Useful Terms and Language
Phone Conversation Dialogue:
Could I speak to FIRST AND LAST NAME OF PERSON?
Who’s calling please?
Yes, this is YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME.
Could you tell me what it’s about?
I’m calling about…
I’ll put you through.
Could you tell him/her that I called?
Can you hold?
Could you ask him/her to call me back?
I’m afraid that there’s no answer. Can I take a message?
Vocabulary Words
Absenteeism
Application
Appointment
Background (Information)
Bonus
Career
Career Ladder
Compensation
Human resources
Job advertisement (Job Ad)
Job opening
Labor force/workforce
Labor union
Morale
Motivation
Overqualified
Overtime
Overwork
Promotions
Qualifications
To apply
To appoint
Turnover
Under-qualified
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
Unskilled
Workaholic
Workload
Lesson 2: English Grammar Exercise
Working with Antonyms
Exercise A: Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right.
1) incorrect a) dull
2) interesting b) first
3) terrible c) far-sighted
4) last d) dirty
5) answer e) quiet
6) near-sighted f) dangerous
7) unhappy g) outdoors
8) clean h) easy
9) indoors i) correct
10) difficult j) expensive
11) safe k) ask
12) cheap l) like
13) fast m) happy
14) hate n) slow
15) noisy o) wonderful
Exercise B: Find the antonyms for the words in the sentences on the left with the words listed in the column on the right.
1) Mary is very tall. wide
2) John is quite thin. long
3) The floor is wet. slowest
4) Why are you so sad lately? large
5) She is an elderly woman. fat
6) I know he is right about this. cooler
7) This is a very narrow street. different
8) The weather is getting much warmer. old
9) This water is far too hot. new
10) They are the same products. short
11) Today has been a horrible day for me. wet
12) He is going to be early to class today. young
13) We had gone on a long trip to the city. wrong
14) This is a new book. cold
15) That car is the quickest one. wonderful
16) I bought a secondhand car yesterday. late
17) You have a very small suitcase. happy
Lesson 3 Selling Online & Business Negotiations
Lesson Introduction:
Online Selling
With the continued rise in the the popularity and availability of the Internet many companies have chosen to operate online in addition to operating in their traditional stores in order to become more competitive and make more profitable. In addition to traditional companies opening up online websites in order to sell their products, many new companies have been created that operate only online and do not have traditional stores where customers may go to and buy their products. These types of companies are referred to as “.com” or “.comers”. It is important to understand how technology and the use of the Internet has revolutionized the way companies do business. These days it is extremely hard for a company to remain competitive and make large profits if they do not operate online and are not technologically savvy.
Business Negotiations
By definition, negotiations are simply talks, discussions, or communications between businesses about areas of business where two or more companies have a mutual concern. Business negotiations take place often when companies are seeking to form a partnership, create a new working relationship with one another, facilitate a company buyout, or change the terms of previous contracts made with one another. There is an art to business negotiations that company negotiators have learned to follow in order to be successful in business negotiations. This art includes individuals knowing when and what to say and how to convince others to either meet their demands or how to strike a compromise where all parties involved are content with the outcome of the talks. Business negotiations are a fine art that is mixed with an awareness of human behavior and eloquent, convincing speech.
Some Information on “.Com Companies”
“Bad ideas don’t get better online”- IBM advertisement
“.Comers” said as “dot comers” are companies that are only online and are not in-person retailers.
.Com companies were very popular and made a lot of money in the late 1990’s and early 2000. However, many .com companies in the U.S. went out of business or failed right after the September 11th attacks. Many .com companies that operate only online are still struggling or going out of business.
Warm-up Questions
Do you enjoy shopping?
Do you shop online?
Have you ever bought something over the internet? If so, what?
Why do you think some people prefer not to buy goods and services over the internet?
What are the advantages of shopping online?
Exercise A: Fill in the blank with the correct word.
We offer a _______ to customers who buy in bulk.
a) Refund b) Discount c) Delivery
We ask customers who are not fully satisfied to _______ their purchases within 7 days.
a) Discount b) Refund c) Return
In order to get a full ______, customers must send back goods in the original packaging.
a) Discount b) Refund c) Return
Goods will be ______ within 24 hours of your order.
a) Dispatched b) Purchased c) Exchanged
Goods are kept in our _______ until ready for delivery.
a) Stock b) Storage c) Warehouse
Exercise B: Match the terms on the left to their definitions on the right.
1) Credit card details A) The time when you can change your mind and cancel an order
2) Cooling off period B) The name, number, and expiration date on your credit card
3) Money back guarantee C) The way you choose to buy the goods you want
4) Method of payment D) When you can pay some time after you buy, but at no extra cost
5) Interest-free period E) When the goods you require are not available
6) Out of stock F) A promise to give you your money back if you are not happy
7) After-sales service G) The help you get from a company when you start to use their product
“The Arrival of Virtual Pocket Money”, an article from the Financial Times by John Willman
They like using the internet. They have lots of money to spend. And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us. Teenagers are just the sort of people an Internet retailer wants to sell to, and the things they want to buy-games, CD’s, clothing-are easily sold on the Web.
But paying online is a tricky business for consumers who are too young to own a credit card. Most have to use a parent’s card. ‘Kids are frustrated with the Web.’ Says Phil Bettison, European Managing Director of WorldPay, an Internet payments company. ‘They want a facility that allows them to spend money’.
That may come sooner than they think: new ways to take pocket money into cyberspace are springing up on both sides of the Atlantic. If successful, these products could provide an important stimulus to online sales.
In general, teenagers spend enormous amounts: Visa calculates it totaled $153 billion in the US last year, while the UK market estimated $29.4 billion. Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school-88% in the US, 69% in the UK.
One in eight of those with Internet access have bought something online-mainly CD’s and music. In the US, 12-17 year olds spend an average of six hours a month online according to Jupiter Research. One in six buys things over the Internet, with CD’s, books, games, videos and clothing being the most popular items.
In most cases, parents pay for these purchases with credit cards, an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children: ‘Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing on the high street. A child who sees a pair of shoes in a shop can usually persuade the parent to buy them. They’re more like to ask “Why?” if you ask to spend some money online,’ says Mike Young of Mondex, the electronic payments company.
One way to help them convert notes and coins into cybercash is through prepaid cards such as InternetCash in the US and Smart cards in the UK. Similar to those for pay-as-you go mobile telephones, they are sold in amounts such as $20 or $50 with a concealed 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account.
Exercise A: Answer the following questions as True/False based upon the reading.
Adults spend a greater proportion of their money online than teenagers.
Most teenagers pay for goods online with their own credit cards.
More than 66% of teenagers in the US and the UK have internet access.
Most teenagers in the US and the UK have bought something online
Children find it easier to persuade parents to buy in a shop than online.
Exercise B: Place a “T” next to the statements that are true about company negotiations.
Be friendly
Have clear aims
Tell the other side what you want
Don’t listen carefully
Pay attention to the other’s body language
Don’t change your plan during the meeting
Never be the first to make an offer
Be strong and try to win
Prepare carefully before you negotiate
Ask a lot of questions
Make sure you have only one option
Summarize often the points you agree on
Change your strategy during the negotiation, if necessary
Never show any emotions
Main Strategies and Key Phrases for Business Negotiations
State your aims/your goals- “We’d like to..”, “We must…”
Make concessions- “I can do that if you..”, “That could be all right as long as…”
Rejecting suggestions- “We prefer…”, “We’d rather..”
Bargaining- “How about…?”
Focusing on the discussion- “Let’s talk about…”
Negotiations Case Study
Background Information:
Lifetime holidays is a package holiday firm. It has many high street shops and a large catalog of holidays. However, it is currently facing problems. Fewer people are visiting its shops, and demand for its holidays has fallen. Most of its customers are aged over 50, so it now wants to appeal to a wider range, especially those aged 30 to 50. The solution seems to be to sell holidays online.
As Lifetime has no experience of e-commerce, they want to join with an existing online company, DirectSun. DirectSun is a low-budget holiday website. It offers cheap flights to a small range of destinations and can arrange accommodation, insurance, and car rentals. It has a good customer base, but it wants a bigger catalog of holidays to offer.
The two firms have met several times and are now ready to negotiate the details of a possible joint venture.
Number of Lifetime Vacations Sold
Lifetime Holidays Consumer Profile by Age
Negotiations Case Study Task
Half of the class are directors of Lifetime Holidays
Half of the class are directors of DirectSun
Activity: Each company needs to come up with their goals and demands for the negotiation of the joint venture and present these demands to the representatives of the other company.
Items on the Agenda
Length of the contract
Range of holiday destinations
Car rental and insurance
Advertising budget
The structure of the joint venture (who will be in charge of the online services, how the profits will be split, etc.)
Homework Assignment
Make up your own online company. Make sure you include all of the information below when writing about your company.
Your Company Name
Your Company Website Address
Product/Services Offered
Your Target Market
What Countries You Operate In
The Price Range of Your Goods/Services
If You Provide Money Back Guarantees
What Kind of After Sales Service You Provide to Your Customers
Lesson 4
Products and Writing Ads/Sales Presentations
Lesson Introduction
Advertising/Sales Promotions
While there are many forms and approaches to selling products, any approach will require a good command of the English language and the ability to speak to customers in a way that is convincing and appeals to their needs or desires. When attempting to sell a product, you must keep in mind the audience you are speaking to. You must remember the Who, What, and How aspects of your presentation or advertisement. You must keep in mind:
Who will read or see what you are about to write or advertise? What point of view might they be coming from?
What is it that you want to accomplish through your advertisement?
What are your main points about your product? What main features are you going to concentrate on when it comes to trying to sell your product?
How will you organize your ideas? How will you reach the customers of your target market?
Warm-Up Questions
1) Describe some of your favorite products. Why do you like them?
2) If you could afford any product, what product would you like to own?
3) Why would you like to own that product?
4) What are some words you could use to describe that product to the class?
In-Class Exercises
Exercise 1-Read this report which was written by an expert on products. Each of the underlined words is incorrect. Write the correct form of the incorrect word.
“Can we have too many products?”
There are two cars in the garage. In the living room, there is a wide-screen TV with 100 channels, and first-class hi-fi equipment. Each child has a television in his or her bedroom. The kitchen contain a dishwasher, an ordinary oven and a microwave oven. The cupboard in the bedroom is fill of designer-label clothes. Is it possible too have so many products that we don’t need any more? Some economy think so. They points to Japan, where demand for certain goods has been flat for 10 years now. They say that one reason for this is that Japanese people have all the material goods they want and save their money instead of buying more. Compare this with the poorest countries in the world, where there is one TV set for every 60 people!
Exercise 2-Look over the words used below and define them in English and write their Russian equivalents.
Common adjectives used in advertising products:
Attractive
Reliable
Economical
Comfortable
Expensive
Practical
Popular
Exercise 2- The opposites of these adjectives are made by adding prefixes. The prefixes are un-, in-, im-. Write the words above in the correct boxes below in order to give the adjectives negative meanings.
Un- |
In- |
Im- |
|
|
|
Exercise 3- Compound adjectives are also common in the advertising world. Use the words in the box to complete the sentences below.
-
well high best long hard high
1) IBM manufactures ______-tech computer products.
2) Timberland makes a range of _________-wearing footwear.
3) Ferrari produces __________-quality sports cars.
4) Coca-Cola and Pepsico both developed ________-selling soft drinks.
5) Duracell sells _________-lasting alkaline batteries.
6) Levi jeans are a ___________-made clothing product.
Exercise 4- The following verbs are also terms commonly used when speaking about products and when a company is advertising their products. Match the verbs on the left to their meanings on the right.
1) launch a) to stop making
2) test b) to build or make
3) promote c) to introduce into the market
4) manufacture d) to change in order to improve
5) modify e) to try something in order to see how it works
6) discontinue f) to make a plan or drawing
7) design g) to increase sales by advertising, etc.
8) distribute h) to supply to shops, companies, customers