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BEP 207 – Trade Show English 4: Closing a Deal

Business English, Marketing English, Sales English /

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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BEP 206 – Trade Show English 3: Meeting with a Prospect

Business English, Marketing English, Sales English /

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?

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VV 29 – Financial English Vocabulary: Bonds (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Video, Finance and Accounting /
YouTube video

Previously, we looked at some of the main ideas and vocabulary for bonds, including such terms as yield, coupon, and maturity. In this financial English lesson, we’ll look at the different types of bonds. And we’ll explain some of the key terms related to how bonds are priced and traded.

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VV 28 – Financial English Vocabulary: Bonds (1)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Video, Finance and Accounting /

Bonds have been a hot topic in the news recently. But what exactly are bonds and how do they work?

YouTube video

In this financial English lesson, we’ll explain some of the main ideas and vocabulary, starting with key terms such as yields, coupons, and maturity. Then we’ll get into different types of bonds. And finally we’ll look at how governments use bonds to finance their borrowing needs.

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BEP 205 – English Job Interviews: Switching Careers (2)

Advanced, Business English, Job Interview in English, Management English /

BEP 205 - English job interview

This is the second of a two-part Business English Pod lesson on job interviews for when you’re changing jobs or switching careers.

You can’t do the same thing for your entire life. That’s why you’ve chosen to make a change, to take your skills and experience and apply them to something new. But this comes with a challenge. How can you convince an interviewer that you’ve got what it takes to make the switch?

This is especially true for those of us who are more “mature.” There’s an old saying: “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, your task in the interview is to show why this saying is wrong. And you need to demonstrate why an “old dog” brings a lot more to the table than a younger dog.

In today’s lesson, we’ll rejoin Patrick, an accountant who’s interviewing for a position with an advisory firm. Frank and Nina are conducting the interview. We’ll hear Patrick demonstrate some key interview skills; he’s going to answer hypothetical questions, highlight transferable skills, and demonstrate research. He’s also going to make polite suggestions and ask good questions.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Patrick talk about his work developing junior accountants?
2. What is Patrick’s suggestion about training and development?
3. What does Patrick want to know about the position?

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