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Business Trips
Listen to the Entire Lesson
If you have a job that requires traveling or
business trips, there are many things you need to know how to say. I recommend
studying the Travelers Guide section I have for general traveling needs. But
for this lesson, I am going to cover the things you need to say to the people
you are traveling with and questions you need to ask about the business trip.
Most of this lesson is primarily showing you a variety of questions you might
need.
Details
When you go on a business trip, you will need to find out a lot of information.
Where
are we going for our business trip?"
Where
are we going this time?"
What
city are we traveling to?"
What
is the objective for this business trip?"
What
is our goal for this business trip?"
What
do we want to accomplish for this business trip?"
What
is the primary purpose for this business trip?"
What
day are we departing for our business trip to Los Angeles?"
How
long are we going to be there?"
How
long is the business trip scheduled for?"
What
time is ABC Company expecting us?"
Who
should I report to when I get to ABC Company?"
People who go on business trips get a daily allowance for food and other small
necessities. This is called a per diem. The amount depends on the company, but
you should ask how much you get a day.
How
much is the per diem?"
How
much per diem do we get a day?"
How
do we get the per diem?"
Isn't
the per diem too low?"
What
do they expect us to eat with this amount of per diem?"
Is
the business trip really going to take us all five days?"
If
we finish on the fourth day, can we come back early?"
I
think we can finish a day early. Can we come back on Thursday if we complete
our work early?"
First time business trip Q's
If this is your first time on a business trip, then
you will have even more questions. If you are not sure what to bring or how
much stuff to bring, you can ask your manager or a co-worker.
How
much do you usually pack for a week long business trip?"
How
big is the suitcase you take with you on a business trip?"
Do
the hotels we stay at have a hair dryer?"
How
many pieces of luggage do you bring with you on a business trip?"
Where
do you usually park when you go to the airport?"
Is
long term parking available at the airport?"
How
early should I go to the airport?"
Where
should we meet?"
Should
we meet at the airport?"
I
missed my flight. The next flight they have available is in 45 minutes. I'll
have to meet you at the airport in Los Angeles. I'll call you when I land."
Talking to people
Talking to the employees of the company you are
visiting is very different than talking to employees. Basically, you have to be
polite and formal when dealing with them.
Hi
Mark, I'm Alex from ABC Consulting. It's nice to meet you."
During this stage, you might be engaged in small talk such as how your flight
was or how the weather is over in your city, but if not, then you can get
straight to work. You might need to know where you will be working. Only ask
this if they never tell you. But chances are, they will let you know before you
ask.
Where
will I be working this week?"
Where
is your office located?"
Is
your office relatively close to where I will be working?"
You might need to ask who you will be working with. But again, don't ask this
too early, you should give them a chance to answer.
Who
will I be working with this week?"
These previous questions should only be used in rare cases the other person
doesn't tell you. The next couple of sentences are more likely.
Who
should I contact if I have a question regarding inaccurate data?"
Who
should I contact if I have a question with this type of problem?"
I
am going to be calling my manager frequently with critical updates. What phone
should I use?"
How
long does it take to get to the airport from here?"
How
bad is the traffic around this time to the airport?"
Where
is the closest place to eat around here?"
Is
there a fast food restaurant near by?"
Does
this building have a cafeteria?"
Do
you have a cafeteria close by?"
Eating during the Business Trip
If you go on a business trip alone, then you don't
need to talk much, and you can eat whenever you want. But if you go with a
group, they might want to eat together. Some people like to eat together all
the time, but some people might not want to eat because they are not hungry.
What
kind of food do you guys want to eat today?"
Anybody
want to go for lunch?"
I'm
going to lunch. Anybody want to join me?"
Let's
go in 20 minutes. I have to finish this real quick."
I
can't make it. I have to finish this and it will take me another 30 minutes."
I'm
going to pass today. I brought a bagel with me."
I
have a small sandwich. I'm just going to eat here."
Where
should we have dinner tonight?"
Hey,
let's go to the Italian restaurant next to the hotel."
We
can either go to the steak house in the hotel, or the Italian restaurant next
door."
Business Trips - Interactive Practice
Click on Listen
All and follow along. After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation,
become Person A by clicking on the Person A button. You will hear only Person B
through the audio file. There will be a silence for you to repeat the sentences
of Person A. Do the same for Person B. The speed of the conversation is native
speed. Use the pause button if the pause between each sentence is too fast for
you. After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a
native.
1
|
Listen All |
Person A |
Person B
|
A: "Hey
Mark, I'm assigning you on the Tully project. You'll have to go to California
in two weeks."
B: "What is my objective over there?"
A: "You have to review financial documents over there. If you find
something missing, work with their accountants to get the documents you need
to complete the analysis."
B: "How large is this project?"
A: "It's pretty big, so take someone with you. I think you can finish in
a week if two of you are working on it."
B: "Do we have to arrive there at a certain time?"
A: "Not really, but you should get there before lunch to settle in. Then
you can get in half a day."
B: "Who should I contact when I get there?"
A: "I'll email you the details, but you should go book your flight
soon."
B: "Will do. Do you have a recommendation on who should go with
me?"
A: "Either Seth or Josh."
B: "Ok. I'll find out who has more time."
A: "Great. Keep me informed."
B: "Got it."
|
2
|
Listen All |
Person A |
Person B
|
A:
"Hey Seth, you wanna go for lunch soon?"
B: "How about in 30 minutes. I'm almost done with this section."
A: "Ok. Where do you want to eat?"
B: "I'm ok with anything, but let's go to a fast food place."
A: "There's a Burger King around the corner. Let's go there."
B: "Sounds good. One quick question... I'm going to finish all my work
tomorrow. If we finish tomorrow, I suggest we head back home tomorrow
evening. What do you think?"
A: "I think that's doable. We'll see how much we get done today, and if
we're close, I'll let them know that we'll be done tomorrow."
B: "Sounds good." | |