Effective English Meeting Phrases and Conversation Transcripts for Professionals

Check one or two details.

Dolores: That's fine, sir. Can I help you with anything else?
Tim: No, that's all for now. As I said, I'll call you back.

Agenda Setting

Sarah: Right then, Alex, let’s get down to business. On the agenda today for our public relations meeting are the research project, the launch of the website, the timeline for press releases, and the secretary of the year award. Are you quite happy with those points?
Alex: Yeah, that’s fine. If you could go through them in order, that’d be great.

Clip 2: Opening and Overview

Alex: Okay everybody, thanks for coming. Let's keep this meeting fairly brief, really just a couple of things on the agenda. First of all, as you can see, the news on the book re-launch; and secondly, the office move; and finally, we'll have a little bit of time for any other business.

Interruptions

Sean: First of all, the book re-launch. I just wanted to remind everybody that we will be re-launching the fairy-tales range with new modern covers, and that this is going to happen at the beginning of next month. It's important that we get this right and there have been quite a few…

John: Actually Sean, can I just ask you – sorry to hold the meeting up – can I ask you about those dates, because I thought that this was going to be published the month after next, and I understand that everybody has got their dates, but I do feel quite strongly that we’re bringing this out too soon.

Sean: Well, any other thoughts before I comment on that?

Carrie: I don’t think we’ve got any choice at all about it. If the radio programmes are going out at the beginning of next month, we’ve got to launch the book at the same time if we’re going to have any sales impact.

Agreement and Disagreement

Sean: The office move, as you know, the plans have been up by the main exit for a week now. I just wanted to see what kind of feedback you’ve got.

Tim: Yeah, Sean, I’m sorry, but I really strongly disagree with the new floor plan. I think it's divisive to separate the secretaries and the assistants out from the editors and managers. I’d be much happier if we could be located in teams.

Carrie: Actually, I think Sean is right. I’ve been chatting to some of the secretaries and they’re quite keen to all be sitting in the same area, and, speaking as an editor, I think I’d like to be with other editors so that we can bounce ideas off each other and things. So I think Sean’s floor plan is right.

Other Business and Closing

Sean: Okay - any other business?
Will: Yes, I would like to say something. An illustrator came in last week, and I think she's very good and it would be wise to put her on our books.
Sean: … okay …
Will: I would like to be able to show her drawings and her portfolio in the next couple of days. If that’s all right...
All: That sounds good…
Sean: Yes, I'll look forward to seeing those. Right, I think that’s probably about it, but anybody got anything else that they desperately want to raise before we wrap up?
All: Nope.
Sean: No? Okay. We'll be having another meeting, but there are a couple of conflicts in the diary so I think the best thing is if I email the date of the next meeting.