Professional Mandarin

Speak Mandarin with confidence in business.

1-on-1 online lessons for professionals who need Mandarin for meetings, negotiations, networking and working with Chinese clients and partners — taught by a native speaker who understands both worlds.

★★★★★ 5.0 rated lessons Native speaker teacher From $60 / hr
$60
Per hour — no packages required
100%
Live 1-on-1 online lessons
10+ yrs
Teaching experience
★★★★★
Native Mandarin speaker
What You’ll Learn

Six pillars of professional Mandarin.

Business Mandarin goes beyond vocabulary lists. Will builds your ability to communicate with authority, read the room, and build genuine relationships in Chinese professional settings.

Business Vocabulary & Terminology

Industry-specific vocabulary for finance, tech, trade, logistics and consulting. You’ll learn the words and phrases that actually appear in boardrooms, contracts and WeChat conversations — not just textbook business Chinese.

Meetings & Presentations

Open, navigate and close meetings in Mandarin. Learn how to structure a presentation, handle questions gracefully and express opinions, agreement and disagreement in ways that are natural — not just grammatically correct.

Negotiation & Persuasion

Negotiate prices, timelines and terms with confidence. Will teaches you the nuanced language of Chinese negotiation — including how to say no politely, how to push back without causing offence, and how to reach agreement on your terms.

Professional Written Communication

Write emails, proposals and WeChat messages in Chinese that sound professional, not translated. Learn the formal and informal registers used in different business contexts, and avoid the common mistakes that undermine credibility.

Networking & Relationship Building

In Chinese business culture, relationships (关系 — guānxi) are everything. Will teaches you how to build trust, exchange pleasantries that actually land, navigate business dinners, and develop the kind of rapport that turns contacts into partners.

Business Culture & Etiquette

Language alone isn’t enough. Will explains the unwritten rules of Chinese business — from how to exchange business cards and handle banquets, to understanding hierarchy, face (面子 — miànzi) and the indirect communication style that shapes every interaction.

Who It’s For

Business Mandarin is right for you if…

Three kinds of professionals get the most from this programme. See which one sounds like you.

The Professional Expanding Into China

  • Working with Chinese clients, suppliers or partners
  • Travelling to China for business regularly
  • Want to communicate directly — without a translator
  • Need Mandarin that sounds natural, not robotic

The Executive or Manager

  • Leading a team or project with Chinese stakeholders
  • Want to build genuine trust across cultural lines
  • Tired of relying on interpreters for important conversations
  • Want to show respect by speaking the language

The Entrepreneur Entering the Market

  • Launching or expanding a business in China
  • Negotiating deals, partnerships or supply chains
  • Want to understand what’s being said in the room
  • Know that language is a competitive advantage
A Taste of What You’ll Cover

Six expressions you’ll use in your first business conversations.

These are the kinds of phrases that make a difference the moment you step into a meeting room or sit down at a business dinner.

很高兴认识您
Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín
A pleasure to meet you (formal)
我们可以合作
Wǒmen kěyǐ hézuò
We can work together
价格可以商量
Jiàgé kěyǐ shāngliáng
The price is negotiable
这是我的名片
Zhè shì wǒ de míngpiàn
This is my business card
我需要考虑一下
Wǒ xūyào kǎolǜ yīxià
I need to think it over
期待我们的合作
Qīdài wǒmen de hézuò
Looking forward to our collaboration

Ready to use these in real situations? Book a free intro call and Will will build a plan around your specific industry and goals.

Why 1-on-1 Lessons

Business Mandarin demands precision. Generic courses can’t deliver it.

Off-the-shelf business Chinese courses teach you the same phrases as everyone else. Will builds lessons around your industry, your counterparts and the actual conversations you need to have.

Industry-specific from day one

Will tailors every lesson to your field — whether that’s finance, manufacturing, tech or consulting. You won’t waste time on vocabulary you’ll never use, and you’ll be prepared for the exact conversations you need to have.

Real conversation practice

Every lesson includes live role-play of real scenarios — pitching to a client, navigating a difficult meeting, small talk at a dinner. Will gives you immediate feedback so you sound confident and credible, not hesitant.

Cultural fluency included

Language without cultural context is risky in business settings. Will explains the reasoning behind Chinese business norms — so you don’t just say the right words, you understand why they matter and when to use them.

Getting Started

From first message to first business conversation

No contracts, no packages, no cohorts. Three simple steps to start speaking Mandarin professionally.

1

Book a free intro call

Tell Will about your role, your industry and the specific situations where you need Mandarin. He’ll put together an honest assessment of where to start and what’s realistic — no pressure, no sales pitch.

2

Start your tailored lessons

Lessons are built around your actual professional needs — the meetings, negotiations and conversations you’re already having, or plan to have. Fully 1-on-1, fully live, fully focused on your business context.

3

Progress, review & grow

As your Mandarin develops, Will adjusts the plan to match your advancing level and evolving goals. You’ll move from basic introductions to handling complex negotiations with the same teacher who knows your journey.

Student Stories

Professionals who made Mandarin work for them

Real students who needed Mandarin for their careers — and built it with Will.

★★★★★

“I was heading into negotiations with a Chinese supplier and wanted to at least follow the conversation. After a few months with Will I could do far more than that — I could lead it. The cultural coaching was just as valuable as the language itself.”

★★★★★

“Will understands the business world as well as the language. He didn’t just teach me vocabulary — he helped me understand how to build relationships the Chinese way. That’s changed how I approach every meeting with our partners in Shanghai.”

Common Questions

Answers before you ask

Not necessarily. If you’re starting from zero, Will recommends beginning with the Basics course to build a pronunciation and grammar foundation first. If you already have some Mandarin — even just a little — he can assess your level in the intro call and design a Business Mandarin programme that works from where you are now.
Most students can hold introductory professional conversations — greetings, small talk, basic meeting language — within two to three months. Handling complex negotiations or presentations fluently typically takes six to twelve months of regular lessons. Will is always honest about timelines from the very first call.
Absolutely — this is one of the key advantages of 1-on-1 lessons. Whether you work in finance, manufacturing, tech, law, logistics or any other field, Will builds your vocabulary and scenario practice around the actual situations you face. Bring your real emails, contracts or meeting transcripts and he’ll work directly from them.
Yes, if that’s part of your goals. Many business students focus primarily on spoken Mandarin for meetings and conversations, but Will also covers professional written communication — emails, WeChat messages, proposals and formal correspondence — for students who need it. Just let him know in your intro call.
There are no lock-in packages. Lessons are billed per hour at $60, and you book as many or as few as you need. Most students find a regular weekly or fortnightly rhythm works well, but the schedule is entirely up to you.
No commitment required

Ready to speak Mandarin in business?

Book a free 30-minute intro call with Will. Tell him about your role, your goals and the situations where you need Mandarin — he’ll build an honest plan around your specific needs.