Simmonds Podcasts
Simmonds · Business English Podcast

Listen to business English until it sticks.

A new episode every day: short conversations from real working life — negotiations, meetings, phone calls — with a full transcript, vocabulary support and a comprehension test. From the team that has trained companies across Germany since 2004.

3–5minutes per episodeB1–C1levels B1–C1100 %free, no sign-up

To the episode: Distinguishing a Temporary Delay from a Structural Problem ▸

Latest episode

Responding When the CEO Questions Your Data

In the monthly review Daniel presents a churn rate of 4.2 per cent. CEO Victoria has heard a very different number from sales — and challenges him in front of the whole room. Daniel has to defend his methodology without lecturing the boss.

C1Meetings & Status Updates5 Min.

How it works

Listen first. Then test. Then read along.

Listen

A realistic conversation from working life, spoken with clear, natural voices.

Test

Six to eight comprehension questions — no penalties, every explanation points to the moment in the dialogue.

Read along

Afterwards the full transcript opens, with German support and the key phrases.

Episode catalog

Episodes by series, like a library.

Negotiations

30 Episoden
Episode 01B1

Negotiating a Deadline

A project date is slipping — how to negotiate a new deadline in English without sounding unprofessional.

Episode 02B1

Asking a Supplier for a Small Discount

A buyer asks his supplier for a small discount — politely, concretely and with a counter-offer.

Episode 03B1

Agreeing on a Delivery Date

A buyer and a supplier agree on a firm delivery date — and clear up the classic "until" vs. "by" mistake on the way.

Episode 04B1

Requesting Free Shipping on a Large Order

A large order is on the table — how to ask for free shipping in English without sounding demanding.

Episode 05B1

Offering a Discount for a Longer Contract

A client wants a lower price — how to tie the discount to a longer contract term in English.

Episode 06B1

Negotiating Who Pays the Travel Costs

Travel costs in a quotation — who pays? How to negotiate travel, hotel and expenses in English without risking the order.

Episode 07B1

Clarifying What Is Actually Included in the Price

A quotation is on the table — but what is really included in the price? How to ask in English without sounding suspicious.

Episode 08B1

Why "Eventually" Doesn't Mean "Eventuell" in a Delivery Negotiation

One word, two meanings, one near-misunderstanding: why "eventually" sounds like a firm commitment in a delivery negotiation — and German "eventuell" does not.

Episode 09B1

Asking for More Time to Review an Offer

A supplier wants a decision — you need one more week. How to ask for time to think it over, professionally, in English.

Episode 10B1

Trading a Faster Payment for a Lower Price

The early payment discount in English: how to trade a faster payment for a lower price — with the phrases to match.

Episode 11B1

Responding When a Customer Says the Quote Is Too High

"Your quote is too high" — the sentence every salesperson dreads. How to respond calmly and confidently in English.

Episode 12B1

Renegotiating After Material Costs Rise

Steel prices are soaring and the contract runs until December — how to negotiate a fair price adjustment in English.

Episode 13B2

Choosing Between a Fixed Price and an Hourly Rate

Fixed price or hourly rate? A consultant and a buyer negotiate the commercial model for a project — including a hybrid solution with a cap.

Episode 14B2

Correcting a Partner Who Confuses "Billion" and "Milliarde"

One mistranslated number can ruin an investor pitch: the German Billion is not the English billion. How to clear up the classic false friend.

Episode 15B2

Negotiating Compensation for a Delayed Shipment

The shipment arrived three weeks late — now compensation is on the table. A coach shows how to make the claim in English without damaging the relationship.

Episode 16B2

Saving a Deal When the Decision-Maker Changes

Your contact has left the company and the new head of procurement wants to start over. How to save a nearly finished deal in English.

Episode 17B2

Handling a Buyer Who Keeps Adding Last-Minute Demands

Just before signature the buyer suddenly wants more: training, longer warranty, all included. How to stay friendly in English — and firm on price.

Episode 18B2

Breaking a Deadlock Over Payment Terms

Thirty days versus sixty days payment terms — nothing is moving. How to break a stalled negotiation in English.

Episode 19B2

Renegotiating Responsibilities in a Joint Project

The division of labour in a joint project quietly tips over — how to renegotiate responsibilities in English without pointing fingers.

Episode 20B2

Explaining Why "Provision" Is Not the English Word for Sales Commission

A sales manager offers an eight per cent "provision" — and the American lawyer starts looking for the contract clause. Why the English word is "commission".

Episode 21B2

Making a Counteroffer Without Sounding Confrontational

The offer is above budget — how to phrase a counteroffer in English that strengthens the relationship instead of straining it.

Episode 22B2

Negotiating an Exit Clause Before Signing

Three years locked in with no way out? Before signing, a managing director negotiates an exit clause — and learns the difference between "until" and "by" along the way.

Episode 23C1

Responding to a Competitor's Much Lower Offer

The competitor is 22 per cent cheaper — and the client is ready to switch. How to respond with confidence without matching the price (level C1).

Episode 24C1

Using Silence When the Other Side Rejects Your Price

The client rejects your price — why the next five seconds of silence are worth more than any argument.

Episode 25C1

Separating Must-Haves from Nice-to-Haves in a Contract

Before any contract negotiation: which terms are essential, which are trading material? The exercise that decides the outcome.

Episode 26C1

Reopening a Deal After the Budget Is Cut

The board cuts twenty per cent — the client has to reopen a finished deal. How both sides save the project.

Episode 27C1

Handling an Ultimatum from a Strategic Customer

"Twelve per cent by Friday — or we go to tender." How to answer an ultimatum without caving in or risking the relationship.

Episode 28C1

Negotiating Across Cultures When "Direct" Sounds Rude

A German manager says "That is not possible" — and the British side escalates. Why German clarity sounds harsh in English, and how to keep both substance and relationship.

Episode 29C1

Exposing a False Either-Or Choice at the Bargaining Table

"Either you sign by Friday, or the offer is off the table" — how to expose false either-or choices in a negotiation without damaging the relationship.

Episode 30C1

Closing a High-Stakes Deal Without Giving Away Your Final Concession

The last ten minutes decide everything: how to secure a big deal without giving away your final concession.

Meetings & Status Updates

27 Episoden
Episode 01B1

Giving a Quick Update on a Routine Task

Reporting the status of a routine task in 60 seconds at the weekly meeting — clear, structured and without the classic "actually" mistake.

Episode 02B1

Explaining Why a Small Task Is Late

The price list is half a day overdue — how to explain a small delay in English factually, with a plan B instead of excuses.

Episode 03B1

Asking a Colleague to Repeat an Action Point

You missed a point at the end of the meeting — how to ask again in English without seeming inattentive.

Episode 04B1

Reporting That a Customer Has Approved the Draft

The customer has approved the draft — how to report the good news in a meeting: result first, details second.

Episode 05B1

Correcting an Update: "Aktuell" Does Not Mean "Actually"

One word confuses the whole status meeting: why "actually" does not mean "aktuell" — and how to phrase clean updates.

Episode 06B1

Telling the Team What You Will Finish This Week

Monday morning stand-up: how to say clearly in English what you will finish this week — and why "until Wednesday" is the wrong deadline.

Episode 07B1

Asking Who Is Responsible for the Next Step

At the end of the meeting nobody knows who does what — how to clarify responsibilities in English before everyone leaves the room.

Episode 08B1

Updating the Team While Your Manager Is Away

Your manager is on holiday — and suddenly you are running the Monday update in English. How to keep it short, clear and professional.

Episode 09B1

Explaining a Missing Number in the Weekly Report

A number is missing from the weekly report — how to explain the reason in English before anyone asks, and stay credible.

Episode 10B1

Summarizing What Was Decided Before the Break

A meeting chair sums up the decisions before the coffee break — how to structure a mid-meeting summary in English.

Episode 11B1

Announcing That a Project Is Back on Schedule

After five days of delay the project has caught up — how to deliver good news credibly in English.

Episode 12B2

Raising a Risk Without Causing Panic

A project manager flags a supplier risk to his programme director — early, factual, and with solutions ready.

Episode 13B2

Correcting "I Became the Documents" Before Everyone Gets Confused

"I became the documents" — the classic bekommen/become mistake, corrected kindly before it happens in front of the client tomorrow.

Episode 14B2

Admitting That Your Estimate Was Too Optimistic

Six weeks estimated, ten needed: an IT team lead corrects his estimate before the steering group — openly, precisely, without excuses.

Episode 15B2

Challenging a Status Report That Sounds Too Positive

All green, no risks? How to challenge an overly positive status report in English — without attacking anyone.

Episode 16B2

Giving an Update When Another Team Is Blocking Progress

Your team is waiting on another one: how to report a blocker in English — factually, without blame, with a clear escalation.

Episode 17B2

Redirecting a Meeting That Has Gone Off Topic

The meeting is drifting? How to bring it back to the agenda in English — friendly, firm, and without cutting anyone off.

Episode 18B2

Explaining Why a Green Dashboard Hides a Serious Problem

All metrics green — and yet there is a fire: how to explain in English why the dashboard hides the truth.

Episode 19B2

Why "Control the Figures" Can Sound Different from "Kontrolliere die Zahlen"

A harmless request suddenly sounds like manipulation: why "kontrollieren" does not mean "to control" — and which verbs to use instead.

Episode 20B2

Reporting Bad News to Senior Management

Budget overrun, missed date: how to report bad news upwards — headline first, no drama, with a recommendation.

Episode 21B2

Getting a Talkative Colleague to Commit to a Deadline

Interrupt politely, summarise, pin it down: how to get a firm date from a talkative colleague — in English.

Episode 22B2

Resolving Conflicting Updates from Two Department Heads

IT reports "complete", operations reports "blocked": how to resolve conflicting status updates in English — factually and without blame.

Episode 23C1

Giving a No-Blame Account of a Failed Milestone

A milestone has failed — how to analyse causes instead of culprits: nuanced English for an honest post-mortem (C1).

Episode 24C1

Distinguishing a Temporary Delay from a Structural Problem

One-off slip or systemic fault? Three diagnostic questions and the English phrases for reporting the difference precisely (C1).

Episode 25C1

Revising the Project Forecast During the Meeting

Ten minutes before the steering meeting your numbers are out of date. How to revise a forecast live — and gain credibility while doing it.

Episode 26C1

Responding When the CEO Questions Your Data

The CEO challenges your numbers — in front of the whole room. How to defend your methodology in English: calm, precise and without sounding defensive.

Episode 31B2

The Business Case for English Training

A CFO wants to cut the English budget — until the head of sales calculates what poor English really costs.

These series are coming next.

In production
In production

Phone & Video Calls

19 episodes

In production

Meetings & Status Updates

4 episodes

In production

Small Talk & Networking

4 episodes

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