Common Phrases for Business Letters

ESLgold.com - Common Phrases for Business Letters

Request for information
I am writing to inquire about . . .

I am writing in reference to . . .

I read/heard . . . and would like to know . . .

Could you please send me . . .


at the address below/above

Thank you for your assistance.
I look forward to hearing from you.



Response to request

Thank you for your interest/inquiry

Enclosed is the information you requested.
You can learn more about this at . . .

If you have further questions,

If you require assistance, please contact:

If I can be of more help, please feel free to contact me at . . .



Sample Sentences: Requests

Could you please send me your most recent brochure?

Could you fax me the results of the market survey?

I would like to order ten copies of the book, Touchy Situations.

I would be very grateful if you could send me this information.

Please return the enclosed envelope with your payment.



Sample Sentences: Goodwill

Thank you for your hospitality.

I enjoyed having lunch with you last week while I was in New York.

Congratulations on your promotion to General Manager.

I want(ed) to congratulate you on your new position.

I was happy to hear that contract negotiations went well.



Sample Sentences: Introduction of Product/Service.

I am writing to tell you about . . .

(Our new product) is coming out next month.

This product/service is designed to (help you) . . .



Sample Sentences: Reference

I am writing in regard to . . .

I am writing in reference to . . .

Please refer to the enclosed invoice/brochure.

I hope you have had a chance to look over the materials we sent.



Sample Sentences: Confirmation

I am writing to confirm . . .

I would like to confirm what we discussed last Friday.

I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed . . .



Sample Sentences: Notification

I am writing to let you know that . . .

Please be aware/informed that . . .

I would like to inform you of a recent policy change.

I am happy to inform

you that . . .

Your request for funding has been approved.



Sample Sentences: Offering Assistance

We would be happy to . . .

If we can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.



Sample Sentences: Collection

According to our records . . .

Our records show that . . .

Your monthly installment is past due.

Please send payment as soon as possible.

Business English Vocabulary

From ESLGold.com

Business English: Writing letters

For Business Letters

1. Receiver (Who are you writing this to?)

• Someone you know (friend, colleague, business partner, group, company)
• Some one you don't know (To whom it may concern, Dear Sir/Madam)
• How do you expect the receiver to respond?

2. Sender (Who are you?)

• What is your relationship to the reader/receiver(s)?
• What role are you assuming in the letter?
• (friend, colleague, etc.)

3. Context (What background information does the reader need?)

• Bring the reader up to date first.
• Establish a connection
• As requested . . .
• It was nice meeting you in Toronto last week . . .
• I read your article in Vague Magazine . 
• Supporting details
• Time frame (sequence of events)

4. Message (What do you want the reader to know or do?)

• What do you hope to accomplish with the letter (inform, persuade, initiate action)
• I am writing to inquire about . . .
• Could you please send me . . .
• Polite requests
• Please . . .
• Would you mind . . .
• Could you please . . .
• Would you be so kind as to . . .

5. Medium (What is the appropriate format?)

• Fax, e-mail, formal business letter, memo, informal note

6. Tone (What tone do you wish to convey?)

• informative
• polite
• business-like
• friendly
• humble
• assertive
• urgent
• irate

7. Other recipients (Are there others who need to be informed of this communication?)

• cc: courtesy copy

Before writing a business letter, consider the following:

Objective(s)

• Why am I writing this letter?
• What do I hope to accomplish?
• What action do I want from my reader?

 

Your Audience

• Who will read this letter?
• How can I appeal to the reader's interest?
• What attitude might the reader have toward this information?
• Will the reader consider this good news or bad news?

 

Organization

• What information should be included first/last?
• What details does the reader need to know?
• Does my conclusion motivate the reader to do something?
• Do I end the letter in a positive and polite manner?

 

Professionalism

• Do I use a professional business letter format?
• Do my language and style show a positive attitude toward the reader/the company/the product/the information.
• Will my reader be offended by anything in the letter?

 

Proofreading

• Are there any spelling errors, typos, etc.?
• Is the format of the letter appropriate?
• Have I signed my name?

From ESLGold.com

Business English: Presentations

Introduction

• (Good morning, afternoon, evening)
• I'm happy to be here.
• I'm glad to have this opportunity to . . .
• Today, I'd like to talk (to you) about . 
• My topic today is . . 

• The focus of my remarks is . . .
• I'd like to share some thoughts on (topic)

Main Points

• Let me start by . . .
• First, let me tell you about . . .
• I've divided my topic into (three) parts: (They are . . .)

Giving Examples

• For example,
• For instance,
• Let me illustrate,
• To illustrate,

Conclusion

• In conclusion
• To conclude,
• To summarize,
• To sum up,

Beginning a Presentation

• It is common to greet the audience and introduce yourself when giving presentations:
• Good morning,/afternoon/evening
• I'm _________, the new Finance Manager.
• My name is ________ and I represent _______
• Let me take a minute to introduce myself.
• Let me start by telling you a little about our company.
• I've already met some of you, but for those I haven't , I'm _____

Introducing the Topic

• I'm here to talk about . . .
• Today, I'd like to say a few words about . . .
• I'm going to give you an overview of . . .
• The main reason I'm here today is . . .
• The focus of my remarks is . . .
• I'd like to introduce . . .

Time Consciousness

• Thank you for your time
• Thank you for taking the time to be here
• I will probably take about . . . minutes
• This should last only a few minutes
• I hope to be finished by . . .

Showing Organization

This presentation can be divided into the following subtopics:Thank you for taking the time to be here

I've divided my topic into three sections/parts. They are . . 

• First, 
• Second
• Third 
• Finally

Sequencing

• Let's move on to . . .
• Let's move on to . . .
• That brings us to . . .
• Giving Reasons
• This is why . . .
• The main reason is . . .
• Therefore,
• So,

Generalizing 

• Generally,
• Usually,
• As a rule,
• Most of the time.
• In most cases.

Highlighting

• Actually,
• In fact,
• As a matter of fact,
• In PArticular
• Particularly
• Especially

Giving Examples

• For example,
• For instance,
• Such as

Summarizing

• To sum up
• To summarize
• In brief

Concluding

• To conclude
• In conclusion

Follow-Up

• Are/Were there any questions?
• We have just a few minutes for questions

People often become nervous or fearful when giving presentations. 

Here are some phrases you can keep in mind when preparing for and giving a presentation.

About Yourself

• I'm happy to be here.
• I'm glad to have this opportunity.
• (Smile)
• (Turn nervousness into enthusiasm.)
• I (really) want to tell you about this.
• I have something interesting to tell you.

About Your Audience

• This is something I think you should know . . .
• This is important (to you) because . . .
• You will be interested to know that . . .
• You will benefit by knowing this . . .

About Your Subject/Material

• The information is as follows: A,B,C....
• First, I will tell you about . . .
• These are the main points/supporting ideas . . .
• The best way to understand this information is . . .
• Look at this. It will help you understand my topic . . .
• This shows (you) . . .

A few tips:

Business English: Terms of Payment

I'd like to pay (in) cash.

I'll put it on my credit card.

Can I charge it?

Could you put that on my bill?

Could I put that on my account?

Could you send me an invoice?

Could you bill me (for that)?

Can I put it on lay-away?

May I . . .

pay in cash

pay by check

pay by credit card

pay with a credit card

pay in installments

pay in one lump sum

Could you deliver it to my office?

Do you charge for shipping?

Do I need to pay for postage and handling?

How long will it take?

Business English: Invitations

Informal:

Would you like to . . .

We're going to . . . . Would you like to come along?

There's a . . . . (tonight). Would you like to go?

How about (V+ing) . . . ?

Do you want to . . . ?

I wonder if you would like to . . .

I was wondering if you would like to . . .

Formal:

I'd like to invite you to . . .

If you have time, I'd like to invite you . . .

Would you like to join us for (event) at (time) ?

We'd be glad to have you accompany us . . .

We'd be delighted/honored to have you as our guest at . . .

From: ESLGold.com

Business English: Expressing appeciation

Thanks.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thanks for the tour.

Thank you for the nice gift.

I appreciate your hospitality.

I appreciate your lending me the chain saw.

Business English: Company Introductions

What company do you work for?

Which company are you with?

Who do you represent?

I work for ABC Company.

I'm with ABC.

I represent (the) XYZ (company).

What is the name of your company?

Where are you located?

The name of our company is . . . .

Our company is located in . . . .

Our headquarters is in . . .

What (type of business) do you do?

What business are you in?

We are in the computer business.

We're in computers

We sell . . .

We produce . . .

We manufacture . . .

Our major products are . . .

Business English: Introducing yourself and others in English

1. I'm John.

I'm Jackie. (Use first name in informal situations)


2. I'm John Kennedy.

I'm Jackie O'Neill. (Use full name in business and formal situations)


3. (It's) nice to meet you.

(It's) nice meeting you. (It's) good to meet you.


4. Nice to meet you too.

Here are some phrases for introducing other people in English.


Informal

This is my boss, Mr. Stratford.

Jared, this is my secretary, Barbara.

Good to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

I'd like you to meet my co-worker, Collin Beck.

Collin, this is Susan Palmer.

Nice to meet you.

My pleasure.

Have you met, Jason?

Jason, this is Teresa.

Hi, I'm Jill Watson.

I don't believe we've met. I'm Greg.



Formal

I'd like to introduce you to my dear friend, Mrs. Pleasant.

Allow me to introduce myself/my colleague, Ms. Winters

Let me introduce you to my colleague, Dean Richards.

Mr. Richards, this is David Porter from Aerospace Inc.

How do you do?

How do you do?

It's a pleasure meeting you.

Important body language to remember: Smile, eye contact, firm handshake.


From :http://www.eslgold.com/

Gender revolution: minus a bigger paycheck?

Women are more likely than men to have a bachelor’s degree and a white-collar job, yet continue to earn less than their male counterparts, finds a new study spanning two generations in the United States.

Stephanie Nawyn, a Michigan State University sociologist and study co-author, said the findings reinforce the existence of a “gender revolution” – except when it comes to salaries.

“Women have eliminated the gender gap in some respects,” Nawyn said. “They now have more college education then men. They have higher occupational status than men. But it’s problematic when you realize that women have still not completely closed the earnings gap.”

Nawyn and colleagues analyzed U.S. Census socioeconomic data of more than 180,000 people at two points in time. The study looked at Latino and Asian immigrants in 1980 and then at their children’s generation 25 years later (in 2005), as well as non-Hispanic whites whose parents were not immigrants.

In 1980, men led women by a significant margin in bachelor’s-degree attainment, white-collar jobs and earnings, the study found. This held true for all three groups: Asians, Latinos and whites.

By 2005, the story had mostly flipped, with women in all three groups overtaking men in bachelor’s-degree attainment and white-collar jobs.

“Women have increased their mobility across generations better than men have,” Nawyn said. “In this sense, there has been a gender revolution.”

But this progress did not translate into women surpassing men’s earnings. In 2005, women on average earned $39,472, while men earned $50,900 – an $11,428 difference between the sexes. The gender earnings gap was largest between white men and women ($14,204) and smallest between Latino men and women ($7,985).

The study also found major gaps between ethnic groups.

Both white men and women, for example, are much more likely to get a bachelor’s degree and a white-collar job than Latino men and women. In addition, whites on average earn $6,500 more per year than Latinos.

“It’s not that the children of immigrants aren’t doing better than their parents, because they are,” said Nawyn. “They just aren’t completely closing the gap with the white mainstream population.”

The study appears in the October issue of the journal Demography. Julie Park from the University of Maryland was the lead author; MSU’s Nawyn and Maryland’s Megan Benetsky were co-authors.

An aricle from MSU Today

Importance of English in a workplace

Remember how complicated it was to understand your health care benefits when you got your first real job? Now imagine trying to figure it out if all the information was in another language. That is exactly what happens to millions of Spanish-speaking workers and their families in the United States, and it’s costing them — and their employers — a lot of money.

In 2013, 21 percent of U.S. households (about 62 million people) reported speaking a language other than English at home, and Spanish was by far the most common at 62 percent. That same year, there were roughly 11 million Latino immigrants working in the United States.

“As our workforce in this country becomes more diverse, it’s just good practice to think about what form information should come in for it to be most effective,” said Irfan Hasan, senior program officer of health and people with special needs at the New York Community Trust, which supports an array of nonprofits in the city. That means giving workers the information they need in a language — and platform — that is most easily accessible, he said.

Your Job Search and The "Jargon" of Industry Language

Look up the definition of "Jargon" and you will likely find something that reads... The language used for a particular activity or by a particular group of people, i.e. legal jargon, sports jargon or medical jargon - the kind which is only understood by medical professionals. Every profession, every trade and every industry has it own unique "Jargon". It's the language that is spoken daily at any place of work when two or more people are gathered discussing the job, the clients, the business and its results. This language can also vary from department to department depending on what the function and role of the department is within the organization.

When it comes to job searching, jargon and its effective use by the candidate can be a make or break point to landing the job. For Hispanic professionals that have been educated in countries outside of the U.S. learning and embracing industry jargon can be one of the most challenging obstacles to finding great jobs. As people transition to the U.S. English as a second language focuses on conversational English. Hello, good-bye and how do I get to the train station? Although necessary and essential, when it comes to finding a job, a true mark of a professional or qualified job seeker is greatly connected to how well they are able to speak the industry language in terms that are common to that environment or career field.

As a foreign or relatively new job seekers in the U.S. concentrate on learning and understanding your trade language. Drill down into Google and do searches on any industry jargon. I can assure you that hundreds will pop up. For Spanish/English speakers make learning industry language a priority. One of my favorite sites is BusinessSpanish.com. This website is primarily for English speakers who want to learn business Spanish; but I find its versatility very appropriate even for Spanish speakers wanting to learn business English. The site has great audio features that allow you to hear words in their proper pronunciation. Its best feature is its vocabulary listing that groups words by industry or career field. Proper use of industry jargon makes a resume powerful and provides a great impression during an interview. Learn the power of words. Use internet resource as a source of learning. And remember that a kindergarten vocabulary will not help you land the college level job you want.

More Spanish Speakers In America Than Spain

According to the Instituto Cervantes, here’s how many people speak Spanish in the U.S. and Spain.

1) Less Americans speak Spanish really well (Native-Level Speakers).

Spain: 43.9 million

U.S.: 41.3 million

2) More Americans speak Spanish sorta-okay (Limited Competence).

Spain: 3.7 million

U.S.: 11.6 million

That’s right, 11.6 million people are learning a fair amount of Spanish from their high school teachers or abuelas.

3) More Americans study Spanish than any other in the world. Brazilians are a close second. France is a distant third.

U.S. Spanish students: 7.8 million

Brazil Spanish students: 6.1 million

France Spanish students: 2.5 million

http://www.latintimes.com/more-spanish-speakers-america-spain-6-facts-about-espanol-326226

Meet Anna María Chávez:CEO Of Girl Scouts Of The USA

Anna Maria Chávez is the first Latina CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, and not only is she the brain behind its famous cookies, Anna is also lifelong Girl Scout. Her experiences growing up with the organization lit a career-defining passion for public service and social engagement, which she is now passing on to girls across the country. Anna and GSUSA are committed to helping girls across the country experience the fun of Girl Scouts, unleash their leadership potential, and use their natural talents to make their communities, countries, and our world a better place. Girl Scouts has a rich history of bringing up generations of Hispanic- and Latin American leaders, entrepreneurs, and luminaries. Some GSUSA alumni include the likes of Congresswomen Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and the “TODAY Show’s” Natalie Morales!

To read more go to:

http://www.latintimes.com/meet-anna-maria-chavez-11-things-know-about-ceo-girl-scouts-usa-343287

The worst mistakes job candidates make in (or before) interviews that can make them look seriously unqualified:

1. Talking about how nervous you are.

You might think it's endearing to admit to nerves in an interview But the truth is, it's not a good look. Employers expect you to be an adult, calm under pressure, and able to handle the kinds of stressful situations that you might encounter in the workplace. Talking about your nerves, and by implication looking for pity, is a great to way to send them the message that you're not ready to handle a real office environment.

2. Failing to do your research.

As you prepare for an interview, you should find out everything you can about the company, its leaders, and the person with whom you'll be speaking. "Employers want to see that you've done your homework, and that you're engaged with the company and its issues."

It's totally fine to ask questions but not questions that you should already know the answer to or can easily answer with a quick Google search.

3. Answering questions without elaborating.

Interviewers aren't looking for one-word answers — they're looking for stories about how you made an impact in previous roles So when an interviewer brings up your past role as the president of a club, or as an intern at a startup, don't just say, 'Yes, that was a lot of fun.' Explain!

4. Not having any questions for the interviewer (or acting as if the interviewer covered all of your questions earlier).

At the end of almost every interview, the hiring manager will turn the tables and ask: "Do you have any questions for me?"

A lack of questions reflects a lack of engagement or even an inability to think on your feet.

Come to the interview with three questions that the interviewer is guaranteed not to address during your time. 'What is the toughest part of your job?' or 'Where do you think the company really needs improvement?'"

And it doesn't hurt to make the interviewer feel like you're interviewing them just a little bit.

Did you know?

Hispanics enjoy shopping more than other races. The authors of a recent study -- Fashion leadership, shopping enjoyment, and gender: Hispanic versus, Caucasian consumers׳ shopping preferences -- from SUNY Buffalo State and University of North Texas found that Hispanics are more likely to be fashion leaders than their Caucasian peers and they also conveyed higher levels of shopping enjoyment than Caucasians as well. Within genders, the study found that women are more interested in fashion and display higher levels of shopping enjoyment than men.
‪#‎HispanicHeritageMonth‬ ‪#‎Thehill‬ ‪#‎AReasonToBeProud‬ ‪#‎TheHillFunFacts‬

Benefits of Spanish for career advancement

When workers learn Spanish as a foreign language, it improves reading skills, reasoning, and better verbal communication. In addition, it can also improve grammar skills. In international commerce, transactions with Latin markets can sometimes be done in Spanish only. Knowing how to express the concerns and deal with businesses can be crucial for successful commerce. Written and verbal communications between foreign clients are excellent ways to enhance the interaction lines in businesses.

It is estimated the Hispanic community will increase by 24 percent in 2050 in the United States. With a great demand of the bilingual workforce, learning Spanish can be a valuable tool. It provides a competitive edge and a cultural advantage.

Interview Etiquette for Hispanic/Latino Job Seekers:

What to Wear

Dressing inappropriately tells the interviewer that the candidate is naive and probably misunderstands the job requirements.

Don't Provide Too Much Information
Sometimes candidates may reveal too much information, because they are not aware there are questions that interviewers are not legally permitted to ask. It is very important not to give out unnecessary personal information that is not specifically relevant to the job.

Practice and Prepare
The candidate who is prompt and prepared can go in with confidence. And if the questions the interviewer asks are inappropriately personal, then it's a good idea to look elsewhere for employment.

Why your language skills are your most important asset:

-My accent will be seen as an additional competence that helps me communicate better with colleagues and customers from diverse backgrounds.

-My language skills will be used to resolve cultural or language conflicts, or problems between customers and colleagues.
-Being multicultural or multilingual demonstrates I can adjust my style to different people and situations.
-Being multicultural or multilingual indicates I have experienced looking at problems and opportunities from different perspectives.
-Being multicultural or multilingual indicates I think before I act.
-Being multicultural or multilingual means I know how it feels to be misunderstood, and I also know what it takes to reverse misunderstandings.

https://hilljaxjobs.com/

Scared about what to wear on your interview? Here is a cool tip fromOprah.com:

Have a cup of coffee in the morning near your potential new office or drive by during lunchtime and watch people going in and out.You will get an idea of how people dress at the workplace and you can follow the same dress code. Just don't do your investigating on a Friday when many companies' dress codes are more relaxed

https://hilljaxjobs.com/