Good communication skills are essential for success in many areas of life, including personal relationships, academic pursuits, and professional endeavors. Improving communication skills can lead to better understanding, clearer messaging, and stronger relationships with others. Communication skills refer to the ability to effectively convey ideas, information, or messages to others through verbal, written, or nonverbal means. It includes a range of skills, such as listening, speaking, writing, presenting, and interpersonal communication. By the end of this article, you will have a comprehensive toolkit of business vocabulary that enhances your ability to communicate effectively in various corporate scenarios. Whether you’re presenting a problem (1), organising your ideas (2), connecting some arguments (3), communicating your findings (4), expression your opinion (5), making an executive decision (6) or managing a project (7) the right vocabulary can make all the difference.
1. Set the Problem
We begin by exploring the language needed to clearly and concisely define a problem. This section provides you with phrases and terms that help you articulate issues in a way that is both understandable and compelling, setting the stage for productive discussions.
| Problem to raise | Problem raised |
|---|---|
| it arouses the question … it leads me to wonder … it raises the problem … one can’t help thinking … | Key-issue, heart of the matter, of paramount importance Much talked about nowadays, of current interest, controversial topic Ranking high in the preoccupations of, growing cause for concern |
| What | Who | When | Where | Why |
| How | To what extent | For what reason | In what way | By what means |
| Within what limits | To what end | On what basis | In which direction | In what order |
| Whether or | What if | At what rate | Which one | How likely |
| How often | How much | How long | How important | How sure |
2. Organise your Ideas
Next, we delve into the vocabulary that aids in structuring your thoughts and proposals. Learn how to effectively organize and present your ideas in a logical, coherent manner, which is essential for persuasive communication.
| Presentation steps | Synonyms & expressions |
|---|---|
| plan | to be divided into […] parts, to be based on […] points, to be discussed along […] guidelines, to be developed step by step, a list/sequence of, part […] is devoted to, part […] deals with |
| start | to begin with, as a starting point, in the first place firstly, at first, at the beginning, first and foremost, above all, |
| also | next, then, afterwards, secondly, what is more, furthermore, moreover, similarly, likewise, in the same way, in addition (to), besides, as well as, as well (end of sentence) apart from, aside from |
| transition | that’s all for […], so much for […], let’s move on to […], this brings us to […], |
| end | to finish with, as an ending point, lastly, last but one (last minus one), in the last part, last but not the least, after all, finally, eventually, ultimately, by way of conclusion, to conclude we are inspired to wonder |
3. Connect your Arguments
This part focuses on bridging your ideas and arguments seamlessly. We introduce transitional phrases and strategic wording that help create a fluid and convincing narrative, ensuring your arguments flow logically and persuasively.
| Connexions | Synonyms & expressions |
|---|---|
| consequence | consequently, as a result, therefore, so, hence, thus, thereby, after all, this is why, to this end, in this way, at the end of the day |
| illustration & explanation | because, since, as, for instance, for example, let’s consider the example of, to epitomise, to show how, to illustrate a point, to provide the audience with some explanation, to characterise, to bear reference to, and so on and so forth, et cetera (etc.), amongst other thing … |
| opposition | but, yet, still, though, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, conversely, on the contrary, by contrast, quite the reverse, quite the opposite, unlike, as opposed to, whereas, except that, instead of |
| condition | insofar as, as, given, due to, owing to, supposing that, assuming that, seeing that, considering, as a rule, on the whole, anyway, either way, the facts remains that, accordingly, on the one hand […] and on the other hand […], whether […] or […], according as […] or […], now […] now […], either […] or […], neither […] nor […], if not, otherwise, unless, barring [accidents], at best, at worst, even if, even though, we must bear in mind that, |
| changing opinion | all in all, all things considered, on second thoughts, come to think of it, after long reflection, after careful consideration, actually, in fact, that said |
| qualify | downsides & advantages, pros & cons, compared with, by comparison with, to a certain extent, to some degree, to take things into consideration, opinions may be divided |
| quoting | allegedly, reportedly, according to, according as […] or […], some think […] and others think […], \ to mention, to quote, to note, to read, to list, to claim, it is said that, it is reached that, to make reference to, |
| clarify | to put it differently, in other words, to mean in a nutshell, roughly speaking, basically, we could simply say that, to sum it up in a few words/figures, to be boiled down to, to summarise, the bottom line is, to recap what has been said so far, namely, this is to say, i.e. of course, admittedly, certainly, indeed It deserves to be discussed in more details / to be considered at some length. |
| aside | indeed, by the way, incidentally, while we are on the subject of, before going any further I would like to, it spings to mind that, this reminds me of, it recalls me, it recalls to mind, to allude to, to make a reference to, hang on a minute, what are you driving at, we are wandering from the point so let’s return to it, as I was saying, as I said before, let alone, neadless to say, if my memory served me right, correct me if I am wrong, |
| IF Structure | example |
|---|---|
| IF + present, THEN + future | If you invest, you will be rich. If you have a million, you will give it away. |
| IF + preterite, THEN + present conditional | If you invested, you would be rich. If you had a million, you would give it away. |
| IF + past perfect, THEN + past conditional | If you had invested, you would have been rich. If you had had a million, you would have given it away. |
4. Communicate your Findings
Here, we cover the terminology and phrases crucial for presenting data, findings, or results. Whether you’re delivering a report or sharing research, this section teaches you how to communicate complex information in an accessible and impactful way.
| Purpose | Synonyms & Expressions |
|---|---|
| present | to showcase, to introduce, to display, to feature |
| simplify | a helicopter view, to summarise, to boil it down to key points, to brief, to sum up |
| explain | to clarify, to justify, to define, to describe, to illustrate, to demonstrate, to show |
| develop | to elaborate, to expland on, to go into details, to go into something in depth |
| understand | to know, to learn, to aknowledge, to remember, to interpret |
| observe | to remark, to notice, to perceive, to discern, to catch, to see, to remark, to detect, to perceive, to spot, to recognise, |
| identify | to pinpoint, to validate, to verify, to secure, to determine, to ascertain |
| highlight | to underline, to point out, to emphasize, to take notice of, to signal, to indicate, to notify, to draw ones attention to something, to bring something to ones attention, to stand out, to prevail |
| investigate | to explore, to examine, run the numbers, to drill down, to dive deeper, to analyse, to list arguments |
| do (analysis) | to conduct, to perform, to carry on, to pursue, to proceed, to execute, to implement |
| track | to monitor |
| report | to share, to summarise, to recount, to brief |
| forecast | to predict, to aniticipate, to project, to estimate, to gauge, to prognosticate |
| maximize (importance) | to highlight, to insist on, to accentuate, to emphasize, to point out, to draw attention to, to call attention to |
| minimize (importance) | to downplay, to play down, to downsize, to deemphasize, to understate, to ignore, to conceal |
5. Express your Opinion
Expressing your viewpoint in a corporate setting requires tact and clarity. This section guides you through the process of articulating your opinions in a manner that is respectful yet assertive, ensuring your voice is heard and respected.
| Intention | Synonyms & Expressions |
|---|---|
| think | I believe, I consider, I reckon, I view […] as, As far as I am concerned […], In my opinion[…], as for me[…], for my part […], to my mind […], If I may express my personal opinion […], I would like to share my view on […], My first impression […], my point of view […], my position on the subject, |
| feel | I feel as if […], it conveys an impression of […], I am very much […] by, what […] is that […], one of the most […] features is that […], It arises my interest at once, it arouses reactions, I am affected by […], I am concerned by […], It strikes me, It impresses me, It puzzles me, It confuses me, |
| make a point | maintain, state, affirm, attest, argue, assert, mention tell, relate, |
| like | appreciate, value, support, appeal to, respect, think highly of, have the highest regard for, love, marvel at, be a dedicated admiror of, admire, have a weakness for, be fond of, be crazy about, |
| dislike | have an intense dislike of, blame, criticise, hate, loath, despise, detest, make ones stomack churn |
| agree | agree upon, approve, align on, validate, accept, I am convinced by […], I see things eye to eye with […], I am biased in favor of […], that’s true, that’s fair, It is an eye-opener, It will be correct to say […], There’s every reason to believe that […], It seems obvious to me that […]. It goes without saying that […], There’s no denying that […], It is generally aknowedged that […], It is conventional wisdom to day that […], I am not alone in thinking […] |
| disagree | disagree, disapprove, contradict, deny, misalign on, refute, decline, reject, refuse, object, I am not convinced by […], I don’t see things eye to eye with […], I am biased against […], It is far from the truth, it distorts the truth, It will be wrong to say […] We can’t generalise, It will be going to far to say that […], It can’t be taken for granted that […], there is no evidence that […] |
| want | would like, expect |
| understand (feeling) | empathise, aknowledge, take account of someone’s feelings/perspective/approach, I detect some […], I perceive sight of […], You have put it in a way that […] |
| understand (information) | consider, aknowledge, to take account of something, to take something into account, I became aware of the difficulties encountered by […], to make someone fully aware of […], to make someone realise that […] |
6. Make an Executive Decision
Making decisions at an executive level demands a specific set of communication skills. We provide you with the language needed to convey your decisions confidently and authoritatively, while also explaining and justifying your reasoning effectively.
| Intent | Synonyms & Expressions |
|---|---|
| delegate | to assign ownership, to empower (a bit condescending to my view) |
| focus | to prioritise, to lead, to drive, to concentrate on |
| communicate | to convey a message, to get accross a message, to inform, to disclose, to share, to announce, to let someone know, to reassure someone on, to set the tone |
| advise | to suggest, to recommend, to propose, to offer, to put forward |
| discuss | to talk about, to reach out, to touch base, to come up about something, to arise reactions, to debate, to defend, to examine, to tackle, to address, to reflect on to weigh up the pros and cons of, to weigh up our chances of success, to negociate, the need for dialogue is urgent |
| decide | to agree upon, to align on, to take sides, to make a choice, to select an option, to validate vs. to refute, to accept vs. decline, to embrace vs. reject |
| take action | to trigger off, to implement, to move the niddle, to take intiative, to take ownership, to make of proposition, to make an offer, to respond on something, to shame someone into acting (negative) |
| solve | to find a solution / answer / remedy / alternative |
| motivate | to encourage, to engage, to facilitate, to influence, to promote, to persuade, to convince, to argue |
| train | to enable, to familiarise |
7. Manage a Project
Lastly, we focus on the vocabulary essential for project management. From initiating and planning to executing and closing, this section covers the crucial terms and phrases needed to lead and communicate throughout the lifecycle of a project.
| Intent | Synonyms & Expressions |
|---|---|
| organise | to manage, to plan, to set up, to establish, to elaborate, to coordinate |
| launch | to start, to begin, to commence, to kick off |
| create | to build, to implement, to set up |
| conceive | to come up with, to imagine, to draw up, |
| do | to conduct, to perform, to carry out, to pursue, to proceed, to execute, to implement |
| deliver | to generate, to accomplish, to achieve, to carry out, to fulfill, to finalise, to provide |
| improve | to optimize, to enhance, to strengthen, to aliviate (less severe), to reinforce, to beef up |
| support | to help, to contribute to, to back, to assist |
| increase | to grow, to expand, to enlarge, to extend, to winden, to broaden, to develop, to amplify, to boost, to fuel |
| continue | to carry on, to pursue, to persist, to resume, to stick with, to persevere, to push forward, to progress |
| change | to pivot, to change direction, to modify, to update, |
| decrease | to downsize, to reduce, to cut, to maintain, to shorten, to curb, to phase out |
| ensure | to guarantee, to certify, to confirm, to make sure |
| limit | to regulate, to restric, to constraint, to confine |
| stop | to put an end to, to cancel, to abandon |
| include | to add |
| separate | to differenciate, to separate, to distinguish, to make the distinction between |
| exclude | to remove |
| collaborate | to partner with |
| undermine | to ignore, to throw someone under the bus, free-rider, to sabotage, to disrupt, to turn a blind eye to the situation, to close the eye behind the situation |
| use | to leverage |
| invest | to put our efforts/budget into smthg |
| try | to attempt, to bother to |
| ask | to request, to demand, to claim, to sumbit a request |
| answer | to respond, to come back with, to claim, to declare, to tell, to relate, to note, to mention, to read |
| get | to receive |
| give | to offer, to make of proposition, to make an offer |
Explore more
To learn more about corporate communication, check out this post: Navigating the Final Frontier of Workplace Communication