Business travelers can’t always get where they need to go by catching a plane or taking a taxi. Sometimes we need our own means of transport, and that usually means renting a car. 所以, in thisESL播客we’ll cover language you can use when choosing a car, discussing features and clarifying insurance options.
在最后一集中 (BEP 124 – Checking our of a Hotel), we met Honesto Salvador and Alan Chan, who have just finished attending a training program sponsored by their company in Boston. They’ve just arrived now at Logan Airport, where they need to rent a car for their upcoming trip to New Haven.
当你听, pay attention to the language they use to ask about vehicle types, standard features, extras and insurance options.
听力问题
1. What kind of car would Honesto prefer? 2. What features are standard on all Beevis cars? 3. Why does Honesto not need extra insurance?
If you’ve ever checked into a hotel, there’s one more thing you’ll definitely have to do before you leave, check out of the hotel and pay the bill. 所以, in this商务英语播客lesson we’ll be looking at some of the language you might use as you’re preparing to depart.
A while back, 在 BEP 55 和 BEP 56, we were introduced to Alan Chan and Honesto Salvador, two employees of a US electronics manufacturer visiting the USA on a business trip. As part of their training they have made a trip to Boston and will also travel to a nearby plant in New Haven. We join Alan and Honesto at the hotel in Boston as they go to reception to check out and pay the bill.
听力问题
1. How does Honesto feel about breakfast at the hotel? 2. Who was responsible for the minibar charge? 3. Why does Honesto mention his club membership? 4. How will Alan and Honesto get to the airport?
Success! The hard work of negotiation has paid off. You’ve reached agreement. Now it’s time to close the deal. 在这一集, we’ll study skills and language for the final stage of the discussion. 尤其, we’ll focus on summarizing details, tying up loose ends, reinforcing the relationship and adopting a positive style. We’ll see that the end of talks presents a great opportunity to build stronger partnerships.
在这个节目中, we will look at two short dialogs that demonstrate different styles of negotiation. 在第一, a construction materials supplier, 托尼, calls his customer, 保罗, to agree to the terms of a deal. 在第二, a general manager, Maxine, calls the owner of another company, 彼得, to tell him that her board of directors has agreed to buy his company.
听力问题
1. In the first dialog, what does the supplier, 托尼, want to confirm with his customer, 保罗? 2. What kind of positive language do Tony and Paul use at the end of the dialog to reinforce the relationship? 3. 在第二个对话框中, does Maxine say that the board has agreed to Peter’s suggested price? 4. From the conversation, does it sound as though Peter will continue to work at his company through the merger?
Usually we think of blockage in terms of stumbling blocks, or obstacles, to agreement. But blockage can also be any impediment to creating maximum value. 换一种说法, we’re not only interested in removing obstacles to a deal but also in removing obstacles to a better deal. Doing this successfully often requires thinking outside the box, 那是, thinking creatively.
所以在这一集中, we’ll study overcoming barriers. 尤其, we’ll focus on identifying stumbling blocks, exploring alternatives, and moving towards agreement.
Recall that Peter, owner of Textacular, has been trying to buy Maxine’s company, Gamester, as part of his strategy to roll up other small businesses. His ultimate goal is to increase the value of his own operation so he can sell it to a larger company for a handsome profit. In previous episodes, Peter had tried to acquire Maxine’s company, but talks reached an impasse when Maxine wouldn’t climb down from or reduce her price of 15 百万.
In today’s listening, Peter calls Maxine back to restart talks. 当你听, focus on the language they use to remove obstacles to agreement.
听力问题
1. How does Peter suggest restarting talks with Maxine? 2. What does Peter identifying as the main stumbling block to a deal? 3. What does Peter mean when he says, “It’s not a question of growth for us, it’s a question of survival.” 4. What is Peter’s key insight that enables Maxine and him to overcome their blockage?
