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Bite Sized Business English

Tag: Marketing & Sales

  • Rise to the Occasion

    🗓️ Idiom: Rise to the Occasion (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To perform better than usual in response to a special or challenging situation.
    • To successfully meet the demands of a difficult task or unexpected challenge.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • When the lead presenter called in sick, Sarah rose to the occasion and delivered a flawless pitch.
    • Despite pressure from competitors, the sales team rose to the occasion and secured the contract.
    • The marketing intern really rose to the occasion during the product launch event.

    🏛️ Origin

    This phrase dates back to the 19th century and originally referred to someone physically rising (standing up) in response to a challenge or opportunity. Over time, it evolved to refer to someone’s ability to meet high expectations or face adversity with success.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    When the team leader resigned unexpectedly, she __________ and took charge.

    Answer

    rose to the occasion

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “rise to the occasion”:

    A) To avoid taking responsibility
    B) To fail under pressure
    C) To do what is required in a difficult situation

    Answer

    C) To do what is required in a difficult situation

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “He handled the challenge impressively and didn’t disappoint.” → Change the sentence using: rise to the occasion

    Answer

    He rose to the occasion and didn’t disappoint.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • Beat the Odds

    🗓️ Idiom: Beat the Odds (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To succeed in a situation where success is unlikely or difficult.
    • To overcome challenges or low expectations and achieve a positive result.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Despite being a small startup, they beat the odds and captured a huge share of the market.
    • She beat the odds by closing a major deal in a highly competitive industry.
    • The campaign beat the odds and delivered results no one anticipated.

    🏛️ Origin

    The phrase “beat the odds” comes from gambling, where “odds” represent the chances of a particular outcome. Beating the odds means winning or succeeding when the probability is against you. Over time, it became a common idiom for overcoming difficult circumstances.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The company __________ by launching a product that no one expected to succeed.

    Answer

    beat the odds

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “beat the odds”:

    A) To avoid responsibility
    B) To fail despite strong chances
    C) To succeed despite low chances

    Answer

    C) To succeed despite low chances

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They succeeded even though nobody believed they could.” → Change the sentence using: beat the odds

    Answer

    They beat the odds even though nobody believed they could.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • Hook Line and Sinker

    🗓️ Idiom: Hook, Line, and Sinker (adv)

    💬 Meaning

    • To believe something completely and without doubt.
    • To fall for a trick or marketing pitch fully and uncritically.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • The customer fell for the promotion hook, line, and sinker.
    • They believed the salesperson’s pitch hook, line, and sinker, even though it was too good to be true.
    • The audience bought into the branding message hook, line, and sinker.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom comes from fishing equipment. “Hook, line, and sinker” refers to the complete fishing setup. If a fish swallows all three, it is thoroughly caught. The phrase has been used since the late 19th century to describe someone being completely deceived or convinced.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The client believed every word of the pitch — he fell for it __________.

    Answer

    hook, line, and sinker

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “hook, line, and sinker”:

    A) Reluctantly
    B) Completely and without question
    C) Partially and with skepticism

    Answer

    B) Completely and without question

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “The investor believed the startup’s story completely.” → Change the sentence using: hook, line, and sinker

    Answer

    The investor believed the startup’s story hook, line, and sinker.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • Close the Deal

    🗓️ Idiom: Close the Deal (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To successfully complete a business agreement or negotiation.
    • To finalize a transaction or come to a formal agreement between parties.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • After weeks of discussions, we finally closed the deal yesterday.
    • The sales team worked overtime to close the deal before the end of the quarter.
    • She used strong negotiation skills to close the deal with the new client.

    🏛️ Origin

    The phrase “close the deal” comes from formal business language, where “deal” refers to an agreement or transaction. The word “close” is used to show the conclusion or finalisation of a process. It’s been in use since the mid-20th century in sales and negotiation contexts.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The sales rep worked all weekend to __________ with the client.

    Answer

    close the deal

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “close the deal”:

    A) To cancel a transaction
    B) To finalize a business agreement
    C) To start negotiations

    Answer

    B) To finalize a business agreement

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “The lawyer finalized the contract after hours of negotiation.” → Change the sentence using: close the deal

    Answer

    The lawyer closed the deal after hours of negotiation.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • Sweeten the Deal

    🗓️ Idiom: Sweeten the Deal (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To make an offer more attractive or appealing.
    • To add extra benefits or incentives to persuade someone to agree to a proposal.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • The vendor sweetened the deal by offering free maintenance for a year.
    • To close the sale, the rep sweetened the deal with a 10% discount.
    • They sweetened the deal by including additional services at no extra cost.

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom “sweeten the deal” comes from the idea of making something more pleasant by adding sweetness. In business, it is about improving an offer to make it more desirable. It’s use became popular in the mid-20th century.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The company __________ by adding a signing bonus.

    Answer

    sweetened the deal

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “sweeten the deal”:

    A) To make a situation worse
    B) To add benefits to make an offer more appealing
    C) To end negotiations suddenly

    Answer

    B) To add benefits to make an offer more appealing

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They improved the offer to convince the client to accept it.” → Change the sentence using: sweeten the deal

    Answer

    They sweetened the deal to convince the client to accept it.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • On the Fence

    🗓️ Idiom: On the Fence (adj)

    💬 Meaning

    • To be undecided or unsure about something.
    • To avoid taking sides in a debate or decision.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Several team members are still on the fence about which direction to take the campaign.
    • The client was on the fence and needed more data before committing to the deal.
    • I stayed on the fence during the meeting because both proposals had strong arguments.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom likely comes from the image of someone sitting on a fence, neither jumping to one side nor the other representing indecision. It dates back to at least the 1800s in American English and has been commonly used in political and business contexts.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    She’s still __________ about accepting the job offer.

    Answer

    on the fence

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “on the fence”:

    A) To fully support one side
    B) To avoid making a decision
    C) To disagree with both sides

    Answer

    B) To avoid making a decision

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “He hasn’t decided whether to invest in the project yet.” → Change the sentence using: on the fence

    Answer

    He’s still on the fence about investing in the project.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • Long Shot

    🗓️ Idiom: Long Shot (n)

    💬 Meaning

    • An attempt or guess that has only a small chance of success but is still worth trying.
    • A risky or unlikely strategy that might bring big rewards if it works.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Pitching to that international client was a long shot, but it paid off.
    • It’s a long shot, but we might still win the contract if we revise our proposal.
    • Her idea seemed like a long shot, but the marketing team decided to test it anyway.

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom “long shot” comes from sports and shooting, particularly in horse racing and marksmanship, where a “long shot” referred to a low-probability bet or distant target. Over time, it evolved into an expression for any action with slim chances of success.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Applying for the high-profile project was a total __________, but we gave it our best shot.

    Answer

    long shot

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “long shot”:

    A) A guaranteed success
    B) A plan with low odds of success
    C) A strategy everyone agrees with

    Answer

    B) A plan with low odds of success

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “It’s very unlikely that our campaign will go viral, but we’ll try anyway.” → Change the sentence using: long shot

    Answer

    It’s a long shot that our campaign will go viral, but we’ll try anyway.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall

    🗓️ Idiom: Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To keep trying to achieve something that seems impossible or unchangeable.
    • To make repeated efforts that lead to no progress, often in a frustrating situation.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • I’ve been trying to get a reply from that lead all week — it feels like I’m banging my head against a brick wall.
    • Trying to convince upper management to try a new sales strategy was like banging my head against a brick wall.
    • He kept pitching the same product to the wrong market — it was just banging his head against a brick wall.

    🏛️ Origin

    This vivid expression emphasizes the pointlessness and pain of repeatedly trying something without success. It likely originated in the 20th century and reflects physical frustration used metaphorically for emotional or strategic challenges.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Trying to change the client’s mind at this point is like __________.

    Answer

    banging your head against a brick wall

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “banging your head against a brick wall”:

    A) Achieving success with little effort
    B) Getting close to achieving something
    C) Making lots of effort with no progress

    Answer

    C) Making lots of effort with no progress

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “She kept trying to contact the buyer, but nothing worked.” → Change the sentence using: banging your head against a brick wall

    Answer

    She kept trying to contact the buyer, but it was like banging her head against a brick wall.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • A Tough Nut To Crack

    🗓️ Idiom: A Tough Nut to Crack (n)

    💬 Meaning

    • A problem, situation, or person that is particularly difficult to deal with or understand.
    • Something that requires effort, strategy, or time to figure out or resolve.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • That client is a tough nut to crack — they haven’t responded to any of our proposals.
    • Expanding into that new market has been a tough nut to crack for our sales team.
    • The pricing strategy is a tough nut to crack, but we’ll get there with more research.

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom compares a difficult situation or person to a nut with a hard shell, implying that effort is needed to “crack” it open and get to the desired result. It has been used since the 1800s.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Convincing the board to approve the budget was a __________.

    Answer

    tough nut to crack

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “a tough nut to crack”:

    A) A task that is easy and enjoyable
    B) A person who is very flexible
    C) A problem or person that is difficult to deal with

    Answer

    C) A problem or person that is difficult to deal with

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “That customer has been very hard to persuade.” → Change the sentence using: a tough nut to crack

    Answer

    That customer has been a tough nut to crack.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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  • A Walk in the Park

    🗓️ Idiom: A Walk in the Park (n)

    💬 Meaning

    • Something that is very easy to accomplish or deal with.
    • An activity or task that is simple and causes no difficulty or stress.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Closing the deal was a walk in the park after weeks of preparation.
    • Designing the email campaign turned out to be a walk in the park.
    • For seasoned marketers, pitching to small businesses is often a walk in the park.

    🏛️ Origin

    The phrase comes from the idea that walking in the park is relaxing and effortless. It has been used since the mid-1900s to describe anything that is pleasant and easy.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Compared to last quarter, this campaign was a __________.

    Answer

    walk in the park

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “a walk in the park”:

    A) A very stressful task
    B) A very easy task
    C) A long and complicated process

    Answer

    B) A very easy task

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “The product demo was extremely simple and smooth.” → Change the sentence using: a walk in the park

    Answer

    The product demo was a walk in the park.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

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