Gratitude is of vital importance in human life. We need to thank people who have, directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly, made a positive change in our life. ‘Thank You’ is the least that we can say. So never shy away from that.

In professional life too, gratefulness is of utmost importance, especially when someone has helped you climb up the career ladder.

It’s your promotion party and you have to give a thank you speech – this situation is something which many people dread, obviously not the first part but the latter!

For giving a thank you speech, you need a little bit of preparation. Here are a few points which will help you do so. (In a previous blog post, we had listed some tips on giving an introduction and thank you speech for your office welcome party).

Prepare your speech

• Write down your speech. Start with a beautiful quotation, to create an effect.
• Think of the people you want to thank, write down their name and rank, preferably in the order of hierarchy. Depending upon the availability of time, thank those who have really contributed to your success, if possible adding anecdotes which go well to create authenticity and personal touch. Remember the most important people should be mentioned first.
• Write the specific reason for thanking them, explaining how they were helpful in your success.
• When the list of people is long and time limited, thank them in a group by calling out their names together and then thanking profusely for their contribution.

Practise your speech

• Rehearsing your speech is very important. Do so in front of the mirror several times and also ensure that you haven’t left out anyone’s name. Even practice it in front of a friend or family member to get an honest feedback.
• Check for the timing. You shouldn’t go beyond the allotted time. Keep it short and crispy – people hate long speeches and tend to stop listening to them. Let it have all the ingredients of a successful speech which is well within the time frame.
• Check for the habitual gestures that you make and try, as far as possible, to avoid them.

Deliver the speech with panache

Writing a beautiful speech is not enough but the way you deliver it makes tremendous difference. Deliver it well and create the impact.

• Dress appropriately. You should wear comfortable clothing.
• Breathe normally. Overcome your public speaking fears. Be calm before delivering the speech.
• Make eye contact with your audience.
• You can read out the script, which may not create great effect or you can create cue cards which you can use to pull things from your memory. The best option is to completely memorize the speech and deliver it in such a way that it sounds coming from your heart.
• Body language matters a lot. People will believe whatever you are saying only if your body language concurs with your speech.
• Sound natural. This might seem difficult for a novice but for people who are used to it can do it well.
• Do not be too fast and avoid repeated phrases, like ‘um’, ‘ah’. It is ok to pause or slow down – some of the best orators in the world take long pauses during their speeches.
• Forgot something or said something wrong? Do not let that stop you completely. If you make a mistake, quickly acknowledge it with an ‘excuse me’ and get back on track.
• Be positive – you might have had your share of troubles with some of the people who helped you to reach high on the ladder of success. But this is not the time to pick the nits. Be polite and speak only positive things. Don’t hold any grudges.
• Be honest – genuinely thank people. So that it sounds honest and sincere. Avoid hyperbole.
• Include humour. People will love it. But timing matters a lot. Do it only if you are confident about yourself.

Make people realize that your promotion was well deserved and that you will do your best, in the interest of the company.

Smile and leave the stage.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -JFK

ABOUT EAGETUTOR:
eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of the mouse away in this age of effective and advanced communication technology. For further information on the online English-speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit www.eagetutor.com.

-By Chander Madan

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Traveling is a passion that is fast emerging as a hobby among both young and old. In today’s busy life, everybody wants to enjoy a little vacation now and then. It could be in your city or to a foreign locale. Once you are back and into your routine, you may be asked to describe your travel experiences. The way you describe about a particular place may motivate your colleagues or friends to take a holiday in that city and explore the place. Today, let us discuss on how you can recommend your friend on places to visit in your city in fluent English.



Example conversation

Sarah: It’s been more than six months I have been staying in Mumbai and I have yet not explored the city. I plan to do this over the coming long weekend. Can you help me out with the places that I should not miss visiting?

You: That’s a cool idea. Despite staying here, I hardly travel to see the beautiful places anymore. Let me accompany you. We will start with the Gateway of India, in south of Mumbai. Just like your India Gate in Delhi, we have our own Gateway of India here. From there, we can walk to the Queen’s necklace, the Marine drive. Along the way, we can shop at Fashion Street. Let me tell you the bargains over there are too enticing. After the tiring shopping, you will enjoy the natural bay even more.

Sarah: That sounds as a great plan. But I’m hungry with all the shopping and walking.

You: Don’t worry madam, we can stop at the food street or the khau galli and enjoy the mouthwatering food. You will never forget this day I bet you. If you are into art, we can take a stopover at the Jehangir Art gallery. After then, we will head to a beach. After all, beaches are the key attraction of our city. We will go to the Juhu beach and enjoy the scrumptious pani puri and bhel puri. I bet you would never have tasted such tasty chaat ever.

See, how simple it is to recommend your friends on place to visit. If you are familiar with your city, you would not find any problem in describing it. Take an informal tone as you speak English and you will not struggle with fluency. For more, join our online spoken English class and get the confidence to speak English fluently.

About EAgeTutor:

eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of mouse away in this age of effective and advance communication technology. For further information on online English speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit www.eagetutor.com.

- By Chander Madan

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It is said that first impression is the last impression. The way you smile, give a firm handshake and maintain an eye contact, all together makes up for a good first impression. There are no second chances to better your first impression and hence, it is important that you communicate in fluent English with confidence. If you fumble for words or use inappropriate words, you can tarnish your first impression. Let’s look at some tips that can help you can make a good and lasting first impression.



Expert tips to impress all!

The most important aspects to pay attention on include:

Courteous greetings:

Be courteous as you greet somebody for the first time. You can use phrases, such as:

Hi, how are you?

It’s nice to meet you.

How do you do?

Speak with confidence and wear a warm smile as you communicate. You can also use an informal expression, such as – hey, what have you been up to, to sound more natural.

Make small talks

Now that you have greeted the other person, it’s time to break the ice with small talks. If you are in a business meet, you could use a phrase, such as – ‘how’s business?’ If it’s a personal get together, you can ask the acquaintance something like, ‘so, what do you do?’ Don’t let the initial greeting turn into awkward silence and follow up with some general questions. The idea is to let the other person speak while you can lend your ear and be a good listener. You can continue with questions, such as:

Where are you from?

Did you catch the cricket match last night?

What do you think of this place/ the music/the ambience?

Is your family traveling with you?

Take a complimentary approach

Now that you know the other person, find ways to compliment him/her. You can say things like, ‘I have heard about your work, you are really doing great.’ Or if you are in a party, you can complement the other person’s style sense, ‘That’s a nice dress you are wearing’. We all love compliments as they make us feel good about ourselves, why not use them for a good first impression.

End with a kind goodbye

If your meeting is business oriented, you should ensure that your acquaintance enjoyed your company and would look up to you for a future relation. Therefore, extend a kind goodbye. You can use phrases, such as:

“It was nice meeting you, catch you later.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you.”

As you extend a kind goodbye, remember to wear your smile, maintain eye contact and speak with confidence.

Conclusion:

Speaking English with confidence comes with practice and if you want to make a first good impression, you need to practice before you meet the acquaintance. Hope the above tips will help you speak English fluently. For more practice, you can join our online spoken English class.

About EAgeTutor:

eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of mouse away in this age of effective and advance communication technology. For further information on online English speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit www.eagetutor.com.

- By Chander Madan

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We all come across everyday situations that require us to speak in an authoritative tone to get our point across with officials. It could be any situation, for instance, when you think there is a dispute in your electricity bill. This is just one instance, there are many situations in our daily life where we have to show our disapproval to someone and we strive to express our point of view without offending the person. Today, in our English learning session we will see ways on how you can bring up a dispute politely and get your point across.

Useful tips to politely solve a dispute

You have been away from your home for about a six months living in a rented apartment as your work required you to move to a different city. Now you are back home and you see a huge electricity bill. You are tensed as you haven’t used electricity for the last six months. Now, it’s time to visit the electricity office in your area and raise an issue. You are stressed on how you will explain the non-usage and settle the bill. The first tip is to acknowledge the other party’s opinion and then put your points across. Let us look at a conversation.



Situational conversation – example

You: Hello Sir, I have been guided to you for a  dispute in my electricity bill.

Officer: Yes, can I have a copy of your bill.

You: Here, these are the bills of the last few months.

Officer: Ok, so your arrear is Rs, 5000 and if you don’t pay now, the electricity will be disconnected.

You: Yes sir, I know but the dispute is that I was not residing here for the last six months as I had been sent to Delhi on deputation.

Officer: This is generated based on estimated readings of your past usage. Our guys will do the actual meter reading and if there is any difference we will credit back in your account. For now, you have to make the payment or else your line will be disconnected.

You: I’m sorry but I disagree with you. You cannot disconnect my line over estimated readings. Can you try and look into possible solutions.

Officer: This is the procedure we follow. Now, if you could please make at least half of your payment, I will try to speed fast the procedure. I assure, you will get back the refund soon.

You: Ok, still I would want you to look into the matter asap.

This is how you can be polite and make your point. While making a dispute you could use sentences, such as, “I see what you’re saying but…” or “That’s a valid point, but…”. Don’t go loud and yell negative sentences. You will be spoiling your case and it’s a government agency you are talking to, they deal with customers every minute and may not care about your case.

Conclusion

The way you frame sentences and communicate will help a lot in easing a difficult situation, like a dispute. Improve your spoken English and express disagreements such that the solution turns in your favor.

About EAgeTutor:

eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of mouse away in this age of effective and advance communication technology. For further information on online English speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit www.eagetutor.com.

-By Chander Madan

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