Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Communicative skills.
Habilidades comunicativas en
inglés para los negocios
Autor: Rachel - RLanguages
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Los negocios en inglés, negociar en inglés...Este capítulo intenta ser una manera
interesante y estimulante de acercamiento al inglés que se necesita en contextos de
negocios. Ofrece una visión general de Business English para alumnos ya todavía
no han entrado a formar parte de la vida laboral o para aquéllos que ya trabajan y
tienen experiencia en medios de negocios.
Ofrece información práctica y necesaria para afrontar diferentes situaciones en el
mundo de los negocios así como brinda la oportunidad a practicar la lectura y el uso
de la lengua. Contiene una gran variedad de vocabulario en inglés y apuntes
gramaticales en inglés.
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Imagine you meet some business people at a faire for the first time. Which of the following subjects are
considered to be:
Safe
conversation killers
a bit risky
INTRODUCTION
Knowing people for the first time can be risky not only because there might be cultural differences between you
and the others but also because first impressions last.
In a business context, when we meet someone for the first time, it is very important to use the appropriate
language and to be aware of the diplomatic protocol to follow. In other words, it is necessary to know the set of
rules for the correct performance on different formal occasions.
In this unit we are going to practice how to give our best through language performance when greeting someone,
introducing people, giving and asking for personal details and trying to keep a conversation going.
Before that, let’s have a look at some tips related to more cultural and behavioural matters:
GREETINGS
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INTRODUCING PEOPLE
Note that when we introduce ourselves in English we use the first person subject pronoun (I) whereas when we
Want to introduce someone else; we use demonstrative pronouns (this/these).
Activity 1.
Read this dialogue and fill-in the gaps with most suitable word:
PERSONAL DETAILS
When meeting people for the first time, we might be interested in some personal details from the other and
vice-versa. Personal details can go from the name to the job position. Later on, we’ll get deeply on talking about
job positions and responsibilities. Let’s have a look now to some very basic and general expressions:
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Look at this example:
A: I’ve lived here for five years now.
B: Oh, really? Where did you live before?
Also, question tags are a good strategy to keep a conversation going. Note that the intonation we use in question
tags can affect its purpose. If we do not know the answer and areasking for clarification, then we use a rising
intonation (our voice goes up). However, if we know the answer and are simply asking for the listener to agree
with us, then we use falling intonation (our voice goes down).
We can ask short question immediately after hearing something, in order to show interest and ask for more
information as well. This is what we refer to as reply questions.
Look at this example:
A: It’s my birthday today.
B: Is it? Congratulations.
Remember, when giving your personal details and trying to keep a conversation going,
SMILE and keep good EYE CONTACT, conversations will then last longer! !
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Activity 2.
Imagine you are speaking to someone at a conference. Use these ideas to make questions using question tags.
Example: a. John’s a nice guy, isn’t he?
a. John / nice guy
b. He / not live in London
c. presentation /great
d. you / give a talk
Try practice saying these sentences with the different intonations seen before.
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
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COMPANY PROFILE
The profile of a company is, generally talking, a concise description which, among
other items of information, includes firm's history, number and quality of its human,
financial, and physical resources, organizational and management structure, past,
current and anticipated performance, and its reputation, and the standing of its
goods or services.
This information can be given by the company in itself or can be checked on the
company’s website. This information can be public to anyone interested in the
company.
The information provided in the company profile, can be different from one
company to another depending on its size, product-service and culture.
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Activity
1.
Try to write the profile of your company according to this template. Remember it
consists on concise information so don’t write long sentences nor give too much
information.
COMPANY ORGANIZATION
Describing the organization of a company can be sometimes difficult if the company
is a very big one.
The organization of a company is all the formal and informal framework of policies
and rules, within which an organization arranges its lines of authority and
communications, and allocates rights and duties.
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Organizational structure determines the manner and extent to which roles, power,
and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how
information flows between levels of management. This structure depends entirely
on the organization's objectives and the strategy chosen to achieve them.
In a centralized structure, the decision making power is concentrated in the top
layer of the management and tight control is exercised over departments and
divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decision making power is distributed
and the departments and divisions have varying degrees of autonomy. In these
terms we can talk about:
- Hierarchical organizations: common, pyramid-like organization where one
person is in charge of a functional area (engineering, finance, marketing) with one or
more subordinates handling the sub-functions. In a hierarchical organization
(whether business, military, political, or religious) higher levels imply greater
superiority and domination than the lower ones, and the chain of command extends
straight from the top to the bottom.
- Flat organization: organizational structure where most middle-management
levels and their functions have been eliminated, thus bringing the top management
in direct contact with the frontline salespeople, shop floor employees, and
customers.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
When describing our job and our responsibilities we often use the verb to work. This
verb, combined with different prepositions, has different meanings.
Activity 3
Fill-in the gaps of these sentences with the appropriate prepositions (you may need
a dictionary):
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Now, look at these words and write each of them in the correct column below
bearing in mind their stress patterns:
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Creative
Efficiency
Methodical
Flexible
Reliable
Confident
Determined
Well-organized
Sociable
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LEAD IN Thinking....
o How well do you know your office?
Try to answer these questions:
a. Where are the toilets?
b. Is there a subsidized canteen?
c. Do you have a company car as a perk?
d. Do you work in cubicle desks or in an open-space office?
e. Is health insurance part of the fringe benefits of your job?
INTRODUCTION
Apart from describing an organization, roles and responsibilities and personal
qualities, it is very important to be able to talk about the job conditions as well as to
show someone around the office. This is what we are going to try to deal with in this
unit.
WORKING CONDITIONS
People rights at work will depend on:
Statutory rights -legal rights based on laws passed by Parliament-, and
Contract of employment-agreement made between the employer and the
employee-.
Your contract of employment cannot take away rights you have by law. So if, for
example, you have a contract which states you are only entitled to two weeks' paid
holiday per year when, by law, all full-time employees are entitled to 28 days' paid
holiday per year, this part of your contract is void and does not apply. The right you
have under law (to 28 days' holiday in this case) applies instead.
If your contract gives you greater rights than you have under law, for example, your
contract gives you six weeks' paid holiday per year, then your contract applies.
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Besides working rights, people usually can take advantage of different benefits from
their jobs. These benefits take in payment, extra pays, insurances and so.
Activity 1.
Match the words from one column to words on the other column to come up
with the right collocations related to work.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
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SHOWING AROUND
Many times, someone might visit your office or your factory and you have to show
them around. They might be new employees, prospective clients, someone from
head office or just an official inspector. If you are responsible for taking these
people on a tour, you might want to make sure that everything goes smoothly.
Activity 2.
Read this text describing the layout of an office and answer the question:
Where is the General Manager’s office?
The reception area:The reception area stretches the whole front of the building. The
lift is just behind it on the right-hand side of the building.
The lift:The lift is behind the reception area and the conference room. It’s doors
open on the main corridor. It is opposite the ladies’ room.
The main corridor: It runs down the centre of the building from the reception area
at the front to the staff restaurant at the back.
The conference room:It is between the lift and the Production Department on the
right-hand side of the building. All the important meetings take place here.
The Accounts Department:It is beside the Production Department, and across the
corridor from the After-Sales Service Department.
The After-Sales service Department:It is between the visitors-meeting room and the
Sales and Marketing Department on the left-hand side of the building.
The visitors-meeting room:It is between the Gents’ and the After-Sales Service
Department.
The HR Department (Human Resources):It is just in front of the staff restaurant.
The R&D Department (Research and Development): It is between the Sales and
Marketing Department and the HR Department, on the left-hand side of the main
corridor.
The Production Department:It is situated between the conference room and the
Accounts Department. It is opposite the visitors-meeting room and After-Sales.
The Sales and Marketing Department:It is located between R&D and After-Sales
Service.
The Gents’:It is opposite the conference room, between the Ladies’ room and the
visitors-meeting room.
The Ladies’:It is just behind the reception area on the left-hand side of the main
corridor. The Gents’ is just behind it.
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The Staff Restaurant:It stretches all the way across the back of the building at the
far end of the main corridor. It is quite large and modern.
Pay attention to the words and phrases in bold!!!
The General Manager’s office is ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Activity 3.
Write the name of each room described above in this floor plant:
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SMALL TALK
Small Talk is a conversation about trivia matters, and we usually make small talk
with people we don’t know very well.
There are basically three techniques to help to keep the conversation going:
Asking follow-up questions
Using question tags
Asking reply questions
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Home town - where do you come from, how is it different/similar to this town
Job - once again, general questions not too specific
Latest fashion and trends
Celebrities - any gossip you may have!
Here is a list of topics that probably aren't very good for small talk.
Salary – “how much do you make? - That's none of your business!”
Politics - wait to you get to know the person better
Intimate relationships - only for you and your partner - or maybe your best
friend
Religion - tolerance is the key!
Death - we need to face it, but not the first time we meet someone new
Financial - related to salary above, most people prefer to keep financial
information to themselves
Sales - Don't try to sell something to someone you have just met.
If you have difficulties speaking about any of these topics, try to improve
your vocabulary by using the resources available to you(Internet, magazines,
teachers at school, etc.)
In other words, if you want to be successful at making small talk, you should:
Do some research
Spend time on the Internet, reading magazines, or watching TV specials about the
type of people you are going to meet.
Stay away from religion/strong political beliefs
While you may believe in something very strongly, beginning conversations and
making small talk about your own personal convictions may abruptly end the
conversation. Keep it light, don't try to convince the other person that you have the
'correct' information about a higher being, political system or other belief system.
Use the Internet to gain specific vocabulary
This is related to doing research about other people. If you have a business meeting,
or are meeting people who share a common interest (a basketball team, a tour
group interested in art, etc.), take advantage of the Internet to learn specific
vocabulary. Almost all businesses and interest groups have glossaries on the
Internet explaining the most important jargon related to their business or activity.
Be aware of culture
It is very important to be aware of what is acceptable or normal in different cultural
contexts.
Find common interests
Once you have a subject that interests both of you, keep to it!
Listen
This is very important. Don't get so worried about being able to communicate that
you don't listen. Listening carefully will help you understand and encourage those
speaking to you. You might be nervous, but letting others state their opinions will
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improve the quality of the discussion - and give you time to think of an answer!
Activity 1
Read these conversations and decide whether the speakers are good at making
small talk or not, and why.
Glen: Hi, I’m Glen.
Mark: Hi I’m Mark. I’m a friend of Mary’s.
Glen: Me too. So, how do you know Mary?
Mark: We go to the same gym.
Glen: Oh, I see. How ling have you been going to the same gym?
Mark: Nearly a year.
Glen: Wow! Are you enjoying it?
Mark: It’s OK. It’s easier to go with someone else than on your own.
Glen: Sounds good! I should be doing the same. Anyway, great party,
isn’t it?
MEETINGS
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1. Calling a Meeting
USEFUL LANGUAGE
There are different ways that you may call or be called to a meeting.
Meetings can be announced by e-mail or posted on bulletin boards.
Meetings can also be announced at the end of another meeting; in this case, it is
important to issue a reminder.
A reminder can also come in the form of an e-mail or notice.
Announcements or reminders can also be verbal – documented ones should always
back these up.
The date, location, time, length, and purpose of the meeting should be included,
as well as who exactly is expected to attend, and who is not.
2. Writing an Agenda
An agenda is used to keep the meeting on task and within the set amount of time.
3. Allocating roles
The person responsible for calling and holding a meeting will decide to allocate
certain roles to other staff members. Someone may be called upon to take the
minutes, someone may be asked to do roll call, and someone may be asked t o
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speak on a certain subject.
4. Opening a Meeting
Small Talk
Whether you are holding the meeting or attending the meeting it is polite to make
small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. You should discuss things
unrelated to the meeting, such as weather, family, or weekend plans.
Welcome
Once everyone has arrived, the chairperson, or whoever is in charge of the meeting
should formally welcome everyone to the meeting and thank the attendees for
coming.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Roll Call/Apologies
If the meeting is a small group, it is probably unnecessary to do roll calls. The
person who is taking the minutes should know everyone personally and can indicate
who is present and who is absent. In a larger meeting, it may be necessary to send
around an attendance sheet or call out names. If an important figure is absent, it
may be necessary for the chairperson to apologize for their absence and offer a brief
explanation for it.
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
Objectives
Some people who hold meetings prefer to pass around copies of the agenda, and
others will post a large copy on a wall, or use an overhead projector. No matter
which format is used, attendees should be able to follow the agenda as the meeting
progresses. Before beginning the first main item on the agenda, the speaker should
provide a brief verbal outline the objectives.
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
Regaining Focus
It is easy to get off topic. It is the chairperson's responsibility to keep the discussion
focused. Here are some expressions to keep the meeting centered on the items as
they appear on the agenda.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Voting
When issues cannot be resolved or decisions cannot be easily made, they are often
put to a vote.
Votes can be open, where people raise their hands in favor or in opposition of the
issue. In an open vote, the results are evident immediately. Other votes, such as who
should be elected to take on a certain role, are private or Votes can be closed or
private, where attendees fill out ballots and place them in a box to be counted. The
results may not be counted until after the meeting.
USEFUL LANGUAGE:
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
6. Closing a Meeting
Wrapping Up
There are different reasons why a meeting comes to an end.
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Time may run out, or all of the items in the agenda may be checked off.
Some meetings will end earlier than expected and others will run late.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Reminders
There is almost always one last thing to say, even after the closing remarks.
A chairperson might close the meeting and then make a last-minute reminder.
Instructions for tidying up the room may also be mentioned.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
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Congratulations or Good-luck can also be offered here to someone who has
experienced something new, such as receiving a promotion, getting married, or
having a baby.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Follow Up
In the closing remarks, the chairperson, or participants may want to discuss the date
and time for the next meeting, when the minutes will be available, or when a
decision should be made by. This is also the time to give contact information, such
as how to send a question by e-mail or who to call regarding a certain issue.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Activity 2
To check if all this information related to meetings has been understood, try and
answer this:
Are the following sentences true or false?
1 . The person who is in charge of the meeting is the person who takes the
minutes.
2 . The best way to call a meeting is to inform each participant individually by
phone.
3 . An agenda should outline the order and amount of time to spend on each item
at the meeting.
4 . Engaging in small talk throughout the meeting is an effective way to keep the
focus.
5 . When someone agrees with a motion it is "seconded".
6 . The person who is speaking during a meeting is the person who "has the floor".
7 . A polite way to indicate that you want to make a comment during a meeting is
to say: "If I could just come in here..."
8 . When there is a tie vote, it is customary for the chairperson to ask one
participant to reconsider his/her decision.
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9 . During the closing remarks, the person holding the meeting should introduce
new staff members or guest speakers.
10. Reminders are typically announced after all of the items on the agenda have
been covered
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“Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your family to read. You
wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine.” ~David Ogilvy
LEAD IN thinking....
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INTRODUCTION
In this unit we are going to talk about products, services and marketing. Product is
one of the famous ‘4 Ps’ of marketing (the others being Price, Place and Promotion).
Product does not only refer to manufactured goods but also to the services related
to that product. Packaging and the marketing of the product are very important, as
well. From the point of view of the product’s end-user, it is also essential to take
customer support into account.
Furthermore, we’ll see how important and useful the SWOT analysis is and we’ll
introduce the Maslow’s marketing filter.
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MARKETING
According to the Macmillan Online Dictionary
(http://www.macmillandictionary.com/): Marketing is the way in which a company
encourages to buy its products by deciding on price, type of customer, and
advertising policy.
Other definitions are
(http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_what_is_marketing.htm):
- Marketing is the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they
need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others – by
Kotler.
-Marketing is the management process that identifies, anticipates and satisfies
customer requirements profitably – by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
The CIM definition looks not only at identifying customer needs, but also satisfying
them (short-term) and anticipating them in the future (long-term retention).
The right product, in the right place, at the right time, at the right price – by Adcock.
This is a snappy and realistic definition that uses McCarthy's Four Ps.
But what are the 4 Ps of marketing? This is what we know as the marketing mix: the
combination of activities required to ensuring good sales. The 4 Ps stand for Product
Product (such as brand recognition), Price (such as profit margin), Place (such as retail shops
retail shops) and Promotion (such as free samples).
Each of these ideas can also be seen from a consumer’s perspective. In this way,
Product converts into Customer Solution, Price into Cost, Place into Convenience,
and Promotion into Communication. These are the 4 Cs. And this relates to the
concept of mix coherence; or, in other words, how well the components of the mix
are blended together.
The mix dynamics refers to how the mix is adapted to a changing business
environment, to changes in the organization’s resources, and to changes in the
product life cycle.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
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Activity 1.
Match each of the elements of the 4 Ps to their correspondent elements of the
4 Cs.
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MARKETING TECHNIQUES
Activity 2.
Read the definitions (1-6) below and match each of them to one of these
marketing techniques. The first one has been done for you.
Definitions:
1. using electronic media like mails or SMS to promote products.
2. promoting products to target costumers, for example, through addresed mail
3. persuading people to buy a product or service by announcing it on TV, radio, or
in other media.
4. marketing that spreads from consumer to consumer, often online.
5. marketing in which consumers do not realize they are being marketed to.
6. putting products or references to products in media like films or video games.
PRODUCT
When developing a new product, a company needs to bear in mind a wide range of
factors:
the origin of any new product ideas: customer? sales staff?
the fit with the existing product line
manufacturing questions such as ‘how difficult will it be to make this new
product with our existing equipment?’
pricing, distribution and promotion
When the finished product is finally ready to be on the market, sales staff will need
to know:
its functions, or in other words, what is does
its features and specifications
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its customer benefits
possibilities for customization
how it compares with competitor’s products
Activity 3.
Read the information on two different products and then complete the product
specification summaries:
1. The printer is 40.5 cm ______ and 30 cm ______. It is 15 cm ______. When empty
the printer_____ 2 kg.
2. The mobile phone is 8.5 cm in ______ and 4.5 cm in _____ and 1.5 in _____. Its
______ is 500 g.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
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When we talk about ‘customer service’ we refer to pre-sales (enquiries), sales itself
(including order processing) and post-sales (returns, complaints, etc.). When we talk
about ‘customer support’ we refer mainly to post-sales only. We can talk about
‘ customer relationships’ to talk about both aspects.
Activity 4.
Look at these aspects of customer relations and categorise them according to
whether they are:
a. something companies look for in the relationship
b. something customers look for in the relationship
c. both
Read this text from The Economist.com. Which problems related to customer
relations are mentioned?
Face value
Giving people what they want
May 8th 2003
From The Economist print edition
Companies are still failing to put their customers first, says Shoshana Zuboff
YOU know the feeling all too well. Some widget in your home computer expires.
Result: it no longer talks to your printer. You telephone the PC maker's helpdesk,
only to enter a maze of “press nine for immediate assistance” and “your call is
important to us”. After 15 minutes of nasty music, a voice tells you to call a
different number: that particular widget is their responsibility, not ours. Eventually, a
new widget is said to have been shipped to you. Two weeks and many phone calls
later, it has not arrived. You throw the PC away and start again.
Life is full of experiences such as these, curiously removed from the silvery
promises of television advertisements and the salesman behind the counter. A
chasm now separates individuals and firms, she says, and that gap is the next big
business opportunity. People yearn for support to help them through life's
complexities and those moments when the promise of reliability turns sour.
The book has plenty of tales of how firms fail to give consumers the service they
have promised. All the talk is of nurturing customer relationships; the reality is the
frantic woman dashing from one airline's gate to another, trying to get on to a flight
home and finding one cancellation after another and sullen, unhelpful staff. When
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firms cut costs, they often do so in ways that upset consumers: they put pressure on
frontline staff who handle complaints, shaving seconds off the time each call-centre
operative is allowed to spend on a pacifying call; or they squeeze up prices in ways
that turn what looked like a good deal into a lousy one, the moment something goes
awry; or they use customers' data to pretend to an intimacy and understanding of
their needs that does not really exist.
Promises, promises
The difficulty begins with companies promising customers support that they cannot
deliver. As Miss Zuboff says, electronic networks mean that firms now know more
about their customers than ever before. So they believe that they can treat
customers as individuals, even if, partly for cost reasons, they continue to mass
produce for them. Meanwhile, customers' expectations have risen: a legacy, not
least, of the internet bubble. They want choice, reliability and to be looked after as
individuals. This is, after all, what the advertising promises. All those pledges to
remember, next time you check into a hotel, whether you like a soft pillow or a hard
one: they have an impact.
Every manufacturer these days wants to offer service as a distinguishing
characteristic; and every service business wants to build relationships with its
customers, because it knows that retaining existing customers costs far less than
recruiting new ones. But providing services turns out to be expensive and complex.
Outsourcing services, whether a bank outsources its credit-card business or a hotel
its reservations, is harder to manage than outsourcing the manufacture of chips or
tyres. Gaps appear through which customers slip when something goes wrong.
Besides, the prices of many goods have been falling; but the cost of services,
including the helpdesk, continue to rise. And the more reliable goods become, the
fewer customers need help—and the more redundant (and expensive) the helpdesk
seems to be.
But does the solution really lie in new corporate structures and new businesses,
designed to support customers in trouble with their airline or computer company?
That depends on whether consumers are willing to pay for support. If they are
not—which many firms fear—support will remain a cost with no matching benefit, at
constant risk of being squeezed.
From The Economist
Activity 5
To check your understanding, choose the best answer A or B, for each question:
1. What is the purpose of the story in the first paragraph?
a. to criticise the speed at which companies respond
b. to complain about unsatisfactory customer care
2. What does the writer say is the result of the difference between promises and
reality in the second paragraph?
a. there is an opening for businesses to exploit
b. consumers now have low expectations of customer service
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3. What effect do budget cutbacks have on the way companies service their
customers?
a. less personal attention is given to customers with problems
b. products become more unreliable than before
4. What is the effect of new technology on customer relationship mentioned in
paragraph 4?
a. companies treat each customer differently
b. companies think they can offer a better service than is in fact possible
5. What incentive is there for companies to provide a customer helpdesk?
a. customers are prepared to pay extra for after-sales service when they
buy a product
b. keeping the customers they already have happy is more cost-effective
than finding new customer
USEFUL LANGUAGE
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When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought
and sold are legislators.
P. J. O’Rourke- US humorist & political commentator
LEAD IN Thinking...
Cold calling is, according to the Macmillan Dictionary on-line, an unexpected
telephone call or visit by someone trying to sell something.
Think about these questions:
What is you reaction when you receive a cold-call?
What are the problems of this selling technique for the sellers?
When is it recommended to cold-call prospective customers?
What advice would you give to a cold-caller?
INTRODUCTION
Modern selling is about life, people, business, communications, behaviour,
personality and psychology, self-awareness, attitude and belief. Selling is about
understanding how people, organisations, processes and relationships work, and
enabling good outcomes. Selling is the final link of marketing in itself. It is the
personal contact between the salesperson and the customer that actually produces
business. Thus, buying and selling are two issues very interrelated one to the other.
Understanding prices and delivery dates as well as being able to make and accept
offers, apart from emotional intelligence skills, are key points in order to succeed in
buying or selling. And this is what we are going to be dealing with in this unit.
BUYING
Buying is a critical function. If, as a buyer, you can get involved with your own sales
people this will make a difference. Bear in mind that when buying anything you
should be aware of the principles and techniques of effective negotiation. It is likely
that the person selling to you will be using them, so even if you do not wish to
adopt the approach and methods concerned, it's as well that you be able to
recognise the tactics.
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As a buyer, understanding prices is a must. Price is different from cost. The terms
are often interchanged in business, which can lead to confusion in negotiations. The
key rule is that 'price' is only one of the elements that makes up 'cost'.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Activity1.
Write the missing words in this text (from www.businessballs.com):
SELLING
Imagine you have a product to sell in anew market. What kind of language would
you use and what would your ultimate goals be? Do you want to establish a
long-term customer base or do you want to sell your product as quickly as possible?
In terms of selling we could name to main techniques: the hard sell and the soft sell.
The hard sell technique is more sales-orientated whereas the soft sell is more
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orientated towards customers. Let’s have a look at how to approach these
techniques.
The hard sell approach uses every effort to convince a customer to buy a product,
by doing the following:
using phrases such as: I am sure... I guarantee... you can’t go wrong with... if
you wait....
asking questions for which you don’t expect an answer.
giving your own opinions.
indicating you know more than the customer.
putting time pressure on the customer.
The soft sell approach persuades people by encouraging them, by doing the
following:
using phrases such as I think... I get the feeling... Something tells me that...
Tell me what is important...
asking questions for which you expect an answer.
getting the opinion of the customer.
finding out what the customer would like.
giving the customer time.
One of the well-know selling models is the AIDA model, which believes that in order
to sell a product you must draw attention to it, garner interest, move a person from
mere interest to desire, and then inspire them to take action and purchase your
product. Sometimes this is easier said than done.
According to the on-line business dictionary (www.businessdictionary.com), the
AIDA selling system is:
1. Popular for over a hundred years as a sales training tool, AIDA stands for
Attention, Interest, Desire and Action as the names for steps to be taken in
sequence in a selling process. The salesperson must (1) first make the prospect
aware of the product, (2) foster any interest shown, (3) stimulate the desire to buy
and possess the product and, finally, (4) encourage action to purchase.
In the late 1950s, when selling was first treated as a professional discipline, and
sales training began, people started talking AIDA. Today it is even more relevant.
Often called the 'Hierarchy of Effects', AIDA describes the basic process by which
people become motivated to act on external stimulus, including the way that
successful selling happens and sales are made:
A – Attention I – Interest D – Desire A – Action
Simply, when we buy something we buy according to the AIDA process. So when we
sell something we must sell go through the AIDA stages. In other words, something
first gets ourattention; if it's relevant to us we are interested to learn or hear more
about it. If the product or service then appears to closely match our needs and/or
aspirations, and resources, particularly if it is special, unique, or rare, we begin to desire
desire it. If we are prompted or stimulated to overcome our natural caution we may
then become motivated or susceptible to taking action to buy.
Have a look at these pointers:
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
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Apart from all this, when selling, it is highly recommended to be ready to deal with
objections. To start with, decide to what extent you agree with these statements:
The customer is always right.
You can’t predict all possible objections before closing a selling negotiation.
An objection is a customer’s invitation to the seller to persuade them.
People will pay more to buy from people they trust.
Three common techniques to deal with objections are:
A) The ‘feel, felt, found’ formula: Telling the customer you how they feel and giving
examples of other customers who felt the same but found they were wrong.
B) Redirecting the objection to obtain more information.
C) Welcoming objections and trying to establish agreement.
Activity 1.
Read these conversations between sales representatives and their customers - none
of them is successful in selling their product or service – and then improve each
conversation by using the techniques explained before:
CONVERSTAION 1.
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Customer: Listen, your proposal looks great, but I don’t feel ready to change
my kitchen now.
Salesperson: Well, if you don’t sign the proposal today, I’ll have to bill you for
the study and the plans of the kitchen.
Customer: Bill me for the study? You never mentioned that!
Salesperson: It’s in all our literature. Look, here in the small print.
CONVERSATION 2.
Customer: €4,000! How do you justify that?
Salesperson: Simple. To make HI-FI as good as this, you need the best engineers.
Customer: But I’ve had another quotation for less than two thousand!
Salesperson: Well, you know what they say; if you pay peanuts, you pay monkeys.
Activity 2.
Read these sentences about hard and soft sell and decide if they are sales (S) or
customer (C) -oriented.
1 . I think we share the same opinion about his type of product.
2 . This product is without doubt one of the best on the market.
3 . If you don’t buy this product today, you’ll regret it.
4 . Your satisfaction with this product is very important to me.
5 . I know that a product like this is just what you need.
6 . Have you seen for yourself how this product can make things easier for you?
7 . Do you think you will get a better deal elsewhere?
8 . I am sure this product will make your life easier.
NEGOTIATING & BARGAINING
There are usually two misconceptions about negotiating. The first is ‘Negotiating is
all about making offers and finding compromises’. The second, ‘Negotiating is all
about supplier-customer situations’. No matter what is your idea of negotiating, you
may want to agree that we use the same language when negotiating with colleagues,
bosses about day-to-day work procedures or with customers.
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If we focus on a buying and selling context, issues that might be subject of
negotiation are: prices, minimum order, discount, delivery, quality standards,
payment terms, extras, penalty clauses, other contract details, procedures,
documentation, after-sales service, timing, guarantees, etc.
Getting prepared before a negotiation is very important. It might consist of:
Setting objectives for what you want to achieve and having very clear in your
mind what your priorities are.
Identifying the other person’s need by asking lots of questions.
Listing to all possible variables and objections.
Deciding on possible concessions
Psychological elements also play an important role when making deals:
1 . Maximise your concessions by, for example, stressing the costs to you,
referring to a major problem your concession will solve, implying that the
concession is exceptional.
2 . Minimize the concessions by, for instance, acknowledging a concession briefly
without putting value on it, devaluing the concession, amortizing the
concessions.
Other key techniques during the negotiation may include:
Summarizing frequently
Taking notes
Using silence, it gives you time to think.
Promoting good feelings when the agreement is easy.
Try to avid using ‘NO’ when negotiating. People say a lot of different things when
they really know the answer is "No." Have a look at these examples:
"I'll see what I can do."
"I'll let you know.""
"Maybe."
"I'll ask."
"I'll find out."
"You could call head office and ask; they have more authority than me."
If the demand or request is not possible, too commercially demanding, or not
reasonable for any reason we must kill it there and then, or it will come back to
haunt you. Do not negotiate if there are unrealistic demands being made at any
stage. This is for three reasons:
- It prevents you having to concede substantial ground unnecessarily.
- It avoids raising false hopes, which would make it difficult for us later to satisfy
later.
- It stamps your personal authority and professionalism on the situation.
A clear and honest "No, I'm afraid not," with suitable explanation and empathy for
the other person's situation is all it takes.
Activity 1.
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Read this negotiation and then complete the useful phrases for bargaining:
NEGOTIATION
Helen: All right, Sara. I think we agree on what we need. Now let’s get down to the
nitty-gritty –how soon can you deliver, and how much is it going to cost?
Sara: Ok, look. I’m going to write down a figure per month here, just so it’s clear.
There, how do you feel about that?
Helen: Wow, as much as that! Is there any way we could bring it down a little?
Sara: Well, that figure is based on what you said you need, Helen. I might
possibly be able to bring it down a little, but only if we had a five-year contract.
Helen: Well, I’d be reluctant to a five-year contract unless you could guarantee a
maximum down time of 24 hours per month. Could you do that?
Sara: Let me reassure you on that point, Helen. Our services are very, very stable
and average time is less that 12 hours per year – and so we are happy to guarantee
less than 12 hours per month, as long as you choose our premium service level –
but of course, it’s more expensive.
Helen: Well, I don’t really want to increase the budget. Hum. What about lead-time?
Can you have everything ready by next week?
Sara: Not unless we hire another person. I suppose we could do it, providing you
paid a year’s fees in advance.
Helen: Hm.
Sara: Normally, development time is around three months.
Helen: Look, let’s split the difference. I can pay six months in advance on condition
that you have all run and ready in two months. And if you can bring the monthly fee
down 5% and include the premium service, I’ll agree to the five-year contract.
Sara: You are a though negotiator, Helen. But OK, I think we can agree to that.
Helen: It’s a deal!
USEFUL PHRASES TO COMPLETE:
1 . I ___________ be able to bring it down a little, but ___________ a five-year
contract.
2 . ___________ to agree to a five-year contract, ___________ guarantee a maximum
down time of...
3 . ... so ___________ guarantee less than 12 hours per month, __________ our
premium service level.
4 . I suppose __________ do it, providing ________ all s running and ready in two
months.
5 . .... let’s _________ difference.
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Look at the interview tips. Write DO or DON’T next to each one. Then the three
Dos that you think are the most important.
INTRODUCTION
Job interviews are easier for interviewers and the interviewees if you plan and
prepare questions and answers, and use proper interviewing techniques. In this unit
we are going to have a look at some recruitment and selection processes, how to
give a good impression and how to deal with interviews.
RECRUITMENT
Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified
people for a job.
The possible stages of a recruitment and selection process sequence could be
something like:
1 . Drawing up a job description
2 . Deciding whether to advertise internally or externally.
3 . Deciding whether to use an External Search agency or not.
4 . Deciding on the content of the job advertisement.
5 . Choosing which publications and other media to advertise in.
6 . Interested people applied for the job and receive an application form.
7 . Looking through all the completed applications forms and CVs that you receive.
8 . Deciding on who to invite for an interview, then interview them.
9 . Drawing up a shortlist of candidates for a second interview.
10. Selecting one candidate and offering them the job.
Note that this sequence can vary and some stages are totally exclusive, it will
depend on the company, the job position in itself and the recruiter.
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USEFUL LANGUAGE
Activity 1.
Write note about the recruitment and selection process in your company:
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Activity 2.
Same or different? Decide if these words and phrases in each set are the same or
different.
1. a job, a position, a post
2. an applicant, a candidate
3. headhunting, executive search
4. equal opportunities, discrimination
5. to recruit, to take on, to hire
6. to dismiss, to fire, to make redundant, to lay-off
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
LAST
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Making a good impression during an interview is essential in getting that job that
you're dreaming of. Your body language plays a greater role than we may think.
Posture, posture, posture.... Having your back straight and shoulders back will show
the interviewer that you are self-confident.
Maintain eye contact. You may want to maintain eye contact as the interview goes
on. This will show the interviewer that you are engaged in the conversation and able
to maintain concentration.
Hand placement. You will want to keep your hands rested. You can distract the
interviewer if you move them around too much during conversation.
A smile will create a warm atmosphere.
Apart from body language, there are also other points to take into consideration:
Research the company and the job that you are applying for. You should appear to
be knowledgeable of and excited about the company. If you do not know the basic
information that is contained on the company website, you will not present a good
first impression.
Dress appropriately for the job interview. It is necessary that you are clean and
groomed. Clothing should be ironed and wrinkle free. Do not wear hats, shorts, low
cut tops, or baggy clothing. Gentlemen should tuck their button-down shirts into
their pants and wear a belt. Women should wear conservative make-up and jewelry.
While you may feel that this will put a "crimp" in your style, you can begin to express
yourself AFTER you get the job and AFTER you have observed the office environment.
This, of course, will depend on the job you are applying for.
Leave the gum and candy at home. If you want to take breath mint before the
interview, make sure that it is out of your mouth before you enter the office. These
are inappropriate at job interviews and will not make a good first impression.
Take at least three extra copies of your CV and cover letter to the interview.
Be on time. Try to arrive at least fifteen minutes early. By arriving early, you will
have time to find a parking space and building/suite. You are also giving yourself
the opportunity to take one final look in the mirror before the interview and
compose yourself. At times, you may be able to gain useful information on the
company from looking around the lobby.
Be nice to all people that you meet near the office building. You do not know if a
person that you see outside the building, in the lobby, or in the elevator is the
person you may interview with. Be nice to all office personnel. The secretary and
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person you may interview with. Be nice to all office personnel. The secretary and
other office personnel often serve as the owner/manager's eyes and ears. How
would you feel if you see the secretary you rudely greeted speaking with the
interviewer?
Avoid street slang or curse words in the job interview. You do not want to appear
as if you are speaking with a friend on the street corner.
Think before you speak. Speak clearly and confidently. It is better to pause and
think of a good answer than to babble about anything that comes to your mind.
Be honest. Even "little white lies" and "fudging" count as lies. You do not want to be
caught in a lie before, during, or after the interview process is over.
Thank the interviewer for their time.
In terms of speaking, also remember:
USEFULLANGUAGE
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Activity 3.
Are these personality adjectives positive (P) or negative (N)?
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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this unit is to introduce the subject of finance and accounts by
looking at some basic principles behind this area. One of the biggest problems faced
in dealing with accounts and finance is the terminology that is used and the fear with
which people approach the idea of manipulating numbers, especially with regard to
ratio analysis and using balance sheets and profit and loss accounts.
In this unit, therefore, will look at the profit and loss account and the balance sheet
and attempt to distinguish between the two and to offer the opportunity for some
preliminary analysis.
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From: www.bized.co.uk
USEFUL LANGUAGE
These financial terms definitions are for the most commonly used UK financial terms
and ratios. They are based on UK Company Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Account,
and Cashflow Statement conventions.
- assets: anything owned by the company having a monetary value;
- balance sheet: It is a 'snapshot' in time of who owns what in the company,
and what assets and debts represent the value of the company.
- budget: in a financial planning context the word 'budget' (as a noun) strictly
speaking means an amount of money that is planned to spend on a particularly
activity or resource, usually over a trading year, although budgets apply to shorter
and longer periods. A 'forecast' in certain contexts means the same as a budget -
either a planned individual activity/resource cost, or a whole business/
corporate/organizational plan. In other words, budget = plan or a cost element
within a plan; forecast = updated budget or plan.
- cashflow
- The movement of cash in and out of a business from day-to-day direct
trading and other non-trading or indirect effects, such as capital expenditure, tax
and dividend payments. The cashflow statement shows the movement and
availability of cash through and to the business over a given period, certainly for a
trading year, and often also monthly and cumulatively.
- current assets: cash and anything that is expected to be converted into cash
within twelve months of the balance sheet date.
- current ratio: the relationship between current assets and current liabilities,
indicating the liquidity of a business, ie its ability to meet its short-term obligations.
Also referred to as the Liquidity Ratio.
- current liabilities: money owed by the business that is generally due for
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payment within 12 months of balance sheet date. Examples: creditors, bank
overdraft, taxation.
- depreciation: the apportionment of cost of a (usually large) capital item over
an agreed period, (based on life expectancy or obsolescence).
- dividend: it is a payment made per share, to a company's shareholders by a
company, based on the profits of the year, but not necessarily all of the profits,
arrived at by the directors and voted at the company's annual general meeting
- fixed assets: assets held for use by the business rather than for sale or
conversion into cash, eg, fixtures and fittings, equipment, buildings.
- fixed cost: a cost which does not vary with changing sales or production
volumes, eg, building lease costs, permanent staff wages, rates, depreciation of
capital items.
- FOB - 'free on board': The FOB (Free On Board) abbreviation is an
import/export term relating to the point at which responsibility for goods passes
from seller (exporter) to buyer (importer).
- gearing: the ratio of debt to equity, usually the relationship between
long-term borrowings and shareholders' funds.
- goodwill: any surplus money paid to acquire a company that exceeds its net
tangible assets value.
- gross profit: sales less cost of goods or services sold. Also referred to as
gross profit margin, or gross profit, and often abbreviated to simply 'margin'. See
also 'net profit'.
- liabilities: general term for what the business owes. Liabilities are long-term
loans of the type used to finance the business and short-term debts or money
owing as a result of trading activities to date. Long-term liabilities, along with Share
Capital and Reserves make up one side of the balance sheet equation showing where
the money came from. The other side of the balance sheet will show Current
Liabilities along with various Assets, showing where the money is now.
- net assets (also called total net assets): total assets (fixed and current) less
current liabilities and long-term liabilities that have not been capitalised (eg,
short-term loans).
- net present value (npv): NPV is a significant measurement in business
investment decisions. NPV is essentially a measurement of all future cashflow
(revenues minus costs, also referred to as net benefits) that will be derived from a
particular investment, minus the cost of the investment.
- net profit: it can mean different things so it always needs clarifying. Net
strictly means 'after all deductions' (as opposed to just certain deductions used to
arrive at a gross profit or margin). Net profit normally refers to profit after
deduction of all operating expenses, notably after deduction of fixed costs or fixed
overheads.
- profit and loss account (P&L): it is essentially a trading account for a period,
usually a year, but also can be monthly and cumulative. It shows profit performance,
which often has little to do with cash, stocks and assets (which must be viewed from
a separate perspective using balance sheet and cashflow statement). The P&L
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typically shows sales revenues, cost of sales/cost of goods sold, generally a gross
profit margin (sometimes called 'contribution'), fixed overheads and or operating
expenses, and then a profit before tax figure (PBT).
- overhead: an expense that cannot be attributed to any one single part of the
company's activities.
- reserves: the accumulated and retained difference between profits and losses
year on year since the company's formation.
- return on capital employed (ROCE): a fundamental financial performance
measure. A percentage figure representing profit before interest against the money
that is invested in the business. (profit before interest and tax/capital employed x
100).
- share capital: the balance sheet nominal value paid into the company by
shareholders at the time(s) shares were issued.
- shareholders' funds: a measure of the shareholders' total interest in the
company represented by the total share capital plus reserves.
- variable cost: a cost which varies with sales or operational volumes, eg
materials, fuel, commission payments.
- working capital: current assets less current liabilities, representing the
required investment, continually circulating, to finance stock, debtors, and work in
progress.
For more: try the excellent Campbell R. Harvey's Hypertextual Finance Glossary,
http://www.duke.edu/~charvey/Classes/wpg/bfglosa.htm
Companies are expected to produce financial statements each year, by law. These
statements appear in Company Reports. There are two main financial statements:
1. The profit and loss account,
2. The balance sheet.
For example:
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Activity 1.
Put the words in the box into three groups with the same meaning:
turnover profit reserves earnings revenue sales
retained profit
Activity 2.
Write the words amortization or depreciation next to the correct definition line (one
word is used twice):
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BALANCE SHEETS
The balance sheet, is like a snapshot taken at a particular moment in time giving a
summary of the overall financial position of a business. Businesses need to use
assets in order to generate wealth. Assets are the things that a business owns or
sums that are owed to the business at any one moment in time. The business
obtains the finance for these assets from two main sources:
1. Internally (inside the business) from capital raised from the business
owners (the shareholders in the case of a company).
2. Externally - for example, in the form of loans, and other forms of
finance which will need to be repaid.
When you set up a business, the business become a legal body in its own right. Internal financ
Internal finance (shareholders' funds) is owed to shareholders. External finance is
owed to people outside the business - liabilities.
The balance sheet will therefore balance because, in simple terms it shows that the
value of a businesses assets is financed by the two groups - 1.Internal (owner's
capital), 2.External (liabilities).
A balance sheet typically appears in a vertical format. The balance sheet starts off by
listing all the assets. Next, come the liabilities. Finally, the owners' capital is shown -
to balance the balance sheet.
This is what a typical Balance Sheet looks like.
The balance sheet of BCN Traders on the 31st December 2009:
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Activity 2.
Match the words and phrases (1-8) with the definitions (a-h):
Activity 3.
Answer this question:
If working capital = current assets – current liabilities, why is working capital
important to a business?
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€121/2bn
€580,753
4:1
1.05km2
0.0012%
2/3
€8,491
298m3
€52-58m
400Gb
INTRODUCTION
In this unit we are going to have an overview of numbers in English.
The main units of numbers in English are:
1 10 100 1000 1000000 1000000000
one ten hundred thousand million billion
Have a look at this list of numbers: on the left are the normal or "cardinal" numbers;
on the right are the "ordinal" numbers, which we use to define the position of
something in a series. Pay attention to the pronunciation of numbers (in red). A
number not well pronounced can lead to fatal misunderstandings.
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(1) In compound ordinal numbers, note that only the last figure is written as an
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(1) In compound ordinal numbers, note that only the last figure is written as an
ordinal number:
* 421st = four hundred and twenty-first
* 5,111th = five thousand, one hundred and eleventh
SPECIFICATIONS
- For numbers in the hundreds, the British usually say "and" but the Americans
usually do not say anything:
- In English, we usually separate the digits of numbers over 999 with a comma (,).
We count 3 digits from the right and insert a comma, like this:
< - - - < -
- -
1,000 one thousand
1,000,000 one million
12,750,200 twelve million, seven hundred and fifty thousand, two
hundred
- We use a point (.) to indicate a decimal number, or to separate dollars from cents,
pounds from pennies and so on.
Here are some examples:
0.1 = one tenth or 1/10
1.0 = one
1,000 = one thousand
1,500.75 = one thousand five hundred and three quarters
$1.50 = one dollar and fifty cents
$700.00 = seven hundred dollars
£3,500.01 = three thousand five hundred pounds and one
penny
Be careful with commas and points. Some languages use them in the opposite
way!
- We often say "a" instead of "one":
For example when we have the numbers
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100 we say "A hundred"
1/2 we say "A half".
11/2 we say "One and a half.
- When pronouncing decimals we use the word point to represent the dot. The
numbers following the dot are
pronounced separately:
For example when you have the number
1.36 we say "One point three six."
- Numbers are usually written in singular.
*two hundred Euros
*several thousand light years
- The plural is only used with dozen, hundred, thousand, million, billion; as long as
they are not modified by another number or expression (e.g. a few / several):
*hundreds of Euros
*thousands of light years
- When expressed as figures, the last two letters of the written word are added to
the ordinal number:
first = 1st
second = 2nd
third = 3rd
fourth = 4th
twenty-sixth = 26th
hundred and first = 101st
- Titles: In names for kings and queens, ordinal numbers are written in Roman
numbers. In spoken English, the
definite article is used before the ordinal number:
Charles II - Charles the Second
Edward VI - Edward the Sixth
Henry VIII - Henry the Eighth
- In telephone numbers, each figure is said separately:
24 - two four
Pause after groups of 3 or 4 figures (last group):
376 4705 - three seven six, four seven oh five
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If two successive figures are the same, in British English you would usually use the
word double (in American English you would just say the figure twice)
376 4775 - BE: three seven six, four double seven five
376 4775 - AE: three seven six, four seven seven five
FRACTIONS
Ordinal numbers are often used in fractions:
Symbol Word
1/8 One eighth
1/5 One fifth
1/4 One quarter
3/4 Three quarters
1/3 One third
2/3 Two thirds
1/2 One half
CALCULATIONS
Symbols Word (common term in brackets)
+ Plus (And)
- Minus (Take away)
x Multiplied by (Times)
÷ Divided by
= Equals (Is)
. Point
% Percent
How do we read calculations out?
1 + 6 - 2 x 2 ÷ 2.5=4 [more formal]
One plus six minus two multiplied by two divided by two point five equals four
or
1 + 6 - 2 x 2 ÷ 2.5=4 [more informal]
One and six take away two times two divided by two point five is four
10% 100=10
Ten percent of one hundred equals ten.
INTERESTING NUMBERS
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What could possibly be interesting about nothing? It's the number of ways you can
say 0 in English.
0 = oh after a decimal point 9.02 = "Nine point oh two."
in bus or room numbers Room 101 = "Room one oh
one."
Bus 602 = "Bus six oh two."
in phone numbers 9130472 = "Nine one three
oh four seven two
in years 1906 = "Nineteen oh six."
.......................
0 = nought before a decimal point 0.06 = "Nought point oh six."
.........................
0 = zero (Zero AmE) in temperature -10°C = "10 degrees
below zero”
in countdowns ...3,2,1,0 = “three, two, one,
zero”
...........................
0 = nil (BrE) in football Chelsea 2 Manchester United 0 =
"Chelsea two ManU nil."
...........................
0 = love in tennis 20 - 0 = "Twenty love."
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LETTERS AS NUMBERS
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10. Appendix
Appendix I
Appendix II
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Communication Skills
UNIT 1 COMING TO CONTACT
Activity 1
Nick: Hi, I’m Nick.
Emma: Hi, I’m Emma. I’m a friend of Frank.
Nick: Yes I know, I work with him. Let me introduce you his sister. She’s
here for the weekend.
Julie, this is Emma. She’s a friend of Frank.
Julie: Hi, Emma. Nice to meet you.
Emma: Hi! Nice to meet you, too. Frank has told me a lot about you...
Activity 2
a. John’s a nice guy, isn’t he?
b. He doesn’t live in London, does he?
c. The presentation is great, isn’t it?
d. You aren’t giving a talk, are you?
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Training Department, in HR.
8. He liaises e. with me in
Human Resources.
Activity 3
a. I work ___FOR_____ for a large international company.
b. I work ____IN____ the sales department.
c. The colleagues I work ______WITH____ are very supportive.
d. I work mainly _____IN______ our London office.
e. At the moment I’m working _____ON_____ a big project.
f. I have to work ____TO_____ very tight deadlines.
g. I work ____ALONGSIDE_______ Jane and Sara in Marketing.
e. I am now working _____UNDER_____ Marketing manager Sophia Pawle in
Web Design, a young department.
f. I work ____AS_____ Head of HR ____AT______ Landmart.
Activity 4
a) How many syllables does the word have? 4
b) Where is the main stress? “ly”
UNIT 3 AT WORK
Activity 1.
annual - salary
company – car
childcare - facilities
dental - plan
employee - discounts
expense - account
flexible - hours
fringe - benefits
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job - sharing
life - insurance
maternity - leave
minimum - wage
pension - scheme
performance-related - benefits
redundancy - package
sick - pay
stock - options
susidized - canteen
Activity 2.
The General Manager’s office is: (one possible answer) between the staff
restaurant and the Accounts Department right in front of R&D Department.
Activity 3
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1. F 6. T
2. F 7. T
3. T 8. F
4. F 9. F
5. T 10. T
UNIT 5 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
1. The printer is 40.5 cm long and 30 cm wide. It is 15 cm high. When empty the
printer weighs 2 kg.
2. The mobile phone is 8.5 cm in length and 4.5 cm in width and 1.5 in height. Its
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weight is 500 g.
Activity 4
a. loyalty, information about future needs
b. after-sales service, information about product updates
c. cost savings, personalised treatment
Activity 5
1. b ; 2. a ; 3. a ; 4. b ; 5. b
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assessing or comparing the actual total costs of propositions, products or services.
2. Selling
Activity 1
(suggested answers)
CONVERSTAION 1. [technique B]
Customer: Listen, your proposal looks great, but I don’t feel ready to change
my kitchen now.
Salesperson: I know exactly what you mean. It’s a big decision to make, isn’t it?
Customer: Yeah. I’m just worried that I won’t have enough time to do
everything.
Salesperson: Oh I see. Finding enough time is always a problem, isn’t it?
Customer: Yeah. Things are busy at home, and I don’t have the time for the
day-to-day chores, let alone refurbishing the kitchen.
Salesperson: OK, well I understand. We all want to have things we can benefit
from, don’t we?
Customer: Sure
Salesperson: So, if we include the dishwasher and robot kitchen cleaner options,
I can guarantee that you won0t regret the change. Are you comfortable wit
that?
CONVERSATION 2. [technique A]
Customer: €4,000! How do you justify that?
Salesperson: I understand how you feel. Like you a lot of our customers felt that
this was more than they wanted to spend. However they soon
found they were improving their family life. After you start using our
home cinema system, your children will enjoy spending time with you.
Customer: Is that true?
Salesperson: Even more in some cases. Have I answered your question?
Activity 2
1. I think we share the same opinion about his type of product.
CUSTOMER-ORIENTED
2. This product is without doubt one of the best on the market. SALES-ORIENTED
3. If you don’t buy this product today, you’ll regret it. SALES-ORIENTED
4. Your satisfaction with this product is very important to me. CUSTOMER-ORIENTED
5. I know that a product like this is just what you need. SALES-ORIENTED
6. Have you seen for yourself how this product can make things easier for you?
CUSTOMER-ORIENTED
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The things that you own are called ASSETS and the things that you owe are
LIABILITIES.
Activity 2
1b, 2a, 3c, 4f, 5d, 6e, 7h, 8g
Activity 3
Companies need cash to operate the day-to-day business –like to pay
salaries, suppliers or banks. Working capital is a good indication of whether the
company has enough cash to operate.
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