Did he really say that about his team? He had no idea what he said…

He said it.
And so did she.
And maybe so have you, once upon a time.

He just insulted his whole team.
How?
By saying ‘They are really working so hard this week.’

This actually means ‘My team just sits around all day, doing nothing but checking how many likes their latte got on Instagram, but for some strange reason this week a miracle occurred and they got off their lazy asses and actually got something done!”

Whoah. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him. He actually thought he was complimenting his team!

Most people don’t realize that using the wrong grammar form (in this case, the ‘ing’ form of the verb) can send such a different message than you intended.

Here’s another one. If you started working for Shell in February last year, and you say ‘I worked for Shell for 1 year’, you’ve just made yourself unemployed. Congratulations! You need to use the Present Perfect here, not the Past Simple.

And one more classic – saying this during a negotiation session: ‘If you lower your prices we would have agreed.” You just broke the deal by using the wrong grammar structure. Well done! (We have 3 types of Conditionals, and this situation requires a type 2 and not a type 3, which is used when it’s too late to change a situation.)

It’s my job as an English coach to help you use English to your advantage. To know the grammar rules, the structures, all the nuances and subtleties to make your message match your intention. You want to make those deals, not break them, right?

Bad English communication means people won’t take you seriously. It could lead to a lack of commitment, trust, or profit for you and your (hard-working!) team.

Let me help you speak (and write!) with confidence. To learn the rules…and then know how to bend them in my rock & roll style.

Join me at my Rock Your Business English! Masterclass on March 22 in Amsterdam, and grab a free book if you register before March 1st!

It’s time to:
Network like a Native
Pitch like a Pro
Write it Right
and so much more!

I’d love to make you feel like a rock star in English, like I’ve helped the CEOs and their teams at Dopper, Young Capital, Improve Digital, Mojo,Concerts, and so many other companies. Here’s what Rob said after following a Rock Your Business! Masterclass:

“I speak English every day, but never realised how much there was to learn. I now know how to sound more formal and professional. I also learned that Buffi is crazy. Good crazy! Thanks, Buffi!, it was a lot of fun!”

Space is very limited, as I want to give everyone individual feedback, so grab your spot (and your free book!) here:

I can’t wait to help you make those deals in English!
(Signing up for my Rock Your Business English! masterclass is a great one.)

XX Buffi

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