time does the meeting finish?

As everyone is here, let us begin the meeting.

In today’s meeting, we will focus on/ discuss/ talk about ______.

We would like to hear from Mr/Mrs ______ about ______.

Sorry for interrupting you, but can you give me/us more information on ______?

Any thoughts before we close the meeting?

I think we’ve covered everything. Thanks for your contributions.

I think this matter needs further discussion.

It’s time to divide the tasks. Who would like to be in charge of ______?

Please inform me right when you have completed your task.

English business conversation samples

He deserved credits, certainly.

You did a good job.

You’ve done a great job.

Well done. I’m proud of you.

Awesome, you’re awesome.

Good job on the report! I think the executives will like it.

What a marvelous memory you’ve got!

He is so prospective.

English business conversation samples

I’ll be with you in a moment.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Can I help you?

Do you need any help?

What can I do for you?

English business conversation samples

I would like to introduce all of you to the new members of our group.

We are glad you join us.

Can we talk a little bit about the project?

We are going to need all people’s input on that project.

Can you talk about what plans we have for the future?

Keep to the point, please.

That sounds like a fine idea.

English business conversation samples

Company PREP, this is ______. How may I help you?

May I have your name please?

May I ask who am I speaking with?

Sure, let me check on that.

Sure, one moment please.

Can I put you on hold for a minute?

Do you mind holding while I check on that.

He’s/she’s not available at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?

Is there anything else I can help you with?… Okay, thanks for calling.

English business conversation samples

Good morning/afternoon/evening. This is ______ at/ calling from ______. Could I speak to ______?

Can I leave a message for him/her?

Could you tell him/her that I called, please?

Okay, thanks. I’ll call back later.

I’m sorry, we have a bad connection. Could you speak a little louder, please?

Thank you very much. Have a good day.

English business conversation samples

Can I help you?

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Do you need any help?

What can I do for you?

How may I assist you today?

Thank you for choosing us/ our service!

If you have any questions or problems when using our service/ product, don’t hesitate to contact us.

We sincerely apologize for your unpleasant experience! We will take care of this immediately.

Thank you for your valuable feedback! We will try our best to improve our service.

The information/document/data/… will be sent to you via email as soon as possible/before ____/within ____.

English business conversation samples

Mr/Mrs. ______, I would like to ask you a favor. May I take this Friday/Monday/… off? I need to ______.

Could I take a day off this/ next week/…, Mr/Mrs. ______? I need to ______.

I’m sorry, I think I may not be able to work tomorrow as I’m not feeling well right now.

Wouldn’t it be possible for me to take this Friday/Monday/… morning off because I have a family matter?

She’s on maternity leave.

He’s off sick today.

She’s on holiday.

I would like to ask permission for a day off from work on ______ because ______

How many weeks of holidays should I get?

Do I get paid for my holidays?

I would like to request some time off next month for ______.

Is it possible to take a few days off for ______?

Would it be possible to adjust my work schedule for a long weekend trip?

English business conversation samples

______ years of working at ______ has given me lots of valuable experience and memories. However, I think it’s time for me to challenge myself in a new work environment.

Here is my letter of resignation. I hope you will consider it.

I’ve been trying, but I don’t think I’m up to this job. Sorry, here is my resignation.

During my last week, I’ll do everything possible to wrap up my duties and train other team members.

Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to aid during the transition.