1. Asking for information

In order to receive information from your opponent, you will have to ask some questions. On the right is a list of openers you can use to begin your questions, and on the left is a list of subjects you want to ask about.

Choose one of the openers for each subject, and ask a question.

Subjects the regulations regarding loans RSA’s profitability the Bank Rate the interest of the medium-term loan the cost of the plant the nature of the product the repayments on the loan how much of our own money we would have to invest any reductions in the interest rates	Openers
	Could you tell me about…? Could I ask you about…? I would like to know more about… Could we talk about…? I’m interested in… What interests me is… What I really want to know about is…

2. Complete this dialogue by writing in a suitable expression.

A: Good morning. (asking for information) … your prices?

B: Certainly. We have several lines in woolen clothes.

A: I was told that you do cotton clothes as well.

B: Excuse me, (contradicting). We only do woolen clothes.

A: I see. Well, (asking for information) … your prices?

B: Well, (evasion) … but I can show you our products.

A: (persuasion) … I can’t buy anything unless I know the price.

B: (evasion). But do let me show you our products.

3. Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown are two conduct their business together in English. Unfortunately, they have not read English for Negotiating, and they don’t always use the right expressions when speaking to each other.

Rewrite this dialogue for them, using the expressions you have learned.

Mr. Brown: How much do you want for your product?

(Example: his expression is too direct, and can sound rude in English. An improvement is: “Could I ask you about prices?”)

Mr. Smith: £100.

Mr. Brown: That’s too much. I want it cheaper.

Mr. Smith: Well, you can’t have it cheaper. We have a very good product and…

Mr. Brown: Shut up. When can you deliver?

Mr. Smith: I’m not going to tell you.

Information Sharing

You are: Tigran Timonyan, RSA’s Finance Manager, and you are responsible for getting the information about loans from the Yerevan State Bank. You will also be responsible for negotiating the terms with the Bank if they agree to give you a loan. At your meeting with the Yerevan Credit Manager, you should try to find out all you can about credit terms available for companies that want to invest in Victoria Department. The Credit Manager will also want to find out about your plans, so you should provide him with the following information:

Rsa’s Needs and Plans

1. The cost of the plant is estimated at $2m. The accounts estimate that it will be two years before it produces any profit. It will then produce a profit of 5% for each scanner produced. The loan would be needed for a fairly long period, probably about ten years.

2. Because the government is trying to attract industry to Victoria Department, RSA are hoping that the State Bank will produce 90% of the loan ($1.8m). They will then make up the other $200,000.

3. RSA do not want to sell more shares because the investment market is extremely bad at the moment. They also do not want to approach the big consortia for finance, as interest rates are extremely high and they are hoping for a better rate from the Bank.

4. The proposed plant will manufacture RSA’s new scanners. When it is fully efficient, say in ten year’s time, it will produce a 10% increase ($300,000) in RSA’s current $3m per annum profits. It is hoped that by that time the selling price of the scanner will also be considerably lower. The plant will hopefully have paid for itself in about twenty years, depending on how much interest RSA have to pay on the loan.

This is not a bargaining session. Your object is to provide and receive information that you can discuss with your colleagues afterwards.