Dealing with Stubborn People Pt 2 (Practice)
8. Coming around (to)
Meaning: To finally agree to or accept something that you were previously opposed to.
Spanish Translation: Empezar a aceptar / Acabar por ceder.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “The investors are finally coming around to the idea of…”.
- “He didn’t like the new software at first, but he’s coming around…”.
- “After seeing the initial success, the team is coming around to…”
Personalized Context Questions:
- Have you ever had a boss who was initially against an idea but eventually came around?.
- Is there a professional tool or strategy you didn’t like at first but are now coming around to?
Synonym Swap Sentence: “The client finally accepted our proposal after being opposed to it for weeks.” — Now rewrite using “coming around to.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/coming-around/english
9. Warming up to
Meaning: To start to like or feel more comfortable with an idea or a person that you initially disliked or were wary of.
Spanish Translation: Empezar a ver con buenos ojos / Empezar a tomarle cariño a alguien.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “The team is slowly warming up to the new…”.
- “I didn’t like the new consultant at first, but I’m warming up to…”.
- “Stakeholders are gradually warming up to the…”
Personalized Context Questions:
- Is there a colleague you didn’t like at first but eventually warmed up to?.
- What project took you the longest time to warm up to?
Synonym Swap Sentence: “The staff is starting to feel more comfortable with the new management style.” — Now rewrite using “warming up to.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/warming-up-to/english
10. Make concessions
Meaning: To give up something or allow something during a negotiation in order to reach an agreement.
Spanish Translation: Hacer concesiones / Ceder en algo.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “If we want them to sign today, we’re going to have to make some concessions on…”.
- “Both sides had to make concessions to finalize the…”.
- “We are willing to make a concession regarding the price if…”
Personalized Context Questions:
- What is one concession you are usually willing to make to close a deal?.
- Have you ever regretted making a concession too early in a negotiation?
Synonym Swap Sentence: “The legal team had to give up some of their demands to reach an agreement.” — Now rewrite using “make concessions.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/make-concessions/english
11. To Cave
Meaning: To agree to something that you were against because of pressure or influence.
Spanish Translation: Darse por vencido / Ceder ante la presión.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “The government refused to cave to the…”.
- “After hours of intense questioning, the manager finally caved.”.
- “I don’t want to cave on the price just because they…”
Personalized Context Questions:
- In a negotiation, do you see caving as a sign of weakness or a strategic move?.
- Have you ever caved to a client’s demands only to regret it later?
Synonym Swap Sentence: “The vendor finally gave in to our pressure and lowered the price.” — Now rewrite using “caved.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/he-caved/english
12. Meet someone halfway
Meaning: To compromise with someone by doing some of the things they want, provided they also do some of the things you want.
Spanish Translation: Llegar a un punto meio / Ceder abas partes.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “They wanted a 20% discount, we offered 5%; eventually, we met them halfway.”.
- “If you can handle the logistics, I can meet you halfway on…”.
- “We need to find a way to meet the supplier halfway regarding…”
Personalized Context Questions:
- Is it always possible to meet a client halfway, or are some things non-negotiable?.
- Describe a time you successfully met a colleague halfway to resolve a conflict.
Synonym Swap Sentence: “To settle the dispute, both parties agreed to a compromise where they both yielded a little.” — Now rewrite using “met each other halfway.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/meet-me-halfway/english
13. Dig in your heels
Meaning: To refuse to change your plans, ideas, or opinions, even though people are trying to persuade you to do so.
Spanish Translation: Empecinarse / Cerrarse en banda / Plantarse.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “The union dug in their heels regarding the…”.
- “When I asked for a refund, the shop manager just dug in his heels.”.
- “Management is likely to dig in their heels if we ask for…”
Personalized Context Questions:
- When is it appropriate to dig in your heels during a business discussion?.
- How do you handle a team member who has dug in their heels and refuses to collaborate?
Synonym Swap Sentence: “The director refused to change his mind despite significant pressure from the board.” — Now rewrite using “dug in his heels.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/dig-in-your-heels/english
14. Agree to disagree
Meaning: A decision by two people to stop arguing about something because they realize they will never reach an agreement.
Spanish Translation: Acordar estar en desacuerdo / Dejarlo ahí.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “We have different visions for the brand, so let’s just agree to disagree.”.
- “After an hour of debating, they decided to agree to disagree.”.
- “We clearly won’t agree on the budget, so let’s agree to disagree for now.”
Personalized Context Questions:
- Is agreeing to disagree a productive way to end a meeting?.
- In what professional situations is it better to agree to disagree than to continue arguing?
Synonym Swap Sentence: “They decided to stop the debate because neither side was going to change their position.” — Now rewrite using “agree to disagree.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/agree-to-disagree/english
15. Stick to your guns / Stand your ground
Meaning: To refuse to change your statement or opinion despite opposition or criticism.
Spanish Translation: Mantenerse firme / No dar su brazo a torcer.
Partial Sentence Templates:
- “The CEO stuck to her guns regarding the…”.
- “You need to stand your ground during the…”.
- “It’s important to stick to your guns when you know your data is…”
Personalized Context Questions:
- Describe a time you had to stick to your guns even though everyone else disagreed with you.
- How do you differentiate between being stubborn and standing your ground for the right reasons?
Synonym Swap Sentence: “The project manager refused to change the deadline despite the team’s complaints.” — Now rewrite using “stuck to his guns.”
YouGlish Link: https://youglish.com/pronounce/stick-to-your-guns/english
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Business Reading & Dialogue Practice
A: Short Story Negotiations between the two companies had hit a wall. The lead negotiator for the tech firm had (1) __________ regarding the intellectual property rights. At first, the opposition refused to budge, but after several days of intense discussion, they began (2) __________ to the proposed terms. They weren’t fully convinced yet, but they were slowly (3) __________ the idea of a partnership. To finalize the deal, both sides eventually had to (4) __________ on minor clauses , finally (5) __________ on the pricing.
B: Dialogue
Manager: “I’ve been trying for hours, but I just can’t (6) __________ to the client about the necessity of this upgrade.” Director: “Don’t (7) __________ yet and accept their low offer. We need to (8) __________ regarding our quality standards.” Manager: “I agree, but we’ve been arguing for so long. Should we just (9) __________ on this specific point and move to the next item?”
C: Article Snippet Successful negotiation is an art form. While it’s sometimes necessary to (10) __________ and show strength , the best outcomes often involve (11) __________ to ensure both parties feel they have won. If one side simply (12) __________ under pressure, the resulting relationship may be strained.
Challenging Fill-in-the-Blank
- The procurement officer finally __________ after we threatened to go to a different supplier.
- After seeing the revenue projections, the CFO is finally __________ to the idea of the expansion.
- We tried to __________ on the delivery dates to reach a compromise.
- It’s hard to __________ to him because he is being so difficult.
- Despite the criticism from the board, the CEO __________ regarding the restructuring.
- The union __________ regarding the retirement age and refused to negotiate further.
- We couldn’t agree on the final design, so we decided to __________.
- Is the client __________ the new contract terms yet?
- Both sides had to __________ to finalize the trade agreement.
- I am slowly __________ the new management style after a rough start.
Answer Key
Text Practice: (1) Dug in his heels, (2) Coming around, (3) Warming up to, (4) Make concessions, (5) Meeting halfway. (6) Get through to, (7) Cave, (8) Stick to our guns / Stand our ground, (9) Agree to disagree. (10) Stand your ground, (11) Meeting halfway, (12) Caves.
Fill-in-the-Blank:
- Caved, 2. Coming around, 3. Meet halfway, 4. Get through to, 5. Stuck to her guns, 6. Dug in their heels, 7. Agree to disagree, 8. Coming around to, 9. Make concessions, 10. Warming up to.
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