Business English

agree.
I think we've finally come to terms.
This seems a very reasonable offer.
We're in complete agreement with each other.
We can sign the contract.
    Making complaints / Sich beschweren
I'm afraid that you didn't respect the date of delivery.
The goods you delivered were damaged.
We're sorry to say that we're dissatisfied with the consignment.
I'm afraid you've overcharged us again.
I have to tell you that you didn't keep to the terms / the conditions were not met.
According to our agreement …
    Apologizing / Sich entschuldigen
Please accept our apologies.
I'm very sorry to hear that.
I really must apologize.
I quite understand how you feel.
We'll look into the matter immediately.
I'll see to it personally.
I assure you that it won't happen again.
The mistake will be rectified as soon as possible.
    Presentations / Präsentationen
    Bei Präsentationen kommt es darauf an, die Aufmerksamkeit der Zuhörer zu wecken und aufrecht zu erhalten. Dazu stehen Ihnen zahlreiche Hilfsmittel zur Verfügung (siehe auch „Vorbereitung der Räumlichkeiten“, S. 44). Der größte Teil Ihres Erfolgs hängt freilich davon ab, wie Sie Ihre Information oder Botschaft formulieren. Gestehen Sie gleich am Anfang, dassIhr Englisch nicht perfekt ist: I'm afraid my English is not perfect, und laden Sie dazu ein, Fragen zu stellen, wenn etwas nicht klar war: So, please do not hesitate to ask me if anything was unclear. Vermeiden Sie Sätze mit komplizierten Nebensatzkonstruktionen. Formulieren Sie lieber kurz und deutlich: I'll try to be brief and clear!
    Die Einleitung
    Zuerst stellen Sie sich und Ihre Kollegen vor: Let me briefly introduce myself. I'm … and this is my colleague … (siehe auch „Useful phrases: Vorstellen“, S. 36). Sie bedanken sich für die Einladung: I'd like to thank you for inviting me here today und kündigen das Thema der Präsentation an: I'm going to talk to you about … Danach folgt ein kurzer Überblick über die Gliederung Ihrer Präsentation (a short overview of the structure) und ein eventueller Hinweis auf Tischvorlagen (hand-outs). Sagen Sie gleich zu Beginn, ob man Sie unterbrechen darf: You can interrupt me at any time if you have any questions, oder ob Sie es bevorzugen, erst nach der Präsentation Fragen zu beantworten, wo genügend Zeit sein wird: After the presentation there will be ample time for questions.
    Example
    Mr Horst: Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm delighted to be here today as a guestspeaker at the annual customer meeting of Miller Communications Incorporated. Let me briefly introduce myself: I'm Gerhard Horst, head of the research and development department of Hirsch in Germany. I'd like to inform you on the latest developments in the fieldof electronic communications. I'll begin with an overview of our latest projects, then I'll brief you on our company's sales figures and I'll finish off with an outlook on the company's future plans.
    If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them after my presentation.
Useful phrases
    Opening words / Einleitung
Good morning. Let me introduce myself …
Let me introduce you to my colleague …
I / We represent …
    Thanking for the invitation / Für die Einladung danken
It's a great honour to be able to speak here today.
I'm grateful for having the opportunity to …
I'm glad to have a chance to speak.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for asking me to tell you …
    Announcing the topic / Das Thema ankündigen
Today I'm going to talk about …
The topic / subject of this presentation is …
In my presentation I'll be explaining our new project.
I'll try to give you an overview of the development …
You've met here today to hear something about …
    Handouts / Tischvorlagen
In the handout, which will be passing around, you'll find …
I hope everybody received the handout?
May I draw your attention to the handout?
There is a small mistake in the handout which I would like to correct.
I'm afraid we've run out of copies, could you share with your neighbour's?
    Structure / Gliederung
I'll focus on two main points.
I'll be covering the following three main areas.
I've divided this presentation into four sections.
In the first part of my presentation I'll …
I'd like to begin with … then / next / after that …
First / firstly / first of all … Secondly … Thirdly … Finally …
My colleague will take over the second part.
    Interruptions / Unterbrechungen
Please do not hesitate to interrupt me if I'm speaking too fast / I'm not making myself