Common Business English Verbs

Useful vocab for speaking English at work

Are you tired of sounding like a broken record in your English writing and conversation? Do you find yourself using the same old verbs over and over again, like a culinary one-trick pony whose only seasoning is salt? Well, fear not, my friend, for I have a solution that will spice up your language game faster than a jalapeño pepper in a bland stew.

That’s right, I’m talking about the magical world of common verbs! But don’t let their commonness fool you; these little workhorses are the secret to making your writing and speaking sound more engaging, more interesting, and yes, even more humorous. And what could be more exciting than that?

So buckle up and get ready to discover the wonderful world of verbs, from “collate” to “strategize” to “motivate” and beyond. Trust me, your future self (and your audience) will thank you.

Here are several verbs that are commonly used in business English.

These include:

• “meet” (e.g., “Let’s meet to discuss the proposal.”)
• “present” (e.g., “I will present the findings to the team.”)
• “develop” (e.g., “We need to develop a new marketing strategy.”)
• “improve” (e.g., “We must improve customer satisfaction.”)
• “increase” (e.g., “We want to increase sales this quarter.”)
• “reduce” (e.g., “We need to reduce our operating costs.”)
• “manage” (e.g., “Can you manage this project?”)
• “negotiate” (e.g., “We are currently negotiating the terms of the contract.”)
• “implement” (e.g., “We will implement the new system next week.”)
• “analyze” (e.g., “We need to analyze the data to identify trends.”)

Using these verbs effectively in business communication can help convey your message clearly and professionally.

Business English Verbs in context

Here are a few more verbs that are commonly used in business English:

• “delegate” (e.g., “I will delegate the task to a member of my team.”)
• “collaborate” (e.g., “We should collaborate with the marketing department on this project.”)
• “prioritize” (e.g., “Let’s prioritize our tasks for the day.”)
• “communicate” (e.g., “It’s important to communicate our goals to the team.”)
• “streamline” (e.g., “We need to streamline our processes to be more efficient.”)
• “achieve” (e.g., “We aim to achieve our targets this quarter.”)
• “evaluate” (e.g., “We need to evaluate the results of our latest campaign.”)
• “research” (e.g., “We are currently researching new markets for our products.”)
• “motivate” (e.g., “I want to motivate my team to achieve their full potential.”)

Remember, choosing the right verb can make a big difference in the clarity and impact of your message, so it’s important to use them carefully and appropriately.

An appetite for more?

• “address” (e.g., “We need to address the issue of low productivity.”)
• “deploy” (e.g., “We will deploy the new software system next month.”)
• “leverage” (e.g., “We can leverage our existing customer base to expand our reach.”)
• “streamline” (e.g., “We need to streamline our processes to reduce costs.”)
• “optimize” (e.g., “We must optimize our website for search engines.”)
• “outsource” (e.g., “We are considering outsourcing our IT services.”)
• “allocate” (e.g., “We will allocate more resources to the project.”)
• “restructure” (e.g., “We need to restructure the organization to improve efficiency.”)
• “innovate” (e.g., “We aim to innovate and stay ahead of the competition.”)
• “collate” (e.g., “Can you collate the data into a report?”)

Using these verbs with the appropriate language can help you communicate more effectively in a business setting.

• “forecast” (e.g., “We need to forecast our sales for the next quarter.”)
• “strategize” (e.g., “We should strategize how to approach the market.”)
• “standardize” (e.g., “We need to standardize our procedures for consistency.”)
• “authorize” (e.g., “Can you authorize the payment for the invoice?”)
• “audit” (e.g., “We need to audit our accounts to ensure accuracy.”)
• “brainstorm” (e.g., “Let’s brainstorm ideas for our next product.”)
• “incentivize” (e.g., “We should incentivize our employees to improve performance.”)
• “integrate” (e.g., “We will integrate the new software with our existing systems.”)
• “rebrand” (e.g., “We are considering a rebrand to attract a new audience.”)

Remember that using the right verb in the right context can make your message more clear and effective.

While these lists of common verbs may seem a bit dry and boring at first glance, they’re actually incredibly useful tools for anyone who wants to communicate effectively in English. Plus, they’re a great way to impress your friends at your next dinner party. Just imagine the looks of awe and admiration on their faces when you casually drop a sentence like, “I’ve been strategizing ways to optimize my team’s performance, but it’s been a bit of a challenge to incentivize them lately.”

And who knows, maybe one day you’ll find yourself at a pub quiz where the question is, “What’s the most common verb in English?” and you’ll be able to answer confidently, “It’s ‘be’, of course. But did you know that ‘collate’ is also a really useful verb to know?”

So go forth and embrace these lists of common verbs, my friends. Who knows what kind of adventures and witty conversations they’ll inspire!