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It was around 15 years ago when Roly Grant teamed up with university pal Phil Koh to set up London brand design studio, Without.

The year was 2005. It was when the first-ever YouTube video was uploaded (titled Me at the Zoo, apparently), the superjumbo jet Airbus A380 made its first flight from Toulouse, and Charles and Camilla got married. The days before social media kicked off, and the global recession was nowhere in sight.

So what's it been like to run a business since then? The highs, lows and everything in-between. We chatted with Roly about the last 15 years, industry challenges, and why agencies need to help business managers understand the branding process.

How did you get to where you are today?

I left university with a history degree and zero professional direction. However, I loved art and writing and had proved I was good at distilling information into an opinion. I joined an internship scheme at an international newspaper and gravitated toward the design department, where I had contact with their external creative agency.

After a few months of very amateur art-working and less than subtle hints, they offered to take me on when the internship ended. I spent five years there - a strong FMGC agency now named Brandpoint London - becoming their senior designer. By then, I wanted to focus on branding for other types of clients, was confident enough to assume I could run my own show and young enough, dumb enough, not to realise that this was harder than it looked.

Luckily Phil (Koh, Without's co-founder), a good friend from Oxford, was also looking to do his own thing. His management and economics background proved a strong foil for my creative ambition, a combination that stands Without in good stead today.

We grew our business by listening to clients, challenging them where it mattered, and always connecting the work to the client's objective. We made some amazing friends in those early years (such as Thomasina Miers and Mark Selby from Wahaca) and the successful work we did together still acts as a calling card.

Having the right people is the key to success. What else has worked well for you?

The name Without refers to distance; being 'outside'. One of the things that sets us apart is the range of experience in the studio. Phil and I have an academic, rather than design education, one of our senior designers trained as an architect with Richard Rogers, and Hannah, our Creative Producer, has a PhD from Cambridge. When you add our talented designers into the mix, this creates odd, beautiful, smart ideas. Design can be quite inward-looking. Our commercial and problem-solving experience helps us empathise with clients, work in a range of sectors and create work that works.

You launched in 2005, just as Facebook began. So much has changed - what was the most difficult to adapt to?

I struggled for a long time with mobile phones. I was given a smartphone five years ago. While I love making notes in a format that be easily edited and distributed (rather than my old stack of forgotten, illegible notebooks), the balance between convenience and addictive time-wasting is a battle. It's telling that even though the technology is old, I feel the need to announce in meetings that I'm taking notes, not browsing Instagram or the like.

Industry-wise, as all businesses became (to some extent) publishers, the demand for stacks of high-quality, quick-turnaround, low-cost material forced us to be more explicit about what we did. It takes a particular agency to thrive in that marketing space, and I think some fall or are dragged unwittingly into it. The period 2010-2015 helped us confirm that our skills and interest lay more in the creation and development of brand identity. So not so much adapting as sticking to our guns.

You survived the global recession. Were those days tough for you?

Thankfully no. We were lucky enough to be small but had made it onto the radar of some ambitious start-ups. We didn't need much work to keep things going, and the clients we worked with bucked the downward trend. We emerged in decent financial shape with a book of recognised work.

What challenges do you and the design industry face today?

Managing exciting projects that can land at the same time, protecting time for design among other business needs - there are a host of challenges. Still, the relationships, creativity and ability to contribute to great businesses make this a brilliant job.

The big challenge our industry still seems to face is communicating what's involved in creating high-quality branding. We invest time in the transparency of process because, if clients don't appreciate that strong visuals and applications are the product of a core idea, rather than the other way around, it's going to be hard to create meaningful work.

What have you seen recently that's surprised you and disappointed you?

I make a point never to criticise other people's work (unless they ask!), so I'll keep this personal. A recent surprise and disappointment occurred on a shoot for a client. We have an excellent track record in art direction and put together a great team, but for various reasons, the result was disappointing, and I didn't feel the artists stepped up when things drifted. In these situations, we need to appreciate that what we do goes beyond billable hours. We told the client we felt the work was weak, and proposed a plan to go again and deliver what they deserved. They agreed, stuck with us, and we shoot again next week!

You mention criticism. The design industry can be brutal, can't it?

Three things affect most creative industries at some point: economic fluctuations, technological advances that challenge traditional methods, and problems relating to the inherent complexity of selling something subjective.

Some of these you can't do anything about, other than follow ethical business practice (a good accountant, mentors and the DBA have been crucial in helping us create a set of benchmarks and best practice that has seen us through rocky patches). As for the others, the best defence seems to be having an opinion. All designers will have experienced the downward spiral of trying to second-guess a frustrated client, neither winning. The ability to get on the front foot with a compelling argument - visually, commercially, ideally both - has generally helped us deliver successful projects: strong work that clients get behind.

What advice would you give to those just starting?

Focus on brilliant ideas that can change client businesses. These need to be practical and relate to the audience. Other than that, set out to change the game. The standard of visual presentation is so high these days that it helps - as an individual looking to contribute to a team, or as a brand needing to stand out - if design is founded on brilliant ideas.

What advice would you give to those hoping to work at Without?

We did team-wide reviews recently, and it was so gratifying to be reminded that we have such a strong, friendly culture here. Arguably this comes from two places: firstly, the buck stops with the work and respect is enhanced by everyone feeling like there's excellence in the room. Secondly, however, it's also rooted in empathy and listening to others. If you balance ability and ambition with humility and a willingness to learn, you'll do well here.

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Roly Grant of Without on why being honest and confronting your mistakes is crucial when running a design studio

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It was around 15 years ago when Roly Grant teamed up with university pal Phil Koh to set up London brand design studio, Without. The year was 2005. It was when the first-ever YouTube video was uploaded (titled Me at the Zoo, apparently), the superjumbo jet Airbus A380 made its first flight from Toulouse, and Charles and Camilla got married.

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Present perfect simple - Use

Grammar chart

We use the present perfect simple with past finished actions or experiences when we don't mention or we don't know when they happened. And we also use the present perfect simple to ask or talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished.

Present perfect continuous - Form

We form the present perfect continuous with the present perfect simple of be + the -ing form of the main verb.

Present perfect continuous - Use

Grammar chart

Actions from the past till now - duration

We use the present perfect continuous with action verbs (dynamic verbs) to talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished or have just finished.

There is often a present result from doing these actions.

We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about continuous or repeated actions or situations from the past till now.

For, since, how long, lately, all day/week/month/etc.

We can use for, since, how long, lately, all day/week/month/etc. to ask or say how long a situation has been happening.

Present perfect simple or continuous?

Situations that started in the past and still continue

We can use the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous to talk about situations that started in the past and still continue. But we must use the present perfect simple with non-action verbs (stative verbs), and we normally use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs (although the present perfect simple is also possible.)

We use the present perfect continuous (and NOT simple) with dynamic verbs for situations that started in the past and still continue when we want to emphasise how long the situation has lasted.

Finished and unfinished situations

We use the present perfect simple for finished actions in the past when we don't say when. We use the present perfect continuous for actions or situations that maybe have not finished or that maybe have finished (very recently)

Actions with present results

We can use present perfect simple and present perfect continuous for actions with present results. We use the present perfect simple if the present results come from completing the action.

Look how nice my car looks. I've washed it. (=The car looks nice because I have finished washing it.)

Something is different in this house. Have you painted it? (=The house looks different because you have completed the action of painting it.)

We use the present perfect continuous if the present results come from the process of doing the action.

Sorry I'm so sweaty. I've been washing my car. (=I am sweaty because of the physical activity that washing the car involves.)

How come you are so dirty? Have you ? (=You are dirty because of the process of painting.)

How long vs how many/much

We use the present perfect continuous to talk about the duration of an action, i.e. about how long we have been doing something. And we use the present perfect simple to talk about how many things or how much of something we have done.

I've written twenty e-mails. (I'm talking about how many emails I've written.)

I've been writing emails for hours. (=I'm talking about how long I have spend writing emails)

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Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous - Test-English

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Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous. I have done vs I have been doing. B1 - English intermediate grammar exercises.

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Write the answers to the following questions:

1. Where do you come from?

2. What kind of childhood  did you have?

3. Did you study well at school?

4. What did your parents advice you to do when you grow up?

5. What kind of activities and interests did you have in your free time ?

6. How did it help you  in your career and to become an entrepreneur?

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hosts -хазяїни (господарі помешкання)
saddles - сідла
story of origin - історія походження
obvious - очевидно
endeavor - зусилля, спроба (амбіції)
campus - студ містечко
embrace entrepreneurship - освоїти підприємництво
take a detour - зробити розворот
trunk of the car - багажник
make an income - заробляти
inflated bed - надувне ліжко

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Interview With Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky | Fortune

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Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky discusses how it got started, the future of the business, and globalization. Subscribe to Fortune - http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=FortuneMagazineVideo FORTUNE is a global leader in business journalism with a worldwide circulation of more than 1 million and a readership of nearly 5 million, with major franchises including the FORTUNE 500 and the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For.

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Analyze grammar - find pres perfect, past simple

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The logo was unveiled along with news of the BMW Concept i4, and aims to represent an "openness and clarity" for the car manufacturer.

BMW has unveiled a new logo, as part of an update to its brand identity.

The new, flat version of the familiar roundel is one of the "first steps" of the updated identity, according to the company. It was revealed with the images of the BMW Concept i4 vehicle and represents a "look ahead" at the i4, which has a planned production date of 2021.

Jens Thiemer, senior vice president of customer and brand at BMW, says: "BMW is becoming a relationship brand.

The new logo and brand design symbolise the brand's significance and relevance for mobility and driving pleasure in the future."

The rebrand was designed together with Munich-based studio BECC Agency.

How has BMW's logo changed?

The previous logo's black ring has been replaced with a transparent one, which aims to "radiate more openness and clarity", Thiemer says.

"We want to use this new transparent version to invite our customers, more than ever, to become part of the world of BMW," he adds.

The company is seemingly hoping to expand the "world of BMW". Thiemer says that the new brand design is "geared to the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation for brands".

The transparent, two-dimensional has more "graphic flexibility" than the previous logo (which was designed in 1997). That is important when considering "touch points in communication" both "online and offline".

A transparent logo is certainly more applicable across digital applications. It is also in keeping with another German car company, Volkswagen (VW), who last year revealed a two-dimensional design in preparation for an "electric future". VW's new badge means it can be illuminated on the front of vehicles and at showrooms.

The history of BMW's logo explained

BMW was first commercially registered in 1917, emerging from a renamed aircraft engine manufacturer. The Treaty of Versailles - signed after World War I in an attempt to ensure peace in Europe - forbade Germany from building aircraft engines, so it changed its focus to railways and built-in motors.

This logo is the sixth update of the original. The blue and white colourway remain a constant throughout the logo's various iterations. These colours are a reference to the blue and white Bavarian flag. BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, which translates approximately to Bavarian Engine Works Company.

Originally, the blue and white in the logo were inversed from the flag because of local laws about trademarks at the time which restricted commercial us of the state's coat of arms.

Many people believe that the logo is a propeller - which tracks with the company's origins. A 1920s advert even shows an aeroplane with the logo as its propeller.

This belief has endured, and BMW's archive director Fred Jakobs wrote in an article published on the company's website: "For a long time, BMW made little effort to correct the myth that the BMW badge is a propeller. This interpretation has been commonplace for 90 years, so in the meantime it has acquired a certain justification."

Another design mystery is BMW's kidney-shaped grilles which were first featured on the BMW 303 after World War 1. BMW itself has not commented on the origins of the distinctive grilles, though they are present on the Concept i4. This time they have two freestanding LED elements on either side.

What does an electric car sound like?

Other details from the preview of the i4 point to larger trends in electric vehicle design.

Sound design, for example, is an important aspect for electric vehicles, which are considerably more quiet compared to traditional petrol cars. BMW IconicSounds Electric is the brand's attempt to recognise this need. The division, developed with composer Hans Zimmer, "aims to emotionalise BMW's electric vehicles and make them audible using individual sound worlds".

The "sound worlds" of the car range from "driving sounds" to "more intense and pronounced sounds of 'Sport' mode". The company says that the sounds of doors opening and the "starting scenario" are included in the new design.
What do you think about BMW's new logo? Let us know in the comments below.

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BMW reveals new logo to mark a "new chapter" in history

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The logo was unveiled along with news of the BMW Concept i4, and aims to represent an "openness and clarity" for the car manufacturer. BMW has unveiled a new logo, as part of an update to its brand identity. The new, flat version of the familiar roundel is one of the "first steps" of the updated identity, according to the company.

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упражнения на артикли

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Exercise 4 for articles, intermediate level. Choose the most appropriate answer. Упражнение 4 на артикли, средний уровень. Выберите наиболее подходящий ответ.

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- write a follow up letter to your contacts from the exhibition
- write a post for instagram

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Click on a word to quickly get its definition

The splendidly opulent interior may be visited by guided tours,which are conducted daily at 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.,subject to performances.

Hiking Puerto Rico's natural and unspoiled interior offers lots of opportunity to get away from the city and commune with nature.

Its clean interior is surprisingly plain,but it once held the remains of Christopher Columbus.

The very simple interior provides the perfect environment for quiet reflection and prayer.

Genesis Marine also craft distinctive interiors that blend immediate appeal with efficient workstations throughout.

In the cool,carpeted interior of Singapore's largest mosque,the clock gives the time in Mecca.

ElderHouse explains basic interior design elements to maximize living pleasure in a smaller living space.

That means freezing rain,cheerlessly crabbed interiors,and lots of extras who visibly live lives of quiet desperation.

The comfort of the luxurious corporate interior,the reinforced sound proofing,exceptional passanger visibility and our friendly crew all combine for a memorable flight with Tasman Helicopters.

Considerable interior detail will need to be added whichever method is used.

The Georgian interior of the ground floor is worth a look.

Pentimento is a completely flat interior limewash,inspired by the Mediterranean villas of old.

It contrasts vividly with the bland interior,where a series of 35 gently elevating ramps lead to an observation platform at a height of 70 m(230 ft).

The bare interior is bleak,its windows covered up by the monumental 19th-century murals painted by Puvis de Chavannes.

Its unspoilt golden beaches and forested interior are delightful at any time of the year.

The attractive interior is spacious and comfortable.

The interior is similarly classical and restrained,with off-white walls and polished natural wood floors.

The interior is sparsely furnished.

Its clean interior is surprisingly plain,but it once held the remains of Christopher Columbus.

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Click on a word to quickly get its definition The splendidly opulent interior may be visited by guided tours , which are conducted daily at 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. , subject to performances . Hiking Puerto Rico 's natural and unspoiled interior offers lots of opportunity to get away from the city and commune with nature .

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Pinterest

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As part of our series of design in 2020, Lynn Harris, associate client services director at Cada Design, looks at what will happen in retail design in the next 12 months.

What do you think 2020 will hold for retail design?

As shoppers are becoming more and more aware of how their consumption patterns effect the planet, and with new government-backed targets on plastic reduction, retailers will continue to trial new forms of sustainability within their offerings. They will start to adopt more circular approaches, meaning the entire life cycle of a product is better accounted for and communicated directly to consumers, from manufacture to distribution to sitting on shelf to shipping to being disposed of properly.

As consumers are starting to demand sustainable alternatives, retailers will experiment with new product and interior materials that are better for the planet. We'll start to see forms of convenience packaging that are more guilt-free and more self-serve. We'll start to see some inventive business models emerge that capture, inspire or drive more ethical shopping behaviors. Retailers will start to tell us more about their own operations overall so consumers can make more informed decisions about which brands to trust and products to buy. Social media and digital will play a huge part in all of this retail awareness and interaction.

What was your favourite retail design project in 2019 and why?

The Waitrose Unpacked trial clearly stands out as a brave effort to test consumers' dedication to sustainability and willingness to change their own shopping habits. It was a sell-out success. They sold eleven weeks' worth of product in the first week and have commenced with rolling it out to other sites. We've seen this type of display in Planet Organic and independent health food retail, but this was a totally new concept for mainstream grocery retail.

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Design in 2020 - what will retail design look like? | Design Week

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As part of our series of design in 2020, Lynn Harris, associate client services director at Cada Design, looks at what will happen in retail design in the next 12 months. As shoppers are becoming more and more aware of how their consumption patterns effect the planet, and with new government-backed targets on plastic reduction, retailers will continue to trial new forms of sustainability within their offerings.

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Change 2 sentences into 1st and 2nd conditional.
0) I send the final renders when/ if I get the full prepayment

I don't send the final renders if I don't get a full prepayment

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Even if you aren't exhibiting, a business exhibition, event or trade show in your industry can offer a brilliant chance to research your market, make new connections and gain inspiration. Here are some useful tips to help you make the most out of your visit
Do...

Plan ahead and set show objectives

The key to getting the most out of a show, when you have limited time, is to set objectives. You might aim to visit a particular list of exhibitors, catch up with specific contacts, or collect a certain number of business cards.

The more thought and effort you put into your visit, the more you will get out of it.

Pre-register

Not only will you save money by registering in advance (most trade shows charge an on-the-day registration fee which is usually about £10), but you will also be first in line for the latest show news, offers and benefits via e-alerts.

You will invariably receive full show previews in advance, plus invitations to networking events and details of special show promotions.

Give yourself enough time

If you are visiting an important show for your industry, then you'll meet a lot of people you should be speaking to. Time will run away with you, and you likely won't achieve some of the things as you set out to.

Allow enough time for unscheduled conversations as well as planned meetings.

Take advantage of everything that's on offer

The closer you are to an exhibition or industry, the more likely you are to fall in the trap of "seen it, heard it, done it, got the t-shirt".

Don't be complacent. Look at what the organisers and exhibitors are offering in terms of seminars and conference sessions; you may learn something new.

Be open to new ideas

One of the great advantages of exhibitions is that you often learn about concepts that we have never considered before. In some cases, when we are stuck with a tricky problem, it's the idea that we haven't given due consideration to that offers the best solution. So take a good look around, and be prepared to listen.

Don't...

Expect to "do" the whole show too quickly

By their nature, exhibitions are places where meeting people can happen naturally - but, equally, you can quickly become frustrated if you keep missing the person you most wanted to see.

If it's feasible, allow for more than one visit - even the smallest of events may need two day-long visits, or at least two half days.

Just focus on the businesses you came to see

You may be surprised by the number of competitors offering similar services, or an innovative solution that could be a better fit for you.

It's worth considering start-ups and lesser-known companies who have the drive and enthusiasm to win your business, and who will work hard to keep it. At the very least, it does no harm to stay informed about what's out there if your current suppliers start to let standards slip.

Book too many meetings

If you plan too much, to the extent that you have arranged back-to-back meetings, you will only set yourself up to fail. While you need to make the most of your time at the show, you will stifle opportunities for chance meetings if you book your diary solid.

Be afraid of being cornered by an exhibitor

Keep an open mind about who you might speak to. Make eye contact, smile, and remember that a quick stop to speak with a keen exhibitor could result in an invaluable find or an enlightening conversation.

You can always gracefully extricate yourself by mentioning a pre-arranged meeting, if the chat really isn't beneficial to either of you.

Waste the information gathered at the show

You will likely return home with a bag full of brochures and a pocket full of business cards, and if you['re not quick on the draw they will never see the light of day again.

Don't waste these snippets of information - follow up as soon as you can after the event, before your memory fades.
With thanks to Phil Powell of the Association of Event Organisers

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Dos and don'ts when visiting a trade show

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Even if you aren't exhibiting, a business exhibition, event or trade show in your industry can offer a brilliant chance to research your market, make new connections and gain inspiration. Here are some useful tips to help you make the most out of your visit The key to getting the most out of a show, when you have limited time, is to set objectives.

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Read 1 minute and write what you remember.

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The start of a new decade is often the signal for fresh thinking and novel approaches to come to the fore, not least in the ever-evolving world of graphic design. So as we move from the 2010s to the 2020s, what are the emerging trends we should be keeping an eye on?

To take the temperature of creative opinion, we've spoken to design professionals at all levels of the industry to discover the trends they've been spotting, and the predictions they're making. Read on as we reveal 20 graphic design trends, covering everything from logo design to illustration, that look set to be big in 2020.

01. Intensifying minimalism

In the latter half of the 2010s, we've seen minimalist, flat design dominate the world of digital. And the designers at Grady Britton believe the trend is only going to intensify as we enter the 2020s. "In line with marketing's ongoing quest for transparency and honesty, design will continue to strip away extra flair and embellishment and move toward a much simpler, straightforward presentation," says group creative director Brian Dixon. "It may even veer into intentionally unfinished at times, as believability is the priority."

Designer Paul Levy concurs. "The ubiquity of flat design, involving primary colours, simple, intuitive two-dimensional illustrations and easy-to-read type, will continue to grow," he predicts. And this isn't just about aesthetics, but function too. "The main benefit of flat design is in allowing users to quickly interact with interfaces, and find the content they're looking for."

But while flat design owes its origins to digital, its principles have started to influence the printed medium as well, he adds. "Increasingly, we're seeing analogue content being broken down into a more user-friendly hierarchy, making content relevant to the reader easier to find," he says. "In fact whatever the medium, flat design, along with the evolving discipline of UX design, is giving graphic designers a powerful tool to help people easily navigate content."

And while flat design has a reputation for being cold and unfeeling, it needn't be so. Indeed, senior art director Adam Murdoch believes that in 2020, "Design minimalism will shift toward the warm and cosy, with interactive design's white-and-light, luxury brand colour palette going warm and friendlier; and beige, sage and pale yellow showing up more frequently."

02. Abstract 3D and vibrant colours

Perhaps as a backlash against the popularity of flat minimalism, we've seen abstract 3D forms coming into their own over the last year. "Software updates that have democratised 3D render technology are helping drive this trend," notes Tamryn Kerr, associate creative director at VMLY&R. "The stunning work produced for the Greenwich Peninsula Festival by Droga5 is a great example, both on the posters and animated for digital. Like watching a well-designed lava lamp, a mesmerising bubble shape moves elegantly across the screen, instantly catching your attention and drawing you into the information piece."

Consuela Onighi, UX designer at Illustrate Digital, is seeing similar things. "I've noticed that over the past few months, most designs have created a 3D feel by combining layers of typography, images and abstract shapes, often reflective of the company branding, to create depth," she says. "This is often paired with bright, vibrant colours and gradients, which I believe will become a strong trend in the next year too."

Alex Halfpenny, design director at Elmwood, paints a similar picture. "Neons, fluorescents and bright vibrant colours continue to be the go-to for designers to help design stand out," he stresses. "Favouring digital application, or special print colours, the addition of subtle gradients help colours feel alive, and give design a youthful and future-facing, optimistic aesthetic."

03. Type-only approaches

Have you noticed how the number of designs taking a type-only approach appears to be growing? Us too. "Finally brands are braving typographic design over photography and I expect we'll see even more businesses adopt this attitude in 2020," says Emily Benwell, digital design and marketing specialist at Liberty Marketing.

Davide Baratta, design director at Impero, agrees. "I've been seeing greater use of typography and bespoke typefaces as defining elements in branding," he says. As does Nazar Begen, head of project at Crello, who notes that "designers are playing with typography more than ever, to create more innovative and modern compositions. Artistic typography, maxi typography spilt into multiple lines, and semi-transparent fonts forming various shapes are all on the rise."

Simple, bold typography has been a big 2019 trend, and that's set to continue in 2020, believes Steve Sharp, director of Fat Cow Media. "We're finding this technique to be extremely effective, helping brands to deliver messages via simple, strong, singular statements," he says. "It's a good technique for brands that are straight-talking and to-the-point."

Meanwhile Chris Willis, head of design at VMLY&R, feels 2020 could finally be the year of variable fonts. "There are several high profile designers already working in this space, so it's poised to go mainstream," he says. "This technology is especially exciting in the digital space, where the possibilities are endless."

And Grady Britton designer Katie Larosa believes that type is only going to get more creative in this next decade. "There's recently been a trend to break the rules that, as designers, we never thought you could break," she says. "In 2020, I predict we'll see more bold, decorative typography that pushes conventional boundaries, and some 'bad' design done on purpose."

04. Super-maximalist and ultra-minimalist

Justin Au, designer at Gretel, has seen two divergent typographic trends grow over the last year. "On the one hand you have a super-maximalist approach, filled with exuberant letterforms, 3D distortion, and alternate methods of image-making such as acid graphics or collage," he says. "An example is the work we did for Nike By You.

"On the other hand, there's a return to an ultra-minimal editorial approach, driven by tiny typographic nuances and a dedication to presentation by stripping all excess. You can see an example of that in our design system for WeWork. I think both are successful in cutting through the blandness of clean, geometric sans-serifs that have dominated subway walls and Instagram feeds alike."

05. Taking GIFs to the next level

"Something we've seen more and more from brands in 2019 are clever, branded animations that bring to life messages in a fun and innovative way," says Steve Sharp. "As GIFs grow in popularity across social media platforms, animations have also grown in quick succession and are more popular in email marketing and web page design than ever before."

Mark Chatelier, executive creative director at StormBrands, agrees. "We're seeing more brands use GIFs to offer quick and quirky responses to notable events throughout the year: look at Google's mini Twitter animation for Movember for example." And he believes an alternative approach to GIFs will begin to reshape the digital landscape in the coming year.

"Think storytelling, dynamic use of identity and content, animated mascots and brand assets that move and interact with each other across websites and social media," says Chatelier. "Designers can no longer afford to sit still. It's time for brands to follow and explore how the popularity of the updated GIF format can work for them. Otherwise, it's an opportunity wasted."

06. Multisensoral moving content

Still not got around to learning those motion design skills? Then 2020 would be a good time to do so, as the discipline is increasingly in demand. "Motion design and moving images are becoming more popular than stills," says Davide Baratta. "There has been a rise of processing and expressions in motion design over classic keyframe animation."

And that's for good reason. "Brands are becoming more aware of how important good motion design is," says Iain Acton, head of motion design at DixonBaxi. "Not only as a tool to unify every aspect of their design but also in further communicating their key messages. A well thought out motion vocabulary lets you speak with a unique voice, helping you stand out in an ever-noisier world."

And he stresses that motion design is no longer just about 'animating the logo'. "Here at DixonBaxi, motion design is a vital part of every project from day one," says Acton. "Next year I expect to see more projects that invite multiple artists to collaborate, as we saw earlier this year with both BBC2 and ITV. I also expect the use of code to continue to grow as people build new tools to solve creative problems, resulting in new and exciting ideas that push design boundaries."

Emma Newnes of B&B Studio adds that, "As our attention spans get shorter and our desire for immediate gratification increases, we'll see many more brands invest in moving content. As we move into the future, brands will attempt to gain recognition for their style of motion graphic or brand sound. Visual brand equities will transcend into kinetic equities as multi-sensorial branding takes on a whole new literal meaning."

07. Motion with intent

It's not just that we'll be using motion design more in 2020, but we may also be using it in different ways. Kelli Miller, creative director and partner at And/Or, cites some specific trends in motion design right now, including "hyperreal geometric/sculptural 3D forms in plastic-y, colourful materials, generative computational work in both 2D and 3D, illustrative character-driven narratives, and unconventional typography animations."

In general, she feels there's an honest sense of playfulness and interest in how far we can push our digital tools at the moment. "And it seems the narrative character driven animation work is a direct response to that: it's more crafted, human-centred work butting up against digital/computational work."

More broadly, Dan Healy, image and motion director at Bulletproof, feels we're seeing a shift towards "more meaningful motion; motion with intent. This can be seen in the use of seamless transitions, for example. And with Instagram being more and more relevant, we need to be much more efficient with our motion."

Healy predicts that in 2020 motion design will appear in more and more digital formats, with a consistent feel. "There will be a continuation of using mixed media, a combination of 2D and 3D motion and cinematography. The value of sound design will play a pivotal role in brand recognition and awareness, and with meaningful motion we can really add value. And within web design, I think we'll see never-ending scroll take on a new life, with clever scroll transitions like the new AirPods website from Apple."

08. Ingrigue overtakes legibility

"Adaptive typography has continued to grow in popularity in 2019, as designers have found more practical and productive uses for kinetic fonts," says Alex Halfpenny, design director for Elmwood. "Interest can be found in deformed letters, bespoke glyphs and disruptive typesetting, where intrigue overtakes legibility in the design hierarchy."

Emily Benwell, digital design and marketing specialist for Liberty Marketing, points to the example of Uber Move. "They developed a sans-serif typeface that has been a major player in their rebrand, delivering their brand messaging via moving posters hyper-effectively," she says. And Dave Gee, co-founder of Jam_, predicts this trend will continue in 2020. "We're seeing much more from big brands using moving typography as the main graphic element in creative across the web and social," he says.

09. Graphical disruption

If many areas of design in 2019 have seemed anodyne, bland and coldly functional, then hold onto your hats; things might be about to change. "We're noticing a push towards 'graphical disruption': grabbing attention and quite intentionally stopping you in your tracks," reports Sarah Sanders, head of strategic insight at Precipice Design. "In certain categories, there is a lessening of the calm, considered and controlled colour palettes, refined fonts and negative space that have dominated. Instead, these are replaced with intense almost rebellious hues and juxtapositions, protest-like repetition of messages and bold and dense use of black."

In short, there's a graphical sense of urgency and intensity at a level not seen for quite some time. "It's no coincidence that this shift is happening in a time of such political, social and ecological unrest," argues Sanders. "Look from the bright, bold, intense clashes of the latest GoCompare print campaign to the material of Extinction Rebellion and you will find clear parallels. This approach won't be right for all products, of course, and in fact needs order and control to push against. The question will be which brands and designers are brave enough to embrace the discord and create something that risks being deemed offensive or ugly."

Social media is one factor driving this trend, believes Kelli Miller, creative director and partner at And/Or. " We're living in a time period where experimentation and playful mistakes have an easy and temporal place to live on our social media feeds," she notes. "The work is not as permanent or labour-intensive as it once was, which makes it easier and less risky to quickly try new things. I love that playful, punk rock spirit, it's really fun and exciting to see what people are making."

The positive feature of this trend is that people are not being precious with their work, but there is a potential flipside, she adds. " I think it's just as important to be aware of what feels overly trendy, and keep the parts that feel authentic and genuinely connected to an idea, let the rest of it get lost in the feed."

10. Backlash against Insta-perfection

Is the Instagram-inspired notion of showing idealised versions of our selves on its way out? "Lately, we've seen a huge shift in how brands are portraying people so that audiences feel a truer connection," says Jennie Potts, design director at B&B Studio. "In a backlash against the image-obsessed, overly filtered selfie culture, we have seen the rise of un-retouched imagery, using real people over models and representing truer diversity.

"Brands are realising the power in celebrating their consumers instead of promoting just one, outdated aesthetic," she continues. "This has been happening mostly within beauty and fashion sectors, but I think we'll see it expand across different sectors as we move into 2020."

11. Focus on Gen Alpha

In case you're not keeping up, Millennials are now approaching their forties, Generation Z are entering their twenties, and the focus of branding experts is now starting to fall on Gen Alpha: those born during the 2010s. "Generation Alpha are now up to nine years old," explains Lee Hoddy, creative partner at Conran Design Group. "But what they lack in age, they more than make up for in influence in the family dynamic and spending behaviour; so brands ignore them at their peril in 2020."

Gen Alpha interact with tech more naturally and instinctively than any previous generation, and this will influence brand touchpoints and micro behaviours profoundly. "Branded moments are softer, more empathic, more ambient. It's subtle, it's clever, and it's meaningful in their day to day activities."

As a result, Hoddy predicts, more brands in 2020 will move away from just using visuals to communicate to customers. "Instead they'll craft interface-less, designed moments that surprise and delight to create long term brand loyalty, and if you're lucky, adoration. The opportunity for designers and brand guardians is massive."

12. Organic look and feel

Throughout the 2010s, we've seen more and more brand and packaging design focus on the organic, the calming and the natural. And right now, that trend is only heightening. "This is in response to the precarious relationship with our ever-depleting planet coupled with increasingly digitally connected and dissected, data-rich but time-poor lives," says Andy Capper, creative director at Echo Brand Design. "We all crave more openness and transparency, and we're seeing type, colour, illustration, packaging and product design influenced by this."

He offers some examples of what this looks like in practice. "From digital lifestyle brands like Uber we're seeing a softening and a simplicity, through their use of more approachable typography with fewer capitals, more circular letterforms and clean, naturalistic icons. In recent campaigns from Nike and Adidas, we're seeing greater honesty to styling and photography, focusing on real individuals in less staged environments, reflecting a desire for more one-on-one conversations.

"Natwest and Monzo, banking old and new, are embracing softer, more naturalistic colour palettes and stripped-down illustration, a big step away from the authoritative and autocratic banking of old. And we're seeing technology product companies adopting aesthetics and materials that are inspired by nature and in tune with our homes. Rather than the shiny black tech monoliths of old, soft forms and interesting textiles are being combined. Out is the hipster world of complex filigree and industrial masculinity for consumer brands. In are stripped back brand identities and pack graphics. Good Things Brewing Co.'s identity by Horse Studio is a great example of a simpler presentation that's still rich in meaning."

13. Action on sustainability

The focus on sustainability right now isn't just affecting what designs look like, but the design process itself. "More brands are trying to make a positive contribution by transitioning towards innovative approaches to packaging, such as using recyclable or ethically sourced materials," says Charlie Smith, creative director at Charlie Smith Design. "The types of inks we use, the different finishes we see, and the materials we specify are all contributing to a more pared-back design trend, and this is set to gain momentum in 2020."

"The global issue of sustainability and impact on climate change is one overriding theme that runs through all our design and production teams' creative minds," says Steve Austen-Brown, creative director at Avantgarde London. "This topic resonates with all the brands we work with, and across all design approaches. Our approach to sustainability has been key in the way we tackle 3D spatial design. The materials, and the reuse and recycling life span of structures and environments, are also spilling into the way we think about other design disciplines."

Alex Halfpenny, design director at Elmwood, takes a similar view. "As designers take more responsibility for the collateral they help create, the desire to find sustainable materials, techniques and finishes are at the front of mind when every new brief comes in," he says. "These include more environmentally alternatives to things like foil blocking, dialling up premiumness while reducing material cost, embracing natural paper stocks and simplified techniques."

14. New perspectives on gender and sexuality

Changing attitudes to gender and sexuality are certain to have a big impact on how the industry evolves in the year to come. "Design in 2020 will be more human focused, celebrating the benefit and the individual compelling product attributes, rather than just who it's for," says Lee Hoddy. "We'll see even more brands moving away from the traditional 'This is designed for a woman therefore it needs to be pink' approach, and instead celebrate personalisation and the real person behind the product.

"Our job as designers will be more of the critical friend, challenging what's been designed, what this says, and why," he continues. "How brands behave and position themselves in this environment will raise questions with consumers that could have a lasting impact on sales and profitability."

Take character design, for example. "We're seeing the rise of gender-neutral characters in advertising," notes Davide Baratta, "which is a reflection of what is also going on in the real world, where more and more younger people are identifying as gender-neutral."

15. A spirit of rebellion

We live in chaotic times, and this is having a clear influence on the creative industries, believes Maisie Benson, designer at B&B Studio. "People are turning to individual activism to try and deal with the growing sense of societal uncertainty, and we're seeing this assertive rebelliousness filter into design," she explains. "Verbal identity and tone of voice has never been so important, and 2019 has seen a rise in the bold repetition of words and sentences in typography. We've also seen more outlined type, another visual protest to the traditional rules on legibility and messaging. And brands that attempt to replicate this aesthetic in an inauthentic way certainly feel the backlash."

Designers are being energised by change-makers at the grassroots, and are also aware of their own ability to shape change, she adds. "So we're seeing fonts inspired by handwritten protest messaging from the Berlin Wall, as well as Greta Thunburg's handwriting."

Curro de la Villa, creative director at 72andSunny Amsterdam, offers a similar take. "Overall I have the feeling that 2020 will be the year where imperfection and rawness become a more mainstream vibe, embraced by big brands on their visual identity like never before," he says. "While invisible design is getting slicker and more present in functional design in the UIs of our phones, global companies want to go the other way and look more human, adopting an unpolished and almost punk tone of voice: it's no longer a visual language that belongs just to small rebellious start-ups or fashion labels."

And that's a good thing, he feels. "It gives designers a chance to experiment, almost vandalise typefaces, use bold contrasty and unexpected layouts, absurd kerning, neon colours... all combined in crazy ways, embracing imperfection. This is happening in almost every discipline, and I'm loving the experimental side of it. We see it in photography: I love the messiness of Dexter Navy's website and its photography. We see it in editorial content: the layouts of the online articles of The New York Times Magazine are always a beauty. And we see it in typography and 3D, such as Thom Yorke's latest 3D animated music video."

16. Device dependent design

Do you develop a website that works across all devices, or make a device specific app that only works on one of them, such as the iPhone? Harry East, co-founder and creative director at Equals Collective, believes that in the coming year, you'll increasingly need to do both.

"In 2020, we'll continue to see the chasm widen in responsive design," he says. "Although styled similarly, the designed experience will become fully tailored for the platform consuming it. Expect to see websites and web apps designed with unique experiences for each format. Our experiences are now consumed differently depending on the way they are viewed and used. The best web experiences will be defined by their ability to meet this new design challenge and captivate an audience with specific designs matched to experiences across different platforms."

17. Cause-based branding

The time when brands would avoid taking a stance on social and political issues is long gone. And that trend is only going to become more marked in 2020, believes Adam Murdoch, senior art director at Grady Britton. "Equity-focused marketing will continue, as brands continue to show they 'believe everyone is of equal and important value'," he predicts. "But what will change in 2020 is putting real funds toward actual causes behind their message."

18. Immersive experiences

We've been hearing this for a while, but Dave Gee is convinced that 2020 will be the year of augmented reality. "We predict that AR and the use of immersive experiences is going to dominate the design industry next year," he says. Why now? "With tools like Spark AR, and the development of phone and camera technology, it's much easier to create professional content," he argues. "As a result, brands are turning to AR to increase engagements and sales."

Mark Davis, creative director at me&dave, is singing from the same hymn sheet. " Something that's already made waves in design is a focus on experience, and I think 2020 will see a renaissance in this approach," he says. "It's about empowering the consumer to become part of the brand experience, rather than remain a passive receiver that's endlessly dictated to. The way to do this is by marrying the digital with the physical.

"Digital can't exist in isolation," he argues. "It needs to be integrated with a 'real-world' experience seamlessly and intelligently, and brands like Burberry are masters when it comes to this kind of experiential engagement. They recently used their WeChat site to create a parallel social event to a significant launch, including live streams, forums and even virtual 360 degree tours of the physical exhibition, which directly connected with people using personalised content.

"Obviously, few have pockets quite as deep as Burberry's, but crack the formula and you've got a blueprint for an authentic, engaging brand experience that invites people to become part of your storymaking. The best way to sell experience is with experiences: this ethos must be at the forefront of strategic design thinking in 2020."

19. Making brand stories more believable

Storytelling has been the mainstay of branding for some years now. Yet Andy Askren, partner and creative director at Grady Britton, believes that brands in 2020 will be under greater pressure than ever to make those stories seem authentic and believable.

"More brands, both old and new, will work to introduce 'roots' to their stories, any way they can," he predicts. "This has been coming for a while, but it's going to explode this year." And what visual tricks can designers use to aid this effort? "There will be a continual looking-to-the-past for inspiration," Askren believes. "Heavier, rounder fonts mixed with larger, more pronounced serif fonts, saturated colourways and design cues from the vaults will be what's hot."

20. Uncertainty

In a world that seems to be becoming more unpredictable, perhaps the only solid prediction we can make about graphic design in 2020 is that anything is possible. "Nothing will be precious in 2020," says Alex Halfpenny, design director at Elmwood.

"From multiple and gradient colour palettes to flexible typography and procedurally generated brand identities, design itself will have to move quickly to keep pace with the unstable political climate, on-demand culture and shortening attention spans of a society with little patience, and little appreciation for the previous generations' meticulous approach to long-lasting, but ultimately, static design." So buckle up, and the best of luck to you all!
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The start of a new decade is often the signal for fresh thinking and novel approaches to come to the fore, not least in the ever-evolving world of graphic design. So as we move from the 2010s to the 2020s, what are the emerging trends we should be keeping an eye on?

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Time Management - 10 Productivity Tips and Tricks That Work

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Tasks & vocabulary for the article here  click on
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Imagine going through life working hard on everything that you are required to do, but by the end of the day, besides losing up your energy, time and spending your life checking off tasks on your to-do list, you have no significant results to show. How would you feel?

This is what is happening to most people out there. They seem to have an endless list of tasks to do. However, after putting in hours of effort and hard work for months, they have nothing to show for. They work hard but they are not producing the results that they want. Does this describe you?

If this sounds familiar or is happening to you, you are doing something wrong, and you need a wake-up call right now. Below are the 3 most controversial ideas you have learned about productivity and thought that they can make you less effective. You may not be aware of their truth yet until you discover it here.

1. Working Hard Can Increase Your Chances Of Failing

Yes, you read it right. If you are not doing right, working hard can increase your chances of failing. A lot of people get it wrong and thought that if they want to accomplish more and be more productive, they need to work harder. Well, not necessarily. Allow me to explain.

Most people are so pumped up when they read something inspiring or when they first get started. They are so motivated that they take massive action to produce the outcome they want. The problem is that results don't come fast. Success is not something that you can achieve in just days or weeks. Rome was not built in a day.

So guess what happens. They poured in a lot of effort but they are not seeing any result. At this point, most people will feel dejected and start to lose faith. They lose hope and more importantly, they lose their confidence.

As a result, they start to doubt themselves or if what they are doing is working, soon they will get distracted by the "next big thing" or another "shiny object" and then jump ship. They switch from one project to another. They build website after website, but none of them is working or is making any money.

You have to understand that success takes time. It is a journey, not a destination. You are running a marathon here, not a 100m sprint. You can take massive action if you are working on something short-term, but if you are running a marathon, a sprint is not going to work.

Unfortunately, this is where most people make the mistake. They treat success as a short-term goal, and whenever they don't get the result they want, they started to doubt themselves, lose hope and eventually they quit. Thus, instead of working hard, choose to work consistently. If you want to lose weight, it is better to hit the gym for an hour a day for a month than to hit the gym for 30 hours straight in one session.

How do you read a 500-page book? Do you try to read it in one sitting within 24 hours without sleep or do you read 50 pages a day? When you try to do something too much, you will suffer burnout, and that will kill your productivity. Therefore, choose work consistently from now on. Everything takes time, and you just cannot force the results to come. What we do each day is more important than what we do once in a while.

Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

Hence, make sure what you do is sustainable. Don't choose to do something that you cannot sustain. Working out in the gym for 10 hours a day is not going to be sustainable for most people. Writing 10,000 words content for your blog each day is not going to work over the long-term.

So do something sustainable and something that you can do consistently. The power is in the consistency, not a rush of hard work that fades after a few days.

2. Multitasking Is Not The Solution

How often do you try to multitask and do a few things simultaneously? Research has shown that we cannot multitask. When we multitask, what our brain is trying to do is that it will try to switch back and forth from one task to another.

If you don't believe this, try to talk to someone while reading a book. You simply cannot do it. When you concentrate and put your focus into your conversation, your brain will process the conversation and ignore the words in the book. On the other hand, when you concentrate on reading, you cannot fully process the conversation you are in. You will have to pause on one task to jump into another.

Why do you think we are not allowed to use our phones when we are driving? Multitasking is not going to work for us. It is the same when it comes to goal setting. I have seen many people set many goals in one go. There is nothing wrong with having many goals, but when it comes to putting in the effort to achieve them, that's where the problem occurs.

It is always better to have one completed project than to have five incomplete projects at hand. When you try to chase two rabbits at the same time, you will end up catching none. So from today onward, try to focus on doing your work. Choose to work on only one goal at a time.

Imagine if your goal is to work hard to grow your business and at the same time, you want to spend more time with your family, so which comes first? You need to prioritize and make the decision to go for the most important goal. You have to list down all your goals in front of you, and then ask yourself what is the most important goal that will make the most positive impact on your life if you achieve it.

Concentrate on doing one thing at a time. Use time-blocking techniques to stay focused. For example, you can time-block from 9am to 11am to do your most important task. And during these two hours, you will devote yourself to do nothing else except for working on the task. You will never do other things or allow others to distract you. This is a very powerful and effective method to getting things done.

Do you know how the swimmer who won a total of 28 medals in the Olympics, Michael Phelps, goes through his day? His life during training is nothing more than eating, swimming, and sleeping. He is in the water training and swimming most of the time. Phelps put in all his energy and focuses on just one goal and doing only one thing; to keep swimming and improving.

Thus, if you want to produce remarkable results, you have to do the same by focusing your energy and effort on just one thing at a time. What is the one goal that you want to achieve? What is the one task that will help you accomplish your goal? Stop multitasking and start focusing on what you want. You will feel more productive and get more done when you focus.

3. Don't Focus Too Much On The Results Or The Goals

This is another common productivity mistake people make. They thought that all they need to do is to keep an eye on the rewards or their goals so that they can stay motivated and productive all the time.

I'm not saying that you should forget about your goals or the results. What is more important here is to focus on the progress, not result. This is because when you focus on the progress, you are focusing on taking action. Imagine if you are a blogger like me and your goal is to build an email list of 1,000 subscribers in a month. How would you feel if you did not reach your target after a month? Do you feel down and frustrated? Of course, you would.

In fact, you don't have to wait for a month to see the effect. The negative effect will kick in just a few days after you have taken action but get no result. Most people will feel like a failure when they don't reach their goals or not getting the outcomes they want. This explains why people lose motivation along on their journey to success.

Let me give you a clearer example. If you want to build a blog with 1,000 average visitors a day, all you need to do is to focus on creating valuable content and marketing the content. For instance, you focus on publishing three articles to your blog each week and submit guest articles every day. When this goes on from day to day, week to week, and then month to month, your blog will grow, and the visitors will come.

The traffic will come because you are putting in the work, consistently. You are taking consistent action each day. And the best part is that because you have shifted your focus onto the progress instead of the outcome, you feel great and victorious when you successfully hit the publish button on your blog to publish another new content. Whenever you are moving forward and making progress, you feel good, and you know you are on your way there.

On the other hand, if you choose to focus on the goal, which is to drive 1,000 visitors per day, there's nowhere you can put your focus on. The goal itself is not something that you can perform or something that is actionable. When you choose to focus on the goals or the results, there's nothing much you can do. What produces the results are your actions. Remember, it is your action that will make your goals come true.

So stop putting in too much effort into chasing the result, the outcome or the reward. Instead, build the right habits that will put you into the action progress. When you have built up the habit of working on your goals, you will never fail to achieve them. Remember, the most important key to getting result is to develop the habit of taking action. When you have made taking action your habit and part of your life, you can accomplish whatever goals you set.

Here is what you can do. Set a progress for your goal and focus on the progress. Do understand that the best weightlifters are in the gym every day at the same time. And the best writers sit on their table to write every day. The same applies to all the best performers in all industries. Focus on the progress and put your mind on doing the action, not on achieving X target by a certain time frame.

Conclusion

So choose to work consistently rather than working hard. Do not multitask, and more importantly, focus on the progress, not the result. These are the 3 controversial tips on productivity, if you like what you have read, remember to share this article.

Featured photo credit: Pixabay.com via pixabay.com

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The 3 Most Controversial Tips On Personal Productivity - LifeHack

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Imagine going through life working hard on everything that you are required to do, but by the end of the day, besides losing up your energy, time and

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Mixed tenses worksheet

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Verb tenses interactive and downloadable worksheet. You can do the exercises online or download the worksheet as pdf.

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1. Finish project mngmnt
2. Email analysis

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1. Read an article
2. Ex. from PDF Project mangmnt.

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http://www.americanbusinessenglish.com/business-english-phrases-for-project-management-part-i/
Raise the flag (v. phrase) Meaning: to bring something to others attention Example: We fixed a software bug that would make us vulnerable to hacker attacks. Thanks to John for raining the flag, after he reviewed the code.

Raise the alarm (v. phrase) Meaning: Same as raise the flag; to bring something to others attention Example: She noticed a sharp increase in the number of back logged orders and raised the alarm. It turned out that we were out of our best selling item.

Bells and whistles (n.) Meaning: Additional features added to a product or service Example: Our senior product manger was against adding extra bells and whistles to our new product because he believed that a simpler design would be more attractive.

Being aligned (v.) Meaning: Being on the same page; having the same understanding Example: We are going to have a strategy meeting to make sure that everybody is aligned as to what our top priorities are for the next month.

Get the ball rolling (v. phrase) Meaning: To kick off a project; to start working on something Example: We have a very short window of opportunity to design and deliver this product. We better get the ball rolling soon.

Back to square one (v. phrase) Meaning: To restart; to disregard previous plans Example: we were just notified that there was a significant change in product specifications. We are back to square one and we need to re-design everything from scratch.

Back to the drawing board (v. phrase) Meaning: To re-think an old design or proposal which was unsuccessful Example: The cell phone manufacturing company instructed its engineering team to go back to the drawing board after its competitor launched a much superior product last quarter.

Bake something into the plan (v. phrase) Meaning: To take into account something when planning Example: We have experienced a sharp increase in the cost of raw materials in the past few months. So, we need to bake this price increase into our financial plan for the next year.

Brainstorm (v.) Meaning: To have a group discussion to produce ideas or solutions Example: We need to brainstorm about new ways of improving our website to make it easier for our users to find information they are looking for.

Build on ideas (v. phrase) Meaning: To improve upon previous ideas Example: There are many ways we can come up with new features for our product. One way is to take the suggestions we have received from our customers and build on those ideas.

**Clock ticking (v. phrase) ** Meaning: Running out of time Example: We are getting a lot of complaints from our customers because of our slow shipment process. The clock is ticking on this issue and we need to come up with a solution quickly.

Choke point (n.) Meaning: A bottleneck; something that blocks the execution of a project Example: For many online businesses, ensuring secure payment transactions is the main choke point.

Can of worms (n) Meaning: An action that could lead to a host of other issues Example: She does not deserve a promotion. If we promote her, it will open up a whole can of worms with the other employees.

Cast a wide net (v. phrase) Meaning: Considering a large number of solutions and options Example: We really need to find strong candidates for this job, so let's cast the net wide and get as many resumes in as possible.

Chase one's own tail (v. phrase) Meaning: To work ineffectively and aimlessly Example: It seems that we have been chasing our own tail lately. We need to set clear goals and come up with a list of priorities to be more effective.

Cross that bridge when we come to it (v. phrase) Meaning: Deal with a problem when and if it arises Example: I would like to keep the discussion more high level. Obviously, there are many technical issues that wee need to deal with. We cross that bridge when we come to it.

Dependency (n.) Meaning: A task that need to be finished before the completion of another Example: This is a very complicated project with many related tasks. We need to understand dependencies between theses task to make sure that we stay on schedule.

Doubling down on a project (v. phrase) Meaning: To put more effort on a project; to invest more on it Example: Our customers have been very impressed with the new service that we offer. As a result, our CEO has decided to double down on the project by expanding the team.

Drop everything and start doing something (v. phrase) Meaning: To give higher priority to a project Example: Our VP is going to make a presentation in front of the board and need these slides today. You should drop everything and start working on the deck.

Direction (n.) Meaning: Guidance or advice offered by mangers to their subordinates Example: This project has been very confusing from the beginning. We have received very little direction as to how we need to progress.

Define roles (v. phrase) Meaning: To determine tasks assigned to each team member Example: We need to meet with our VP of engineering to define roles and set milestones for the next quarter.

Deprioritize (v.) Meaning: To give a lower priority to a task or project Example: The deadline for launching the new website was pushed out to next month. Let's deprioritize the website design and focus on other projects.

Push out the deadline (v. phrase) Meaning: To change the deadline for a later date Example: We were so relieved to hear that the deadline was pushed out because we were totally not ready for the launch of the new product.

Escalate (v.) Meaning: To report an issue to upper management Example: After several unsuccessful meetings, we could not get the finance department to approve our request for buying new equipment, so we decided to escalate the issue to upper management.

Explore all avenues (v. phrase) Meaning: Consider all available options Example: We want to make sure that we come up with the investment we need for expansion and we are going to explore all avenues in order to achieve this.

Execute properly/poorly (v.) Meaning: Making sufficient/insufficient progress Example: Our VP was not very impressed that our sales team executed so poorly, so she decided to send the entire team for a sales training boot camp.

Err on the side of caution (v. phrase) Meaning: Act more carefully and take no risk Example: Our hedge fund is a very conservative firm and we always err on the side of caution when we make our investment decisions.

Fall into the trap of (v. phrase) Meaning: To make a wrong decision Example: We want to make sure that we do not fall into the trap of losing our competitive advantage by offering low quality products.

From the ground up (adv.) Meaning: From scratch; from zero Example: Our CEO is a very passionate man and he loves the company. After all, he built this firm from ground up by himself.

Fast track something (v. phrase) Meaning: To give higher priority to a project Example: The marketing department is going to launch an important campaign next week. Let's make sure that we fast track their requests.

Fight a losing battle (v. phrase) Meaning: Making a desperate attempt Example: We need to re-write the entire software program because it has too many bugs. Trying to fix the exciting code is a like fighting a losing battle.

Fight an uphill battle (v. phrase) Meaning: To face a tough competition Example: Our company is fighting an uphill battle because our competitor has more money and invests more aggressively in research and development.

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r/EnglishLearning - Business English Phrases for Project Management

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http://www.americanbusinessenglish.com/business-english-phrases-for-project-management-part-i/ Raise the flag (v. phrase) Meaning: to bring something to others attention Example: We fixed a software bug that would make us vulnerable to hacker attacks. Thanks to John for raining the flag, after he reviewed the code. Raise the alarm (v.

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1) Project management for designers (2min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LOcaAHZVCo

2) How To Manage Design Projects (butler branding agency) (9min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8JYIpF6Wmg

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Project management is no longer the rigid division of tasks it used to be. Instead, it now relies on dynamic approaches, tools, and processes that help operations to run smoothly.

While the planning and execution of a project haven't drastically changed, most believe projects benefit from having a clearly defined process that follows a set methodology from the beginning.

Recalling on eight years of experience, Ph. Creative's Operations Manager Samantha Fawson adds that one set methodology may not necessarily be the most practical mindset to have.

"Having an arsenal of project management methods at our disposal means you can rely on your expert instinct to lay out a delivery plan for that specific project," she says. "It's exciting to be able to come up with solutions based on the intricacies of each project, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all management style for every project you touch."

Samantha and her team rely on the following approaches to project management.

1. Waterfall

In this well-known, linear approach, team members rely on the completion of other tasks before theirs can be completed. The Waterfall approach is relatively easy to apply, and great for projects that involve large teams, though, it requires constant and effective communication.

This approach is best suited when teams need to adhere to a project's structure in a strict manner. It lends itself well to alterations early in the life cycle and is excellent when determining the specific requirements of a project, though, a disadvantage is that it becomes increasingly more difficult to make changes as the project progresses. So, this may not be suitable for indecisive clients.

Rather than a sequence of tasks, the Agile approach breaks down milestones, delivering the project requirements incrementally throughout the project life cycle.

Unlike the Waterfall approach, it's easier to incorporate changes at any point in a project, enabling Project Managers to learn and adapt as they go along, taking on board the feedback from their clients.

Agile is best used when projects have an extensive requirement list with 'must-haves' and 'nice-to-haves', and the final requirements are not fully outlined until the work is released.

The challenge with this is that the features may be less than the original scope if some aspects of the project overrun, which requires Projects Managers to communicate the scope and the boundaries of a project effectively. Another challenge is that, with the adaptive nature of the approach where the work is continuously evolving, team members may side-track documentation and progress can be hard to track. This can prove difficult for clients who work on a budget and tight schedules, and also make for a problematic sales-cycle.

3. Strategic

Strategic project management means always looking at the 'big picture', not only at your immediate surroundings. This principle may work well with retained clients who want to have a feature and design evolution of their product, for example. An uncertainty analysis is usually one of the first steps to managing a project using this approach, and the tasks/activities can be planned once the project strategy is finalized.

The success of this approach depends on the Project Manager's ability to connect perspectives and understand the motivations of all involved, e.g. the client's needs, the stakeholders in the project, etc. They must also have an ability to think strategically; anticipating problems and solving issues resourcefully. This might require training or more focused hires, but if this style fits your processes and better with your business operations, then it could be worthwhile adapting.

Scrums are regular meet-ups of all relevant team members and are used to discuss the status of a project as well as any updates and results. The main advantage of this tool is the high level of team communication that it enables. This method is best for innovative and complicated projects, where team members rely on each other's input. This also helps Project Managers to prioritize tasks and to track the team's progress within a specific timeframe.

Scrums are regular occurrences, which mean a lack of commitment or cooperation by anyone with responsibilities can deem this method ineffective, and it's likely to have a negative impact on the project. Scrum is best used for larger projects which have many different parts and dependencies and is best implemented in teams made up of confident individuals, who have well-defined roles and responsibilities and know how those roles and responsibilities relate to the project's success.

Project management is evolving to strategizing rather than straight-forward execution. Know your client and their needs before settling on one method for your project. Being adaptable is more appealing to the client, and this will show your value and your level of determination to achieve the goal of the project.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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The 4 Most Common Project Management Styles (and How to Choose the Best One for Your Business)

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Project management is no longer the rigid division of tasks it used to be. Instead, it now relies on dynamic approaches, tools, and processes that help operations to run smoothly. While the planning and execution of a project haven't drastically changed, most believe projects benefit from having a clearly defined process that follows a set methodology from the beginning.

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1)Online grammar http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/PresentPerfect1C.html
2) Ex 7.1-7.4 from the PDF below (Murphy grammar)

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1)Chose the stories of couple people to read about in the article (if it's too long)
2) find present perfect

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Let's face it, everybody dreams of leaving their cubicle behind and instead, spending their days on a beach somewhere. Whether it's the nagging boss, the soul-destroying corporate culture or the repetitive daily tasks, the thought of escaping it all and controlling your own destiny is a hugely attractive prospect.

Yet for some strange reason, many people still think you need a degree in marketing and an MBA in order to branch out on your own. Even in 2018 - when anybody can make money online - millions of would-be entrepreneurs are deterred by the idea that business success can only be attained with financial clout and a string of qualifications.

This is, of course, nonsense and we can prove it; there are countless examples of men and women, young and old, who have overcome poverty, poor education and a complete lack of business experience to succeed. So, if you're ready to take the plunge and you want to get started, look no further - here are 7 successful entrepreneur stories to inspire you.

1. Sophia Amoruso

Diagnosed with ADHD at an early age and withdrawn from school as a result, Amoruso spent her formative years working odd jobs at the likes of Subway; following her parents' divorce, she then relocated to Sacramento, CA, where she claims to have survived by hitchhiking, shoplifting and stealing from bins.

The San Diego native managed to catch a break in 2006, however, when she started selling vintage clothing and other items through her eBay account under the guise of Nasty Gal Vintage (so named after a Betty Davis record); its revenue subsequently grew from $223,000 in 2008 to nearly $23 million in 2011, leading to her being dubbed the "Cinderella of tech" by the New York Times.

Amoruso has also written a book about her experiences (which was later commissioned by Netflix into a full-length TV series), and although she has since stepped down as CEO of Nasty Gal, the company made $20 million from its sale to retail giants Boohoo. In 2017, Amoruso founded Girlboss Media, a lifestyle website for millennial women.

2. Kevin Plank

Using money he made selling flowers in college - as well as a combination of business loans, credit cards and other savings - the newly graduated Plank managed to devise a prototype for a football jersey that absorbed sweat, running his fledgeling business out of his grandmother's house in Georgetown.

Settling on the name Under Armour, the Maryland native then utilised his contacts in the college football scene to get his products vital exposure. It wasn't until 1999, however, when Plank used the company's entire budget to take out an advertisement in ESPN Magazine that his luck truly changed. Thanks to the ad, NFL teams and athletes began buying Under Armour products in bulk, resulting in over $1 million worth of sales.

The company has since continued to grow, branching out into several markets and establishing itself as a prominent sportswear provider to some of the biggest sports teams in the world. Plank is still CEO, and currently oversees a 20,000-strong workforce, as well as $5 billion worth of annual revenue.

3. Jan Koum

Born in the then-Soviet Union, Koum moved with his mother and grandmother to California in 1992, where a social support programme initiated by the state allowed the family to receive a small apartment. At the age of 16, the young entrepreneur took a cleaning job at a grocery store to help support his mother. After teaching himself how to code, he then spent 9 years at Yahoo as an infrastructure engineer.

However, Koum's eureka moment came in 2009 when he realised the potential of Apple's then-fledgeling app store. The mastermind created WhatsApp a week later, utilising the ability to push notification apps on iPhones and establishing the app as an alternative to traditional SMS messaging. In 2014, Mark Zuckerberg became interested, with Facebook acquiring WhatsApp for $19 billion and appointing Koum to its board of directors.

Although Koum stepped down from his role in April 2018 (forfeiting an estimated $1 billion of stock in the process), he is estimated to have personally amassed over $9 billion from his exploits.

4. Pierre Omidyar

After spending most of his 20s flitting between various software development gigs, Paris-born Omidyar began working on a simple buyer-to-buyer auction website in 1995, naming it Auction Web and initially using it to sell off his own unwanted personal possessions. As he realised the potential demand for seemingly useless products, though, the site began to grow. Over the next few years, the number of transactions taking place on the site began to rise uncontrollably, with Omidyar incorporating his project and subsequently re-branding it as eBay.

The company was publicly offered in 1998, making Omidyar a billionaire overnight; as of 2018, his personal net worth is estimated to be over $11 billion. eBay is still hugely profitable and continues to be a success, too, although Omidyar has since founded a number of other enterprises. He is also a renowned philanthropist and has served as an executive producer on several Hollywood film productions.

5. Richard Branson

No list of startup inspiration stories would be complete without the inclusion of Richard Branson, who has seemingly (and successfully) tried his hand at every possible line of investment across the last 40 years - not bad for a man who performed poorly at school, was diagnosed with dyslexia and then bestowed the unfortunate title of Virgin on his first enterprise (supposedly due to his then-status as a "virgin at business").

Luckily, that first venture was the hugely profitable importing and re-selling of music records during the 1960s, alongside the management of the popular Student magazine; as a result, Branson was able to open a dedicated record store in London in 1971. He used the profits from this project to then establish Virgin Records, working with many of the artists that he'd previously interviewed for Student, such as the Rolling Stones.

From there, Branson has created and developed market-leading products and services in aviation, media, beverages and rail transport among many others; his personal net worth is estimated to be around $4.9 billion, as he constantly seeks to invest his profits from one venture into another.

6. Jay-Z (Shawn Carter)

Although Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) is better known for his musical exploits, the New York-native has demonstrated a wide array of entrepreneurial characteristics throughout his career. Indeed, unable to secure a major record deal, Carter initially sold copies of his recordings out of his car, before co-creating his own record label in 1995.

Carter's subsequent success in the music industry has allowed him to invest in a wide variety of business ventures, including clothing brands, real estate, nightclubs and even a sports management agency, where he represents several notable athletes. He has also invested in a champagne brand, launched a range of signature cigars and at one time owned a major stake in NBA franchise, the Brooklyn Nets.

Although he continues to make music and tour heavily, Carter's investments and businesses represent the main bulk of his estimated $900 million net worth, while his wife - the singer, Beyoncé - is allegedly worth $350 million through her own entrepreneurial ventures.

7. Jack Ma

When it comes to taking a hint, few can match the stubbornness of Jack Ma; after graduating in 1988 (a process that he was initially rejected four times for), the Hangzhou native struggled to find work, getting turned down by over 30 companies (including, infamously, KFC), before seeing all 10 of his postgraduate applications to Harvard Business School unceremoniously refused.

However, on a 1995 trip to visit friends in the US, Ma's luck finally changed; after being introduced to the internet, he managed to raise $20,000 to build an online directory for Chinese businesses, taking on additional various web development projects for Chinese companies and government organisations. Utilising these experiences, he returned to China in 1999 and created the online marketplace Alibaba, subsequently raising $25 billion at its IPO stock exchange offering in 2014 - the highest amount of any floated company, ever.

Ma is now one of the richest people in the world, with an estimated personal net worth of nearly $43 billion, while the Alibaba group is responsible for nine major subsidiaries (among them the hugely popular Aliexpress).

As you can see, anyone can create their own business success story from scratch, yet these entrepreneurs all had one thing in common: determination. Regardless of their education level, the resources available to them, or the field in which they made their respective fortunes, they created their own opportunities through hard work, self-belief and no small amount of creative talent.

If you believe you could do the same, then what's holding you back? Starting your own business is as simple and cost efficient as it's ever been, so there's no better time to stake your claim. Besides, who knows? With a little luck, you could even appear on future editions of this list!

Which entrepreneur story has inspired you? Let us know in the comments below!

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7 Successful Entrepreneur Stories to Inspire You

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Let's face it, everybody dreams of leaving their cubicle behind and instead, spending their days on a beach somewhere. Whether it's the nagging boss, the soul-destroying corporate culture or the repetitive daily tasks, the thought of escaping it all and controlling your own destiny is a hugely attractive prospect.

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1) Make dialogues about meetings

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Practice the Present Perfect with scenes from TV shows

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It's a short description of an idea, product, or company. It's meant to be shorter than an elevator ride, meaning, 30 seconds or less. The concept also applies to pitching yourself, as an individual, to introduce yourself and or land a job- but we'll be focusing on the company/startup version of this. So- an elevator pitch should be enough to explain your startup idea and leave the investor curious for more.

I love the concept of an 'Elevator Pitch.' It's a fantastic mental exercise for you as a founder and one that is very commonly overlooked.

Now, this is not to be confused with the concept of a pitch deck.

How to write an Elevator Pitch

Elevator pitch outline

In this article, we are going to look into some tactics to approach writing your elevator pitch, lessons learned. Then I'll take a stab at writing some elevator pitch examples from companies you are probably familiar with.

Let me give you my Slidebean Elevator Pitch first, and then we'll break it down:

-Do you ever need to make slide presentations?

‍(I'll assume you said yes).

-How long does it usually take you? ‍

(Insert any answer here, it's probably going to be hours).

-We discovered that the reason why it takes so long is that all presentation platforms give you a white canvas: you need to figure out the content of the deck while figuring out how it's going to look. It's just very inefficient- and if you're not a designer, slides might not look too good.

So we created Slidebean, a tool where all you need to do is add the content, and the design of the slides gets generated automatically. Over 10 million slides have been created with our platform.

So here's a quick teardown,

Starting with a question

We have the advantage of tacking a problem that most people in an office have experienced. We can 'bet' on what the answers to those questions might be. The question also allows you to turn this into a [controlled] conversation rather than just a pitch. The focus here is to be relatable- to speak to a problem that the potential customer or potential investor will probably have experienced. Not all companies can get away with this- but try to find something that applies to your business idea.

Challenges

Slidebean is visual. It's a lot easier for me just to show you how it works, but I can't do that in the elevator.

Amount of Details

Notice how I mostly focused on this problem/solution combination. This is what an elevator pitch is mainly made up of- it's a teaser of the company, enough to get people interested.

No Jargon

Also notice how I didn't use any fancy terms like Artificial Intelligence, online collaboration, viewer tracking. Too many tech terms put together sound like jargon.

A hint of traction

You might or might not want to share details about customers and revenue, but showcasing A metric that gives a sense of the scale of the business is pretty useful.

Best Elevator Pitch Templates and Examples

Moving into elevator pitch examples, if you run a Google search for this term, you'll hopefully come across this article and our video. But beyond that, there are a bunch of articles from different sources, showing some examples. None of them stood up- so I figured we could imagine how the Elevator Pitches of some popular startups would have looked.

Airbnb Elevator Pitch

Most tourists booking online care about price- and hotels are one of the highest costs for when traveling.

On the other hand, platforms like Couchsurfing have proven that over half a million people are willing to lend their couches or spare bedrooms.

We have created a platform that connects travelers with locals, letting them rent our rooms, or even entire places. Travelers save money, and locals can monetize their empty rooms- we just take a 10% commission.

How does that sound?

Again, assuming that this is being pitched in 2009- with the information available on their original pitch deck. ‍

A few pointers here:

- Notice how I started mentioning tourists, not just any traveler. Airbnb doesn't necessarily target business.
- It's easy to agree that people looking to travel care about price, so there's no market research or validation needed to come up with that statement,
- On the other hand, it might be arguable that people will be willing to rent out their homes to strangers. I used the Couchsurfing validation to avoid that statement being questioned.

WeWork Elevator Pitch

There are 40MM independent workers in the US: consultants, freelancers, and small business owners. Solving office space is tough and expensive, especially in cities like New York. We created the concept of space as a service. We have 20 locations in the city- where people can rent a desk or an office without any of the complications of a traditional lease, effectively saving at least 25% of the cost. They get access to a shared front desk, mailroom, and a community of like-minded people.

Once again, this is based on the company stage they had by the time they made this pitch deck.

Slack Elevator Pitch

There is no publicly available pitch deck for Slack, but let's assume the company is just starting up:

The average office worker receives 304 emails per week. They also attend an average of 62 monthly meetings, half of which they consider 'wasted time'. Slack was made to make work more efficient. It organizes conversations by channels and drastically reduces the need for emails or meetings. It's integrated with 100s of productivity tools like Google Docs, Calendars, Email, Dropbox, Zoom... so you can receive automatic notifications and take action without leaving the interface.

Have a better suggestion? Write me and let me know.

Pitch Deck vs Elevator Pitch

As we mentioned above, an elevator pitch is a succinct 20-30 second speech geared to convince someone about a product or company. Having a good elevator pitch ready can help entrepreneurs make the best of brief encounters with potential investors at parties, business events, or elevators. An elevator pitch is a prime chance to make a good first impression and generate interest in the company.

Capturing someone's attention in a short span of time is quite a challenge.

On the other hand, a pitch deck is 10-15 slide presentation to introduce a business proposal- mostly associated these days with an investor pitch deck. If you are looking for that, we have a couple of videos and articles focusing on pitch decks, as well as a neat pitch deck template.‍

1. Information to Include in the Elevator Pitch Deck:

The key to crafting a good pitch deck is to keep it short and crisp while covering all the pertinent information. All the relevant information from the pitch deck should be condensed into a concise 30-second speech. It should explain the genuine need for the product in the market, its unique selling point, what differentiates the product from its competitors and the business model-all of this in under 30 seconds.

Take a look at the following pitch to understand this:

We are a boutique recruitment agency that helps tech companies hire the best programmers. We run our own hackathons to identify talent and match them with our clients. This helps companies hire top talent without too much effort on theirs. We have some clients on retainer, but we also work with some companies for specific openings. You could stop by at our next hackathon in Palo Alto to get a better sense of how we scout talent.

2. Capture Attention:

Fantastic elevator pitch examples are all conversation-starter; the ultimate aim is to progress to a meeting where the business model can be discussed at length. So, the priority for the pitch should be to capture the listener's attention and make them want to know more. Look at the following pitches:

‍"I work on nanotechnology to deliver medical therapies to targeted cells"

This pitch is too technical and difficult to grasp. Besides, it does not clearly present what the product does and how it adds value to the field of medicine.

‍"We are using the manufacturing techniques of the computer industry to make better vaccines"

The second pitch is crisp and explains what the company does in a way that piques the listener's interest. This was the elevator pitch that got Joe DeSimone's company, Liquidia, funding from Bill Gates's Foundation.

Also, it's essential to use the right presentation software in order to capture the audience's attention. An elevator pitch should have visuals elements along with eye-catching slides.
Example:
3. Avoid Jargon:

The purpose of an elevator pitch is to get your message across clearly. Using complicated business jargon and buzzwords that don't really add any value to your message can undermine your message. Consider this pitch:

‍"Our company's core competency is building synergy between top consumer brands and their customers. We help these companies to upsell and cross-sell their products while delighting their customers with new products."

Here, the message is lost in the jargon.

‍"Our proprietary customer relationship management software helps companies to track data about their consumers more efficiently. Companies that have switched to our software have reported a 20% surge in return customers."

This pitch captures all the essentials in simple, everyday language and is far more effective in getting your message across.

4. Start with a Question:

Ronald Regan famously said, "Ask yourself, are you better off now than you were four years ago?" This succinctly summed up the core essence of his campaign.

Known for his par-excellence presentation skills, Steve Jobs is famous for making one of the best elevator pitches. While trying to convince John Sculley to leave Pepsi Co., for Apple Inc., Steve Jobs asked him, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?"
Example:
5. Focus on your Listener:

In the previous example, Steve Jobs's focus is not on what Apple does, but on what Sculley wants to do. Draw listeners in by addressing their needs. If it sounds like a marketing spiel, people tend to switch off. Flip the process of writing a pitch: it should not be a list of features of the product, but it should focus on telling listeners how it can help solve their problems.

This introduction for JustPark, a parking app which won the Pitch to Rich contest with Richard Branson exemplifies this:

"Let's face it. Parking can be a real nightmare. It can be infuriating to find, extremely pricey and by the time you find that spot you would have lost time, petrol, and caused a lot of unnecessary traffic and pollution. Well, there's an answer, parkatmyhouse.com. We are an awesome little company, backed by an awesome big company called BMW. Now, listen in: You can reserve parking in a private property and save up to 70%. Need to park at a sports match or local station? Sorted. ... Just go to parkatmyhouse.com and simply type in where you want to park and what dates. It is that simple."

This pitch also slips in a reference to BMW, which adds to their credibility. This brings us to our next point about elevator pitches.
Buffer pitch deck Example:
6. Provide Proof of Results:

Incorporate information about your company's big achievements, or major associations in your pitch. Risk perception is a big barrier for investors. Put them at ease by telling that you have a product or service with proven results. In the example above, knowing that JustPark is backed by BMW makes them seem more reliable, and customers are more likely to trust their cars with them.

7. Add an Emotional Benefit Statement:

Leadership expert Simon Sinek believes that it is important to show enthusiasm and help people see why you do what you do. As much as people would like to believe that decision-making is a purely rational activity, research has shown that it actually stems from our emotions. So, it is good to include an emotional benefit statement at the end.
Facebook Pitch deck Example:
8. Clear Call to Action:

The pitch is not an end in itself, it is just the beginning. So, in the presentation design, there should be a call to action that provides clear next steps on how people can get in touch with you to take the discussion forward. You could end your pitch with a simple line, like the one suggested by Cayenne Consulting:

‍"If you're interested in learning more, I'd love to stop by at your office in the next week or two to give you a live demo. Would that work for you?"

9. Keep it Natural:

Not just the content of the pitch, but the overall presentation and personality of the presenter impact how people respond to pitches. This is a personal interaction, and it should feel natural. It should not sound too rehearsed. The pitch should be conversational and leave scope for people to raise questions and share their opinions.
Airbnb pitch deck Example:
10. Bonus Example:

Here's a brilliant pitch for Tesla by Elon Musk, which is a good reference for how an elevator pitch should be drafted. This is slightly longer than the usual pitch, but still a great example:

11. Bonus Content:

If you are a student make sure to check our elevator pitch examples for students. Also, check our Pitch Deck Examples blog for more inspiration. The article includes a list of the best pitch deck examples like:

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10 Elevator Pitch Examples from Successful Startups

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It's a short description of an idea, product, or company. It's meant to be shorter than an elevator ride, meaning, 30 seconds or less. The concept also applies to pitching yourself, as an individual, to introduce yourself and or land a job- but we'll be focusing on the company/startup version of this.

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1) Top Interrior design terms to know

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Great Cities: Barcelona_StudentsDoc
Click here Google doc

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Urbanization of Barcelona
- Highlight & translate the unknown words.

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Newsela | Great Cities: Barcelona's unloved planner invents science of urbanization

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1) How to pronounce video
2)Th /S/ words compared
3) Tongue Twisters
4) Read a short piece https://prnt.sc/p7ymfv

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Structure
1. Introduce yourself (& colleagues if present)
2. Small talk
3. the subject (purpose - WHY? ) of the meeting
4. Discussing main points
5. Clarifying/ interrupting politely
6. Summary (what  you have agreed to)
7. Ending

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1) Write the history of GM Design
2) Write a 1 sentence elevator pitch

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Read the article about elevator pitch and answer the rest of the questions.

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Using advices in the video

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How to Email Investors - 5 Easy Steps by Patrick Bet-David

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Read the article below and answer these questions.

What is the problem that you are solving?

What product or service is your company selling?

What is the end-benefit of using it?

Who is your target customer for this product or service?

Who is on your team?

What makes your offering unique and different?

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An elevator pitch or elevator speech is a short overview of your business, products or services, and is typically used in business settings such as face-to-face networking. An elevator pitch can be one of the simplest yet most powerful tools for a small business owner.

An elevator pitch is meant to be short, and as the name implies, delivered in the time it takes to complete your average elevator ride. The length can vary, but you typically want to be able to present your elevator pitch comfortably without rushing in under two minutes, ideally in under one minute. Your goal length should be 150-250 words.

Follow this 10-step process to create an effective and powerful elevator pitch:

Write one sentence about who you are.

"I am a small business owner who consults other small business owners."

Use your mission statement and product/service listing as a guide, and write 1-2 sentences about what you do every day in your business.

"I consult time-challenged business owners on how to build teams, delegate effectively and ultimately become more productive and profitable."

Use your target audience description as a guide, and write 1-2 sentences about who your ideal clients or customers are.

"My ideal clients are busy and driven small business owners who struggle to accomplish everything they want to accomplish. My clients understand the value of a team and are ready to learn how to delegate, but find it challenging to let go of their quest for perfection, find quality team members and commit to creating a team that can thrive, even without them being hands-on."

"I'm in a unique position to help my clients because I've faced the same struggle of not having enough time and feeling held back from true success. I have figured out a formula that can help just about any entrepreneur build a team and delegate effectively, giving them the time they need to grow their businesses, explore new endeavors and take time off, knowing their businesses will continue to prosper in their absence."

Write 1-2 sentences that identifies what you want your audience to do next.

"I'd love to schedule a time to talk more about some of your delegation and team challenges, and explore how we may be able to work together."

Write 1-2 sentences that pulls in your audience and gets them engaged in what you're about to say.

"Have you ever felt held back by lack of time and wished you could clone yourself so you could get everything done, when you want to get it done, the way you want it done?

Combine the statements you drafted in the previous steps, putting Step 6 first. Then, add transitions and edit it until it flows conversationally and captures the most important information.

"Have you ever felt held back by lack of time and wished you could clone yourself so you could get everything done, when you want to get it done, the way you want it done?
"Well, I work with busy and driven small business owners who struggle to accomplish everything they want to accomplish. The clients I work with generally understand the value of a team and are ready to learn how to delegate, but find it challenging to let go of their quest for perfection, find quality team members and commit to creating a team that can thrive, even without them being hands-on.
"I consult these time-challenged business owners on how to build teams, delegate effectively and ultimately become more productive and profitable. I'm in a unique position to help my clients because I've faced the same struggle of not having enough time and feeling held back from true success. I have figured out a formula that can help just about any entrepreneur build a team and delegate effectively, giving them the time they need to grow their businesses, explore new endeavors and take time off, knowing their businesses will continue to prosper in their absence.
"I'd love to schedule a time to talk more about some of your delegation and team challenges, and explore how we may be able to work together."

An effective elevator pitch can help you introduce yourself and break the ice in networking situations. You can also use your elevator pitch to clarify your target audience and business goals for your own use, and become more confident and self-assured in business settings.

As you write your elevator pitch, follow these elevator pitch tips to make it a powerful tool for your small business.

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7 Steps for Writing a Powerful Elevator Pitch

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An elevator pitch or elevator speech is a short overview of your business, products or services, and is typically used in business settings such as face-to-face networking. An elevator pitch can be one of the simplest yet most powerful tools for a small business owner.

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More examples here:
https://blog.toggl.com/elevator-pitch-examples/

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end-benefit - кінцева перевага
end result/ final result - кінцевий результат
target audience/ customer/ market
цільова аудит...
USP- unique selling proposition - УТП
achievements - досягнення
profits - прибутки
strength - сильна сторона
strengths -сильні сторони
weakness - слабка сторона
weaknesses - слабкі сторони
competitors - конкуренти
an approach - підхід
background - основа, фундамент

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https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/elevator-pitch-examples

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Ex 1 review the rules
Ex 2 (Practice 2 )

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https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-exercise-8.html

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TH - this, these, those, that, the,
think - sink
1)T/S/ F words compared

2) tongue twisters here

W -vs V
wolf , wife, wave

i - ea
Live - leave

ee - ea
Meet - meat

Advice & training https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9DYV8nBWWcNQQcK_Y8BcGjIv_bK7Mvfy

TH https://rachelsenglish.com/practice-tip-th/

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1) past simple https://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/tenses/pasttense2.htm

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Karim Rashid -  famous designer

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Karim Rashid Biography - Karim Rashid on artnet

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Karim Rashid (Egyptian, b. September 18, 1960) is an industrial designer who was born in Cairo, Egypt, to Egyptian and English parents. He was raised in Canada, and attended Carleton University in Ottawa, where he received a BA in Industrial Design in 1982.

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watch and reproduce in written.

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Albert Einstein | The Humorous Humanitarian | Biography

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1 read, watch the biography
2. tell your biography, history of your company. Ask  me questions.
3. Write your biography (personal, professional)

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Take an old email to Re -Write using the structure and phrases from the links below.

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online ex.
https://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/tenses/preserve-our-town-present-tense.htm

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1)Read, select useful words for your work
2)Create 10 questions )
3) Grammar task from section
<= Grammar

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Business Skills, Software and Knowledge You Truly Need

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In this article you will find a list of the most common Business Email Phrases in English. Opening and Closing an Email / Letter, Apologising Phrases, Giving Information, Complaining in Business Letters and more.

Most Common Business Email Phrases in English
Opening Business Email Phrases in English

Dear Sir

Dear Madam

Dear Mr. Anderson

Dear Miss Anderson

Dear Mrs Anderson

Dear Sir / Madam

Dear Sirs

Reasons for Writing Your Business Email /Letter

Thanks for your email ...

I am writing in reply to your letter of 21 Juny ...

I am writing to inform you that ...

I am writing to ask for further information about ...

I am writing with regard to ...

We are writing to you regarding...

I am writing in connection with ...

I am writing to you on behalf of ...

With reference to our telephone conversation on Monday, I would like to ...

Make a Request in a Business Email / Letter

I would appreciate it if you could ...

Would you mind if...

I would be grateful if you could...

Would you please send me...

We are interested in receiving...

We would be grateful if...

We would appreciate it if you could send us more information about...

Could you please let me know if you can......

I would also like to know ........

Please, let me know.....

Business Email Phrases for Giving Information

I am glad to inform you that ....

We regret to inform you that....

Should you need any further information ...

We are happy to let you know ...

I would be delighted to ...

Apologizing in Business Letters

We apologise for the inconvenience.

Please accept my sincere apologies.

Please accept our apologies for the delay.

I apologise for the delay in replying.

Please let us know what we can do to compensate you for ...

I am afraid I will not be able to attend the meeting.

Complaining Phrases

I am writing to complain about ...

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with ...

I regret to say that ...

I would like to receive a full compensation for the damages.

I am writing to complain about ...

Closing Business Email Phrases

Thanking you in advance...

If we can be of any further assistance, please contact me

Please reply as soon as possible because ...

If you require any further information, feel free to contact me

I look forward to discussing this with you

I look forward to hearing from you soon

We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future

Thank you for helping me solve the problem

Yours faithfully, /when you start with Dear Sir/ Madam,/

Yours sincerely, /when you start with the name e.g. Dear Ms Anderson/

Respectfully yours,

Kind/Best regards,

See also Business Negotiation Phrases and Telephone Phrases in English.

In case you need an email account, you may want to see our page free business email accounts.

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In this article you will find a list of the most common Business Email Phrases in English. Opening and Closing an Email / Letter, Apologising Phrases, Giving Information, Complaining in Business Letters and more.

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1. Read the article below
2. List unknown words
3. Find present simple/ present contin
4. Make 10 questions

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Lego trees, bushes and leaves will now be made from an eco-friendly, sugar-based plastic.

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Subject
"A design offer"
Greeting
Dear Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dear ..., Hi...
Opening:

I am contacting you regarding..

I am writing you regarding/ concerning

Thank you for your..

I appreciate your interest in ...

Main body
Your main information

-additional:

Please find attached a file with..

Attached please find

The document is in enclosed file

Please find enclosed

Closing
- If you have any questions please let me know
- Don't hesitate to contact me in case of any questions.
- CTA- call to action.
Would you like to have a meeting?how about Monday at 9.30.., between.
- Ending

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon

I look forward to meeting you

Best regards, (BR, Best,

Kind regards

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The writing style is the manner of expressing thought in language characteristic of an individual, period, school, or nation... Learn how to write a letter in formal and informal ways.

How to Write A Letter in English

A letter is a written message sent from one person to another through a medium such as email, snail mail, or facsimile. Letter writing is an important communication skill in both personal and professional settings.

There are different types of letters, including informal letters to friends and family and formal letters used in business and academic settings. Understanding the differences between informal and formal letters and the appropriate tone, language, and format to use is essential for effective letter writing.

Informal Letter

Write your full name and address even if it is an informal letter.

Divide your letter into small paragraphs.

Keep your writing simple.

Make a good choice of words especially if you are writing an apology letter or a letter to express your condolences in case of a death.

Most people close the letter with phrases like 'Yours affectionately/With love/All the best/Take care' etc.

Formal Letter

Let us understand a few ground rules while writing formal letters:

You need to write your full name, address, and date before you begin the letter

Address the person you are writing the letter to with the correct name and designation.

It is always advisable to start the letter with 'Respected Sir/Madam' or 'Dear Sir/Madam' and then mention the name and the address.

Before beginning to write the letter you must state the purpose of the letter in one line titled 'Subject'.

Your letter should be very crisp giving out only the information which is required.

Informal Letter Writing

Informal letters, also known as personal letters, are written to friends, family, or acquaintances. The tone of informal letters is personal and friendly, and the language used is less formal than in formal letters.

Characteristics of Informal Letters

Personal, friendly tone

Use of first name or nickname

Contractions and informal vocabulary

Less formal grammar and sentence structure

May include personal anecdotes and emotional language

Tips for Writing Informal Letters

Start with a friendly greeting, such as "Dear [Name],"

Use a personal and conversational tone

Avoid formal language and technical terms

Use contractions, such as "can't" instead of "cannot"

Share personal news and feelings

End with a friendly closing, such as "Take care," or "Love," followed by your signature and name.

In informal letters, it's important to be yourself and write in a way that reflects your relationship with the recipient.

Differences between Informal and Formal Letters

Main differences: tone, language, and structure

The layout of informal and formal letters

The layout of informal and formal letters can also vary. Here are some of the key differences in layout between the two types of letters:

Informal Letters:

Greeting: Start with a personal greeting, such as "Dear [Name],"

Body: May have a less structured format, with paragraphs or bullet points

Signature: End with a friendly closing, such as "Take care," or "Love," followed by your signature and name.

Formal Letters:

Heading: Includes your address, the date, and the recipient's address

Greeting: Start with a formal greeting, such as "Dear Sir/Madam," or "To Whom it May Concern,"

Body: Follows a clear structure, including an introduction, main body, and conclusion

Signature: End with a formal closing, such as "Yours sincerely," or "Sincerely," followed by your signature and typed name.

It's important to follow the appropriate format for your letter, as it helps to ensure that your message is clear, concise, and professional.

How to Start and End a Letter

Starting and ending a letter appropriately is important, as it sets the tone for the rest of the letter and leaves a lasting impression on the recipient.

Starting a Letter

Informal letter: Start with a personal greeting, such as "Dear [Name],"

Formal letter: Start with a formal greeting, such as "Dear Sir/Madam," or "To Whom it May Concern,"

Informal letter: End with a friendly closing, such as "Take care," or "Love," followed by your signature and name.

Formal letter: End with a formal closing, such as "Yours sincerely," or "Sincerely," followed by your signature and typed name.

In both informal and formal letters, make sure to include your signature, as it gives your letter a personal touch and provides proof of your authorship.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Letter

When writing a letter, it's important to avoid common mistakes that can detract from the professionalism and clarity of your message. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid:

1. Incorrect format: Make sure to follow the appropriate format for your letter, whether it's informal or formal.

2. Spelling and grammar errors: Check your letter for spelling and grammar errors, as these can make you appear unprofessional.

3. Unclear message: Make sure your message is clear and concise. Avoid using overly complex language or lengthy explanations.

4. Unprofessional tone: Avoid using emotional language or making personal attacks. In formal letters, make sure to use a professional tone.

5. Improperly addressing the recipient: Make sure to use the correct title and surname for the recipient, and avoid using overly familiar language unless it's appropriate for the relationship.

6. Omitting important information: Make sure to include all relevant information, such as addresses, dates, and reference numbers, in your letter.

7. Not proofreading: Always proofread your letter before sending it to catch any mistakes or typos.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that your letter is professional, clear, and effective in communicating your message.

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How to Write a Letter: A Guide to Informal and Formal English - ESLBUZZ

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Writing style is the manner of expressing thought in language characteristic of an individual, period, school, or nation... Learn how to write a letter in formal and informal ways.

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Grammar ex Unit 3

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- PDF file ex.4 and 5
- Prctice a small talk + see video
- https://yfsmagazine.com/2014/07/29/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-next-networking-event/

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Finish homework from 02.07 )
ex. on pdf, words & phrases from skype chat )

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1. Read the article https://www.lifehack.org/833081/team-leader
2. See PDF attached
Ex.1,2,3 . Use QR code scanner to find the link to the audio for the ex.2
Introducing yourself and others

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1. Podcasts https://player.fm/podcasts/Business
2. Podcasts For different levels https://player.fm/featured/learning-english
3. Vlog - Behind The Brand
https://www.youtube.com/user/behindthebrandTV

4. Business blogs on Youtube Top 5
https://www.facebook.com/TargetEnglish.UA/photos/a.1151093401761759/1322455347958896/?type=3&theater

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1. You are at the event and want to build a connection with a popular speaker.
2. You met with someone you know a little in the airport/plane and need to support the conversation (how to end politely)
3. You want to build a connection with someone you often see but don't talk.

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1. What is a small talk?

2. Acceptable subjects

3. Unacceptable/unappropriate subjects

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1.Знайди щось спільне (місце/подія, інтереси, індустрія, комплімент)
+
2. Розкажи щось про себе (представся хто ти і звідки)
+
3. Заохочуй співрозмовника розказати про себе. (задавай запитання і слухай)
+
4. Домовтесь про наступний крок (зустріч, лист).

Варіанти фраз

Розпочати розмову:
- Hi, How are you doing? My name is.. I am with {company}
- We haven't met before but I really admire your..
- We haven't met before but I've seen/read/ watched your article/book/video about..
- You might not remember me but we have met at... I am ...

Підтримати розмову:

So, how are you enjoying this event so far?

So, what brought you to this event today?

Is this your first time at...?

What do you think about..?

Have you been to this event before?

Where are you from originally?

Am I right in thinking you ...?

I noticed that you...

Розвинути тему:

Where are you from originally?

What inspired you to...?

How long have you been with the company?

What is the scope of your responsibilities?

How did you get into the industry?

How are the recent changes in... affecting your business/career?

Розвернути розмову у потрібне вам русло:

You mentioned that...I am also...

You said that you... By the way I am currently working on this idea to..

It is interesting that you mentioned about...as I am actually working on..

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1. https://yfsmagazine.com/
2. https://www.lifehack.org/work
3. https://www.inc.com/
4.https://www.fastcompany.com/co-design
5. www.entrepreneur.com

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1.Who is Jeff Bezos?
2. How rich is he? Who did he surpass in 2018?
3. What kind of boss is he?
4. What kind of family man is he?
5. What are his rules about meetings?
6. What sleep habits does he have?
7. What food habits does he have?

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A Day in The Life of Jeff Bezos (Richest Person In The World)

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wealth - багатство
to surpass - перевершити
cold-blooded - холоднокровний
to be committed - бути відданим, присвячувати себе
expansion and world domination - захоплення і домінування світу
valuation - вартість, розцінка
perks - пільги
to hold back - cтримувати
to put off - відкладати

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1. Write you personal intro and company intro, using phrases in pdf.
2. Watch Jeff Bezos video ==>>>

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Avoid Being Awkward & Make Fast Friends In An Elevator

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1) Grammar - Ex. on page 5  from Murphy
2) Read the article till the end

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Read the article

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One of the very first lessons that English language learners get is how to introduce themselves in English.

But do these lessons line up with what happens in the real world?

Today, I'm going to go over all the English phrases you need to meet someone new and introduce yourself with total confidence in both informal and formal situations, even if you're just starting to learn English as a beginner.

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

How to Introduce Yourself in a Casual Setting

1. Remember These Phrases to Break the Ice

"Break the ice" is a common English expression. It means "to get comfortable with someone."

There are many ways to start talking to someone new. I recommend that you memorize only two or three, so you don't forget them.

Pick ones that you can use anywhere, anytime. Which ones sound most natural to you? The most important thing is that you're comfortable saying them when you introduce yourself.

Here's the easiest one: just say hello and your name. Then, if possible, shake hands.

(Offer your hand.)

(Shake hands.)

See? It's that easy. You can also break the ice by using other common greetings like "good morning," "good afternoon" and "good evening."

After the first greeting, the best way to break the ice is to ask for very basic information. This gives you a reason for starting the conversation.

Here are some examples:

Are you having a good time?

Another great ice breaker is a compliment. Find something you like about them and tell them.

Just be a little careful here when picking an object to compliment. A good rule of thumb is to avoid discussing permanent characteristics (e.g. someone's physical appearance, accent, etc.) because it can really come off wrong. They might be offended or think it's too forward (overly friendly).

Instead, try a compliment like these:

2. Prepare Basic Answers About Yourself

Prepare some basic answers about yourself now, so that you can introduce yourself with confidence and perfect English in the moment. Keep your answers short and simple!

Have answers ready for these questions:

Are you having a good time?

What do you think of the weather?

What do you think of the movie?

What do you think of the event?

What do you think of the conference?

What do you think of the restaurant?

Even when questions are specific, you can have a general response prepared. Say something positive, then add in more detail to keep the conversation interesting. Finally, ask a question back to the other person.

3. Ask Follow-up Questions to Spark a Conversation

Now you need to keep the conversation going. Part of introducing yourself is letting the person you're talking to introduce himself/herself, too.

To do this, have a few simple questions ready. These questions can be more general to spark a real conversation.

Questions are always better than comments, because they make the other person talk, and this gives you time so that you can think of new things to say.

Do you like this neighborhood?

You can also use some of the questions that we discussed earlier.

4. Ask Even More Questions to Keep the Conversation Going

If you aren't confident in your English skills, it's much easier to listen to the other person than it is to speak.

Pay attention to the answers from your first questions and ask for more details. People like talking about themselves, so this won't be a problem. Below are some sample conversations.

You can see how Amy keeps the conversation going each time by asking Brian for more information. When she does this, she also learns more about him.

Let's look at another example:

You'll notice that asking questions deepens the conversation.

When we meet people, we usually have similar conversations to introduce ourselves and get to know each other better. That's why it's important to practice these introductions and remember some common questions.

Here's one more example. Let's say Amy and Brian are both at a business conference.

Amy: Ah... I'm in marketing at Shopify, but I work with our sales team all the time. It seems like a fun role!

When you're traveling for business, asking what people do for work is always a safe bet. However, be careful to keep the conversation positive. Don't say anything bad about their work in case they disagree with you!

5. Have an Exit Plan

Not all conversations are going to be good.

If you find you have nothing more to say or you're not connecting with the person you're talking with, you need a way to leave politely. Otherwise, there could be a lot of awkward silences. Here are a few key lines for leaving politely:

Well, it's been lovely talking to you.

I hate to run off, but I need to go.

Let me give you my card before I go.

As you say these phrases, hold out your hand for a handshake, making it clear that you're ending the conversation.

6. Smile and Be Confident!

You're your own biggest judge.

Most people will be happy that you came and talked to them. Even if you make a mistake when you introduce yourself, keep talking. People will remember your smile and your confidence more than any small errors.

Introducing Yourself in a Professional Setting

1. Prepare Some Background Information About Yourself to Break the Ice

In professional settings such as job interviews or networking events, you wouldn't act the same way as when you're meeting a friend at a bar or introducing yourself to your classmates.

Being professional means you have to be a bit or much more formal (depending on the context), use properly constructed sentences and, above all, show the other person you're a professional, an asset, a person worth having in their life or on their team.

If you're supposed to take part in a formal, professional situation, prepare a little bit of background basic information so you can introduce yourself professionally.

Remember that first impressions are very important and normally hard to change once they happen, so take this first step very seriously.

Instead of saying:

Hi! My name's John.

Howdy, how you doing?

Hi, I'm John, from New York.

Try these:

Good morning, my name is John Doe. Very nice to meet you.

I'm John Doe from New York. Nice to meet you, Mr. Gordon.

Good morning, sir. My name is Doe, John Doe. I come from the New York office.

Good afternoon, Mr. Gordon. I'm John Doe from New York. I have heard a lot about you.

It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Gordon. My name is John Doe. I just arrived from New York.

2. Prepare a Short Presentation About Your Career Background

In your head! You don't need to go to the event with a projector and show them a PowerPoint presentation on who you are and what you do!

This will be the first real piece of information about you that these new people will be getting after you have introduced yourself, so be specific and choose the skills and qualities that match the kind of situation you're in.

You don't want to "kidnap" the conversation and make it all about you, and you also don't want people to get bored because you're going into too much detail.

Instead, be precise! If they have any questions, they'll ask, and you can always introduce part of your story later in the conversation when it fits much better.

Let's have a look at how our two friends, Amy and Brian, could briefly talk about their career background and make a good first impression:

Amy: I work for an IT company in Lower Manhattan. or I've been working as an editor for Select Magazine for 15 years.

Brian: I've been working as a freelance translator since 2002. or During the last 10 years, I've been in charge of managing translation projects related to marketing.

Avoid saying too much at this point, and try not to give too much information if it doesn't suit the conversation.

Here's an example of something you should avoid saying right away:

I've been a freelance translator for 20 years. When I finished studying Translation and Mediation, I decided that I wanted to start looking for a job, but finding a good one was so difficult that I gave up three weeks later. I started my own business and began looking for big clients so that I could get a stable income. A couple of years later I moved to Bosnia, and...

Remember to also show interest in the other speaker/s after you've introduced yourself and your career status. You can add one of the following questions at the end of your "presentation":

Do you have any experience in IT?

I've heard you work in ... as a ...?

3. Prepare Relevant Information About Yourself Beforehand

As the conversation goes on, the situation you're in will determine what you speak about.

During a job interview, you most probably will have to answer questions about your last job, your experience in this and that field or your strengths and weaknesses.

If you're networking or are taking part in a professional event like a convention or a business meeting, you'll probably get asked several different questions depending on the kind of event you're at.

Whatever event you're going to, make sure what you're saying is relevant, and always try to answer the questions directly and to the point (unless they're uncomfortable or very out-of-place).

When you're getting ready for the event, try to think of possible questions you might get and how you'd answer them. Preparing in advance will help you know what to say when you're actually asked those questions, and give you some confidence to answer other questions that you might not have prepared for specifically. You can use a learning program to help you prepare before you dive into the conversation.

Whatever you're answering, remember to stay on topic and avoid going off on a tangent (changing the topic or talking about unrelated things).

Here are a couple of examples of things you shouldn't say unless specifically asked about (which would be weird, nonetheless):

Ah yes, I love cats! I've had pet cats since I was little.

I think McDonald's has the best coffee in town.

Instagram has a lot of attractive people, it's great for finding someone to date.

Instead, you might say the following:

I own my own translation company and I have four employees.

My biggest strength is being able to adapt very easily to almost any kind of situation.

I find it interesting that more and more people are deciding to attend this kind of convention.

I'm so glad you just asked that. As a matter of fact, yes, I am married and I have four amazing kids.

Note that this final answer to a potential question would be fine in a professional or networking situation, but it's not okay for an interviewer to ask you about your marriage, children or family life- at least if you're interviewing in America.

4. Think of Things That Make You Unique

Have you lived in five different countries? Are you a polyglot (a person who knows a number of languages)? Did you graduate with honors?

During a job interview or a professional event, there will come a time when you'll have to brag (boast proudly about yourself) a little bit about yourself.

Use that moment to shine like a diamond and show you are a valuable asset and a person worth keeping close.
Be unique, be brilliant and do it in a professional way!
Make a list of things that make you professionally unique. It can be anything you've achieved in your life that makes you feel proud of yourself.

Don't lie, exaggerate or beautify what you say. Honesty will get you further than lies, so don't say you speak Swahili fluently if you actually only know a few words in that language.

Read what Amy and Brian have to say about their professional lives. Aren't they something?

Amy: I met Bill Gates in 2015 when I was working as an assistant. He shared some thoughts on building your own brand. That was a turning point in my career.

Brian: I used to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where I got to work with the Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law. This gave me a lot of unique experiences, which has certainly proved to be valuable for my job as a legal translator.

Avoid talking about things that could be detrimental (negative) for you or are so unimportant that they're not even worth mentioning:

I'm punctual and very responsible.

My mom always packs lunch for me. (Seriously, Brian?)

I lived in Bosnia, where the food is amazing.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Introducing yourself professionally and being able to hold a formal conversation in such a (sometimes) stressful environment can be daunting (difficult, intimidating), but if you get ready beforehand and prepare before you enter the situation, you'll be much more confident.

Before you go to that professional event, it can help to practice possible conversations as much as you need until you feel comfortable and happy with your answers.

You can never predict (figure out beforehand) exactly what a conversation will look like, but you can be prepared for the most common situations! And the more comfortable you are answering the basics, the more confident you'll be when the conversation goes somewhere that you didn't expect.

Remember that being professional doesn't mean having the best credentials or having graduated from the most prestigious universities. Being professional means knowing how to behave in a formal professional environment and all in all, acting in a way that will make people understand you're reliable, competent and an expert in your field.

Here you have a final example of a conversation between Brian and Amy. They're at a marketing convention, and they just got to know each other thanks to a mutual (common) friend:

Brian: Good morning, nice to meet you, Ms. Poltino. My name is Brian Gordon. Mr. Standford mentioned a lot of great things about you.

Amy: Nice to meet you, Mr. Gordon. Please, call me Amy. So, what's Mr. Standford saying about me?

Brian: Oh, you can just call me Brian. I was born in London, but I only lived in the UK for six months so I really consider myself to be American.

Amy: Sounds exciting! I've never been to the UK. I've always wanted to visit, but I got promoted to manager at my job and I've been very busy since.

Brian: I've been a freelance translator for 20 years. I have a passion for languages. What about you, Amy? Mr. Standford told me you work for a tech company downtown?

Amy: That's right. I've been working at Glassdoor since 2020. I recently got an offer to come to San Francisco and I didn't want to waste such a huge opportunity.

Amy: Thanks! I met Bill Gates in 2015 when I was working as an assistant. He shared some thoughts on building your own brand. That was a turning point in my career.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to run. It's been lovely talking to you about how to introduce yourself in English!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

And One More Thing...

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials, as you can see here:

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you're learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words-and reminds you when it's time to review what you've learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or from the Google Play store.

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How To Introduce Yourself in English With Confidence: 11 Tips With Audio | FluentU English Blog

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Learn how to introduce yourself in English smoothly and make a great first impression! Click here for a detailed guide, from greetings and saying your name to asking follow-up questions and ending the conversation politely. Read on too for tips for introducing yourself in professional situations like job interviews.

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1. Long term goal
2. Short term goal
Be able to communicate with clients correctly about cooperation. (grammatically correctly).
3. How will you notice the result?
Call the potential customer (previously failed call) and be able to explain yourself clearly.
How it should look in practice?

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1. finalize goals and conditions

2.Warm up - 5 facts from your life in wrong order.
(facts that are important for people to know about you?)

3.Interview in English (video or audio recording)

1. Where were you born?

2. how old are you

3. where do you live

4. What do you do in life

5. after work

6. do you travel often

7. What countries have you been to?

8. why do you want to learn English

3. Writing - write a post to a creative entrepreneurs group introducing yourself and giving an announcement.

# data[].attributes.body
1. 24 hour rule - both a teacher & a student warns about any changes in their schedule 24 hours in advance, in another case the lesson will be considered payed. (except the force-majeure
2. Payment  in advance- in the beginning of each month.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Person & Company - Look through the phrases
2. Practice dialogue - you are at the event introducing yourself to some contact. Than switch the roles.
3. Your quick short introduction