Speaking face-to-face with customers your boss or any of the other people. That you work with can be a little tricky especially when you're dealing with problems or difficult situations your choice of words and the phrases. That you use can affect what customers and your colleagues think of you. So if you speak English as a second or a third language using the right words in the right way is really important. I'm Emma from earning English and today I'm going to walk you through five situations that are super common in just about any workplace to help you to avoid the things.
That you should never say and give you some really simple expressions that will help people to see you for the helpful professional. That you truly are so are you ready to get to the work situation number one someone asks you a question but you don't know the answer excuse me do you know if the Bluetooth adapter will work on that Sony 6400? I don't know when someone asks you a question and you simply don't know the answer well never say I don't know even though this is the truth even though those are the correct English words to say you're not being helpful at all.
So saying I don't know in the workplace especially to a customer sounds really unprofessional in English even a little bit rude. It's like saying you don't care so to sound more professional and to show that you do care try saying I'm not sure but I can find out so say it with me. I'm not sure but I can find out or you could say I'll find out for you awesome here's another one let me come back to you on that so you can use this to say that you need a little more time to find the answer but you're assuring the person. That you will try to help them let me come back to you on that excellent. You're sounding really helpful and much more professional already speaking of sounding more professional if you need to improve your English skills at work.
When you're speaking to clients or customers or colleagues then listen up because the lingo the language marathon is back now this is awesome news for you. If you want to improve your English skills in just 90 days but you've got to be ready to do it quickly because this language marathon is going to be the last Lingotto marathon ever. If you've heard me talk about the marathon before then you'll know that you can complete as a full marathon or a half marathon a full marathon is one class a day for three months and a half marathon are 15 classes a month for three months. You can choose to enroll in general English or business English specific classes all of them are group classes held online and led by native English teachers and the awesome thing is if you complete your marathon successfully Lingotto will refund up to a hundred percent of your class fees.
Which is super cool great I'm doing the Spanish marathon right now with lingo de and I can confidently tell you that my speaking skills have increased dramatically and it's all because of the marathon. It's helped to keep me accountable and stay motivated to make sure that I reach my goal. I said this is the last marathon ever so if you want to take part in it you need to do it now to register and secure your place you need to pay a deposit of 49 euros by the 9th of September for all of the details and to register use the link you see in the description below and make sure you add this code at the checkout. It's going to get you a 10 euro discount off your deposit. Now it's time to get back to work situation number 2 someone asks you if you can do something by a specific time.
So this happens all the time at work right especially if you work at a place that has deadlines Emma our clients need this done by 2 o'clock tomorrow do you think. You can manage that I'll try to finish it so yes can I tell them that we'll have it done by 2:00. I'll try my best when someone asks you if something can be done by a certain time don't use the phrase. I'll try I mean of course you'll try and trying is great but in English. If you use the verb try you're not really committing to anything you're not saying that you will or you weren't or you can or you can't do something right. You're not committing to a deadline at all so you're not being very helpful and this is not very professional at all the person asking you has asked a specific yes/no question can you get it done by this time.
So you need to give a really clear-cut answer okay you can sound much more professional simply by saying. I can get it done by 2:00 p.m. so say it with me I can get it done by 2:00 p.m. sure. I can have it done by 2:00 p.m. it's great but what if you can't get it done by 2:00 p.m. or by the end of the day what if you can't get it done well you definitely shouldn't say. That you'll try seriously saying that you'll try might make them go away in the short term but you're going to let them down in the long run and that is really unprofessional you need to be honest with them but you also need to make a commitment to reassure them.
When you can get it done by so in this situation try an alternative like I don't think I can manage it by two but I can have it done by four actually I don't think I can manage it by two but I can definitely have it done by four. I don't think I can manage it by Thursday but I can definitely have it done by Friday would that be okay nice work let's keep going situation number 300 your boss or a customer is angry or disappointed about something. Now it could be something that you did personally like maybe you were late or perhaps it's not actually your fault but you still need to deal with this situation. This is ridiculous I drove the whole way down here to pick the thing up.
I even rang you this morning and now you're telling me. It's not ready okay okay that's all you've got okay yes all right so nobody really wants to deal with angry or frustrated customers do they and if something like. That's ever happened to you you might even freeze up and get really awkward. It's not a really good look right but of course, there's always going to be someone. Who's unhappy or frustrated about something at some point. It's just part of working life isn't. It so it's a good idea to have a plan so in those situations, you've got something to say to make the situation better and not worse lucky for you two really important words will make everything a little better.
I understand simple huh so before you freeze up and just say okay all right yes remember all you need to say is I understand with these really simple words for just a moment. You can make the situation better you'll help the other person to see. That you're listening and show them that you care about helping them and of course then you need to offer something to help the situation right a solution so try these with me. I understand let's see what we can do. I'm sorry I understand let's see what we can do about this notice. That I used the word let's and we instead of I this is a really great way to involve the other person in the solution.
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