ESL Podcast 924 - Getting Access to Important People
gatekeeper - someone who controls access to a person, deciding whether or not one should be allowed to speak with a busy decision-maker or executive
Salespeople have many methods of getting around the gatekeepers to speak with their people who may be customers.
to get access - to be allowed to interact with someone or participate in something when it is not available to everyone
How did you get access to backstage during the concert?
to green-light - to approve; to allow something to move forward because one thinks it is a good idea
In this family, all the children's purchases must be green-lighted by Mom and Dad.
immediate supervisor - the person to whom one directly reports in an organization; boss; direct manager
Please remember to ask your immediate supervisor to sign your reimbursement requests when you return from your business trips.
to take (something) over - to take full control over something from another person, usually against that person's wishes, not allowing the other person to participate; to assume full responsibility for something
Adele has too much work to do, so she has asked her co-workers to take over some of her projects.
to nix - to cancel, reject, or deny something so that it cannot proceed; to end a project
Kevin wanted to buy a motorcycle, but his wife nixed the idea.
to get the ear of - to get someone's attention so that he or she listens to what one is saying
Sometimes large protests are the only way to get the ear of elected representatives.
advisor - someone who provides advice, guidance, and counsel to another person; someone who shares opinions and suggestions with a decision-maker
The president is seeking a new advisor on economic policy.
to do an end-run - to bypass someone; to avoid someone or something that is normally required in a process
Is there any way to do an end-run around the security measures to get to the secret files?
inner circle - a group of the closest advisors and/or friends who have direct access to an individual and influence over his or her decisions
Lyle is very secretive around people who aren't members of his inner circle.
to travel in the same circles - to have the same friends and participate in the same social and professional activities
We used to travel in the same circles in college, but we have grown apart over the past few years.
jump shot - the act of throwing a basketball when one's body is at the highest point of one's jump into the air
The crowd cheered when they saw saw Jordan's jump shot.
pick-up - an informal, spontaneous game, not scheduled in advance and not organized by a team or league
Do you have time for a pick-up game of soccer before your class?
one-on-one - involving only two people directly interacting with each other, without the participation of others
When was the last time you and your wife had a one-on-one conversation without the kids in the room?
the right place at the right time - a time and place when everything works out well and one gets what one wants, mostly due to chance and luck
Sometimes it seems like getting a job is just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.
to talk business - to discuss what is happening at work, especially away from the office
In family-owned businesses, sometimes it's hard for family members to stop talking business even when they get together for family events like birthday parties.
court - the flat, rectangular surface where a basketball, tennis, and other sports games are played
How many hours do you spend on the tennis court each week?