Persuade Without Pushing: The Budget Meeting
Persuasion at work is not winning an argument — it's making the other person's 'yes' easy. Jordan needs budget approval from Ms. Reed, who is skeptical. Notice the moves: acknowledge the cost, offer evidence, shrink the risk, and let her improve the idea. · C1 · Discussion
How to practice: listen to the whole discussion first. Notice how the speakers agree, disagree, hedge and interrupt politely. Then take one role and speak it out loud; finally, record your OWN opinion on the same topic for one full minute.
Jordan Thanks for the time. I'll be brief: I'm asking for a training budget — and before you say no, I know exactly what it costs, because that's your first question.
Ms. Reed It usually is. Go on.
Jordan Twelve hundred per person, once. Here's my case: our two newest hires took eleven weeks to reach full speed. The team that trained last year? Seven. Training isn't a perk — it's four weeks of salary we stop wasting, per hire.
Ms. Reed The numbers are interesting, but every department wants training money this quarter.
Jordan Completely fair. Which is why I'm not asking for the whole team. Give me a pilot: two people, one quarter, and I'll report their ramp-up time against last year's hires. If the numbers don't move, you've spent little and learned something.
Ms. Reed And if they do move?
Jordan Then the decision next quarter makes itself — with data, not with my enthusiasm.
Ms. Reed Hm. Two people. And I want the report before the budget review, not after.
Jordan Deal — you'll have it a week early. Thank you.
Ms. Reed Don't thank me yet. Impress me with the report.
The full dialogue with real voices. Listen first, then take your role.
Record yourself, play it back, and compare with the model. Recordings stay in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Your task
Persuade someone (real or imagined) of ONE thing for 90 seconds: a budget, a day off, a new tool, a change of plan. Moves required: state the ask early, name the cost before they do, give ONE piece of evidence, shrink the risk (pilot, trial, small test), and close with a measurable next step.
Coach tips
- Name their objection before they raise it — it disarms it.
- Shrink the yes: pilots and trials are persuasion's secret weapon.
- Never oversell. 'The decision makes itself — with data' beats ten adjectives.
Self-Assessment — Your Honest Checklist
There is no automated speaking score here — and we will not fake one. Play your recording, judge these five areas honestly, and tick what you truly did. Next session, pick ONE unticked box to fix.
Fluency
Grammar
Vocabulary
Pronunciation
Organization
Speaking connects to everything
🗣️ Pronunciation Lab — train the sounds in this lesson🎧 Listening Lab — hear these patterns in real dialogues🌱 Vocabulary Builder — grow the words you reached for📘 Grammar Course — fix the pattern you noticed🩺 Say It Right — Real-Life English, mistake by mistakeKeep going
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