Business English Booster

Bite Sized Business English

Tag: Relationship and networking

  • Work the Room

    🗓️ Idiom: Work the Room (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To move around a social or professional gathering, actively engaging with many people.
    • Used especially when trying to build relationships, make connections, or leave a good impression.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • She worked the room like a pro, introducing herself to every potential client.
    • If you’re going to succeed at networking events, you have to learn how to work the room.
    • The candidate spent the first half hour working the room before sitting down for dinner.

    🏛️ Origin

    Its origin lies in late 19th and early 20th-century politics and sales. Politicians and salespeople learned to efficiently “work” (manoeuvre through) crowds to connect with as many individuals as possible for votes, donations, or sales.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    He grabbed a drink and immediately started to __________ the room, shaking hands and chatting with guests.

    Answer

    work

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “work the room”:

    A) Rearrange the furniture at a venue
    B) Greet and engage with many people at a gathering
    C) Clean up after a meeting

    Answer

    B) Greet and engage with many people at a gathering

    3. Rewrite the sentence using: Work the Room.

    “She introduced herself to everyone at the event and made some useful contacts.”

    Answer

    She worked the room and made some useful contacts.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    👉 Relationship and Networking Idioms
    👉 Business English Idioms List

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  • Business English For Networking & Relationship Building

    Business English for Networking & Relationship Building: Make Real Connections

    Building professional relationships is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. This Business English for Networking & Relationship Building list gives you the vocabulary you need to start conversations, build trust, and stay connected in any professional situation.

    You’ll find 60 useful words and phrases, divided into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels.

    👉 Beginner

    👉 Intermediate

    👉 Advanced

    Beginner – Business English For Networking & Relationship Building

    WordDefinitionExample Sentence
    network (n)A group of people connected for business or professional purposes.She built a strong network of industry people.
    introduce (v)To present someone to another person.Let me introduce you to my colleague, John.
    connect (v)To establish a relationship with someone.I connected with many professionals at the event.
    meet (v)To come together and with someone.We met at a business conference last year.
    talk (v)To have a conversation with someone.We talked about potential partnership opportunities.
    event (n)A time and place where people meet for a business purpose. The networking event was a great success.
    colleague (n)A person you work with.My colleague and I attended the meeting together.
    friend (n)A person you like and trust.He became a good friend after working together.
    help (n)To do something for somebody. She helped me find new business opportunities.
    trust (n)Knowing someone will do what they say or will be honest. Trust is important in building strong relationships. You can’t lie or cheat.
    Beginner Business English For Networking and Relationship Building

    Intermediate – Business English For Networking & Relationship Building

    WordDefinitionExample Sentence
    collaboration (n)Working together with others to achieve a goal.Our collaboration led to a successful project.
    referral (n)A recommendation of someone for a job or service.She gave me a great referral for a marketing expert.
    engagement (n)Actively interacting with others in a meaningful way.Social media engagement helps build strong business relationships.
    follow-up (n)Contacting someone again after a meeting or event.I sent a follow-up email after the conference.
    networking (n)The process of building business relationships.Networking helps professionals discover new opportunities.
    mentor (n)A person who provides guidance and advice.My mentor helped me grow in my career.
    mutual (n)Shared by both parties.We have a mutual interest in expanding our businesses.
    partnership (n)A formal relationship between businesses or individuals.We formed a partnership to launch a new product.
    influence (n)The ability to affect others’ decisions.His strong influence helped close the deal.
    reputation (n)The general opinion people have about someone.A good reputation attracts new business opportunities.
    Intermediate Business English For Networking and Relationship Building

    Advanced – Business English For Networking & Relationship Building

    WordDefinitionExample Sentence
    reciprocity (n)Doing the same to someone as they do to you. Equal behaviours between parties. In business networking, reciprocity strengthens long-term relationships.
    leverage (n)Using resources or connections to gain an advantage.She leveraged her professional network to find new business opportunities.
    alumni network (n)A group of former students or employees who stay connected.He used his alumni network to connect with potential investors.
    strategic alliance (n)A long-term partnership for mutual benefit.Our companies formed a strategic alliance to expand our market reach.
    thought leadership (n)Being recognized as an expert in a field.Writing industry articles helped him establish thought leadership in his sector.
    affinity (n)A natural connection or shared interest.Their shared affinity for innovation led to a strong business partnership.
    stakeholder engagement (n)Building relationships with key decision-makers.Successful stakeholder engagement is essential for project approval.
    social capital (n)The value gained from relationships and networks.Strong social capital helps entrepreneurs access funding and support.
    facilitation (n)Helping guide discussions and relationships effectively.Her facilitation skills ensured a productive networking session.
    interpersonal intelligence (n)The ability to navigate social situations effectively.His interpersonal intelligence helped him build lasting business relationships.
    Advanced Business English For Networking and Relationship Building

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    📚 Learning Resources

    👉 Business English Vocabulary List
    👉 Business English Idioms List

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    ⭐️ Extras

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    We hope you enjoyed our Business English For Networking & Relationship Building.

    Remember: “Your network is the path to your future, not your backup plan.” 

  • Understanding Relationship and Networking Idioms

    Hey there! 👋

    Have you ever been talking with colleagues, networking at an event, or reading professional emails and come across phrases like “Press the flesh” or “burn bridges” and thought, “What does that really mean?” You’re definitely not alone.

    These Relationship and Networking Idioms appear constantly in workplace conversations about teamwork, trust, collaboration, and professional connections. Once you understand them, communication becomes clearer, misunderstandings disappear, and you start sounding more confident and natural in business and social situations.

    That’s exactly why I’ve created this hub page for Understanding Relationship and Networking Idioms. It brings together the idioms my students ask about most. Each idiom includes a clear, simple explanation, a realistic workplace example, and practical guidance to help you recognise and use it correctly.

    You can use this page as a reference, explore the categories below, and return to it whenever you want to strengthen your networking and relationship-building language in English.

    Teacher Rob 🙋‍♂️

    Understanding Relationship and Networking Idioms (20 Examples)

    Starting Connections and Being Visible

    1. 👉 Put Yourself Out There (v)

    Meaning: Make an effort to meet people or be noticed.
    Example: To grow her career, she put herself out there.

    2. 👉 Get Your Name Out There (v)

    Meaning: Make people aware of you or your work.
    Example: He shared his work online to get his name out there.

    3. 👉 Reach Out (v)

    Meaning: Contact someone first.
    Example: She reached out to a potential client.

    4. 👉 Get a Foot in the Door (v)

    Meaning: Get a small first opportunity.
    Example: The internship helped him get a foot in the door.

    5. 👉 Break the Ice (v)

    Meaning: Start a friendly conversation.
    Example: A simple question helped break the ice.

    ✅ Quick Quiz

    1. If you “put yourself out there”, you:



    2. What does it mean to “get your name out there”?



    3. If you “reach out” to someone, you:



    4. To “get a foot in the door” means to:



    5. What does it mean to “break the ice”?





    Active Networking and Social Skills

    6. 👉 Plant the Seed (v)

    Meaning: Introduce an idea gently.
    Example: He planted the seed for future teamwork.

    7. 👉 Build Bridges (v)

    Meaning: Improve relationships.
    Example: The manager worked to build bridges between teams.

    8. 👉 Work the Room (v)

    Meaning: Talk to many people at an event.
    Example: She worked the room at the conference.

    9. 👉 Schmooze (v)

    Meaning: Talk in a friendly way to build advantage.
    Example: He schmoozed with industry leaders.

    10. 👉 Rub Elbows With (v)

    Meaning: Spend time with important people.
    Example: She rubbed elbows with senior executives.

    ✅ Quick Quiz

    1. If you “plant the seed”, you:



    2. To “build bridges” between people means to:



    3. If someone “works the room”, they:



    4. To “schmooze” means to:



    5. If you “rub elbows with” someone, you:





    Cautious Steps and Relationship Repair

    11. 👉 Dip Your Toe in the Water (v)

    Meaning: Try something carefully.
    Example: They dipped their toe in the water with a small deal.

    12. 👉 Patch Things Up (v)

    Meaning: Fix a damaged relationship.
    Example: The partners met to patch things up.

    13. 👉 Extend an Olive Branch (v)

    Meaning: Offer peace or compromise.
    Example: He extended an olive branch after the argument.

    14. 👉 Bury the Hatchet (v)

    Meaning: End a conflict.
    Example: They buried the hatchet and moved on.

    15. 👉 Turn Over a New Leaf (v)

    Meaning: Make a fresh start.
    Example: The team turned over a new leaf.

    ✅ Quick Quiz

    1. If a company “dips its toe in the water”, it:



    2. To “patch things up” with someone means to:



    3. If you “extend an olive branch”, you:



    4. To “bury the hatchet” means to:



    5. If a team “turns over a new leaf”, they:





    Long-Term Commitment and Relationship Outcomes

    16. 👉 Weather the Storm (v)

    Meaning: Survive a difficult time.
    Example: The company weathered the storm.

    17. 👉 In It for the Long Haul (phr)

    Meaning: Committed long term.
    Example: She is in it for the long haul.

    18. 👉 Burn Your Bridges (v)

    Meaning: Damage relationships permanently.
    Example: He burned his bridges by quitting suddenly.

    19. 👉 Throw in the Towel (v)

    Meaning: Give up.
    Example: After many failures, he threw in the towel.

    20. 👉 Press the Flesh (v)

    Meaning: Meet people face to face.
    Example: The CEO pressed the flesh at the event.

    ✅ Quick Quiz

    1. If a company “weathers the storm”, it:



    2. Someone who is “in it for the long haul” is:



    3. If you “burn your bridges”, you:



    4. To “throw in the towel” means to:



    5. If someone “presses the flesh”, they:





    Did you get 100%?

    There you go – a practical collection of Relationship and Networking Idioms you can start recognising and using right away.

    You’ll soon notice these idioms in conversations with colleagues, networking events, professional emails, and even LinkedIn posts – and now you’ll understand exactly what they mean and how to use them naturally.

    Which one stood out to you the most? My personal favourite is “build bridges” because it’s perfect for talking about trust, cooperation, and long-term professional relationships. Let me know your favourite in the comments below. I always enjoy hearing from you.

    Want to keep learning? Explore our other idiom guides covering communication, teamwork, leadership, and career development.

    Happy learning,

    Teacher Rob 🙋‍♂️

    Need help learning the idioms?

    Check out my 👉 Best Way to Learn Idioms Quickly page.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    📚 Learning Resources
    👉 Business English Idioms List

    👥 Support Spaces
    👉 Student Space
    👉 Tutor Toolkit

    ⭐️ Extras
    📫 Get a Daily Idiom

    We hope you enjoyed Understanding Relationship & Networking Idioms.