Business English B1 - B2: Participating in meetings 1

Summary

In a meeting at Courts Power Group, a UK-based energy company, the management team discusses declining sales figures. Maya, the finance director, presents the financial data, suggesting cost-saving measures, while David, the sales and marketing director, defends the competitiveness of their products. Anna, the customer services director, notes a decrease in new contracts and suggests reviewing customer account procedures. Marcus, the managing director, proposes a customer survey for a neutral market view, considering hiring an external researcher to identify the root cause of the downturn.

Takeaways

• 📉 The company 'Courts Power Group' is facing a decline in sales figures and needs to address this issue urgently.
• 👔 Marcus, the managing director, has convened a meeting with key department heads to discuss the sales downturn.
• 📊 Maya, the finance director, has prepared handouts to present the current sales figures and suggests cost-saving measures, including possible redundancies.
• 🛠️ Marcus disagrees with redundancies and emphasizes the importance of a strong workforce for the company.
• 💼 David, the sales and marketing director, is unsure about the cause of the sales problem, as the company's products are competitive.
• 📋 David has also prepared handouts to detail the company's current offers, suggesting a review of these to identify issues.
• 📉 Anna, the customer services director, notes a decrease in custom and an increase in contract cancellations within 14 days.
• 🤔 Anna suggests that understanding why customers are not satisfied with the offers is vital information for the company.
• 📝 Anna proposes reviewing customer account procedures from first contact to after-sales care as a potential solution.
• 📊 Marcus considers a customer survey to see the company's position from the customer's point of view, suggesting a project team or hiring an external researcher.
• 💼 David agrees to look for a market research company to collaborate on understanding the cause of the sales problem.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the meeting?

The main issue discussed in the meeting is the decline in the company's sales figures for their region, which they need to address urgently.

Who are the key attendees of the meeting?

The key attendees of the meeting are Marcus, the managing director, Meer, the finance director, David, the sales and marketing director, and Anna, the customer services director.

What is Meer's initial suggestion to address the sales decline?

Meer suggests starting some cost-saving measures, which could include redundancies, to address the sales decline.

What is David's perspective on the company's products and the competition?

David believes that their products are competitive and that the competition is not offering significantly better deals, implying that the issue might not be with the product offerings.

What does Anna suggest as a potential reason for the downturn in sales?

Anna suggests that there might be issues with customer satisfaction or service, as there has been an increase in customers cancelling new contracts within 14 days.

What is Anna's proposal to improve the situation?

Anna proposes reviewing the customer account procedures from first contact to after-sales care to identify potential issues and improve the sales figures.

What alternative suggestion does Marcus offer to understand the cause of the problem?

Marcus suggests conducting a customer survey to get a better understanding of the customers' views and the company's position in the market from the customers' perspective.

What is the potential drawback of Marcus's suggestion mentioned by David?

The potential drawback mentioned by David is that conducting a customer survey would require forming a project team, which could mean reallocating staff from other departments.

What is the alternative to forming an internal project team suggested by Marcus?

Marcus suggests hiring an external researcher to get a neutral view on the company's market position and customers' views, instead of forming an internal project team.

Who agrees to look for a market research company to collaborate on the customer survey?

David agrees to look for a market research company that they could work with on conducting the customer survey.

What is the general consensus on the need to understand the cause of the sales decline?

There is an agreement in principle among the attendees that understanding the cause of the sales decline is necessary to address the issue effectively.