Welcome back to 925 English for another lesson on English phrasal verbs. In today’s lesson we’re going to look at phrasal verbs using the verb “drop.”
As you may already know, a phrasal verb is an expression with a verb and a preposition. For example, we say “turn on” and “turn off” a light or computer. From these common examples, you can see that one verb might combine with different prepositions to make different meanings. And in this lesson, we’ll look at how different prepositions combine with the verb “drop” to form some common expressions.
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on pricing strategy. This is the second of a pair of lessons on project management English and scoping new work for a client.
Every project is its own animal. Sure, you might run different projects with similar tools and approaches, or apply standard processes. But with different clients, at different times, and with even small differences in inputs, each project is different. And that means pricing is different.
Once you’ve talked with a client to clarify and nail down the project scope, what happens next? Well, the client will want something on paper – whether that’s a full-blown proposal and bid or a simple quotation. And one of the most important things they’ll be looking at is price. So as a team, you need to figure out a strategy to bid on each project.
Your pricing strategy is going to depend on a few things. First off, it’s going to depend on your capacity and the client’s perception of value. Then you’ll have to figure out your bid strategy, which may work upward from a minimum viable product. Or you may take a different approach like hourly pricing. And there are always intangibles you need to take into account when deciding how to price your bid.
In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Jill and Martin, who work for a software development company. They are working out a pricing strategy for a project that Jill has already scoped. They’re trying to figure out the right approach for the two options they’re proposing to the client.
Listening Questions
1. What is the first concern Jill expresses during the conversation?
2. How will they direct the client toward their alternative approach?
3. How will the client’s timeline affect their pricing strategy?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on how to scope a project. This is the first of a pair of lessons on project management English and scoping new work for a client.
So what does it mean to “scope” a project? We use this word “scope” to describe what’s included and what’s not included in a project or agreement. So when we “scope” something, we’re asking questions and trying to understand what’s involved in a project.
There are many obvious questions you might ask when scoping new work. But you’ll likely find yourself having to educate the client about technical issues and costs. You may have to dig deep into assumptions and address client concerns. And you may have to present different solutions for the client to consider. In this way, scoping isn’t just about asking for simple project details. It’s both factual and relational.
In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to Jill, a software developer, talk with Ivan. Ivan works for a large retailer that wants to make significant changes to their HR software. Jill is asking questions to try to understand the company’s wants and needs so she can scope the project and put together a proposal.
Listening Questions
1. What does Jill believe Ivan is suggesting about their current approach?
2. What does Jill say about the cost of what Ivan is asking for?
3. At the end of the conversation, what does Ivan ask Jill to include in her proposal?
Consumers around the world are feeling the pinch as inflation bites. And it’s not just at the grocery store. Prices are going up across the board. A key factor driving this rampant inflation is the cost of energy, which impacts all industries and translates into even higher prices for the average consumer.
A global surge in wholesale power and gas prices means households across Europe face higher energy bills this year and beyond. In the worst-case scenario, many of the region’s most vulnerable are facing fuel poverty according to consumer groups. Prices started to rise above historical levels last September and have soared further this year.
Welcome back to 925 English for another lesson on English phrasal verbs. In today’s lesson we’re going to look at phrasal verbs for investigating.
In case you forgot, a phrasal verb is an expression with a verb and a preposition. You hear them used all the time by English speakers. In fact I just used one: “to look at,” meaning to examine something. And in this lesson, we’ll be looking at other phrasal verbs related to investigating or examining an idea or situation. Later, you can check out some of our other lessons on phrasal verbs.
