When a business contact visits from another country, do you feel confident that you can build rapport and make your visitor feel at home?
If you’re like many of my clients, you probably enjoy connecting with your business contacts in person. Meeting in person can be very important to business relationships. It’s a chance to make connections and build rapport.
But in English…suddenly you might not feel as confident. You might wonder if you’re making the right impression. Or you might feel awkward or shy even though, normally, you feel comfortable greeting visitors in your native language.
Building rapport and having great business relationships is too important to leave to chance. So in today’s blog post, we’ll make sure you’re ready to welcome those important colleagues, clients, and contacts–in English too!
Today we’ll learn some expressions you can practice so you’ll be ready for your visitor. And you’ll also learn about some cultural considerations that can also help you connect with your visitor.
You’ll learn:
- how to greet your contact and make him or her feel welcome,
- how to build rapport by talking about something other than work–with a little professional small talk,
- how to help your visitor feel at home in your company,
- and how to say goodbye in a way that makes your visitor want to stay in contact.
Index:
1. Why making a visitor to your company feel at home is so important.
2. Small talk: what to say to make your visitor feel more at home with you and your culture.
3. What to say (and do) to make your visitor feel more comfortable in your company.
4. Saying goodbye to your visitor–and building rapport!
1. Why making a visitor to your company feel at home is so important.
I can still remember when I arrived in France, how sometimes, I felt confused in certain social situations. Or I didn’t know my way around yet. And even though they didn’t have to do it, there were some people who took the time to speak to me in my language.
Some people even remembered that I come from a different culture–where we have more small talk.
And I know this: when someone makes you feel at home, you remember it!
I know you want your business visitors to feel at home so you can establish rapport and have great business contacts. And so you can work together!
Let’s get started by learning what to say when your guest arrives.
Also check out my lesson: 3 Communication Codes in American Business
2. Small talk: what to say to make your visitor feel more at home with you and your culture.
Many of my clients are unsure of what to say when they have an English speaker visiting and they want to make a good connection.
My advice is this: learn a few phrases ahead of time. That way, you’ll know what to say–even if you’re not used to making small talk. You’ll feel more confident and more natural. The conversation will go more smoothly…and you’ll be able to relax.
Sometimes just knowing where to start makes the entire conversation better!
Here are some great ways to start a conversation with your visitor:
Ask them if they know the area.
Try one of these:
“Have you been to Bordeaux before?”
Or
“Is this your first time in Paris?”
Give some advice about where to eat!
Many of my clients ask me how to give advice on a restaurant…or invite a business contact to dinner.
To invite your business guest to dinner (or lunch) you can say:
“Would you like to join me for dinner?”
To suggest a restaurant they might like to try (either with you or alone) you can say this:
“I can suggest an excellent local restaurant that serves _____ it’s a local dish!”
Or
I know a great local restaurant, they have the best_____!”
You can fill in the blank with your own local specialty–or meal.
Also check out my lesson: 4 Differences of American Work Culture – A Quick Overview
3. What to say (and do) to make your visitor feel more comfortable in your company.
Of course, you’ll also want to help your visitor feel more at home in your company.
I’m going to share some expressions with you that are easy enough to understand–but when we’re actually talking to our important business contact, we might forget how to say them.
Practice these expressions so you feel comfortable and natural AND help your guest feel at home.
Introduce your visitor to your team.
To help your new guest get to know your team you could say:
“Let me introduce you to my colleague, Dana.”
And to make sure your visitor knows they can ask you for help.
For more formal situations you could say:
“Don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”
Or, for a slightly less formal but still professional way of saying this, try:
“If you need anything, just let me know!”
Also check out my lesson: How to Make Small Talk
4. Saying goodbye to your visitor–and building rapport!
Even when it’s time to say goodbye, you can still build rapport.
Here are a few more expressions so that you’re feeling confident and natural when it comes time for your contact to leave.
When you know what to say ahead of time, you can focus on your business relationship and not on your English!
Show your visitor you’re glad they came.
To make sure your business guest knows you appreciate their visit try one of these):
For a more formal situation or relationship, you can say:
“It was a pleasure having you.”
Or for a slightly less formal option say:
“It was great to meet you!”
Encourage your visitor to stay in touch.
Your visitor may be leaving but you will probably want to encourage him or her to stay in contact with you.
Try saying what native a native speaker might say in this situation:
“Let’s keep in touch about our upcoming project.”
Or
“Let’s stay in touch about what we discussed.”
Wish your visitor well.
Last but not least, you’ll want to make sure you send your client off with good wishes.
In that case, you could say:
“Have a safe trip.”
Also check out my lesson: How to Conclude a Conversation Politely.
Take the next step: Improve your English in the comments
The best way to become more confident using Business English is to practice!
Here’s your weekly challenge for this week:
- Think of one question you could ask a visitor from another country when he or she arrives.
- Write it down and see if you can use it the next time you meet a business contact from out of town!
If you learned something from this lesson, please share it with your coworkers & friends. You can send your message to them in English for more practice!
Click here to share this article on LinkedIn
Click here to share this article on Facebook
Become more fluent & comfortable in conversations
If you would like to take the next step with me, discover my Faster Fluency Conversation Club Membership Program!
It helps you become more confident speaking in conversations, and get a lot more vocabulary on many different topics! And it’s a fabulous community of “English buddies” from around the world!
TIP: Use the code FFCC40 to save -40% off your 1st month of membership!
More details at https://christinarebuffetcourses.com/faster-fluency-conversation-club/join-now
Can’t wait to see you in the Club,
Christina
More good stuff…
Click the image to learn more
