Describe a successful businessperson you know: IELTS Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

06 Jul 2024

The speaking test of the IELTS exam is one of the most crucial parts since it assesses a non-native speaker's proficiency in the English language. A candidate needs to understand the subtleties of the IELTS speaking topics and IELTS speaking questions effectively in order to score well on the IELTS speaking test and apply to the university or company of their choice abroad. 

An examiner assesses a candidate's English communication skills in each of the three main segments of the IELTS speaking test. The first part of the IELTS speaking exam consists of a broad chat between the examiner and the candidate in which the candidate is asked a series of basic questions about their personal and professional interests. 

This part of the IELTS exam is comparable to the warmup session of any sport. It's a good idea to practice a brief introduction of yourself as part of your IELTS preparation so that you can confidently answer these questions during the speaking test of the IELTS exam. 

The second part of the IELTS speaking test is called the Cue Card section. You will be given a Cue Card with a topic printed on it in this part. You have one minute to collect your thoughts and get ready to deliver a two-minute monologue on the topic. Your IELTS test score may suffer if the examiner cuts you off in the middle of responding to the IELTS speaking topics if your answer is longer than the allocated two minutes. 

To ensure that you receive a high score on the speaking test, you should rehearse your monologues using the commonly asked IELTS speaking topics during your IELTS exam preparation phase. To ensure you are comfortable with the format and structure of the test, you should prepare for the IELTS exam by taking attempts of the IELTS practice tests on the IELTS speaking topics, acting out responses to frequently asked IELTS speaking questions, and practicing the IELTS sample test on a regular basis.

The final portion of the IELTS speaking test is the segment with follow-up questions. The examiner goes into great depth regarding the response provided in the cue card phase, which is the second half of the speaking test, in this section. In response to follow-up questions on the IELTS speaking topics, candidates are expected to defend their answers, show that they are confident in their answers, and share their opinions. 

It's crucial that you take at least one IELTS practice test each day if you want to do well on this portion of the speaking test. As crucial to your IELTS preparation is practicing your IELTS speaking skills extensively and quickly reviewing the answers to the IELTS exam sample on commonly questioned IELTS speaking topics. 

Now let's see how to tackle IELTS speaking topics like the above strategically. 

IELTS exam sample 1: Describe a successful businessperson you know

For IELTS speaking topics like these, you need to go deep into your memory and find out incidents/personalities that suit the answer well. In that way, your answer will be original but believable. Try to elaborate on the main points of the topic without drifting away from the key factors. In no circumstance should you forget the two-minute time constraint window of the IELTS speaking cue cards section. 

For framing your answer on the above topic, make sure to mention the following key factors: 

• How do you know this person
• Describe their business/businesses
• Describe their personality
• Ending Remarks

Let us have a look at some model answers.

How do you know this person : 

Whenever I hear the word “business”, my mind instantly remembers this old friend of mine. We have known each other for 10 years now and he is one of the best businessmen I have ever seen. Maybe I am a little biased towards Sharman, but I can’t help it, because I have seen him work hard on each of his businesses and give his everything to flourish them.  

Describe their business/businesses : 

Sharman knew he would get into the world of business from his childhood because his father was an ace businessman. Their main line of business is gold and diamond jewelry, but Sharman has started a few of his own businesses apart from them. After getting his MBA, Sharman officially joined his family's gold business where he had been learning the nuances of the trade since he was in class eight. After a few months, he started thinking of new business ideas to start something on his own, away from the shadow of his father’s roots. In the present day, Sharman owns a custom t-shirt brand, a well-known veterinary franchise, and a land-promoting license of his own. He has truly spread his winds in all directions. 

Describe their personality : 

Sharman has the personality of a superlative businessman. Whenever I go to a restaurant or a market with him, while our friends are busy chatting, he is always busy scanning the potential hacks of the business place. Our day-to-day problems are mere business opportunities to him and that is probably the reason why he is so good at working in every sector of the industry. Sure, he has tasked failure along the way, but that never dragged him down, nor did it ever pacify the fire inside him to develop new business ideas.  

Ending Remarks : 

It took him years of training and experience to learn the tricks of the trade and I am proud to acknowledge him as a dear friend of mine. He is extremely hardworking and deserves every bit of the success he has right now. I have seen him loiter in markets to acquire data for new businesses month after month in summer, I have seen him feed the birds of his pet shop with his own hands, and I have also seen him be devastated when his business ideas failed to earn profit. Thus I can say, this person would never give up on business ever, he thrives on new ideas and that is the main requirement of budding businesses today. 

IELTS exam sample 2: Describe a successful businessperson you know

How do you know this person : 

I met this amazing businesswoman while I was doing my internship at her firm. Her name is Smrity Goyel and she owns a startup IT firm that now has an evaluation over millions. Smrity, although the founder of the company, likes to work with the people of the firm and that is how I came to know about her incredible journey of claim to fame. 

Describe their business/businesses : 

Smrity passed out from IIT Roorkee and was offered very high-paying jobs at 3 big multinational companies in India. But she was very clear about her dreams and aspirations, which is why, along with 10 students from the college who had failed to land a good job, she decided to start her own IT firm. After 10 years of hard work, sleepless nights, a series of losses, and severe pay cuts, she finally achieved her goal. She owns 4 offices in 4 biggest hubs of India and feeds the families of over five thousand employees all over the firm. The small office she started with a few helpless classmates has now flourished into a big enterprise. 

Describe their personality : 

Smrity is one of the most humble people I have ever come across in my life. It is hard to sit with your employees during lunch and listen to their relentless complaints about the job when you are their boss. But she is different. She has taught me most of my work while was doing my internship and she is as easygoing as a person could ever expect. She has ditched her big cabin just to stay connected to her employees and be there for them whenever they need her. This quality is very rare in a successful businessperson, which is why I admire her so much.   

Ending Remarks : 

After my internship ended, Smrity offered me a full-time position at her firm where I worked for 2 years. I have seen her evolve even further in the last two years in terms of business, but her personality hasn’t changed a single bit. She is still the same chirpy leader with an infectious smile who greeted me on my first day of internship at her firm. I guess that is the mark of a true leader and businesswoman.  

IELTS speaking test: Follow-up questions

Following the part of the IELTS speaking topics comes a portion of follow-up questions. In response to your answers in the segment of the IELTS speaking topics, the examiner will now assess your conversational skills by asking you a few follow-up questions. You must thoroughly review the IELTS speaking questions in order to comprehend the variations of the often-asked speaking test questions as well as the questions that follow in the IELTS speaking follow-up questions section. 

IELTS speaking - Follow-up question

What are the traits a business personality should have according to you?  

Answer: According to me, a businessman or a businesswoman should have proper knowledge about the nitty-gritty of the business world. They must understand their line of business well enough to lead the others. Another trait that a businessperson should have, is humility. They should be easily approachable and should try to understand the mindset of not only their customers but their employees as well. Apart from these qualities, they should have a righteous heart, clarity of mind, and curiosity in their blood in order to keep marching towards new heights of success. 

What do you think is the latest trend of the business? 

Answer: Well it is very hard to say what the latest business trends are, but I am certain of one thing, online content is going to rule the world of promotions in the future. The general trend in the business world in the current era is all content-driven. There is a large group of “content creators” emerging on various social media platforms where they use their quirky talents to promote different brands. So business is moving towards online platforms and will be entirely technology-driven in the near future. 

Do you think technology is important for a business to thrive? 

Answer: In my opinion, technology might not be the sole necessity of all businesses in the current era, but it's definitely a huge part of promotional strategies. While technology is the biggest part of most product-based businesses and their promotional strategies, there are still some sectors of the business field where technology has not seeped in like the traditional weaving industry, labor-oriented industry, and some more. But soon, it is highly likely that these traditional industries will embrace technology and flourish further with its help.  

Conclusion

With the help of D-VIVID's professional IELTS preparation program, you can receive one-on-one training and comprehensive speaking test guidance. You may get a thorough idea of the types of questions you can encounter on the test by using our IELTS practice test and IELTS exam sample materials. Our staff of extremely talented and experienced teachers will provide you with all the help you need to conquer the IELTS exam. We can assist you with honing every skill necessary for the IELTS speaking test, from IELTS speaking topics to particular IELTS speaking questions. D-VIVID will handle all the details, so you can focus on getting ready for your IELTS test. So, get in touch with us right now.