Useful Meeting Phrases Guide I

Maybe you plan to let your team know about an upcoming change, and you already know that the meeting might go downhill. Sometimes, the call is all about sharing updates, but there’s so much to say that it becomes impossible to get your mind around all the details you need to share.

If you tremble to think where to go from now, we are here to throw you a lifeline. From opening a meeting to waving your teammates goodbye, we’ve listed all there is to say in a business meeting.

What to say when opening a meeting

First things first — starting a meeting.

Let’s go over all the phrases that can come in handy in the first couple of minutes of your call — from welcoming and introducing the participants to sharing the agenda and goals of your meeting.

👋 Phrases for welcoming and introducing meeting participants

• Thank you all for coming.

• I appreciate everyone being here.

• First, I’d like to welcome you all.

• I would like to thank you for being here on time.

• I wish to thank you all for coming on such short notice.

Sometimes, the attendees might not have had a chance to come across each other before the meeting. Perhaps they have just joined the company and have now logged in to their virtual onboarding session. Let’s see how you break the ice before turning to the topic of the meeting.

🔶 Phrases for introducing the participants

• Could everyone briefly introduce themselves?

• I would like to introduce…

• I would like to begin by introducing…

• It’s my pleasure to introduce…

• Let’s take a moment and introduce ourselves.

• Please join me in welcoming…

🎯 Phrases for sharing the objectives of a meeting

After a warm welcome, your team will probably want to know why they are being urged to plug in their webcam or leave their cozy office chairs to sit around the conference table — perhaps even for hours.

Even if you have scheduled the call weeks before or it’s a regular weekly updates meeting, it’s still necessary for your motives not to remain ulterior.

When people are familiar with the main goals even before a meeting starts, it helps prevent meeting amnesia from taking over. Without a clue on what is the point of an event, people might brush aside everything that was said as soon as the meeting ends.

Let’s take a look at some useful phrases to help you ensure everyone stays on the same page.

🔶 Phrases for presenting the meeting goals

• Our aim today is to…

• We are here today to decide on/agree on, etc.

• By the end of today’s meeting, we need to…

• I’ve scheduled this meeting so that we…

• The purpose of today’s meeting is…

• Today, we are going to…

• 📄 Phrases for introducing the meeting agenda

• When all the topics are laid out in the open

People usually perceive business meetings as incredible time-wasters — so apart from scheduling them sparingly, always make sure to point out the topics and the dynamics of the encounter.

Ready to up your game in meetings, presentations, and workplace conversations? Join ACR Idiomas now to boost your communication skills. We also encourage you to share phrases that resonate with you – because at ACR Idiomas, your unique voice adds value to our learning community. Let's grow together in the world of effective communication!

*For more phrases related to meetings read Useful Meeting Phrases Guide II