Meeting clients

If you want to impress your clients you need the right vocabulary…

Conversation with a customer

Sylvia: Welcome to Bright Spark Electrics! Let me take your coat and we’ll go through to the visitors’ suite. I’ve organized a working breakfast for us so that I can take you through our business plan for expansion. Then I’ll introduce you to the team and your key contacts.

Michael: Can we visit the factory floor?

Sylvia: Certainly. I’ve scheduled an hour for that after lunch. The foreman will give us a guided tour of the production line. It’s computer-assisted and we have five skilled technicians. Gone are the days of blue-collar workers on an assembly line!

Michael: I’d like to see what your plans are for increasing export sales to the Par East.

Sylvia: I’ve arranged a brainstorming session for 4pm with the export director and the rest of the sales executives. Everyone at Bright Spark is excited about the prospect of working with you in the Par East as our major distribution partner.

Michael: I’d like my managing director to participate. Could we bring him in with a conference call or video conferencing?

Sylvia: Sure. Our facilities office will set it up.

Michael: Thanks! Weil we’ve got a packed programme for the day, I guess we should have that breakfast.

Sylvia: I’ll put the kettle on - it’s our top-selling model with multi-adaptor for the export market!

Conversation vocabulary and phrases

welcome to = bienvenue à

let me take your coat = permettez-moi de prendre votre manteau

visitors’ suite = accueil des visiteurs

working breakfast = petit déjeuner d’affaires

business plan for expansion = plan de développement pour l’expansion

I’ll introduce you to the team = je vais vous présenter à l’équipe

visit the factory floor = visiter les ateliers

schedule = établir le programme

after lunch = après le déjeuner

foreman = chef d’équipe

guided tour = visite guidée

production line = chaîne de fabrication

computer-aided = assisté par ordinateur

skilled technicians = techniciens habiles

blue-collar workers = cols bleus

assembly line = chaîne de montage

increase export sales = augmenter les ventes à l’exportation

export director = directeur export

sales executives = commerciaux

major distribution partner = partenaire majeur

managing director = directeur général

conference call = téléconférence

video conferencing = vidéoconférence

facilities office = service technique

set up = organiser

packed programme = emploi du temps charge

top-selling = meilleure vente

export market = marché d’exportation

More business vocabulary and phrases

Let me introduce myself = Permettez-moi de me présenter

May I introduce Mr Webber?= Puis-je vous présenter M. Webber ?

I’m meeting the chairman at the airport = Je vais chercher le président à l’aéroport

What’s the programme for today?= Quel est le programme aujourd’hui?

welcoming committee = comité d’accueil

corporate hospitality = soirées aux frais d’une entreprise

give someone a warm reception = réserver à qn un accueil chaleureux

on the agenda = à l’ordre du jour

Here are some more phrases you might need for meeting customers

It’s a pleasure doing business with you

Our people will talk to your people

The first item on the agenda is...

If you’d like to follow me I’ll take you to the boardroom

How is your hote!?

Thank you for coming here today