Study the following cases or find similar ones and prepare your own presentation:

 

https://businesscasestudies.co.uk/

htty://business-ethics.com/

https://www.mbaknol.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlJzonWQAVs Top 10 WORST YouTube Scandals Ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QepKsfmfSoTop 10 Biggest Corporate Scandals

Presentation on cases

Useful phrases to present the topic:

 

Business Ethics introduction.

I have chosen the company…

 I will research the code of ethical conduct for …

The results will include, key areas of the code of conduct that are of significance importance to the company.

There will also be an explanation of why these key areas are of importance to the company.

I will be concluding with three ways in … can engage in socially responsive activities in the community in which they operate.

Unit 5

Round Table

The “round table” serves as a platform for the discussion of developments.

 The purpose of the round table is to reveal a wide range of opinions on the topic “Ethics of business communication” from different points of view and to collect all ideas into a complete picture of the topic.

The task of the round table is to mobilize and activate all the participants to speak on the topic, present their creative approaches to the presentations and demonstrate skills in a foreign language.

The organization and conduct of the round table should be held in three stages: preparatory stage, discussion and final stage.

 

Stage I

Search the publications and videos on a selected topic on the Internet.

Prepare your own presentation on a specific issue.

Choose a moderator in your group (it might be the student who possesses both communicative and organizational skills) to prepare and lead a round table.

Students choose one issue of the theme “Business Ethics” and inform the moderator of their messages in advance.

Moderator prepares the plan and the script for the event.

Set the schedule of speeches (message no more than 2 minutes).

Before the event the appropriate design of the classroom is provided - posters with a set of keywords and expressions in a foreign language are prepared for our round table.

In order to communicate "face to face", the tables make a circle. This arrangement of the tables contributes to group communication, maximum perception of each other's speech and involvement in the discussion.

Be sure that technical means are provided for viewing presentations.

 

Discussion

A brief introductory speech by a moderator (the topic of the Round Table is announced, its definition is given, and the range of issues within it is given).

Reports and presentations of participants.

Discussion. Questions and comments by the participants.

Moderator's final speech for conclusion.

 

Discussion:

At the discussion stage in the class, the roundtable participants first speak in a certain leading order, using convincing facts, case studies and illustrative material or an electronic presentation,and then proceed to discuss the presentations.

 

Although the topic “Ethics of business communication” is interdisciplinary in nature, it focuses on issues related to the chosen profession. The examples and analysis of real situations that arise in real companies should be presented. Following the principles of caring for the environment, social welfare of the community, ethics in commerce and attitude towards the consumer, companies attract future university graduates.

 

Summing up the discussion on the topic of “Ethics of business communication”, the moderator invites participants to talk about their professional plans and tell about the professionals they would contact to and establish their business relationships with, having got a certain job in a company and thus applying the rules of business ethics in practice.

 

In conclusion, the moderator thanks the participants for the preparation and active participation in the round table.

 

Evaluating the event:

What issues have been covered?

Who was the most active?

 

As a checking task, students are asked to write an essay in a foreign language (350 words).

 

Appendix

Unit 1

I

Hiring and Firing.

Task:

Listen to the series of dialogues and indicate how the company shows its polite and positive attitude towards the candidates https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/business-and-work

1. Why Phillip Hart is angry with Brian?

2. Why is Brian fired?

3. What is Marcia`s position?

4. In what way have Marcia and Phillip decided to choose the candidates?

5. What stages of the interview process does Marcia mention?

6. Why has Daniel appeared to be a supreme example of a bad interviewee?

7. Is its necessary to negotiate on some of the details in one`s contract?

8. What do you think of this video content?

9. Do you have to make presentations?

10. Do you have any tips for people who have to make presentations?

II

Writing a CV

Task:

Read and role-play the dialogue.

Interviewer: Learn English Professionals is talking to John Woodrow, who works in the Human Resources department of a large UK-based company. John, tell us about your work...

John: I work on recruitment, especially – so I’m the person who reads the hundreds of CVs we get sent each year!

Interviewer: Do you accept CVs as part of your recruitment process?

John: When we advertise for a particular post, we send out our own application form, which is tailored to our company, and we can use it to make sure we find exactly what we’re looking for...

Interviewer: So a CV is useless?

John: No! Not at all – we’re happy to accept CVs from people even when we’re not recruiting. That way we can build up a database of possible candidates, and as our company is always changing – we’re very flexible in our needs right now (laughs) – it’s good to know what kind of people are out there. We do keep everything on file, and will get back to people who look promising.

Interviewer: So we should be sending you our CVs?

John: Yes, absolutely, yes!

Interviewer: What advice can you give us on writing a CV?

John: Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it relevant. Anything longer than three pages will automatically go into the bin. Just tell us what we need to know. Make sure it’s clearly written – and that there are no spelling mistakes on it! And no fancy fonts...or photographs. We don’t need to know what people look like, just what they’ve done, and what they’re capable of...

Interviewer: So we’re going to look at a couple of CVs now...

John: Yes – these are a couple that arrived just this morning, so let’s take a look...(sound of paper unfolding)...ok, I can see straight away that we have a good one and a bad one here...

Interviewer: (laughs) How can you tell so soon?

John: Well, as I just said, this one here is...how many...one, two, three, four pages long, it’s written in tiny type, I can hardly read it...and, wait, yes, there’s a photograph attached to the front!

Interviewer: Too much information?

John: Yes...just leafing through it, I can see he’s written about where he went to primary school – that’s just not relevant...

Interviewer: What kind of educational background should be included?

John: Perhaps your high school, but it’s mostly further education we’re interested in, university or college, then any professional qualifications you may have, as well as work experience of course...

Interviewer: That’s important?

John: Oh yes – placements or internships all count!

Interviewer: What about personal information?

John: A bit is necessary...but look, this guy has written he was a member of the stamp collecting society in secondary school...! Not interested...

Interviewer: What about the other CV?

John: Ok, again, I can see right away this looks more promising...only two and a half pages, lots of space on the page, easy to read, well-organised. Hmmm, a couple of impressive looking references, that’s good. And, yes, they’ve included language skills – very important...

Interviewer: What languages are you looking for?

John: Well, English, obviously – as we’re a UK-based company and English is still the language of global business, and then, well, anything really – Spanish is useful, Russian, Mandarin Chinese too...

Interviewer: Ok, we’ll get studying! Thanks John!

 

Comprehension task 1

Decide if the following statements are true or false

 

1. Part of John Woodrow’s job is deciding which new people his company will employ.

2. Woodrow reads hundreds of CVs every month.

3. His company does not accept CVs.

4. Woodrow’s company keeps lists of potential employees on a computer.

5. Woodrow will ignore a CV which is too long.

6. He thinks the first CV he looks at is too short.

7. One problem with the first CV is that it includes irrelevant information.

8. Woodrow suggests that placements are not important when describing your experience.

9. The second CV has too much space on it.

10. The second CV includes information about the languages the person can speak.

11. Woodrow is only interested in people who can speak Spanish.

 

Language Task 2

Pronunciation of weak forms in connected speech.

Read the dialogue again and complete the text by writing the missing words into the gaps below.

1. John, ____________ about your work.

2. It’s good to know what ____________ people are out there.

3. What advice ____________ give us on writing a CV?

4. Anything longer ____________ pages will automatically go into the bin.

5. Make sure it’s clearly written and ____________ no spelling mistakes in it.

6. We don’t need ____________ what people look like.

7. We’re ____________ a couple of CVs now.

Language Task 3

Match the words to their definitions.

WORDS	DEFINITIONS
1. recruitment	a. A person who is competing to get a job
2. CV	b. The process of finding people to work for a company or become a new member of an organization
3. post	c. Able to change or be changed easily according to the situation
4. database	d. A document that describes your qualifications and working history to support a job application
5. candidate	e. A computer system that stores lots or information
6. flexible	f. Connected with what is happening or being discussed
7. relevant	g. A person who knows you can say why you are suitable for a job
8. reference	h. A job in a company or organization

 

 

III

 

Motivation at work

Task:

Read and role-play the dialogue.

Interviewer: How important is motivation for a manager?

Professor Oh, motivation is extremely important I'd say it’s the most important aspect of a manager's job. A manager’s job is to get the job done, whatever that job might be. So, a manager has to motivate the workers, both as a team and also on an individual basis. Without motivation, the job just won't get done.

Interviewer So how do managers go about doing this? It doesn’t sound very easy.

Professor No, it is a complicated issue. But managers have special tools. They are trained to use them to boost motivation and increase production to a maximum.

Interviewer: Tools?

Professor Yes, tools like praise, approval and recognition. And then there is trust and expectation. They are all important for workers.

Interviewer And money? What about money?

Professor Yes, money is a factor but you might be surprised to learn that it comes out last on the list of these tools that we are talking about.

Interviewer So, what comes before money? What sort of things are more important for workers?

Professor Well, all of the things that I have already mentioned, and then job enrichment and good communication between the workers and the bosses.

Interviewer And have you got any examples of real life situations to back upyour claims?                  

Professor One good example is the firm Western Electric. When managers started taking an interest in their workers, there was a huge increase in production They started to talk to the workers and encouraged them to get involved in decision-making. Workers began to feel that their contributions were important. And it paid off.

Interviewer Productivity increased?

Professor Yes, hugely. The Swedish company Kochums is another example. The company was on the verge of collapse when managers decided to try a change in motivation practice.

Interviewer What did they do?

Professor: Well, basically it was a change in attitude towards their workers. Managers decided tostop giving orders and to try persuading them instead.

Interviewer And it worked?

Professor Absolutely. In just ten years they managed to turn a 15 million dollar loss into a 100 million dollar profit.

Interviewer So, let's get this straight Are you saying that workers are not interested in earning more money?

Professor I’m saying they're not just interested in money. It is important of course. We need to enjoy a certain standard of living. But, as I mentioned before, there are other things that are just as important: praise, approval, recognition, trust and expectation, job enrichment and good communication.

Comprehension task 1

Decide if the following statements are true or false

1. The most important thing for a manager is motivation.

2. Managers find motivation easy because they are trained.

3. Money is the most important factor for workers.

4. Workers at Western Electric increased productivity after management started to include them in decision-making.

5. The company Kochums changed from being a failing company to a successful one after changing their motivation practice.

 

Language Task 2

Fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions.

1. the most important aspect ____ a manager’s job

2. a manager has to motivate the workers, both as a team and also ____ an individual basis

3. increase production ____ a maximum

4. it comes ____ last on the list

5. communication ____ the workers and bosses

6. they are all important ____ workers

7. it was a change ____ attitude

8. they turned a loss ____ a profit

9. they’re not just interested ____ money

10. enjoy a certain standard ____ living

 

Language Task 3

Match the words and phrases to their definitions.

WORDS	DEFINITIONS
1. motivation	a. admiration and respect for your achievements
2. boost	b. something that helps produce or achieve something
3. approval	c. the need or reason for doing something
4. recognition	d. a fact or situation which influences the result of something
5. factor	e. money earned after costs deducted
6. enrichment	f. improving something by adding something else
7. contribution	g. to improve the amount or quality of something
8. a profit	h. when you have a positive opinion of someone or something

Links to the Internet:

https://www.businessballs.com/team-management/job-descriptions-2041

https://www.businessballs.com/team-management/writing-a-reference-letter-103/

https://www.resumeok.com/how-to-get-a-job/

How to behave in an interview? - http://thegatewayonline.com/careers/application-advice/how-to-behave-in-an-interview

How to get a job? - https://www.resumeok.com/how-to-get-a-job/

https://www.resumeok.com/how-to-get-a-job/

Unit 2

I

A letter of complaint

 

Task:

Look at this letter of complaint and put the paragraphs in the correct order.

A Please find attached a copy of the receipt for this product, which shows that the clock had in fact been purchased three days prior to the sales. I would like a foil refund on my purchase as well as an apology for the low level of customer service which I received.

B Dear Mr Best

C Fred Smith

D I am writing to complain about the poor level of customer service received when I went to your shop to return an alarm clock. This clock (the Electron ACC7) was purchased on the 16th March 2006 from your Swansea branch.

E I hope to hear from you within the next ten days, if not I shall be taking this matter further.

F Yours sincerely,

G You may either contact me by phone or at the address above.

H When I switched the radio on it would not work. I checked that the correct batteries were inserted however it still would not work. I therefore took the item back to your store. I had to wait in a queue for thirty minutes to see someone in your customer services department and then I was told that as this was a sale product it was nonrefundable. The sales assistant just assumed that I had bought the product in the sale, and did not even ask to see any evidence of when the clock was bought.

II

Telephoning

Task 1.

Translate these dialogues into English.

A.

 - Здравствуйте, меня зовут Эдвард Грин. Я хотел бы поговорить с господином Смитом. 

- Извините, но г-на Смита сейчас нет.

- Хорошо. Я перезвоню. Можно связаться с г-ном Смитом по прямой телефонной линии?

- Простите, но его номер не разглашается.

- Хорошо. Спасибо.

 

B.

- Доброе утро. Будьте добры Фила.

- Простите, а кто его спрашивает?

- Дон Брэдли из «Байбери Системс»

- Господин Брэдли, боюсь Фила сейчас нет в офисе. Мне ему что-нибудь передать или вы позвоните по его радиотелефону?

- Я попробую позвонить по его радиотелефону. Могу я узнать номер?

- 0802 54377

- Разрешите я повторю для контроля.

 

C.

- Алло, офис господина Смита.

- Здравствуйте, меня зовут Эдвард Грин, я из «Байбери системс». Я уже звонил вам. Я хотел бы поговорить с г-ном Смитом.

- Боюсь, что г-на Смита сейчас нет в офисе. Могу я спросить по какому вопросу вы звоните?

- Это очень важно. Я представляю «Байбери Системс». У нас есть новое изделие, и я бы хотел, чтобы г-н Смит увидел его.

- Пожалуйста, вышлите технические характеристики изделия по почте.

- Я бы хотел, чтобы г-н Смит увидел изделие, и я бы хотел поговорить с ним непосредственно. Когда удобнее перезвонить?

- Попробуйте позвонить сегодня во второй половине дня.

- Спасибо. До свидания.

 

Task 2.

On your own. Make up dialogues based on the following situations.

1. You call your boss’ secretary and ask her permission to speak to the boss.

2. You call you friend but get the wrong number.

3. You call your business partner but he’s not available and you leave a massage for him.

III

Making Appointments

Task 1.

Match the words and phrases to their Russian equivalents.

 

1. to set up (time, meeting)	a) убедиться, проследить
2. to arrange (a meeting)	b) уложитьсявсрок
3. to check	c) назначенная встреча
4. to make sure	d) запуск в производство
5. to be some minutes late for	e) организовывать встречу
6. an appointment	f) адаптироваться к разнице во времени
7. to miss	g) работать по графику
8. launch	h) устанавливать (время),назначать встречу
9. to be on schedule	i) пропустить, не успеть
10. to meet the deadline	j) проверять
11. tobejetlagged	k) опаздать на несколько минут

 

Task 2.

Translate these dialogues into English

 

- У тебя есть свободная минутка?

- В чем дело?

- У меня проблема. Я пытаюсь организовать встречу с мистером Смитом. Он будет в Москве в течение трех дней: 4,5 и.6 декабря. Но свободен он будет только 4 и 5, то есть в среду и четверг. Борисов будет в Петербурге в четверг, а Иванов не может в среду утром. У тебя и у Алексеева встречи в среду во второй половине дня. Что мне делать?

- Назначь встречу на вечер.

- Нет. Секретарь господина Смита говорит, что у него деловые обеды 4-го и 5го.

- Вечером в среду?

- Господин Смит прилетает в аэропорт в 9 утра в среду, а полет длится 9 часов. Вечер в понедельник не самое лучшее время для совещания. Он будет адаптироваться к разнице во времени.

- Тогда мне придется изменить свои планы. Могу я взглянуть на мое расписание? Отмени нашу встречу с господином Вороновым в девять часов. Перенеси ее на половину девятого 6-го числа. - Ты же даешь обед 6-го.

- На 8.30 утра, а не вечера.

- У тебя будет напряженный день. 

 

Task 3.

On your own. Make up dialogues based on the following situations.

 

1. Arrange a meeting for your boss and his foreign partner. Remember that both of them are very busy. 2. Try to settle a meeting with the dean who’s not very eager to speak to you.

3. Rearrange the meeting with your business partner set up before. Make excuses and find important reasons for changing the appointment.

IV

Receiving Visitors

 

Task 1.

Study and memorize these words. Make up 10-15 sentences using these vocabulary units.

displayunit - выставочный экспонат

roughdesign - черновой вариант

tomakeanimpact - произвести впечатление

tolookexciting - быть привлекательным

toemploypeople - нанимать на работу

full-timeemployees - постоянные рабочие

casualemployees - временные рабочие

staff - штат

to look forward to - ждать с нетерпением

to be delayed - быть отложенным

to get down to business - перейти к обсуждению дела

to interrupt - прерывать

to confirm - подтверждать

tocancel - отменять

reservations - бронь (на номер в гостинице)

todoone’sbest - делать все возможное

worth-wile - ценный, полезный 

seniormanager - начальник отдела

V

Making Travel Arrangements

Task 2.

Study and memorize these words. Make up 10 sentences using these vocabulary units.

to schedule - планировать

at no extra change - без доплаты

toconfirm - подтверждать

atsmb’sexpense - за чей-либо счет

anenquiry - запрос, требование

fireaway - Давай! Валяй!

check-intime - время регистрации

chargecard - платежная карточка

tohireacar - нанятьмашину

driver’slicense - водительские права    

tolaunch - запускать в производство

artwork - художественное оформление

packaginganddisplaymaterial - упаковочный и выставочный материал

upgradetoFirstClass - перевести в первый класс

extra (day, time) - дополнительный (день, время)

 

Task 3.

Make up and role-play a dialogue using the vocabulary units from Tasks 1 and 2.

VI

Staying at a Hotel

Task 1

Translate the following words into English.

Забронировать номер в гостинице, заказать комнату на одну ночь, заполнить бланк-анкету, заказать газету, подавать обед, выписаться из гостиницы, счет.

 

Task 2

Answer the questions.

1. Have you ever stayed at a hotel?

2. Do you like staying at hotels? (Would you like to stay there?) Why?

3. How long have you stayed there? (would you like to stay there?)

4. What room did you have? (would you like to have?)

5. Did you feel comfortable? (What would you need to feel comfortable?)

6. Where did you have your meals? (would you like to have your meals?)

7. Were the hotel employees polite with you?

8. Did you have any conflicts or confusions with the hotel administration?

 

Task 3

Role-play the situation with a partner.

You reserved a room in a hotel in advance. But when you arrived there they did not find the record of the booking. The only room they could offer was a suit (номер «люкс») which was very expensive. What would you do?

 

VII

BUSINESS LETTERS

 

Dynamic business environment requires information and ideas to be expressed in a clear and comprehensible way. The person who has this skill is a vital part of any business organization. This means that a solid command of the English language continues to be a highly marketable skill in today’s workplace. This skill is not only something valuable and marketable, but also attainable.

Business letter is one which appears well, is written well and communicated well. It includes several parts and the parts are arranged in sequence to make it meaningful. Arranging various parts in proper sequence in letter is called the structure of business letter.

Heading

Heading is used to convey a positive image of the company. It includes the company’s address, phone and email. It is not necessary to include that information again in the body of the letter. Sometimes the writer will provide a direct phone number or personal email address if the action statement calls for direct communication.Two spaces below the date are the full name, position and business address of the person to whom the letter is addressed. If several people are receiving the letter, all their names and addresses should appear. The address on the letter should be the same as the address on the envelope. As with the date, there can be legal consequences from inaccuracies. The address on the letter is presumed to be the one to which the letter is actually sent. If it is incomplete or inaccurate, a recipient can make the case that the letter was mailed to the incorrect address as well.

Date

Full date must be included in the letter. The date can be any agreement being made. Business letter is a formal document, often used in contract situations, so the date can be extremely important. The letter is usually dated the same day on which it is mailed, but whatever agreements are included in the letter are considered effective as of the date of the letter. There are some differences in style between letters written in American English and British English. For example, the way of writing dates is different (in Britain the order is day, month, year, e.g. 01/02/2016 or 1 Feb 2016 or 1st February 2016; in the US the order is month, day, year, e.g. 02/01/2016 or Feb 1 2016 or February 1st 2016).

Opening Salutation

In order to choose the right salutation for writing a business letter, one has to take into consideration quite a few things, including the seniority of the person being addressed and the relationship they share. If the two are on good terms, even the use of first name would not be a problem; if not, that might come across as a bit rude. Personal details, like educational background, gender, and marital status of the person, also have to be taken into consideration when addressing him. Discussed below are salutation etiquette that you need to follow when writing a formal business letter.

Salutation for Business LettersBy far the most widely used method of opening a business letter is with 'Dear', followed by name, or title, and a colon or a comma. Dear Mr. Rogers: Dear Mrs. Williams: Dear Ms. Martins: Dear Raymond Brown, Dear Raymond: (Only if you know the person well) The word 'Dear' often comes across as professional, yet informal. Many people question its use in business letters; business relationships may not always be on good terms. Business communication should ideally begin on a positive note. Proper salutation contributes to it. The name used in salutations is most often the one that is used in inside address, i.e., the recipient's address. When writing to some organization, it is always better to address the letter to a particular individual in that organization. If you have any queries, like whom you should address or the person's designation, you should contact the concerned office and get them cleared in the very beginning. Researching in advance is a must; it doesn't just save you the embarrassment, but also ensures that you don't end up offending the other person. As for punctuation, in American English, a colon (:) is used after the name. In British English, a comma (,) is used instead. The practice of using only the first name without any comma or colon is quite popular when it comes to informal letters, but in formal letters even these punctuation marks are of great importance.

Body

Context Paragraph

The first paragraph of the letter will define the context, providing a clear statement of the letter’s topic and purpose. Avoid starting a letter with flowery language that doesn’t explain what the letter is about. In social letters it is appropriate to begin a letter with a question about the family or a comment about recent weather or world events. U.S. business people, however, generally prefer to find out right away why the letter has been written.

Content Paragraphs

The typical letter uses one to three paragraphs to provide the information relevant to its purpose. Each paragraph should cover a single topic or point. In the case of a long letter that covers multiple pages, it is appropriate to break the information into sections with internal headers or bullets to provide clarity.

Action Paragraph

The final paragraph of the letter provides a clear, straightforward statement of the action that will be taken be the writer, requested of the reader, or expected by a third party.

Closing

Two spaces below the final paragraph of the letter, a traditional closing line, generally “Sincerely,”, “Sincerely Yours,” or “Respectfully,” ends the letter. If the situation calls for a warmer tone, the closing might be “Cordially,” or “Regards,” For a friend or close colleague, "Best Wishes" or "Best Regards" are both appropriate. “Faithfully” is usually used when we don’t know the name of our addressee.

Signature

A four-line space allows room for a written signature immediately below the closing, then the sender’s full name is typed, with the full business title (sometimes with the department or division as well) on the next line. The signature on a business letter signifies that the writer is taking responsibility for fulfilling any commitments being made. Thus, even when the sender and recipient know each other well, a full signature is used. When writing on behalf of a team or department, type the group’s proper name immediately above the written signature of the team’s representative. The term per pro is sometimes used in signatures and means on behalf of.

Postscript Information

Following the closing, business letters should contain appropriate postscript information such as disclosure of copies. A "cc:" signifies that the letter was also forwarded to additional parties. The postscript is also the proper location for notation of enclosed material in a business letter. Accompanying documents should be referenced as included items after the closing signature, with the number and nature of the enclosures standard in a business letter.

Sincerely Yours,

Jane Duke

 

p.p. Anna Smith,

General Manager

 

cc: John Bell

Enclosure: 1. Brochure (1 copy)

2. Price list (2 copies)

 

VIII

CONDUCTING NEGOTIATIONS

Trade negotiations are well-known for their epic eleventh-hour negotiating sessions, where individual nations argue for what they see as their specific interests and horse-trade furiously. Countries argue for protection of their strategic industries, ones they consider vital to future prosperity such as the electronics industry in the developed world. A less developed country beginning car assembly might want to protect it as an infant industry with quotas, restrictions on numbers of imported cars. European farmers argue for their subsidies, where governments guarantee farmers a higher price than they would normally get, making it hard for developing nations to compete in markets for agricultural products.

One major concern in international trade between smaller companies is payment. The exporter wants to be sure about getting paid and the importer wants to be sure of getting the goods. A common solution is the letter of credit, where a bank guarantees payment to the exporter’s bank once it receives the related shipping documents, including the clean bills of lading, showing the goods have been shipped without damage or other problems. Shipping terms like CIF, or Carriage insurance freight, where the exporter pays for insurance of goods while they are being transported, are part of the standard Incoterms defined by the International Chamber of Commerce. These terms are used in standard contracts that form the basis, with adaptations, for most international trade contracts.

 

Negotiating techniques

Kevin Warren, Executive Vice President of Coca-Cola (UK), explains that he always has a clear expectation of what he expects to achieve, and he guesses he would like to always win. He applies sort of mnemonic L-I-M and that stands for:

- L – like. We would like to win the business there and then, in the negotiations on that day.

- I – intend. We must (i.e. intend to do) leave that group thinking we are a very professional and competent outfit who can best meet their needs.

- M – must. We must have done enough to keep the dialogue open and ensure that our competitor didn’t win the business on that day.

 

Task 1.

Read Karen Warren’s explanation of his favourite tips for conducting negotiations effectively and name them.

“ I think everybody has their own tips. But these are things that have worked for myself and the people I've worked with, and it’s more around avoiding classic errors. And I guess the first one is to identify who the decision maker is. I’ve lost count of the occasions at every level, from first-line salesman through to board director, board to board negotiations, where I’ve seen fantastic presentations, superb dialogue and the person that’s been sitting across the table, so to speak, is not the decision maker. So that’s the first tip, make sure you know who you’re talking to.

The second one is that all salesmen, if they’re good salesmen, tend to be very enthusiastic about what they’re selling. That could be a product or a service, or even a social occasion, but it’s all selling at the end of the day. And in their enthusiasm, they focus on their need, rather than the buyer’s need. So, for example, in our own case I’ve seen on many, many occasions people basically go straight to the point - we’re here to sell you Coca-Cola, it’s the world’s number one brand, you must want it. What they haven’t done is establish the buyer’s need. So, for example, the buyer’s need may be in a grocery store that they want to supply the world’s number one brand to encourage consumers to come in and purchase their range of products. The manager of a ball bearing factory might want a vending machine because if he supplies a free, or discounted refreshment service it keeps his union employees happy. So, the important thing is to understand the buyer’s need. Now, it’s not impossible to sell without establishing that need. But it tends to mean you’ll never have a long-term relationship. So, for example, again the workplace example, I could come in, bang, sell you a Coca-Cola vending machine, pay you maybe a small royalty. Because I never established your need, if another softdrinks supplier walks through the door and just offers you more money, you will probably switch. Whereas ifwe’d established the fact that all you were interested in was offering a service and you Wanted it to be as hassle free as possible, we could have tailored our offering. So, I think that’s very important. My favourite one, and I’m probably in danger of doing it myself now; is once you’ve made the sale, shut up. I think it’s very important: close the sale, reinforce the buyer’s decision - everybody likes to feel they’ve made a good decision - and then leave.”

Task 2.

Match the phrases on the left with the more diplomatic phrases on the right.

 

1. We must talk about price first,	a) Your price seems rather high.
2. There’s no way we can give you any credit.	b) Unfortunately, I can’t lower my price.
3. I want a discount.	c) I wonder if you could alter the specifications.
4. I won’t lower my price.	d) I think we should talk about the price first.
5. Can you alter the specifications?	e) I’m afraid, we can’t give you any credit.
6. Your price is far too high.	f) Can you possibly give me a discount?

Task 3.

In his book “ The Art of Winning ”, Harry Mills says that most negotiations have seven stages. These are listed below, but are in the wrong order. Put the stages in order. What word do the initial letters of the stages spell?

• Tie up loose ends Confirm what has been agreed. Summarise the details on paper.	• Probe with proposals Make suggestions and find areas of agreement.
• Explore each other's needs Build rapport. State your opening position. Learn the other side's position.	• Close the deal Bring the negotiation to a clear and satisfactory end.
• Ready yourself Prepare your objectives, concessions and strategy. Gather information about the other side.	• Signal for movement Signal that you are prepared to move from your original position. Respond to signals from the other side.
	• Exchange concessions Give the other side something in return for something you need or want.

Task 4.

Role-play the negotiation below between a shop owner and a chocolate manufacturer. Be diplomatic.

SHOP OWNER	CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURER
• You want to order 50 boxes of deluxe chocolates at the quoted price. • Youwant a 20% discount. • Youwant 30 days’ credit. • You want delivery in two weeks.	• You get a bonus if the order is over 100 boxes. • You don’t give a discount for orders of less than 100 boxes. • You want payment on delivery. • You can deliver in three weeks

Useful language

Diplomatically giving bad news I’m sorry, we weren’t able to agree on this. I’m afraid your price is rather high.

Using speculative language It would probably arrive late. It could be a problem. It may be difficult to deliver. We might not be able to do that.

Using a past form to express disappointment We were hoping for... We were expecting...

Unit 3