Business English- Meeting People Bluffing Game

Meeting people and describing your company: bluffing game

Roleplay starting conversations with people at a conference, trade fair or job fair, pretending you work for the firm that your teacher gives you the name of. If your partner asks you a question you don’t know the answer to, just use your imagination. You can’t say “I don’t know”, so if you know nothing about the company, you have to make everything up. After you finish, your partner will try to guess what info you made up, using sentences like “I think… is true” and “I don’t think… is true” or “I think… is just your imagination”. You shouldn’t correct each other during the roleplay.

Adidas	Aeroflot	Ajinomoto	Benetton
Bic	BMW	Boeing	Bridgestone
Burberry	Carlsberg	Chanel	Citizen
Gap	Gillette	Godiva	Google
Guinness	H&M	Haier	Harrods
Heineken	Hershey’s	Hitachi	Hugo Boss
IKEA	IMAX	Intel	Kellogg’s
Komatsu	LEGO	Lenovo	Lotte
Michelin	Microsoft	Mr Minit	Nestle
Nike	Nokia	Nomura	Phillips
Quantas	Samsung	Shimano	Starbucks
Subway	Swatch	YKK	Zara

Do the same, but choosing companies for your partner to pretend they work for.

Do the same, but using these phrases to help.

Useful phrases

Starting conversations with people who you don’t know

• Can I introduce myself?
• Do you know where… is?
• I don’t think we’ve met.
• I see your badge says…
• Is this seat free?
• Is this the right place for…?
• It’s very busy, isn’t it?
• What did you think about the last presentation?

Initial questions

• What do you do?/ What’s your job?
• Who do you work for?/ What is your company’s name?
• What does your company do?

Follow up questions

• Can I ask your name?/ What’s your name (again)?
• Does your company employ many people (in…)?/ Does your company have many employees (in…)?
• What (products) does your company produce/ make/ sell?/ What (services) does your company provide?
• What are you working on at the moment?
• What countries does your company operate in?/ Does your company operate in…?/ Where does your company have offices?
• What department do you work for?
• What field do you work in?
• What is your bestselling/ most famous product?
• Where are you from?/ Where do you come from?
• Where is your company based?/ Where is your company’s head office/ headquarters/ HQ?
• Who are your (main) competitors?
• Why are you at this conference/ trade fair/ meeting?/ Why are you here today?
• Why did you choose that job?

Ending conversations with people who you don’t know

• I’m afraid I must go and…
• Can I introduce you to (name)?/ Can I introduce you to my…?/ My… Can I introduce you to him/ her?
• Do you have a business card?
• I’ll email you about…
• It was nice meeting
• It’s been really interesting talking to you.
• I hope we have the chance to meet again soon.

Key words

Do the same, but only using the hint words below to help you

Starting conversations with people who you don’t know

• introduce
• where
• met
• badge
• seat
• place
• busy
• think

Initial questions

• job
• who
• your company

Follow up questions

• name
• employ/ employees
• products/ services
• working on
• operate
• department
• field
• bestselling/ most famous
• from
• based
• competitors
• here today
• choose

Ending conversations with people who you don’t know

• afraid
• introduce
• business card
• email
• meeting
• interesting
• hope

Try to write phrases using the key words above.

Test each other on the phrases:

• Read out a phrase above with a word missing for your partner to complete
• Read out a key word and help your partner make a suitable phrase
• Read out one of the headings and help your partner make suitable phrases

Ask about any companies which you don’t know (much) about.