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Lesson 104: DON’T YOU THINK...?
When we wish to gently persuade someone of the validity of our opinions we often use negative questions.
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Lesson 103: Meet Pete - Episode Five - Meet Pete – First Blood
I think it was Steven Spielberg who once said: „We had snakes in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and bugs in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, but supposedly man’s greatest fear is public speaking. That’ll be in our next picture”. Not that these words comforted me much.
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Lesson 102: SMALL TALK - Part 3
In this final lesson dedicated to small talk we look at different ways of saying no.
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Lesson 101: Meet Pete - Episode Four - Meeting deadlines
My work involves completing many forms. It’s rather tedious and repetitive but I don’t mind. After all you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. But there is one thing that drives me up the wall – it’s meeting deadlines.
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Lesson 100: SMALL TALK - Part 2
What happens if you are asked a closed question and you want to develop the conversation further?
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Lesson 99: SMALL TALK - Part 1
If we accept that establishing and maintaining personal contacts is important then we should also accept the importance of small talk. There are many cultures where the personal side of the relationship with a contact is just as important as the business side, if not more so.
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Lesson 98: Meet Pete - Episode Three - On The Grapevine
What’s the most strategic place in any office? Is it the Boardroom, or perhaps the CEO’s office? I honestly doubt that. The place where things really happen is the canteen, and to be more specific the area, about 3 meters in diameter, around the company’s coffee machine.
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Lesson 97: Advertising slogans
‘Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.’ - Stuart Henderson Britt
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Lesson 96: Emphasis!
There are many instances when we wish to add strength or emphasis to our communications, be they verbal or written. Whether it is a letter of complaint, a presentation or an attempt to win over someone else to our point of view, we often use particular language to convey the strength of our feelings on a particular subject.
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Lesson 95: Meet Pete – Episode Two – The Secret of Small Talk
Doesn't time fly? Who would have thought that the first month at work would pass so quickly.
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Lesson 94: Job or Work?
Many people enjoy their jobs even though a lot hard work may be involved. Some people don’t like physical work and prefer a desk job and there are some activities which involve a great deal of work but which would not be considered jobs (e.g. house-work).
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Lesson 93: Meet Pete - Episiode two - Names
I can already hear the morning clamour, the usual friendly shop talk that helps kill the awkward silence. My ears listen out for names. Some of them must be the names of people I will be working with, or rather under. Yes, names are important.
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Lesson 92: Meet Pete - Episode one
I guess introductions are in order. Well, let’s start with my name then. I’m Pete, Pete Bold. It’s not Bond, James Bond, but it will have to suffice.
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Lesson 91: Weasel Words
There are certain professions in which being economical with the truth is not merely seen as a positive attribute but is perhaps part and parcel of the job.
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Lesson 90: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
When it comes to all the never-ending household chores, it's easily understandable. We put them back by days on end. Why shouldn't we? There are so many first-place priorities: our relationships, our psyche, bodily fitness, our spiritual life...
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Lesson 89: Vague Language
When we are talking to someone, there are times when we may wish to be vague. We may want to save time or simply avoid giving precise details.
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Lesson 88: Making Predictions
As we say goodbye to one year and usher in a new one it is natural that we wish to make predictions or give opinions on what we think will happen in 2012.
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Lesson 87: Tact
British people often have a tendency to use indirect language especially with people they don’t know so well and this is to avoid causing offence. It is an important and useful skill to learn how to be tactful and diplomatic even though some cultures are more used to calling a spade a spade.
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Lesson 86: Christmas
A mish-mash of feelings about family reunions, suitable gifts and Christmas Eve menu.
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Lesson 85: The Christmas Party
Once again the festive season is upon us and as we spend time writing lists, shopping for presents and making last minute preparations and travel plans, the annual event which for some is a time of merriment and joy and for others is a time of painful obligation draws ever closer. This annual event is of course, the office Christmas party.
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Lesson 84: Are you being taken for a ride?
Whenever separate parties deal with one another, either as individual consumers or as large organizations, a certain amount of trust is involved.
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Lesson 83: A dead-end job
In uncertain economic times major decisions often become far more difficult than they would be otherwise.
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Lesson 82: Oblivion
Townies know it only too well: the pace of urban life tends to be unbearable. The ever faster streamline cars, the Internet speeding as fast as light, taking us almost anywhere in the world in no time at all, ever speedier airport service, convenient and easy access to our bank accounts...
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Lesson 81: Trust your senses!
Your body is equipped with senses that give you complex information about the needs you have. Sight, sound, smell, touch and taste when not ignored give us a magnitude of ideas of how to care of our bodies and souls. You can easily use these abilities when responding to stress.
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Lesson 80: Stress is tricky!
Last week we looked at how to recognize the symptoms of stress. It’s probably very easy to differentiate stress from other reactions of the body if stress comes rapidly and unexpectedly. But watch out! Stress can be cunning.
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