20 Phrases to ROCK Any Meeting

(Storylingo Drop #2: Language Principles to Sound Clear, Confident, and In Control When English Is Not Your First Language… Or Hell, Even If It Is)

By Paul Ponce

Here’s something you’ll never hear in those so-called “business English” courses:

You don’t need perfect English to lead a great meeting. You need clarity. You need structure. You need the right moves.

And for international leaders — especially those whose native languages favor long, complex sentences (you know who you are) — English can feel like a rude awakening.

So believe me, as someone who is fluent in one of those languages, I feel your pain. And I can understand why you may be surprised to hear that the logic of your native language may feel a bit clunky in English.

But — as Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) famously said in The Godfather 🤌:

And in real English business communication — as in mob movies — the rules are simple:

1. Short sentences = clear thinking.

2. Space between ideas = space for the listener to follow.

Unfortunately, most non-native speakers never learn this.

Not their fault. No one tells them — not even those whose job it is to do so.

The result? Brilliant leaders end up speaking in beautiful, conceptual paragraphs that — to an English-speaking ear — sound unclear, heavy, or even a little pretentious.

Not because they are pretentious.

But because English rewards precision, not fancy words or academia, especially in meetings where things need to happen. Yesterday!

That’s why today’s Storylingo Drop gives you 20 high-power meeting phrases that:

• Structure your ideas

• Organize your thinking

• Make you sound confident (even if you’re translating in your head)

• And guide your listener like a pro

Each phrase includes a Use when tip — so you know exactly why, when, and how to deploy it — followed by a short, punchy example, the way English listeners expect to hear it.

After most of these, you can add a few details. If you do — yes — keep sentences short.

But before using any of these phrases, there’s one move that needs to happen first.

Making sure everyone is tuned to your channel 📺

If people don't hear what you say, it doesn't matter how good your language skills are. You have to get their attention first.

How?

By dropping a quick, resonant filler… then pausing... then delivering your idea.

Common fillers you’ll hear all the time:

So… Okay… Alright… Now… Well… Hang on… Basically… Hey…

These aren’t “empty words.” They’re attention switches.

They tell the room: Something important is coming. Pay attention.

Native speakers do this instinctively. Non-native speakers almost never do — and as a result, listeners often tune in late, missing the first (and most important) part of the message.

Remember:

Filler. Pause. Idea.

That small beat of silence? That’s leadership.

And hey, if you’re a native English speaker who also struggles with clarity?

Hop in. There’s room on this boat for you, too. 🛥️

Let’s go.

20 Phrases to ROCK Any Meeting 🎸

1. “Here’s the situation.”

Use when: You need to establish the basic premise of an idea or issue you wish to talk about. 

Example: “So... Here’s the situation. The product is strong. The timeline isn’t. Here's why. First...”

2. “Here’s what I’m seeing.”

Use when: You want to share your perspective without sounding authoritarian.

Example: “Alright... Here’s what I’m seeing. Engagement is rising. Conversion isn’t. Let me explain...”

3. “Let me give you a quick example.”

Use when: People look confused after someone gave an abstract explanation (maybe that was you).

Example: “Okay... Let me give you a quick example. The Tuesday workflow had the same delay...”

4. “Before we go deeper, let me anchor the main point.”

Use when: The meeting is drifting. You want to bring it back.

Example: “Now... Before we go deeper, let me anchor the main point. We need alignment on scope.”

5. “In short…”

Use when: You need to simplify before people mentally check out.

Example: “In short… the idea works. The process doesn’t.”

6. “Here’s the story in one sentence.”

Use when: You want everyone laser-focused.

Example: “So... Here’s the story in one sentence. Customers love the feature but hate the experience. That's basically it.”

7. “Let's zoom out for a second.”

Use when: People are arguing details that don’t matter.

Example: “Hang on... Let's zoom out for a second. Our goal isn’t speed. It’s reliability.”

8. “Let’s zoom back in.”

Use when: It’s time to get practical after big-picture talk.

Example: “Now... Let’s zoom back in. We need to choose Vendor A or Vendor B.”

9. “Here’s the problem we’re actually trying to solve.”

Use when: Everyone’s treating symptoms, not causes.

Example: “Alright... Here’s the problem we’re actually trying to solve. Not awareness. Trust.”

10. “There are three things worth noting.”

Use when: You need instant structure.

Example:

“So... There are three things worth noting.

One: cost.

Two: quality.

Three: timeline.”

11. “Let me clarify what success looks like.”

Use when: Expectations feel fuzzy or misaligned.

Example: “Alright... Let me clarify what success looks like. Launch in Q2. Less than 3% error.”

12. “Let me rephrase that in simpler terms.”

Use when: Someone just dropped a jargon bomb.

Example: “Okay... Let me rephrase that in simpler terms. The model works. It doesn’t scale.”

13. “Here’s the part that really matters.”

Use when: You need to highlight the core insight.

Example: “Now... Here’s the part that really matters. The client wants flexibility.”

14. “Let me check I’m understanding you correctly.”

Use when: You want clarity, not confusion or rework.

Example: “So... Let me check I’m understanding you correctly. You’re worried about cost, not timing. Right?”

15. “Here’s the decision in front of us.”

Use when: People keep circling instead of choosing.

Example: “Now... Here’s the decision in front of us. Launch now… or refine two more weeks.”

16. “Here’s what I recommend.”

Use when: You need to show leadership, not just analysis.

Example: “Basically... Here’s what I recommend. Freeze new features. Stabilize first.”

17. “There’s a smarter way to look at this.”

Use when: You need to reframe the conversation.

Example: “Now... There’s a smarter way to look at this. Instead of ‘what’s broken,’ ask ‘what’s blocking progress?’”

18. “Let’s not get lost in the weeds.”

Use when: The meeting is spiraling into technicalities.

Example: “Hey... Let’s not get lost in the weeds. The real issue is resource allocation.”

19. “One quick thing before we move on.”

Use when: You need to add something important without derailing the flow.

Example: “Okay... One quick thing before we move on. We still need Data Privacy approval.”

20. “Let me land this plane.”

Use when: It’s time to wrap up cleanly and decisively.

Example: “Alright... Let me land this plane. Costs are rising. Customers are confused. We need simplicity.”

⭐ BONUS TRACK: The Ultimate Closer

“Here’s what happens next…”

Use when: You want zero ambiguity about next steps.

Example: “So... Here’s what happens next. I draft the plan. Ana checks the numbers. We regroup Friday. Sound good?”

Flipping the Switch 🕹️

Okay, so we’ve covered fillers and the 20 Phrases to Rock Any Meeting. Before, we wrap up, let’s talk about why these phrases work so well — and why so many non-native speakers struggle with business English communication.

Languages like Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian are built for long sentences.

They reward abstraction. They celebrate complexity. They let ideas dance before they land.

It’s an art — and genuinely beautiful to hear.

But English business communication is not that kind of party.

It rewards:

• Short sentences

• Clear structure

• Direct statements

• Space between ideas

Meaning: Many non-native leaders feel “less fluent” not because their English is bad, but because they’re speaking English to the rhythm of a different language.

Result: Think of these phrases as a switch — or for my tech-geek readers, a VPN.

They help you operate in “English mode,” where clarity beats complexity.

Conclusion: You don’t need “perfect English.” You need Storylingo English — clear, human, structured communication that moves people.

And I know just the guy who can help you with that. 😎