How to Negotiate in English - Business English Lesson

Summary

This Oxford Online English lesson teaches essential language skills for business negotiations, including clarifying positions, accepting or rejecting proposals, and expressing oneself professionally. The video features a role-play scenario between a purchaser and a manufacturer's representative, discussing unbranded clothing orders, volumes, and delivery schedules. It covers strategies for setting conditions, resolving disagreements, and reaching agreements.

Takeaways

• 😀 The lesson focuses on language skills for business negotiations, emphasizing clarity and professionalism.
• 🏢 It suggests watching videos on chairing and attending meetings for related language skills, as negotiations are a type of business meeting.
• 📚 Oxford Online English offers free lessons and professional teacher bookings on their website.
• 👗 The scenario involves a role-play between a purchaser for a clothing wholesaler and a manufacturer’s representative negotiating a deal.
• 📈 The dialogue covers how to state positions, ask specific questions, and use open-ended questions to gather information during negotiations.
• 💬 Phrases like 'I suggest starting small and scaling up later' demonstrate how to clearly state one's position.
• 🔍 Questions such as 'What kind of volumes are we looking at?' are used to understand the other party's needs.
• 💼 The use of if-sentences is highlighted as a common way to discuss conditions and possibilities in negotiations.
• 💰 Conditional offers, like adjusting prices based on order volumes or delivery schedules, are a key negotiation tactic.
• 🚫 Direct language is used to reject proposals that are not acceptable, such as 'We won’t be able to offer you the lower price.'
• 🔄 When reaching an impasse, suggesting new ideas or asking for the other party's suggestions can help move negotiations forward.
• 📝 Summarizing the agreement and outlining the next steps, such as drafting a contract, is crucial after reaching a consensus.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the lesson in the provided transcript?

The main focus of the lesson is to teach useful language for business negotiations, including making one's position clear, accepting or rejecting proposals, and expressing oneself in clear, professional-sounding English.

What is suggested for those who haven't seen the videos on chairing and attending meetings?

It is suggested that they watch the videos on chairing and attending meetings, as the language from those videos will also help in negotiation situations, which are a kind of business meeting.

What is the role of Gina in the scenario presented in the lesson?

Gina role-plays a purchaser for a clothing wholesaler in the negotiation scenario.

What does the manufacturer's representative suggest regarding the initial order volume?

The manufacturer's representative suggests starting small with around 500 to 1500 units per SKU and scaling up later.

Why is the manufacturer concerned about the lack of a fixed delivery schedule?

The manufacturer is concerned because logistics require a certain amount of forward planning, and without a fixed schedule, they cannot offer the lowest prices.

How does the purchaser plan to handle the flexibility in delivery?

The purchaser plans to make orders once their stock level is low enough and they have the space, keeping things flexible to begin with.

What is the manufacturer's production and delivery time frame like?

The manufacturer's production and delivery time frame is around two weeks, with larger orders potentially taking more time.

What is the importance of using if-sentences in negotiations?

If-sentences are important in negotiations as they express conditions, making it clear what one can offer depends on what the other side can do.

How can open-ended questions be used effectively in a negotiation?

Open-ended questions, such as leaving a sentence unfinished with the word 'or' at the end, are effective in showing that you need more information and want the other person to finish the idea.

What is a potential sticking point in the negotiation between the purchaser and the manufacturer?

A potential sticking point is the flexibility of the delivery schedule, as the manufacturer needs a regular commitment to offer the best prices, while the purchaser requires flexibility for just-in-time logistics.

How can disagreements in a negotiation be resolved productively?

Disagreements can be resolved productively by making suggestions to move forward, such as proposing a new idea or offering a compromise, and then discussing and reacting to the other side's ideas.

What is the final agreement reached between the purchaser and the manufacturer in the script?

The final agreement includes ordering a minimum of 500,000 units in a six-month period, with flexible delivery but a commitment to give three weeks' notice for each order, and discussing later the exact details of sizes, colors, and penalties for not meeting the minimum volume.