Business English 360 | Business English Pod

Business English Skills 360 Lessons

BEP — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 09:27:10 +0000

Learn business English and management skills with the Skills 360 podcast.

Skills 360 lessons are focused on the other side of business English. In other words: essential soft skills that are often overlooked in traditional language learning. Through practical tips and strategies, you’ll gain valuable insights into effective communication and management skills.

Our lessons cover a range of topics, including leadership, negotiation, presentation, meeting management, networking, and time management. By exploring these lessons, you can learn about different leadership approaches, negotiation strategies, presentation techniques, and more. You can learn how to adapt your approach and build trust with team members and develop the management skills you need to progress.

Use the links below to access the 90+ Skills 360 business English lessons we have released to date:

Skills 360 – Developing Good Habits (2)

Skills 360 – Developing Good Habits (1)

Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (2)

Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (1)

Skills 360 – Fostering a Culture of Collaboration (2)

Skills 360 – Fostering a Culture of Collaboration (1)

Skills 360 – Advanced Interview Skills for Effective Hiring (2)

Skills 360 – Advanced Interview Skills for Effective Hiring (1)

Skills 360 – Problem-Solving 2: The Problem-Solving Process

Skills 360 – Problem-Solving 1: Developing the Right Skills

Skills 360 – How to Overcome Cognitive Bias

Skills 360 – What is Cognitive Bias?

Skills 360 – What is DEI: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Skills 360 – What is ESG: Environmental, Social and Governance

Skills 360 – Managing Up 2: How to Manage Up

Skills 360 – Managing Up 1: Working with your Boss

Skills 360 – Keeping your Career on Track (2)

Skills 360 – Keeping your Career on Track (1)

Skills 360 – Adapting your Communication Style (2)

Skills 360 – Adapting your Communication Style (1)

>>> The post Business English Skills 360 Lessons first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Skills 360 – Developing Good Habits (2)

BEP — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:15:11 +0000

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.108-Habits-2.mp3

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how you can help others to develop good habits at work.

Making and breaking your own habits is hard enough. But as a manager or leader, how can you make or break habits in other people? I mean, how can you make sure your employees have good habits? Well, here’s the sad truth: you can’t make people change. But you can create the conditions that foster good habits and disincentivize bad habits.

One thing to be mindful of from the outset is the difference between habits and simple compliance. I mean, do you want people to do something only if and when their boss is watching? Or do you want that behavior to be automatic, something that the employee does because that’s just how things work in your company. In other words: how things work in your culture, which includes people’s shared habits.

Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Developing Good Habits (2) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Skills 360 – Developing Good Habits (1)

BEP — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:07:32 +0000

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.107-Habits-1.mp3

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to develop good habits for success at work.

The start of a new year feels like the right time to make big resolutions, or promises to yourself. You’re going to call people back promptly. You’re going to keep a tidy desktop. You’re going to stop reading new emails as soon as they come in. You’re going to manage your time better. It sure feels great to make these resolutions. But what doesn’t feel great is the realization in February that you haven’t made good on any of your promises.

In most cases, the problem is that people intuitively believe that setting a goal or making a resolution is enough. But it’s not. Setting a goal without looking at the systems that support specific habits or behaviors is useless. Intention isn’t enough. You need to break down what happens around habits, both good and bad, and create the right conditions for the right behaviors.

Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Developing Good Habits (1) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (2)

BEP — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 18:43:45 +0000

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.106-Persuasion-2.mp3

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we continue our look at how to develop a persuasive approach in business.

To be persuasive in business, you need more than facts and logic, and you must also connect emotionally. People make decisions with both their minds and their hearts, so showing warmth and friendliness helps make them more open to your ideas.

You don’t need to be overly social; simply showing empathy and genuine interest in others is enough. Asking questions not only builds rapport but also gives you insight into what motivates people, allowing you to adapt your approach.

Emotions play a key role in persuasion. You can appeal to fear (“sales may drop if we don’t act”), hope (“this plan will give us our weekends back”), or pride (“this will make us leaders in our field”). Another powerful emotion is belonging – people want to feel part of a group or shared vision. You can use this by framing your message around teamwork or industry trends (“the whole industry is moving this way”).

A couple of useful techniques are contrasting and hyperbole. Contrasting means presenting two choices where one clearly supports your message. Adding hyperbole, or deliberate exaggeration, can also make your message more memorable (“this could be the most important decision in our company’s history”).

Persuasion isn’t purely an exercise in logic. It’s not just people’s minds that you need to consider, but also their hearts. That’s why we try to make a connection with them emotionally, or personally. We try to learn about them so we can adapt our approach. We appeal to a broad range of their emotions. And we use techniques like contrast and hyperbole to ramp up the impact of our ideas.

Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (2) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (1)

BEP — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 19:19:52 +0000

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.105-Persuasion-1.mp3

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to develop a persuasive approach in business.

Persuasion is one of the most valuable skills in business, enabling professionals to influence decisions, gain support, and advance ideas. But effective persuasion is not about slick talk or manipulation – it relies on sincerity and well-chosen techniques.

Sincerity is the foundation. People are persuaded when they believe you genuinely believe what you are saying. If your audience senses dishonesty or hidden motives, trust quickly erodes. To demonstrate sincerity, share how you came to believe in your idea. For example, acknowledge initial doubts and explain what changed your perspective. Transparency also plays a major role. If you stand to benefit personally, acknowledge it openly while emphasizing broader benefits. This honesty builds trust and credibility.

Once sincerity is established, persuasion comes down to tailoring your approach to your audience. Logical thinkers respond to structured reasoning, such as outlining clear criteria for a plan. Others may be more influenced by authority or social proof, in which case citing respected figures or supporters can be effective. The key is to understand what motivates the people you are trying to influence.

Beyond adapting to individual mindsets, several techniques are broadly effective. Repetition reinforces ideas and makes them more memorable. For example, emphasizing a chain of cause and effect – like lowering costs leading to stronger growth – creates impact. Rhetorical questions are another powerful tool, framing choices in a way that guides the audience toward your conclusion without directly telling them what to think.

In short, successful persuasion blends sincerity with strategy. Believe in your message, be transparent about your motives, and then apply techniques that resonate with your audience. With this balance of trust and skill, you can significantly enhance your ability to persuade in business.

Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (1) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Skills 360 – Fostering a Culture of Collaboration (2)

BEP — Sun, 25 May 2025 16:53:36 +0000

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.104-Collaboration-2.mp3

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to build a collaborative workplace culture.

Even in the most competitive companies, collaboration is key to success. In our last lesson, we looked at the benefits of collaboration, like innovation and employee engagement. Now we’ll look at the systems and approaches to make it happen.

Collaboration starts with leadership. Leaders need to focus on “we,” not “I.” That means trusting their teams, being open about goals and challenges, and involving others in decisions. When teams feel trusted and included, they’re more likely to work together.

Communication is key too – and it changes when you give up control. It’s no longer just about giving clear instructions. It’s about listening, understanding different ideas, and building consensus. That takes more time and effort, which means teams need some flexibility in their schedules.

Collaboration also needs structure. Cross-functional teams, shared roles, and communities of practice all help break down silos. And digital tools like Slack or project management platforms make it easier to share work and ideas.

Of course, not every decision has to be made as a group. Some are simple or urgent. And when trust is low, it may be best to focus on rebuilding that first.

But if you want the real benefits of collaboration, you need to create the right environment: one built on trust, open communication, and the systems to support teamwork.

Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Fostering a Culture of Collaboration (2) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.