This is part of an ongoing series on negotiations. في حلقة بودكاست الإنجليزية للأعمال, we’ll study how to open a traditional commercial negotiation between buyer and seller. We’ll focus on creating goodwill, الانطلاق, setting ground rules, suggesting an agenda and exploring possibilities.

We’ll be listening to a telephone conversation between Tony, a supplier of building materials, وبولس, a purchasing manager for a large construction company in Canada. Paul is buying materials for a harbor project. A harbor is a protected area of water where boats dock, or park. For this project, Paul needs to buy anchor bolts. These bolts are the thick steel screws that are embedded or buried in concrete to support or anchor structural steel columns. Structural columns refer to the steel frameworks that hold buildings up.

This is the first time Tony and Paul have talked on the phone. كما يمكنك الاستماع, pay attention to the language they use to get the negotiation started, ومحاولة الإجابة على الأسئلة التالية.

أسئلة الاستماع

1. How does Tony begin off the phone call to establish goodwill?
2. How long does Paul say he has available for the phone call?
3. Paul asks Tony how he will be using the bolts. How does Tony respond?
4. What other option does Paul want to explore with Tony?

Download: Podcast MP3

This Business English Podcast episode on relationship building is part of an ongoing series on negotiation skills.

In negotiation, establishing a good relationship based on trust makes it possible to jointly search for creative solutions, to overcome blockage and even to turn conflict into a productive force.

Both Peter and Maxine are owners of local telecommunication services that provide mobile phone users with ring tones and games. Peter’s company, نصي, has a significant presence in Denmark; في أثناء, Maxine’s company, مقامر, is based in northern Germany.

Peter is working on a plan to sell his business to a large, European-wide telecom service provider. In an effort to increase his company’s value so that he can get more money for it, Peter wants to roll up or buy other local services like his. In today’s listening, he is having lunch with Maxine to find out whether she might be interested in selling her company. كما يبدأ الحوار, they have just ordered their food.

أسئلة الاستماع

1) Have Peter and Maxine met before?
2) What does Peter say is his and Maxine’s “biggest overlapping concern?”
3) How does Peter bring up the subject of a possible merger between his and Maxine’s company?

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This is the second in a two-part advanced business English lesson on negotiation strategy. It is part of a longer series of podcasts on the language and skills of negotiating in English.

في الحلقة الأولى, management consultant Bryan Fields discussed the basics of making a deal. We learned how to avoid some top common mistakes and we reviewed important vocabulary, such as BATNA, bottom line, bargaining chip, win-win, and zone of possible agreement.

Today’s podcast continues the interview with Bryan. في مربع الحوار, we’ll learn five important elements of strategy – حفلات, interests, value, power and ethics. And along the way we’ll study useful vocabulary and idioms.

أسئلة الاستماع

1) What is the interviewer talking about when he refers to a “trap?”
2) How does Bryan say we should think about interests?
3) In the interview, we learn that overcoming blockage – هذا هو, getting past problems – is not just about reaching the agreement but also about maximizing what?

Download: Podcast MP3