Dialogue. Every meeting should have a topic keeper

Assignments

Stay focused

Every meeting should have a "topic keeper". It’s always good to ask for a volunteer at the beginning of the meeting. The topic keeper's job is to interrupt whenever the discussion strays from the topic under discussion. These new topics can either be tabled until later or scheduled for their own meeting. There is a fine line between what amplifying remarks about the topic under discussion are and what a tangential topic is. The meeting organizer can decide. It never hurts to say "let's take that up off-line".

I. Checkpoints:

1. What does “PAT” stand for?

2. What is the best way to define the purpose?

3. What should the employees do if the organizer didn’t show up in time for the meeting?

4. What should the minutes record?

5. What’s the role of a “topic keeper”?

The following dialogue is an example of a typical business meeting. As you can see from the dialogue, a typical business meeting can be divided into five parts.

Introductions

Meeting Chairman: If we are all here, let's get started. First of all, I'd like you to please join me in welcoming Jack Peterson, our Southwest Area Sales Vice President.

Jack Peterson: Thank you for having me, I'm looking forward to today's meeting.

Meeting Chairman: I'd also like to introduce Margaret Simmons who recently joined our team.

Margaret Simmons: May I also introduce my assistant, Bob Hamp?

Meeting Chairman: Welcome Bob. I'm afraid our national sales director, Anne Trusting, can't be with us today. She is in Kobe at the moment, developing our Far East sales force.

Reviewing Past Business

Meeting Chairman: Let's get started. We're here today to discuss ways of improving sales in rural market areas. First, let's go over the report from the last meeting which was held on June 24th. Right, Tom, over to you.

Tom Robbins: Thank you, Mark. Let me just summarize the main points of the last meeting. We began the meeting by approving the changes in our sales reporting system discussed on May 30th. After briefly revising the changes that will take place, we moved on to a brainstorming session concerning after sales customer support improvements. You'll find a copy of the main ideas developed and discussed in these sessions in the photocopies in front of you. The meeting was declared closed at 11.30.

Beginning the Meeting

Meeting Chairman: Thank you, Tom. So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let's move on to today's agenda. Have you all received a copy of today's agenda? If you don't mind, I'd like to skip item 1 and move on to item 2: Sales improvement in rural market areas. Jack has kindly agreed to give us a report on this matter. Jack?

Discussing Items

Jack Peterson: Before I begin the report, I'd like to get some ideas from you all. How do you feel about rural sales in your sales districts? I suggest we go round the table first to get all of your input.

John Ruting: In my opinion, we have been focusing too much on urban customers and their needs. The way I see things, we need to return to our rural base by developing an advertising campaign to focus on their particular needs.

Alice Linnes: I'm afraid I can't agree with you. I think rural customers want to feel as important as our customers living in cities. I suggest we give our rural sales teams more help with advanced customer information reporting.

Donald Peters: Excuse me, I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that, please?

Alice Linnes: I just stated that we need to give our rural sales teams better customer information reporting.

John Ruting: I don't quite follow you. What exactly do you mean?

Alice Linnes: Well, we provide our city sales staff with database information on all of our larger clients. We should be providing the same sort of knowledge on our rural customers to our sales staff there.

Jack Peterson: Would you like to add anything, Jennifer?

Jennifer Miles: I must admit I never thought about rural sales that way before. I have to agree with Alice.

Jack Peterson: Well, let me begin with this Power Point presentation (Jack presents his report).

Jack Peterson: As you can see, we are developing new methods to reach out to our rural customers.

John Ruting: I suggest we break up into groups and discuss the ideas we've seen presented.

Finishing the Meeting

Meeting Chairman: Unfortunately, we're running short of time. We'll have to leave that to another time.

Jack Peterson: Before we close, let me just summarize the main points:

- Rural customers need special help to feel more valued.

- Our sales teams need more accurate information on our customers.

- A survey will be completed to collect data on spending habits in these areas.

- The results of this survey will be delivered to our sales teams.

- We are considering specific data mining procedures to help deepen our understanding.

Meeting Chairman: Thank you very much Jack. Right, it looks as though we've covered the main items. Is there any other business?

Donald Peters: Can we fix the next meeting, please?

Meeting Chairman: Good idea Donald. How does Friday in two weeks time sound to everyone? Let's meet at the same time, 9 o'clock. Is that OK for everyone? Excellent. I'd like to thank Jack for coming to our meeting today. The meeting is closed.

II. Say what you have learned from the dialogue about:

A. The participants of the meeting. B. The main points of the last meeting C. The items discussed.

III. Think and answer.

1. Why did the question of rural markets come to the agenda?

2. Why didn’t Alice agree with John’s proposal?

3. Why did John suggest the team to break up into groups?

IV. Dramatize the dialogue.

If you have to run a meeting, you will need a list of phases to be a success.

Match the following points of vocabulary from 1-12 to their expressions:

Opening the Meeting	D. First let's go over the report from the last meeting, which was held on (date) Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was on (date)…
Welcoming and Introducing Participants	L. Right, it looks as though we've covered the main items. Is there any other business? Can we fix the next meeting, please? So, see you all then. I'd like to thank Marianne and Jeremy for coming over from London. Thank you all for attending. I declare the meeting closed.
Stating the Principal Objectives of a Meeting	B. Please join me in welcoming (name of participant) We're pleased to welcome (name of participant) It's a pleasure to welcome (name of participant) I'd like to introduce (name of participant) I don't think you've met (name of participant) I'm afraid.., (name of participant) can't be with us today. She is in... I have received apologies for the absence of (name of participant), who is in (place).
Reading the Minutes (Notes) of the Last Meeting	K. Before we close, let me just summarize the main points. To sum up,... In brief, Shall I go over the main points?
Dealing with Matters Arising	J. I think that covers the item. Shall we leave that item? If nobody has anything else to add,
Introducing the Agenda	I. So, let's start with Pete, would you like to kick off? Martin, would you like to introduce this item? Let's move onto the next item Now we come to the question of…
Allocating Roles (secretary, participants)	A.Good morning/afternoon, everyone. If we are all here, let's ... get started (OR) start the meeting. (OR)
Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.)	F. Have you all received a copy of the agenda? There are three items on the agenda. First, Shall we take the points in this order? If you don't mind, I'd like to... go in order (OR)skip item 1 and move on to item 3 I suggest we take item 2 last.
Introducing the Items on the Agenda	H. We will hear a short report on each point first, followed by a discussion round the table. I suggest we go round the table first The meeting is due to finish at... We'll have to keep each item to ten minutes. Otherwise we'll never get through. We may need to vote on item 5 if we can't get a unanimous decision.
Closing Items	G. (name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes. (name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on this matter. (name of participant) will lead point 1, (name of participant) point 2, and (name of participant) point 3. (name of participant), would you mind taking notes today?
Summarizing	C. We're here today to Our aim is to... I've called this meeting in order to... By the end of this meeting, I'd like to have...
Closing the Meeting	E. Jack, can you tell us how the XYZ project is progressing? Jack, how is the XYZ project coming along? Sara, have you completed the report on the new accounting package? John, have you completed the report on the new accounting package? So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let's move on to today's agenda. Shall we get down to business?

V. Imagine that you are chairing the meeting. How would you:

1. Open the meeting?

2. Introduce the items of the agenda?

3. Change to a new point?

4. Make a generalization?

5. Close the meeting?

VI. Below are the most important phrases for participating in a business meeting. Match from A-F to 1-6

1. I (really) feel that... In my opinion... The way I see things... If you ask me,... I tend to think that…	4. We should... Why don't you... How/What about... I suggest/recommend that...
2. Exactly! That's (exactly) the way I feel. I have to agree with (name of participant).	5. Have I made that clear? Do you see what I'm getting at? Let me put this another way... I'd just like to repeat that...
3. Up to a point I agree with you, but... (I'm afraid) I can't agree Sorry, that's not quite right. I'm afraid you don't understand what I'm saying. That's not quite what I had in mind. That's not what I meant.	6. I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you are getting at. Could you explain to me how that is going to work? I don't see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please? Do you mean that...? Is it true that...?

A. If you don’t understand the information you’ve just heard, you will say_______

B. If you agree with what one has just said, you would say_______________

C. If you want to put forward your opinion on some item, you can say________

D. If you can’t agree with what somebody has just said, you can say__________

E. If you would like the audience to understand you better, you will say_______

F. If you would like to make a suggestion, you can say_______________.

VI. Fill in the blanks in the following dialogue with the words given in the box:

the last meeting to open suggestions move on outlined should going over break up out of time effective close

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