Some 38 per cent of owner-managers spend over 45 minutes a day in long-winded conversations with suppliers, customers, colleagues and partners, finds a survey

Some 38 per cent of owner-managers spend over 45 minutes a day in long-winded conversations with suppliers, customers, colleagues and partners, finds a survey.

A majority (86 per cent) of 2,000 UK business owners polled by T-Mobile say they waste time every day talking to people who do not get to the point.

Long-winded conversations cost business owners almost three million working hours a week, the research estimates.

‘At the end of the day’, ‘blue sky thinking’ and ‘out of the box’ are some of the most hated phrases used by business people.

Almost three quarters of respondents, or 74 per cent, admit switching off five minutes into a business discussion if the person is not getting straight to the point.

Business owners in Newcastle have the least patience, with 78 per cent switching off after five minutes or less if they feel someone is waffling.