Words for describing a company
The head office is the main office; a subsidiary is a separate company owned by yours, often in another country. Turnover is all the money from sales; profit is what is left after costs.
- head office – “Our head office is in Leeds.”
- subsidiary – “We have subsidiaries in Warsaw and Porto.”
- turnover – “Our turnover is eighteen million euros.”
- profit – “Our profit is one point six million euros.”
- operate in – “We operate in six countries.”
- employ – “We employ 240 people.”
The present simple for company facts
Company facts stay true for a long time, so use the present simple, not “We are supplying”. After “it”, “he”, “she” or a company name, add -s: “The company supplies hospitals.” Questions use “Do/Does” and negatives “don’t/doesn’t”, with the verb in its base form.
Useful questions: “Where is your head office?”, “How many people do you employ?”, “Which markets do you operate in?”
- “We supply hospitals.” / “She manages key accounts.”
- “Do you export?” – “Yes, we do.”
- “Does your company export?” – “Yes, it does.”
Introducing your company at an event
At a trade fair or networking event, give your name and company together, introduce your colleague with their department, then add one fact that matters to the other person. “What brings you to the event?” is a friendly way to ask what they need.
Listen to a supplier meeting a hospital buyer, then use your own names and facts.
Maya Hello, I'm Maya Cole from Northline Tools.
Daniel Pleased to meet you. I'm Daniel Reed from Kingsway Hospital.
Maya This is my colleague, Owen Hart. He works in sales.
Owen Nice to meet you, Daniel. What brings you to the event?
Daniel We're looking for a new safety-equipment supplier.
Owen Great. We supply hospitals in six countries. Can I tell you about our urgent-order service?
Saying figures clearly
Figures are easy to mishear, so say them in full with the currency after the number. For decimals, English writes a point and says “point”: 1.6 is “one point six”. Many languages use a comma here.
- EUR 18 million – “eighteen million euros”
- EUR 1.6 million – “one point six million euros”
- 12% – “twelve per cent” (US: “percent”)
- 240 – “two hundred and forty”
- To check: “Could you repeat that figure, please?”
Choosing the facts a buyer needs
A buyer doesn’t need every fact. Pick the facts that answer their need, write a five-part fact sheet and present it in four or five sentences.
- Situation: “The buyer needs a supplier in every target country.”
- Key facts: “We supply six countries, and our Warsaw subsidiary can dispatch urgent orders.”
- Decision or result: “We can meet this need.”
- Owner: “Our sales team.”
- Next step and deadline: “Confirm response times before the meeting.”
Common mistakes
People will understand you, but these stand out in a presentation:
- “The company employ 240 people.” After a company name, “it”, “he” or “she”, add -s: “The company employs 240 people.”
- “Do your company export?” Use “Does” with a company: “Does your company export?”
- “We are supply hospitals.” The present simple has no “are”: “We supply hospitals.”
- “He don’t buy locally.” Use “doesn’t” after he, she or it: “He doesn’t buy locally.”
A 10-minute daily practice routine
The goal is to present your company fluently in one minute. Do it out loud, in the same order each day.
- 3 minutes: say five facts about your company out loud: what it does, head office, markets, people and one figure.
- 2 minutes: turn three facts into questions and answer them: “Where is your head office?” – “It’s in …”
- 2 minutes: say three figures from your work out loud, record them and listen back.
- 3 minutes: play the conversation above, repeat each line after a pause, then give the same introduction for your company.
What comes next
Next, use company facts to make decisions: compare two supplier quotes and give a reason, or plan who answers urgent calls. At B1 you write a short company-website profile about your role.