The English Breakfast ☕
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
Whether you are closing a multi-million euro contract or persuading your boss to let you take the same holiday days as a colleague, negotiation is a skill we use every day.
That is why today we are looking at 5 essential phrasal verbs for business deals. Don’t let a small misunderstanding cost you the contract—or your holiday!
🚫 Don’t let these "false friends" fool you
Sometimes, English words look remarkably similar to Italian words. If you recognise the patterns, you can often work out their meaning even if it’s the first time you’ve seen them.
If you know that attention = attenzione, and station = stazione, can you guess what vision means? Easy-peasy, right?
But, as always, there is a catch. We have "false friends"—words that look familiar but have a completely different meaning. For example, a factory isn’t a fattoria (that’s a farm!) but a fabbrica. Similarly, fabric isn’t fabbrica, but tessuto.
In this week’s mini-lesson I talk about 3 false friends that frequently trip up my business English students, even at advanced levels.
Watch the video and let me know in the comments how many you already knew.
@danieltannerenglish Conoscevi già questi false friends in inglese? Fammi sapere nei commenti 👇😀 #ingleseperitaliani #learnenglish #businessenglish
Let’s get it over the line
Last week, we looked at how to talk about trends, and I hope those phrases helped you navigate your latest presentation! But once you’ve shown your investor that soaring sales forecast, it's time to talk terms.
Negotiation can be nerve-wracking, especially in a second language. If you've just finished this week’s quiz on the 5 phrasal verbs for business deals, you'll know that "ironing out" the details is just as important as "closing" the deal.
Here are some essential phrases to help you navigate your next "give and take."
🤝 Opening the discussion
What are your main priorities? → Quali sono le vostre priorità principali?
We’d like to propose that... → Vorremmo proporre che...
How flexible can you be on...? → Quanto potete essere flessibili su...?
🔄 Bargaining and making concessions
If you can..., then we can... → Se riuscite a..., allora noi possiamo...
I’m afraid we can’t budge on that. → Temo che non possiamo cedere su questo.
We might be able to work with that, provided that... → Potremmo venirvi incontro, a patto che...
Meet us halfway. → Veniteci incontro / Facciamo a metà.
🏁 Closing the deal
I think we have a deal. → Penso che abbiamo un accordo.
Let’s get that down in writing. → Mettiamolo per iscritto.
What are the next steps? → Quali sono i prossimi passi?
Pro Tip: In English-speaking business culture, using "I’m afraid..." or "To be honest..." before a refusal makes you sound more polite and diplomatic, rather than just saying a flat "No."
🎧 Negotiation isn’t a fight
It’s easy to approach a negotiation like a battle, but in this week's recommended video, we’ll explore a different point of view.
While you’re listening, pay close attention to how the speaker describes:
Defensive pessimism: Preparing for obstacles before they happen.
Emotional distancing: Separating your self-worth from the outcome of the deal.
The "Balcony" technique: Knowing when to press pause and step back.
💬 Over to you!
I’d love to hear your take (=opinion) on today’s topic. Do you have any experience with negotiations? Could you apply any of the phrases or techniques we spoke about?
Hit reply and let me know! I read every response and I’d love to hear your negotiation stories (the wins and the losses!).
All right, that’s it for this week’s edition.
Have a great week and I’ll see you next time!
All the best,
Dan
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