No.
1 May 2003
C o m u n i q u e
Vocabulary:
Certain words in the Business
English (BE) have been
highlighted in the text and are
listed below. For each of these
words, several synonyms have
been suggested or a definition
given. In a different context, any of
these words could have another
meaning. This demonstrates the
richness of the English language.
Get It Done,
That’s More Fun
utilisation: use, employment,
application, exercise
to enable: to allow, to let,
to permit, to empower
to achieve: to accomplish, to do,
to realise
effort: work, trouble, striving,
struggle
rewarding: advantageous,
compensating, emotionally
profitable
to recall: to remember, to bring to
mind, to recollect
to keep track of: to be aware of,
to recall, to remember, to recollect
to select: to choose, to pick out,
to single out, to opt for
maintaining: keeping current,
preserving, sustaining
to carry: to transport, to tote,
to bring along, to convey
according to: in keeping with,
with regard to, in the order of,
in agreement with
due: expected, wanted, required,
needed
to put off: to delay, to postpone,
to defer, to set back
oftentimes: frequently, usually,
generally
item: thing, component, element
to draw: to form with ink,
to inscribe
bold: heavy, emphasised,
prominent, conspicuous
to cross off: to line through,
to write over
to congratulate: to recognise,
to honour, to commend, to praise
to accomplish: to achieve,
to realise, to attain, to reach
In this issue
y n e g o c i e c o n é x i t o e n i n g l é s
Time Management:
Get It Done,
That’s More Fun
Utilisation of good time management techniques will enable you to achieve
more of the things that are most significant to you. This will make your
efforts more rewarding. Give these ideas a try.
■ Write a “To Do” list for each day. you. You may say, “Everything is
important.” That may be. But not
You may think, “I have so much to do everything is due at the same time.
that I can’t take the time to make a
list.” Most people can make a list of In front of each item on your list,
everything they have to do in about write one of three letters:
five minutes or so. They may think of
things later that they forgot to put on A = must be done today
the list. It’s OK to add these things as B = could be done tomorrow or later
they are recalled. in the week
C = could be put off until next week.
■ Make a plan and keep track of Oftentimes these items can be
what you have done. put off from one week until
another. Finally, it may turn out
Select the quietest five minutes of that they don’t have to be done
your day. It may be at the beginning at all.
of the day when you can sit at your
desk before the others arrive. It may ■ Now, start working on your “A”
be at the end of the day when the items. As you complete each one,
others have gone home. In this case, draw a bold red line through it. At
write your list for tomorrow’s “To the end of the day, don’t worry
Do’s.” about the items on your list that
have not been completed. Instead,
■ You could invest in an electronic look at how many items have been
day-planner for maintaining your crossed off of your list.
“To Do” list. On the other hand,
you could just use a small note pad ■ Congratulate yourself for all that
that you can carry with you. you have accomplished. Then
think, “That was a productive day. I
■ Next, prioritise your list according took care of a lot of important items.
to how important each item is to Tomorrow is going to be even better.”
SPECIAL: Only You Can Do It!
People Like Them Creating Customer Loyalty
to mirror: to copy, to imitate,
to mimic
just: only, merely
to convey: to transmit,
People Like Them
to conduct, to transfer, to pass Customer satisfaction is wonderful. Customer loyalty is even better.
along
to transmit: to transfer, to relay,
to conduct, to convey
It’s Not Just Their Words But these same words may be
gesture: hand movement, body
motion, physical signal delivered with an exasperated tone
to pay attention to: to notice, In describing the importance of and a rapid tempo. This indicates that
to be aware of, to heed
inflection: intonation, modulation,
nonverbal communication, the customer is offended and upset.
nuance researchers have reported that only
clue to: hint of, suggestion of,
intimation of 7% of a person’s message is The tone of your reply should show
follow up notice: reminder letter, conveyed by their words. A person’s that you are as upset as is your
past due statement
voice tone and tempo transmit 38% customer. For example, “I am quite
calm: soft, gentle, quiet
of their meaning. Gestures and perturbed that our Billing Office made
matter-of-fact: businesslike,
unemotional, run-of-the-mill body language communicate 55% of such an error with a good account like
to indicate: to suggest, to imply, their thinking. This demonstrates yours. I will see that this is corrected
to show, to demonstrate
upset: agitated, distressed, why it is so important to pay right away.”
perturbed, bothered
attention to nonverbal forms of
merely: only, just
communication. A suggestion to help you to get into
an observation: a noted fact,
something perceived, a thing sync with your customer is to match
detected
The Message of Tone and Tempo your breathing rate to theirs.
businesslike: earnest, factual,
serious
record: file, statement of account Listen not only to the words that a About Body Language
exasperated: annoyed, peaved,
disturbed, bothered
person speaks. Pay attention to their
offended: insulted, affronted, voice tempo, tone, and inflections. Adopting body language which is
piqued
These are clues to the emotional similar to that of your customer, can
perturbed: bothered, distressed,
disturbed feeling of that person. be especially effective. People use
sync: (short for a synchronous gestures, predominately, when they
relationship) a cooperative
operation, working together The customer might say, “Your speak. You should observe what they
to match: to coordinate, company sent me a follow up notice are doing so that you can move in a
to harmonise, to bring into
conformity or accord for a bill which I have already paid.” similar way when it is your turn to
breathing rate: pattern of These words may be delivered in a speak.
respiration, pace or tempo of
breathing calm tone with a matter-of-fact
to adopt: to assume, to change
to, to take on
tempo. This would indicate that the Using corresponding gestures and
predominately: typically, customer is not upset and is merely speech mannerisms gives people
generally, commonly, normally
reporting an observation. subliminal pleasure.
to be one’s turn: to be a time for
one, one has the opportunity
subliminal: subconscious, Then your reply should also be calm Remember, your customers like to
hidden, concealed
and businesslike such as, “I will look work with people who are like them.
into that and make sure that our They like people who make them feel
dissatisfier: cause for complaint, records are corrected.” comfortable.
disappointment, let-down
responsiveness: reaction time,
receptivity, performance period
to put on hold: to switch to an
inactive telephone line
The most common dissatisfiers in telephone service are:
discourtesy: rudeness, insolence,
• Incorrect data • Being put on hold too long
cheekiness • Poor responsiveness • Discourtesy

2
 Word Play
In English, the pun is a form of humour.
The humour in a pun is based upon
a ridiculous or whimsical presentation
of a word or a phrase, which sounds
similar to a well-known word or phrase
with a quite different meaning.
BE readers may find this Word Play
series useful in evaluating their
Many years later, Juan discovered
where his natural parents were
living and sent them a picture of
himself. When the picture was
received, the mother told her
husband that she would also like to
have a picture of Ahmal.
Word Play
ridiculous: comical, laughable,
ludicrous
whimsical: capricious, fanciful,
imaginative
to evaluate: to test, to rate,
to assess, to judge
twins: two babies born at the
same time to the same mother
to give something up: to cede,
surrender or hand over something
to name: to call, to christen, to
title
to discover: to realise,
to determine, to ascertain, to find
out

ability to deal with a less formal use natural parents: biological

of English vocabulary. Here is this
month’s pun:
A woman gave birth to twins and
gave them up for adoption. One of
them went to a family in Spain; they
named him “Juan.” The other twin
Her husband said, “They’re twins.
If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen
Ahmal.”
The humour in this story
is that the punch line sounds
quite similar to a common
English expression , “If
mother and father
punch line: the final and, it is
hoped, funny part at the end of
the story
common: widespread, frequently
used
expression: saying, adage,
proverb
‘em: a contraction of “them”

went to a family in Egypt and was you’ve seen one, you’ve

named “Ahmal.” seen ‘em all.”
Are They On the
Way Out?
on the way out: soon to
Retaining Customers: disappear, going away, leaving
correlation: association,
relationship, connection, link

Are They On the Way Out? slipping: dropping, falling, sliding,

lapsing

A slow-paying customer may be signaling their dissatisfaction with your overdue: past the time for
payment, late
product or service. In fact, there is a strong correlation between customer
disappointment: dissatisfaction,
satisfaction and prompt payment. unhappiness, displeasure,
discontentment
Check with your accounting people The customer could say that they will to speed up: to hurry,
to accelerate, to hasten,
to see if any of your accounts are take action to speed up the to expedite
slipping into the overdue category. payments. If so, the case is closed. the case is closed: the matter is
Arrange a meeting with each of your But if not, you could say, “I sure settled, no further action is
necessary
customers in this group. would appreciate the opportunity to
to appreciate: to be thankful for,
rectify any feeling of dissatisfaction to value, to esteem, to treasure
After some general discussion about before it gets any worse.” to rectify: to correct, to resolve,
to settle, to straighten out
the product line, say something like,
worse: less good, poorer, lower in
“Mr. Customer, you have been very This will show your customers quality
prompt in paying our invoices up until that you really do care about serving accounts receivable: billing
about three months ago. Does this mean their needs. This could lead to operation, money due activity

that there is some disappointment increased loyalty from your customers burden: duty, obligation,
responsibility
within your company about the level of and could help reduce your company’s
service we are providing?” accounts receivable burden.
mind: thoughts, understanding,
contemplation
most likely: surest, very apt, extra
The best time to prepare for the next sales presentation is when you have just inclined, highly prone
finished one. At that time everything is still fresh in your mind and you are most
likely to know what you should have said, or what you should not have said.

3
Vo c a b u l a r i o : I n g l é s – E s p a ñ o l

Get it done, that’s follow up notice seguir una noticia to give abandonar algo

something up
more fun calm calma
to name poner nombre
utilisation utilización
matter-of-fact de hecho
to discover descubrir
to enable posibilitar
to indicate indicar
natural parents padres naturales
to achieve conseguir
upset decepcionado
punch line palabras más
effort esfuerzo significativas
merely meramente
rewarding gratificante common habitual
an observation una observación
to recall volver a llamar expression expresión
businesslike de negocios
to keep track of llevar un
‘em a ellos
seguimiento de
record registrar
to select seleccionar
exasperated exasperado
Are they on the way out?
maintaining mantener
offended ofendido
on the way out saliendo
to carry llevar
perturbed molesto correlation correlación
according to conforme a
sync sincronía slipping acumulando retraso
due debido

to match coincidir overdue tarde

to put off aplazar

breathing rate ritmo de respiración disappointment decepción

oftentimes a menudo

to adopt adoptar to speed up acelerar

item apartado

the case is closed el caso está cerrado

to draw extraer predominately predominantemente

to appreciate valorar
bold audaz to be one’s turn tocarle a uno

to rectify rectificar
to cross off tachar subliminal subliminal
worse peor
to congratulate felicitar

accounts receivable cuentas por cobrar

to accomplish lograr dissatisfier elemento de
insatisfacción
burden carga
responsiveness capacidad de
reacción
People like them
to put on hold poner en espera mind mente
to mirror reflejar

discourtesy falta de cortesía most likely lo más probable

just solo

to convey comunicar

Word play
to transmit transmitir
C o m u n i q u e y n e g o c i e c o n é x i t o e n i n g l é s
ridiculous ridículo
gesture postura
Publica: Ediciones Deusto. Planeta De Agostini
to pay attention to prestar atención a whimsical caprichoso Profesional y Formación S.L. www.e-deusto.com
Copyright Original Edition “International Sales Voice”-
continuing enrichment of your ability to communicate
inflection inflexión to evaluate evaluar in Business English- by Verlag Norbert Müller,
Munich, Germany. www.vnm.de
Depósito legal nºxxxxx
clue to indicio de twins gemelos
Impreso en España