B2 — Upper Intermediate

Conference Calls

B2 level  ·  40-minute interactive lesson

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Stage 1 — Warm-up
High-stakes remote communication
5 minutes · Critical discussion
Page 1 only

Running a difficult executive call

Practise redirecting vague answers, extracting commitments, and closing with precise accountability in a high-pressure QBR.

Lesson preview
What students will do
This lesson develops advanced remote-meeting language for calls where timing, clarity, and executive presence all matter.
use executive vocabulary for forecasts, optics, and recovery planning
redirect long or vague answers without embarrassing the speaker
take accountability and commit to measurable next steps on a live call
close with written actions, owners, dates, and reporting cadence
B2 speaking Executive calls 40 minutes

Discuss with your partner:

1. What is lost in a call compared to an in-person meeting — and how do you compensate for it linguistically?

2. How do you manage a participant who consistently dominates a call, speaking over others and derailing the agenda?

3. When is it appropriate to challenge a senior colleague's position on a call, and how do you frame that challenge so it lands well?

Teacher note: At B2, the focus is on the strategic and interpersonal dimensions of remote calls: managing a difficult participant without humiliating them, steering a call back on track under senior scrutiny, framing disagreement diplomatically across cultures, and closing with binding accountability. Emphasise register: confident, precise, and measured.

Today's scenario — a quarterly business review call with the CEO and three regional directors:

Student A — CFO (host)

You chair this call for the CEO. One regional director (APAC) is significantly underperforming and has been talking around the issue for 10 minutes. You need to extract a concrete commitment from them while keeping the CEO reassured and the call on schedule.

Student B — APAC Director

Your region is 18% below target. You have genuine reasons (supply chain disruption, late product launch) but have been somewhat vague so far. Under direct pressure, you must give a credible explanation, take accountability, and commit to a specific recovery plan.

QBR callExecutive presenceAccountability on calls
5 min
Stage 2 — Vocabulary
Advanced call and executive vocabulary
10 minutes · Gap-fill
Click a word from the box, then click a blank. Hover for definitions.
headwinds
trajectory
granular
optics
mobilise
recalibrate
net of
bottom-line

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

The APAC shortfall is largely attributable to structural market — not execution failures within the team.

The current suggests we will recover to within 5% of target by end of Q4, assuming no further disruption.

I need something more than "supply chain issues" — which SKUs were affected, and for how long?

The of missing target by 18% without a credible explanation are not good — we need a clear narrative for the board.

We are in the process of mobilising additional field sales resource to the recovery effort before end of quarter.

Given the supply chain disruption, we may need to the full-year forecast rather than hold the original target.

the product launch delay, APAC's underlying performance is actually only 6% below comparable prior year.

The is this: if the recovery plan is not on track by mid-November, we will need to revise the annual forecast.

10 min
Stage 3 — Functional language
High-stakes call management language
8 minutes · Study and practise

Redirecting a vague or evasive answer

I appreciate the context, but I need a more specific answer: what is the committed number for Q4?
You've described the conditions well — could you now quantify the impact so we can assess the recovery plan?
I want to make sure we're all clear on this: are you saying the 18% gap is recoverable within this fiscal year, or not?
Rather than discussing what caused it, could we focus on what you are committing to from this point forward?

Framing a difficult question diplomatically

I'd like to put a direct question to APAC, if I may — and I'd ask for a direct answer.
I want to give you the opportunity to set the record straight on this before the CEO responds.
This is a safe space for an honest conversation — I'd rather we surface this here than in the board report.
I am not looking for reasons — I am looking for a credible plan. Can you give me that?

Taking accountability on a call under pressure

I want to be clear: I own this number and I own the shortfall. The reasons are real but the accountability is mine.
The execution was not where it needed to be in Q2, and I will not try to attribute that entirely to external factors.
My commitment to this call is: 8% recovery by November, with weekly progress reporting to the CFO.
I would ask for 30 days to demonstrate progress before we consider revising the full-year forecast.

Managing a dominant or evasive participant

I am going to park the context for a moment and ask a binary question: yes or no, is the target recoverable?
I want to make sure the CEO has what they need from this call. APAC, can you give us a one-sentence commitment?
We are at risk of running over time. I need a number from APAC before we move on.
I hear you on the external factors, and we can discuss those in detail separately. For now, I need the recovery figure.

Closing a high-stakes call with binding accountability

To record this for the minutes: APAC commits to an 8% recovery by 30 November, with biweekly reporting to the CFO.
I want each of us to leave this call knowing exactly what we are accountable for. Let me read that back.
CEO, I will send a written summary of commitments within the hour — I would ask for your sign-off by end of day.
If any of the commitments made today are at risk, I expect to hear from the relevant director before the risk materialises, not after.
At B2, the most powerful call skill is the ability to redirect without embarrassing. "I appreciate the context, but I need a number" does the same work as "stop avoiding the question" — without the collateral damage. The best facilitators make it impossible to be vague, while making it easy to be honest.
8 min
Stage 4 — Language in use
B2 executive call language drill
10 minutes · Multiple choice
10 min
Stage 5 — Role play
The quarterly business review
12 minutes · Pair work
How to use: Student A must extract a commitment from Student B without humiliating them in front of the CEO. Student B must give a credible account and commit to a specific, measurable recovery plan. Both must maintain composure and executive register throughout.
Student A — CFO (host)
[Open the call. Note the CEO is present. State the purpose: the quarterly business review, with a focus on APAC performance. Say you will move directly to APAC after a brief EMEA update. Set the expectation: you need specific, committed numbers from each region today.]
Student B — APAC Director
Thank you. Before we get to the numbers, I want to give some context. APAC faced significant headwinds this quarter — the product launch was delayed by six weeks, and supply chain disruption affected three of our top-five SKUs for most of August.
Student A — CFO (host)
[Acknowledge the context briefly. Then redirect with precision: ask for the specific shortfall figure, the percentage below target, and what is recoverable by year-end. Make clear you need numbers, not narrative.]
Student B — APAC Director
We are 18% below Q3 target. Net of the launch delay, underlying performance is closer to 6% below comparable prior year. My view is that Q4 is recoverable — but I want to be realistic rather than overpromit.
Student A — CFO (host)
[Note the distinction between 18% and 6% net of launch — say you need both figures in the written record. Ask the APAC director to state specifically what they are committing to for Q4, in percentage terms, with a date.]
Student B — APAC Director
I am committing to an 8% recovery by 30 November. That brings us to within 10% of full-year target. I would ask for 30 days before any forecast revision is made — I am confident we can demonstrate progress in that time.
Student A — CFO (host)
[Acknowledge the commitment. Note it formally for the minutes: 8% by 30 November, biweekly CFO reporting. Ask the CEO if they have any questions for APAC before you close this agenda item.]
Student B — APAC Director
[Play the CEO briefly: ask one sharp question — what specifically will change in November that was not in place in Q3? The APAC director must answer concisely and credibly.]
Student A — CFO (host)
[After the CEO's question and the APAC response, bring the item to a close. Record the accountability formally. Move to the next agenda item. Close the call with a summary of all commitments and a note that the written record will follow within the hour.]

Extension: the cross-cultural challenge

Swap roles. This time, Student B plays an EMEA director who is performing well but wants to use the call to raise a sensitive HR concern about their line manager — in front of the CEO. Student A must manage this professionally: acknowledge the concern, prevent a public airing of an internal dispute, and redirect to an appropriate private channel — without dismissing or humiliating Student B.

12 min
Stage 6 — Summary
Lesson complete!
5 minutes · Review

Today's lesson

B2 — Upper Intermediate

Conference Calls

~40 minutes

What you practised:

8 advanced executive vocabulary words: headwinds, trajectory, granular, optics, recalibrate, net of, bottom-line
Phrases for 5 high-stakes call functions: redirecting vagueness, framing hard questions, taking accountability under pressure, managing dominant participants, closing with binding accountability
6 B2 drills: modal perfect for accountability, passive voice in formal commitments, "binary question" technique, "I appreciate... but" redirection
A QBR role play requiring executive composure, precise financial language, and binding commitment under senior scrutiny

Homework ideas:

1. Write the formal call summary email (150 words) that the CFO sends to the CEO within one hour of the call ending. Include the APAC commitment, reporting cadence, and any other actions.
2. Write a briefing note (100 words) from the APAC Director to their team after the call, explaining the commitment made and what needs to happen in the next 30 days.
3. Research the expression "managing up" — what does it mean and how do you do it on a call? Write 3 sentences with examples from today's role play.
Outstanding. Performing at executive level on a remote call — in a second language, under scrutiny, with precision and composure — is a rare and valuable skill. You have the language to do it now.