Nowadays, most communication and business can be done with the help of e-mail, video calls, telephone and voice messages; but sometimes you can't beat meeting someone in person, particularly for sensitive, personal or complicated matters. The first thing you will need to do if you want to meet with somebody is to suggest meeting face-to-face. Here are some suggestions that will help you approach the idea of meeting in real life:
I think it would be good to discuss this in person. |
It might be better to get together in the same room to go over this. |
It would be nice to meet face-to-face. |
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Face-to-face is another way of saying ‘in person':
“This might be easier to sort out if we were all in the same place.”
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Next, you might want to propose a date or time for the meeting to take place:
How about Friday at 2 pm? |
Are you free anytime next Wednesday? |
Would next Thursday suit you? |
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We often use the verb 'to suit' when suggesting plans. It is another way of saying, 'Is it ok for you?'
The conference room is free after 3pm, if that suits? |
Could you suggest a time that suits you next week? |
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You can agree by saying:
That suits me perfectly. |
That sounds fine. I'll pencil it in. |
If you pencil something in, it means you intend to put it in your diary. It means it is a plan that could change. If you write something in pencil, it is easier to change than pen.
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If you are not free or you have other plans, you might need to suggest another day or time:
I'm afraid I'm booked up on Wednesday. Is there another day that suits? | 'booked up' means that you have plans or you are busy |
Unfortunately, I'm not free on Wednesday. Can I suggest Friday evening, instead? | |
Thursday doesn't suit. How are you fixed for next week? | If you ask how someone is fixed, it means you want to know if they have plans or arrangements made. |
This week doesn't look good. Do you have some time free the following week? |