Effective English in business: insights and tips from our native English speaking colleague Amanda

29 juli

Did you know that Emma Handson also offers secretarial and text support in English? Today, our native-English speaking minutes secretary, Amanda, talks about why business communication in English is important and about the services provided at Emma Handson.

Why is it so important for businesses to communicate and report in English?

English has become the global language, or the lingua franca, of business, trade and tourism. Therefore, I think that it is important for companies to use English in order to communicate internationally with both native and non-native English speakers.

In the Netherlands, more and more companies are orientating themselves internationally. There is also a growing number of highly skilled foreign workers in the country. I see that many multinational companies in the Netherlands are opting to use English as the common corporate language in order to better facilitate communication and performance across internationally diverse functions and business activities.

Why is it so important to have a native English-speaker on hand when a company uses English as the common language?

I believe that having a native speaker at the meeting table allows for better and more meaningful interactions both with foreign and local participants. Negotiations regarding investments, mergers and acquisitions are complicated enough in any language. However, as a native-English speaker at the table, I bring confidence in my ability to understand the details and the small nuances of decision-making processes and business activities. As a native-English speaker, I ensure that all English written correspondences are effectively communicated.

Do you have any tips for anyone wishing to improve their English business writing skills?

Well-written English business communication is no easy task, especially if English is not your native language. When writing, I recommend to focus on the 10 C’s of effective business writing: complete, correct, concise, coherent, clear, conversational, concrete, considerate, courteous and credible.
The 10 C’s of effective business writing ensure that minutes, business reports and even emails are written professionally, are result-oriented, concise, relevant and understandable.

But, most importantly, if in doubt, you should always ask for help! This can be as simple as asking someone to read over your work. Asking a native speaker to read over your English writing ensures that writing is clear and that spelling and grammar are correct. And of course, my colleagues and myself are happy to help!

Can Emma Handson help you with secretarial or textual support in English (or Dutch)? Then contact us. This can be done by calling (073) 747 00 54, completing the information request below or emailing info@emmahandson.nl. We look forward to working with you!

Kan Emma Handson jou helpen met secretariële of tekstuele ondersteuning in het Engels (of Nederlands)? Neem dan eens contact met ons op. Dit kan door te bellen naar (073) 747 00 54, onderstaande informatieaanvraag in te vullen of te mailen naar info@emmahandson.nl. We gaan graag de samenwerking met je aan!