In today’s global business world, meetings are essential for decision-making, collaboration, and progress. For non-native English speakers, confidently leading a meeting in English can be challenging, but mastering the right phrases makes a huge difference. (Effective meeting skills)
Interested in reading more about the importance of English for career success? Check out : The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Business English Communication for Career Success
These phrases help you:
✅ Start and structure meetings clearly
✅ Engage team members effectively
✅ Stay focused and manage time well
✅ Build credibility as a leader
✅ End meetings with clear takeaways
Using professional and natural-sounding expressions shows confidence, improves communication, and helps you lead with authority—no matter who’s in the room.
Here are 30 useful phrases for leading business meetings in English, organized by meeting stages to make them easier to use in context:
1. Starting the Meeting
- “Let’s get started.”
- “Thank you all for joining today.”
- “I’d like to welcome everyone.”
- “Shall we begin?”
- “Let’s go over the agenda.”
Useful English phrases for meetings this series from BBC English will get you ready for your next job.
2. Introducing the Agenda
- “Today, we’re here to discuss…”
- “Our main objective is to…”
- “There are three items on the agenda.”
- “We’ll start with the topic, then move on to…”
- “Does anyone want to add anything to the agenda?”
How to create a meeting agenda that will help you effectively lead any meeting.
3. Facilitating Discussion
- “Let’s hear from [Name] on this.”
- “What are your thoughts on this, [Name]?”
- “Let’s keep the discussion focused.”
- “That’s a great point. Anyone else want to weigh in?”
- “Let’s take a moment to reflect on that.”
How to summarize discussions effectively
4. Managing Time and Staying on Track
- “We’re running short on time; let’s move on.”
- “Let’s table that for now and revisit it later.”
- “Can we stick to the main issue, please?”
- “We need to wrap this up in the next 10 minutes.”
- “Let’s stay on schedule.”
5. Clarifying and Confirming
- “Just to recap, we’ve agreed that…”
- “Let me clarify what you’re saying…”
- “So, to summarize…”
- “Is everyone on the same page?”
- “Can we all agree on this point?”
6. Ending the Meeting
- “Let’s summarize the action points.”
- “Thanks for your contributions today.”
- “We’ll follow up on this in our next meeting.”
- “Any final comments or questions?”
- “Meeting adjourned. Have a great day.”