In this Business English News lesson, we follow up on Facebook’s recent IPO.
After a long wait, and even more hype, Facebook joined NASDAQ on May 18th; although it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Zuckerberg and friends. After opening 30 minutes late, and climbing briefly from the opening price of $38 a share; reality set in.
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Welcome back to Business English Pod for this lesson on English idioms. Today we’re going to be talking about English idioms related to color.
What do I mean by ‘colorful idioms’? I mean expressions that either use the word ‘color’, or mention a specific color. English is full of these expressions. We have color idioms that describe people, moods, situations, activities, and frequency. We even have some that relate specifically to money and finances.
That’s right. Color is important in all parts of life, including business. Just ask your tailor. He might advise you to wear a dark blue suit to show authority, a grey suit to convey security, or a brown suit to show openness. So, just as you should pay attention to color in your clothes, you should be mindful of color in your speech.
In today’s lesson, we’ll continue with a conversation between Mike and Rachel. They’re talking about the possibility of Rachel changing positions, and her interview experience. In their conversation, you will notice that both Mike and Rachel use several business English idioms related to color. Make a note of these idioms, and we’ll go through the conversation again and look at what they mean.
Listening Questions
1. Why was Rachel embarrassed at her interview?
2. What did Rachel accomplish that Mike is impressed by?
3. What does Mike think Rachel should decide about the job offer?
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In this Business English Pod lesson we’re going to look at business English idioms related to colors.
Every culture attaches special meaning to different colors. But different cultures attach different meanings. Take the word “red” for example. In English, when we say “in the red,” we mean in debt or operating at a loss. But to Chinese, “red” indicates good luck or gains in the financial markets. So, in English it’s negative, but in Chinese it’s positive. It could be pretty easy to make a mistake, either in speaking or in understanding.
In English, we can find idioms related to almost any color. But two colors are more common than others: black and white. In most cases, black comes with a negative meaning and white comes with a positive meaning. In most cases, that is. In this series we will see one idiom using the word “black” that has a positive meaning.
In today’s lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Mike and Rachel, two colleagues at a large company. We will hear them casually discussing some of their recent experiences at work. And in their conversation, you will notice many idioms related to color. Try to keep a mental note of the idioms you hear, and we’ll go through them in the debrief to explain what they mean and how you can use them.
Listening Questions
1. What kind of mood was Mike in earlier in the day?
2. What did Dan do at a party?
3. What does Mike say is one positive outcome of the situation?
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This is the second part of our Business English Pod series on negotiating a contract.
So, you’ve found a company you want to work with and have agreed on the major points of the deal. Now it’s time to negotiate the ‘fine print’ or the details of the contract. Even if you’ve come to terms on price and payment, there may be a lot of costs or savings unaccounted for. A good warranty, for example, could save you a lot of money. The details may not break a deal, but you do need to negotiate them successfully so that the contract protects you and guarantees you certain benefits.
To do this, you’ll need to be comfortable with the language of contracts and the techniques used to talk about them. And that’s what we’ll be looking at today. We’ll learn how to ensure warranty terms, ask about response times, and talk about the bottom line in order to win concessions. We’ll also cover talking about renewal and agreeing to overall terms.
We are going to rejoin Sam and Larry, who are discussing a contract to lease a fleet of cars and vans. Larry, who represents the vehicle company, has drawn up a contract. He and Sam are discussing the details over the phone. You’ll hear Sam try to get the best deal possible for his company.
Listening Questions
1. Why does Sam want to ensure the terms of the warranty?
2. What does Larry offer to Sam free of charge?
3. How does Larry respond to Sam’s request for a renewal clause?
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In this Business English Pod lesson, we’re going to look at language for negotiating a contract.
As we’ll be discussing contracts, you might want to check out our Video Vocab lessons on contract law to refresh your memory.
A lot of business is done with a verbal agreement and a handshake. But it doesn’t take a lawyer to know that you’re usually better off having everything written down in a contract. Contracts protect both sides of the arrangement and spell out exactly who must do what and at what time and where.
If you’re familiar with contracts, you know that there are certain parts and clauses that are almost always included. But exactly how those are written can vary greatly from contract to contract. “The devil is in the details,” as the saying goes, which is a traditional way of saying that details are very important.
And when it comes to contract negotiations, you will have to focus on a lot of details. You might agree generally on what type of arrangement you want, but working out the finer points is crucial if you want a contract that works for you. Negotiating these fine points requires several key skills. Today we’ll cover highlighting concerns in a contract, seeking concessions, and citing previous arrangements to strengthen your position. We’ll also look at agreeing with hesitation to a concession as well as emphasizing the positive.
We will hear Sam negotiating a vehicle leasing contract with Larry, a leasing company rep. Sam wants to lease several cars and vans for his company. He and Larry have agreed on the major points and are now discussing the draft contract over the phone.
Listening Questions
1. Why does Sam mention that their account reps try to stay in close touch with customers?
2. What does Sam say about their last leasing situation?
3. What does Larry offer to do for Sam?
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Not long ago, learning was different. It occurred in a classroom furnished with just the basics – a chalkboard and chalk, textbooks, pen and paper, the students and the teacher. Now, thanks to mobile learning (or mLearning), we’re in the midst of a paradigm shift in the way people learn.
Do you think mobile learning is the future? We’d love to hear what kind of experiences you’ve had with mLearning. You can share your thoughts in the comments section below or answer the question poll on our Facebook page.
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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
