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Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcastfor the second part of our look at getting the most out of your negotiations.
Today we’re going to tackle the actual negotiation. What should you be thinking about and saying when you’re sitting down at the table working on a deal? Important points to keep in mind include exercise restraint, don’t take things personally, look beyond money, make sure you get more than you give, and be willing to walk away.
Discussion Questions
1. What do you find the most stressful part of negotiating?
2. Do you think you are good at bargaining? Why or why not?
3. Think of your last negotiation. How successful were you?
Download: Podcast MP3
The Skills 360 podcast is now available in iTunes: Free Subscription
Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast for today’s lesson on getting the most out of your negotiations.
Negotiation is something we all have to do on some level. You might be part of a team discussing a huge contract, or on the phone trying to get a good deal on office supplies, or in your manager’s office asking for a raise. Negotiation happens every day. In fact, you might say that in business everything is negotiable.
Discussion Questions
1. In your job, what do you have to negotiate?
2. How do you usually prepare for a negotiation?
3. What do you think are the keys to successful negotiation?
Download: Podcast MP3
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on doing business at a trade show.
If you’ve ever worked or attended a trade show, you know that there are a lot of people and companies competing for attention. And you can stand there all day having casual conversations with people but never make a solid business connection, let alone sign a deal.
That’s why first you have to separate the good prospects from the bad. Then you have to make a connection with the good prospects and find out what they need. If you can manage that, then you’re on your way to closing a deal. And this is what we’ll be looking at today.
Closing a deal at a trade show requires a few essential steps. You need to show a customer that you are listening to them, build trust, and offer good solutions. Then you will be in a good position to ask the person to buy. These are all ideas that we’ll hear in today’s dialog.
We are going to rejoin Jenny, who works for a packing company called D-Pack. She is talking with Andrew, whose company is looking for a redesign of their packaging. Jenny has assessed Andrew’s needs and now wants to make a deal.
Listening Questions
1. What concerns does Andrew have?
2. What solution does Jenny offer?
3. What is Andrew’s final decision?
Download: Podcast MP3
This is the third lesson in our Business English Pod series on doing business at a trade show.
Trade shows are great opportunities for finding potential customers. And if you’ve got the right attitude and communication skills, you should be able to make some sales.
Now, if you’ve managed to make a connection with a strong lead and the person comes back for a second appointment, what do you do next? How do you know you’ve got a real buyer in front of you and not just someone fishing around for information? You can’t just let a prospect browse your catalog and ask you questions. You need to take charge and find out exactly what and who you’re dealing with.
Questioning skills are key. And this is what we’ll focus on today. We’ll start by looking at how to ask open-ended questions. Then we’ll get into asking about needs, buying authority, budgets, and timelines. If you can do this right, you’ll be in a great position to actually make a sale.
We’ll join Jenny, who works for a packaging company called D-Pack. She’s sitting down with a potential customer named Andrew who has returned for a chat about D-Pack’s products. Jenny is going to ask a lot of questions to assess what Andrew needs and how D-Pack can help.
Listening Questions
1. What does Andrew say his company’s needs?
2. Why does Jenny ask Andrew if he’s a purchasing manager?
3. When does Andrew’s company need the work done?
Download: Podcast MP3
