Opening a Meeting
"Let's get started."
Simple and direct — works for any meeting size.
"Thanks everyone for joining today."
Acknowledge attendees before you begin.
"Just to confirm the agenda for today..."
Set expectations and signal you're prepared.
"We have about an hour, so let's keep things moving."
Manage time expectations from the start.
"Before we begin, does anyone have anything to add to the agenda?"
Invite input without losing control.
Giving Your Opinion
Being able to share your perspective clearly and professionally is essential in international meetings.
"From my perspective..."
Introduce your point of view without sounding absolute.
"In my experience..."
Reference your background to give your opinion more weight.
"I'd argue that..."
Use when introducing a position you want to defend.
"The way I see it..."
Informal but professional — good for team discussions.
"I think it's worth considering..."
Suggest an idea without imposing it.
Agreeing and Disagreeing Professionally
Agreeing
"That's a fair point."
"I think you're right about that."
"Exactly — and I'd add that..."
Agree and build on the idea.
"I'm glad you raised that."
Show appreciation before agreeing.
Disagreeing politely
"I see where you're coming from, but..."
Acknowledge the other view before disagreeing.
"I'm not sure I fully agree on that."
Softer than 'I disagree'.
"That's one perspective, though I'd approach it differently."
Neutral and professional.
"Could we look at that from another angle?"
Redirects without confrontation.
Coaching Tip
I tell my clients not to memorise ten polite disagreement phrases at once. Choose one that feels natural, practise it with three different opinions, and make it your reliable phrase under pressure.
Asking for Clarification
Never pretend to understand something you don't. Asking for clarification is professional, not a sign of weakness.
"Could you say a bit more about that?"
"Just to make sure I understand — do you mean...?"
Paraphrase to confirm.
"Can you give an example of what you have in mind?"
"Sorry, could you repeat that? I didn't quite catch it."
Direct and professional.
Moving the Discussion Forward
"Let's park that for now and come back to it."
Defer without dismissing — keeps things moving.
"Can we focus on the key decision here?"
Refocus when discussion goes off-track.
"I think we've covered this point — shall we move on?"
"Let's take a quick vote on this."
When you need a decision and discussion is circular.
Closing the Meeting
"To summarise what we've agreed today..."
Confirm decisions before closing.
"The next step is X, and [name] will handle it by [date]."
Assign ownership and deadlines clearly.
"Thanks everyone — I'll send a summary by end of day."
"Is there anything else before we close?"
Give space for last-minute points.
Anna Baran
Cambridge CELTA Certified English Coach · Business English Specialist
Last updated: 1 September 2025