Confusing Business Idioms Explained: Circle Back vs. Follow Up and More!

Hey there! 👋🏼 If you’re confused about the difference between “circle back” and “follow up,” you aren’t the only one. In this blog, we'll explain commonly used business idioms that can be confusing and provide examples to help you use them confidently in your next meeting or email. Whether you're learning business English or just looking to brush up on your business lingo, this post is for you. Send us a note if you have any questions.

Business Idioms Explained

In the loop vs. Loop her in

• In the loop: Keeping someone informed and updated about ongoing matters.

• Loop (someone) in: Including someone in a conversation or email thread so they can be informed AND participate.

Example: 

In the loop: "Let's keep Jane in the loop about the project's progress so she's aware of any changes."

Loop her in: "I'll loop Sarah in on this email chain so she can provide her input on the marketing strategy."

Circle back vs. Follow up

• Circle back: Revisiting a previous topic or discussion with new information or a solution.

• Follow up: Taking additional steps or providing a summary after an initial discussion or meeting.

Example: 

Circle back: "I'll circle back to you with the updated figures after the meeting with finance."

Follow up: "I'll follow up with the team to ensure they complete their tasks by the end of the week."

Touch base vs. Ping

• Touch base: Briefly communicating with someone to check in or get an update.

• Ping: Sending a quick message or alert to get someone's attention or a response.

Example: 

Touch base: "Let's touch base tomorrow to review our presentation before the client meeting."

Ping: "I'll ping Tom to remind him about the deadline."

On the same page vs. Get buy-in

• On the same page: Ensuring everyone has the same understanding and agreement on a matter.

• Get buy-in: Obtaining agreement or support from stakeholders for a plan or idea

Example: 

On the same page: "Before we proceed, let's ensure we're all on the same page regarding the project's objectives."

Get buy-in: "We need to get buy-in from the senior management before we can move forward with the new initiative."

Leverage vs. Utilize

• Leverage: Using resources or relationships to maximum advantage.

• Utilize: Simply using or employing something.

Example: 

Leverage: "We should leverage our strong customer relationships to drive more sales."

Utilize: "We'll utilize the new software to streamline our processes."

Move the needle vs. Shift gears

• Move the needle: Making a significant impact or change.

• Shift gears: Changing focus or strategy to adapt to new circumstances.

Example:

Move the needle: "Our new advertising strategy needs to move the needle significantly to justify the investment."

Shift gears: "The market conditions have changed, so we'll need to shift gears and focus on cost-cutting measures."

Synergy vs. Alignment

• Synergy: The combined effect of a team or collaboration that is greater than the sum of individual efforts.

• Alignment: Ensuring that all parts of an organization or team are working towards the same goals and objectives.

Example:

Synergy: "The merger is expected to create synergy between the two companies, leading to greater innovation and efficiency."

Alignment: "We need to ensure there's alignment between our marketing and sales teams to achieve our revenue goals."

Boil the ocean vs. Deep dive

• Boil the ocean: Attempting to do something overly ambitious or impossible.

• Deep dive: Thoroughly exploring or investigating a specific topic or issue.

Example:

Boil the ocean: "Trying to revamp our entire IT infrastructure in one quarter is like trying to boil the ocean."

Deep dive: "Let's do a deep dive into last quarter's sales data to identify trends and opportunities."

Blue-sky thinking vs. Think outside the box

• Blue-sky thinking: Creative and unrestricted brainstorming, without considering practical constraints.

• Think outside the box: Finding innovative solutions by looking beyond conventional ideas.

Example:

Blue-sky thinking: "In our next brainstorming session, let's do some blue-sky thinking and not worry about feasibility just yet."

Think outside the box: "We need to think outside the box to come up with a unique marketing campaign that will capture our audience's attention."

Low-hanging fruit vs. Quick win

• Low-hanging fruit: Easily achievable tasks or goals that can be accomplished with minimal effort.

• Quick win: A straightforward success that can be achieved quickly and provides immediate benefits.

Example:

Low-hanging fruit: "We should address the low-hanging fruit first by fixing these minor bugs to improve user satisfaction quickly."

Quick win: "Implementing this feature request will be a quick win for our product and will immediately enhance the user experience."

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