Help Me To Wait For Your Timing And Purpose

6 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Learning Business English

By Sarah Li Cain

Your palms are sweaty. You re-adjust your tie, waiting for the meeting to start.

When everyone arrives, you start your presentation. You are so worried about mispronouncing words that you barely speak loud enough for your audience to hear.

After your talk, you worry about whether people understood your message and if your boss is still considering you for that promotion.

Does this sound familiar? Perhaps you are stressed by conference calls in English, writing reports or mountains of email?

The fact that you are reading this means that you are working hard at improving your Business English skills, but there are 6 common mistakes that might be holding you back.

Are you making one of these crucial mistakes?

1. Use Tried and True Methods

There is a wealth of resources out there, so why stress yourself out and spend so much time trying to craft the perfect email or presentation when you can use a template?

Using a template doesn’t mean that you are being lazy. In fact, using what has worked for you and others in the past makes you more effective.

Instead of worrying about the format of your email or presentation, spend that time editing your work to make sure everything is grammatically correct.

Here’s an example to help with your emails. Feel free to copy and paste it into your next email:

Example subject lines for your emails

Your email subject should include the topic and purpose of the email. The topic should come first, followed by purpose separated by two dashes.

1. Responding to a request: When replying to a message, be as specific as possible about the action. The purpose should include the words “the [action or item] you requested”.
   Example: “Company Logo – The edit you requested”
2. Seeking help or action: the purpose should include words such as “action requested”. Be as specific as possible when work should be completed.
   Example: “Edit Company Logo – Action Requested: complete by 8/30”
3. Giving information: Since no action is required by the receiver, you can simply use the words “please review”, or “No action required”.
   Example: “New Company Logo – No action required”

Template for your business presentations:

1. Start your presentation with talking about who you are, the purpose of the presentation, the main areas you will be presenting, and why the subject is important to the audience.
2. In the main part of your presentation, present points to support the main areas. Make sure you explain difficult concepts such as new terminology. To make it easier in you and your audience, try to explain concepts by comparing it to something familiar (such as an analogy) and present all statistics as visually as possible.
3. For your conclusion, tie everything together by summarizing your main points and explain the importance of your presentation again, then ask them to take some sort of action.
4. If time permits, have a question and answer period. You can use this as an opportunity to clarify or expand on points you may have missed.

For using English on the telephone, here is a slideshow with some template phrases you can use:

2. Focus on Effective Communication Skills

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
– George Bernard Shaw

How you say something is just as important as what you say – if not more important!

Even if English isn’t your first language, it is still important to develop excellent communication skills in order to convey your message clearly.

Who would your clients rather listen to: someone who speaks softly and mispronounce most of the words during their presentation, or someone who stands tall, speaks confidently and fluently?

While it is important to learn new vocabulary and different expressions, you need to practice in order to master them.

Here are 5 ways you can improve your communication skills:

• Volunteer to do presentations or other activities where you have a chance to interact with English speaking colleagues.
• Actively participate in conference calls or meetings to try out new material you learned.
• When giving a presentation, practice what you have to say well in advance. Check your body language in front of a mirror. Practice speaking out loud. Make sure you understand how to pronounce every single word.
• Make eye contact and listen carefully when speaking with colleagues.
• Join Toastmasters or other organizations where you can practice speaking in front of others.

3. Ask for Feedback

No matter what stage you are in learning English, there is always room to improve. Asking for feedback from your teacher or colleagues will help you learn from your mistakes. Most people are more than happy to give you constructive feedback, including your peers.

If you are not comfortable asking for feedback, try asking a trusted friend first for some comments about a recent email you wrote, or ask them to listen to a presentation you will give.

Build up the courage to ask your teacher or your colleagues one-on-one until you feel comfortable asking questions in front of a group of people.

Consistently seeking feedback at work can be seen by your boss as a sign that you are ambitious and goal driven. This might help you score that promotion that you’ve always wanted!

4. Don’t Take Learning Too Seriously

“That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes.”
– Albert Einstein, letter to his son

The more you enjoy and relax into the process of learning, the easier and more enjoyable it will be. You will be more motivated to learn and improve on what you already know.

Some tips:

• Incorporate English into your hobbies. For example, if you building model airplanes, try to construct one using instructions in English. Join an English-speaking group. You could even read fashion magazines, or watch football shows in English.
• Learn to laugh at your own mistakes.
• Take some time to practice English by watching comedy shows
• Set boundaries, such as only studying during scheduled sessions and not bringing study materials with you on vacation.

5. The World is Your Classroom

There is a world of possibilities to learn English outside of a classroom. Learning English in the real world is a better way to be exposed constantly to new ideas and concepts.

Here are some ideas about other places where you can learn Business English:

• Read industry specific blogs and trade magazines
• Follow colleagues or other relevant people on (for example you can find us at @TJTaylorEnglish)
• Network at industry conferences
• Socialize with your international colleagues

6. Develop Effective Study Habits

Many Business English students haven’t stepped foot inside a classroom for a while, so it is natural to forget good study habits.

The more you understand and apply good study habits, the greater your chances of success.

What would you rather do: study for many hours and get frustrated at the lack of progress, or study effectively for a few hours and make real progress in your English?

Here are some tips on developing effective study habits:

• Create a space specifically for you to study: Make sure your space is used only for studying and has no distractions. Keep your desk clean and find a comfortable chair. Associating a space in your house that is solely for study helps you mentally prepare and focus.
• Schedule a time to study – and stick to it: Learning to prioritize and manage your time is crucial. Block off time in your agenda, phone or calendar so others can’t schedule meetings with you. If you communicate to them why this is important to you, they will be supportive and respect your time. Post your study schedule where everyone can see it so they know not to disturb you.
• Take frequent breaks: It is important to give your brain a rest so you don’t tire or stress yourself out from studying for long periods of time. Something as simple as stretching for 5 minutes, taking a walk or even eating a snack can help.
• Start with the most difficult topic: Harder materials usually mean that these are the areas you need to focus on. Also, your brain is still fresh at the beginning of your study session. Work towards easier material at the end.
• Take care of your health: A lack of sleep means lower concentration and and you will remember less of what you studied.
• Focus on quality over quantity: Studying more does not mean that you will learn more. Also, studying in small batches is more effective than sitting for long periods of time. Work on practicing your English for 5-10 minutes every day.

Ready to Get Started?

If you follow these 6 tips, you will start to notice a huge difference in the way you interact in English with colleagues and clients.

You will appear more confident in front of others and become more active and visible in your company. You may even gain some valuable professional relationships.

Remember, to put you on the path to success:

1. Use templates for emails and presentations
2. Work on perfecting your communication skills
3. Constantly seek feedback
4. Don’t take learning too seriously
5. Learn English from the real world around you every day
6. Develop good study habits

Which of these do you identify with?

Start by focusing on one of these mistakes and fix it today. Set some goals, and after 1 week review how you have corrected that mistake.

Start by making small goals for this week. Go ahead – open up your calendar now and schedule in a study time.

Which of these mistakes do you think is the most important? What other common mistakes would you include? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Источник: //blog.tjtaylor.net/learning-business-english/

7 Clever Ways to Say “I Look Forward to Hearing from You”

You sent an important email and you’re eager to get a reply. You end your message with “I look forward to hearing from you.” Did you make an email faux pas?

Is It Okay to Use “Looking Forward to Hearing From You”?

Whether or not to use “I look forward to hearing from you” or “I’m looking forward to hearing from you” depends on the context and purpose of your letter.

Pros

• It’s friendly and familiar.
• It lets the recipient know that you’re hoping for a response.

Cons

• It’s a bit canned. Everyone uses it, so your recipient might ignore it.
• In certain contexts, it can come across as passive-aggressive code for “Get back to me, or else.”
• It puts you in the waiting position, unable to move forward until you hear from the other person.

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Although plenty of business emails end with this phrase, there are better options. At best, “Looking forward to hearing from you” is invisible—a standard closing phrase that recipients tend to disregard.

(When was the last time you read “I look forward to hearing from you” and thought Gee, how nice! I think I’ll respond immediately? Right. You see what we’re saying.

) At worst, it’s presumptuous and even a bit snarky.

RELATED: How to End an Email: 9 Best and Worst Email Sign-Offs

1 Use a call-to-action

Good email communication eliminates guesswork for the recipient. The problem with “I look forward to hearing from you” is that it removes you from the active role and puts you in a subservient one. Now, you’re just waiting passively for a response rather than moving the email thread forward, and your recipient may not even know what you want from them. No bueno.

Instead, prompt your recipient to make a specific move. Here are a few examples:

I plan to hand off this graphic to our design team by Friday. Would you please send me your feedback by Wednesday?

Let’s meet at Emilio’s for lunch. Does 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday work for you?

Would you me to send you our research when it’s finalized?

Please pass this info along to your teammates. Thanks!

Good email communication eliminates guesswork for the recipient.

2 I’m eager to receive your feedback

If you don’t have a hard deadline (“Get back to me by Wednesday”), closing your email with a request for feedback is perfectly appropriate. Just keep in mind that this sort of closing is a bit softer than requesting input by a specific date. It works best if you’re hoping for a reply, but you’re not necessarily expecting it.

A more casual request would be something , “I value your feedback, so let me know what you think!”

READ: The 15 Most Common Email Mistakes of 2017

3 I appreciate your quick response

It’s okay to use this alternative when you want an answer as soon as possible, but you don’t have a time constraint. It gives the recipient a bit more of a nudge than “I look forward to hearing from you.”

This is another closing that can sound pushy in the wrong context. If your email has a friendly tone overall, then the sign-off will sound friendly. In a more business setting, it could seem more a stern warning: “I expect a reply.”

4 Always happy to hear from you

This one says “Hey, my inbox is always open!” It’s breezy and informal, and it works well for recipients you have an ongoing dialog with. This closing doesn’t insist on an answer, so use it only when you’d welcome a response but you don’t need one.

Here’s a tip:Which one is grammatically correct: “I look forward to hearing from you” or “I’m looking forward to hearing from you”?

They’re both correct, but one of them uses more active language. Am looking is weaker sentence construction—looking requires an auxiliary (helper) verb, (am), in order to make sense. I look forward is a better choice.

Sometimes, you need a reply only when the status of a project changes. In these cases, it’s appropriate to end with something “Keep me informed of any updates.” Go ahead and be as insistent as you need to be. If it’s critical that you receive project updates, say so.

But be aware that this closing conveys a serious, even angry, tone. When you use it, you’re doing the written equivalent of glaring at someone while tapping your foot and saying, “Well? I’m waiting.” Use it sparingly.

Unless, of course, you work in the collections department.

In less formal emails, “Write soon” is a cheerful sign-off that lets the correspondent know you’d to hear from them without actually demanding action. Use it for friendly communication, such as writing to a close friend or relative. Just keep it your business communication; it’s far too casual.

Источник: //www.grammarly.com/blog/i-look-forward-to-hearing-from-you/

7 Important Bible Verses About Purpose

Sometimes we can be so busy about our lives that we forget the purpose behind them. We are driven by the demands of life and not realizing that God always has a greater purpose. His purposes not only encompass our lives, but the lives of those around us—at home, school, work, and community. It’s important to know and live out the following Bible verses about purpose:

God has a purpose for everyone

“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16).

Pharaoh mistakenly thought that he was in control. However, God put him in the place of being an Egyptian leader for His purpose. God has a purpose for everyone—including those who resist Him. Ultimately God will get the glory no matter the person because He is the Giver of purpose in every life whether they live for Him or not.

God’s purpose can’t be undone

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

Once God has established His purposes for our lives—no one can change it. What door God has shut, no man can open and what door God has opened, no man can shut.

People will wear themselves out in efforts to make a situation turn badly for believers, yet God will still ultimately accomplish His plans.

Christians can take courage that He is working everything for our good even the most difficult life situations.

God’s purpose is the one that lasts

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

The lives of men and women are but a vapor; however, God’s purposes can be fulfilled throughout multiple generations. We can make our plans and set out to see them accomplished, but if we don’t pray and seek God’s direction—we could find ourselves drifting in an ocean of problems without a sail. Every plan should begin and end with God in mind first.

Every person is born with purpose

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5).

All people are made in the image of God. Each of us are born with a purpose and calling that we can discover or completely miss. The influence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers gives us insight to His purposes for us. We find peace and courage when we sense the confirmation of the Spirit that we are in the right place at the right time of our designated calling.

God fulfills His purpose for believers

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

God’s greater purpose has to always be on the forefront of our minds. We may be offered employment, school, and marriage opportunities that may not fit in God’s purpose.

This takes wisdom on our part to wait on God’s peace before making presumptuous decisions that may have lifetime ramifications.

There’s great joy in the discovery of His purpose when we trust in Him rather than on our feelings or pressures from other people.

God works through all situations to fulfill His purpose

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Hard times can make it difficult to see God’s purpose especially when we only feel pain and grief. Many times we don’t want to be reminded that God is working our difficulty for our good. However if we practice living our lives with the mindset that God is working things out for us, we can have smoother transition of accepting this truth in the hard places.

God has a greater purpose in saving us

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:9).

Salvation is only the beginning for Christians as we were saved to do good works in the name of Jesus. The promise of eternity and living free from the bondage of sin is a wonderful gift of salvation. These promised blessings free us up to be about God’s business every day. We need to start our mornings with a prayer asking God to reveal to us His purposes for that day.

Perfect Purposes

The Lord and His purposes are perfect, but we are not. We are assailed by doubts and fears that many times keep us from living out the purposes that He has established for us.

However, we can overcome this by consistently reading and studying His word so that our faith will be made stronger day by day.

As we learn of God and pray to Him regularly, we become more embolden to accomplish great purposes in His name.

Take a look at this great article: 5 Ways to Follow God’s Plan for you Life

Resource – New International Version Bible, The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblca, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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as: Bible Verses, God's plan for your life, God's purpose, God's Will, purpose

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Источник: //www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/7-important-bible-verses-about-purpose/