Shadowing Practice: English for Sales and Purchasing - Learn English Speaking with Video
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English for Sales and Purchasing by Lothar Gutjia and Sean Mahoney.
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Published and copyright, Oxford University Press, 2009.
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Unit 1.
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Exercise 1.
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Carol.
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Well, first of all, I am constantly telephoning people and writing emails.
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You have to maintain contact with your clients if you want to succeed.
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This means that I also often visit them to present our products or to make offers.
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I go to a lot of trade fairs too, both to look for new contacts and to keep in touch with old clients.
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One thing I find quite difficult is negotiating contracts, you know, agreeing the terms and conditions of the sale.
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That can sometimes be tricky.
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And of course, handling complaints is not my favourite task either,
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although I try to see complaints as an opportunity to improve my relationship with the customer.
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In the office, I spend a lot of time doing market research.
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The tools we have nowadays are excellent, and also looking at tenders that we may want to make a bid for.
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I also need to liaise with various internal departments, especially R &D and our production department.
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Close contact with them is important for making sure our company delivers the service that our customers are looking for.
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Dong Sun A lot of my work involves writing and checking written information.
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We have to fill in order forms, deal with the correspondence and invoices we get, and check the details, like delivery dates and so on.
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I spent a lot of time collecting and comparing offers from suppliers, which means quite a lot of analysis work.
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And of course I have to write lots of emails.
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Most of these are in English.
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And also draw up tenders and invitations to bid.
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Doing market research also means we have to write lots of reports for other departments in our company.
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But the job isn't only a lot of paperwork.
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I also get out to meet people.
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I enjoy visiting trade fairs,
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for example, as it is a chance to look at the new products on the market and meet with the suppliers directly.
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I'm also often involved in negotiations with our suppliers.
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For this, we need to liaise closely with the business unit, which has placed the order.
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Our department is basically responsible for making sure that our colleagues have everything they need to do their jobs.
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Unit 1.
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Exercise 6.
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So what about the sales meeting last week?
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How did it go?
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It was very good, actually.
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They're still working on the minutes, but Iris asked me to fill you in on the main points.
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Good.
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Well, first of all, Chin Sun has revised our sales targets.
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Oh, really?
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So how do they look now?
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Well, the targets are quite challenging, actually.
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She wants to increase the sales volume by 10 % overall.
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I think she's under pressure from management.
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Yes, maybe you're right.
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There are also some specific goals for the various regions.
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For example, there are going to be two new facilities, one in Dubai and one in Beijing.
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Apparently, we are planning to make a big push in these areas and management thinks the time is right.
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Maybe it's the right attitude to have at the moment.
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It would be nice to really enhance our image internationally.
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It certainly means we'll be ahead of our new targets, if it all works out, that is.
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So, what else?
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India is going extremely well and most of the other areas are only just below target.
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The only problem is, as you know, our South American business.
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Right.
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Did Chinson present my ideas for improving sales there?
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Yes, she did.
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Headquarters agreed that we should offer more scheduled flights and also start selling charter flights for some clients.
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It won't be easy to turn the situation around, apparently, but it is possible.
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We will also need a sales promotion specifically for the region, perhaps something like an early booking discount.
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I'll look into that, although I'm afraid it might exceed our budget.
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Maybe, but you're right, we should look into it.
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We definitely need to put in more orders overall.
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Okay.
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I could also contact the corporate clients in my area and present our new offers to them.
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That way we'll bring in new orders, I'm sure.
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Good idea.
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I'll do the same.
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Oh, look at the time.
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I'm sorry, but I've got to run.
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Perhaps we can talk more later?
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OK, no problem.
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Thanks a lot, James.
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See you later.
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Bye.
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Exercise 9 Interflights, hello?
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Hello, it's Kim Dong -san from Purchasing here.
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Could I speak to John Murphy, please?
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Speaking.
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Hi, Dong -san.
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Hi, good morning, John.
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Do you have a moment to talk about your request for company credit cards?
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Ah, yes, right.
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Thanks for getting back to me.
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No problem.
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So, I understand you want all flight personnel to be able to draw cash in foreign locations?
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Yes, that's right.
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Is there a problem?
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I typed all the specifications into the system yesterday.
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Are there no suppliers for that kind of service?
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No, that's not it.
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As you know, we have some new policies here.
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We want to offer a better service than just fulfilling your specific order.
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It is our goal to solve your problems by what we purchase.
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So, could you help me understand the reason for the order?
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I understand the crews need to stay overnight a lot and in some places they need some cash.
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That's right.
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Our people fly to different places around the world.
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Sometimes they might also have a stopover where they need cash for a drink or a paper or even local transportation.
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OK.
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In that case, there could be a number of solutions.
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We could provide them with special debit cards,
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or we could give our partner hotels the facility to pay a limited amount of cash to our crew
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and then claim this back from us.
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Interesting.
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I must admit I hadn't thought of that option.
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OK.
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What I'll do then is contact a couple of possible suppliers and arrange to get some offers.
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We can then compare them to see which gives us the best solution.
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Also, I can talk to different kinds of suppliers, not just for the credit card solution, thereby increasing the competition.
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It should mean we can find an even cheaper solution.
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Sounds good.
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Is there anything you need from me?
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Not at the moment.
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Thanks for your time.
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Bye, John.
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Right.
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Talk to you later then.
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So, I wanted to update
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you all on the situation with the various offers purchasing has received for credit cards for the international flight crew.
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Dongsun's team is currently comparing these offers.
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The competition is very tough at the moment, which is, of course, good for us.
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Not all suppliers were able to meet our specifications, so they were able to exclude some offers straight away.
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They will have to assess the rest very carefully and perhaps put in some requests for more information.
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But the people in our purchasing department are very thorough, and I'm sure they will find the best solution for us.
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Exercise 1 Hello, uh, Mr Adams.
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Do you have a minute?
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Yes, certainly.
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But please call me Donald.
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And I'm Brigitte.
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Brigitte Dupont.
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Pleased to meet you.
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Pleased to meet you too, Brigitte.
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So, how did you like the presentation?
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Well, I found it very interesting.
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I've listened to many presentations this week, as you can imagine.
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And yours was definitely one of the more relevant for me.
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That's good to hear.
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I tried to give a good overview of our range of products.
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Can I ask which company you're with? Of course.
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I'm a senior purchaser at Air South, responsible for engine parts.
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Air South, right.
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That's very interesting.
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Do you think that our MRO services may be of interest to you?
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Well, that's why I wanted to talk to you.
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We're actually looking for new partners at the moment.
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I would need more details about what you can offer, of course.
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Yes, I can understand
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that this is perhaps not the best place to discuss details
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though doesn't air south have an office here in Brussels yes
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that's right I'm actually based here in Brussels although I'm quite often on the road I see well
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if you have time next week perhaps you'd be interested in
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meeting after the trade fair is over I'd really like to hear more about your company
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and could give you a more detailed presentation of what we offer yes
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that's a good idea in next two weeks would work well.
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then some of my colleagues could be there too.
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Right.
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Could you give me your card?
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Then I can ring you on Friday to set up an appointment for next week.
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Good.
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And meanwhile, I'll speak to my colleagues and see what time is best for us.
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So, here you are.
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And here's mine.
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Great, Brigitte.
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I'll ring you as soon as the fair is over.
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Good.
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I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
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In the meantime, would you like to look at our new catalogue?
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It has short descriptions of all the new products we're launching.
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Thanks.
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I've already taken one.
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It was nice to meet you, Donald.
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Goodbye.
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Goodbye, Brigitte.
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Talk to you soon.
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Sorry, is this seat taken?
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No, no. Please, feel free.
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Thanks.
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A nice pub, isn't it?
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It reminds me very much of England.
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Yes, me too.
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Is that where you're from?
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No, I'm from Germany.
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But I often go to England on business.
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Really?
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I'm actually from Liverpool, and this sort of pub makes me feel right as home.
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Yes, I can imagine.
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Have you had a chance to look around Brussels while you've been here?
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Well, yes, a little.
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I think it's a nice place to have a fair, don't you?
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Yes, I like coming here a lot.
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There are quite a few of these comfortable pubs with very good beer and live football matches on TV.
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Are you interested in football?
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Yes, I am actually.
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Liverpool's my team.
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That makes sense.
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And Werder Bremen's mine.
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Bremen's my hometown. Of course.
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By the way, I'm Brendan, Brendan Johnson.
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I'm with Aircraft Maintenance Inc in Liverpool.
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That's a coincidence.
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I'm also in the airline industry.
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Ah.
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Reiner Nowak's my name.
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I'm a buyer at Low Cost Flights International in Bremen.
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Nice to meet you.
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So, how was your fare so far?
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Good.
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I've been trying to find new suppliers for special overhauls, so I've been quite busy.
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I know what you mean.
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You know, there certainly are a lot of German companies here.
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It always amazes me how much in -depth information German business people provided these fairs.
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They always seem to get right down to business.
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True.
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We Germans want to deliver solid data with lots of facts and specifications.
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We don't want to waste time on a lot of unessential talk.
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That's interesting.
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For me, the unessential talk is often the most interesting.
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I see trade fairs as a place to get to know people, to make contacts, and not just to discuss the specifications of a particular product.
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You can always talk about details and the nitty -gritty later.
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Yes, I see your point.
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So, you're looking for suppliers.
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May I ask if you already have some information about my company?
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No, I don't think I do.
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You know, you might be interested in our brochure.
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Will you be staying at the fair long?
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Yes, till Friday.
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Good.
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Perhaps I could come by your stand sometime and I could brief you on our products.
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I think we could have what you're looking for.
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That sounds fine.
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How about tomorrow afternoon?
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That sounds great.
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Here's my business card, and I'll just write down our stand number.
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At around 3 p .m., say?
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That sounds good.
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Now, tell me, what's your favourite Belgian beer?
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clever catering purchasing department in a stall speaking good morning in s it's
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Marco Falcone of vino rubinetto here do you have a moment yes of course
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Marco it's nice to hear from you how have you been fine but busy you know how it is Yes,
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sometimes it all seems to come at once
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Anyway, what can I do for you?
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Well, this month we are promoting some of our new products in Europe And we thought clever catering might be interested
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Yes, of course
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We're always interested in finding out what's new
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But first of all, did you hear that we won an international award in Rome last month?
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Yes, I did actually
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congratulations thank you we were very pleased I mean we are convinced of the quality of our products of course
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but it's quite nice to receive international recognition the award
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we won was for our new variety of sparkling red wine Rosso frisante have you heard of it
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Yes, I saw it mentioned in your new brochure and I read something on your website.
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Great.
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It's an exciting product, isn't it?
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Do you think this wine may be of interest to you and your clients?
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Well, as you know, Marco, we are always looking for new, high -quality wines.
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But I'm not sure we're really looking for this type of wine it may be a little too,
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let me say, exotic for our customers.
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Yes, I can understand your point.
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I admit it is an unusual wine, but we're very confident that people will enjoy it,
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and it is perfect for the forthcoming spring and summer seasons.
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Hmm, you have a point.
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By the way, Marco, we will be putting out tenders soon for the next season, So your call is just in time.
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That's great.
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We will definitely want to put in a bid.
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You know, Inez, I can tell you now
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that we are in a position to offer you special rates for your first order,
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but I would prefer to come to your office and discuss the details with you.
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Then I could also tell you about some of our other products.
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I'd be happy to meet you, Marco.
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Just let me have our experts look at the Rosso Frizanti first and if we are still interested, we could meet after that.
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That would be great.
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I will send some bottles today for them to check.
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Perhaps we could meet in about two weeks.
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Is that enough time?
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It should be.
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I'll give you a call when we're ready.
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Thanks.
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I look forward to hearing from you and I'm sure you'll be impressed with this wine, Inez.
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Okay, Marco.
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Thanks for the call.
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Bye now.
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Goodbye.
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Exercise 11.
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Marco, I'm afraid there are some differences between your offer and what we asked for in the RFP.
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Do you mean clear bottles versus green?
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Yes, that's one of the differences.
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You know, we just don't like the idea of starting with green bottles and changing to clear, as you suggested in your offer.
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Yes, I see your point.
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Well, I have some good news on that.
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We've spoken to our supplier again, and it seems they can deliver the clear bottles earlier than expected.
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So, if I understand you correctly, you will be able to supply both wines in clear bottles as we requested.
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That's correct, yes.
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Well, that's good.
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OK, the next thing is the price.
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The price?
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Could you be more specific?
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Well, especially for the sparkling red, it's quite high, and definitely not within our budget.
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Well, I did give you a range of prices depending on the quantity purchased.
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Right.
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And 26 euros really is a good price.
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Remember, it's a high -quality wine and quite unique, but I'll see what I can do so you'll get back to me on
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that yes good okay next there's the availability excuse me the what I didn't catch
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that availability we need wines that are available for at least ten years I see
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and in our offer we said five years right?
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That's correct.
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Well, that's a bit more complicated.
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The problem is that...
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Exercise 1 Hello Gabby.
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Good to see you again.
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You too, Gavin.
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How was your journey?
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You drove down from Hamburg this morning, didn't you?
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Yes, that's right.
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Everything was fine.
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The German highways really are excellent, if there are no traffic jams, of course.
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You're lucky you missed the rush hour traffic.
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That's the worst.
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Can I offer you tea or coffee?
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Tea, please.
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Thank you.
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And here's sugar and milk if you need it.
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OK, let's get started, shall we?
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I'd first like to summarise what's happened so far, if that's all right.
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Yes, good idea.
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Right.
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Well, as you know, we've decided to lease a new fleet of cars for our management.
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You've seen our specifications and I've received your offer.
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Yes.
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And what is your reaction?
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Well, in general, it seems fairly competitive, but we feel the overall price is too high.
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You know we've received an alternative offer with almost the same terms and conditions, and for a very good price.
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Can I ask what they're offering?
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Well, one major point is that if we leased from them, we would receive all the types of cars that we need,
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without any additional fees for special cases. For example, they would not charge us extra for the four
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or five cars with right -hand drive that we need for Britain and Ireland.
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Right, I see.
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Maybe we could do something there.
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How about this?
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If you took just five more cars in that region, we could lower our offer by 5%.
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How is that possible?
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With a higher number of cars, we could pass our tax advantage on to you.
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OK, sounds good but if we do that
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if we order five more cars we will also need a reduction in the overhead costs for repairs
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and maintenance what you have in our offer is already a very competitive fixed price for each repair yes well
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but I was thinking
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if you gave me the annual overhauls plus the mounting of winter tires free of charge
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we could shift these costs so that they come under the budget for leasing more cars in the UK.
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Aha!
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If I had known of that possibility, I would have offered you our special repair insurance.
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You see, when you pay the monthly fee for repair insurance, we cover all costs for inspections and repairs due to wear and tear.
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With the additional winter package, everything would be covered. That sounds very good.
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I will obviously have to do the calculations again.
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There is just one last thing.
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If we extended the duration of the contract by another four years,
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would you provide us with another 5 % discount on the overall price?
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Hmm, 5 % sounds a little high.
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I would say 4 % is the limit there, but let me get back to you.
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In the meantime, I'll send you the conditions for the insurance
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and an interim summary of our agreements by the end of this week.
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That will be fine.
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I'll call you early next week and let you know how the calculations work out.
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Good.
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Hopefully we'll be able to sign the contract next week.
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Meanwhile, Gabby, I had a question about something else.
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Unit 4.
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Exercise 3.
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1. The product is exactly what you're looking for, isn't it?
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Yes, we're happy with the product, but the price you offered is a little high at the moment.
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Is there any way you could reduce the price, say with a discount?
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Well, if you bought another 10 ,000, we would reconsider our offer.
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Two.
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We could think about the delivery dates, perhaps.
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What do you mean?
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Well, maybe we can agree to order the items in the next few weeks
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if you think you can come down a bit on the price.
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We will certainly reduce our price if you buy before the end of the month.
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Three.
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We obviously want to create long -term relationships with our customers.
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Yes, but I'm sure you agree that we also need some benefits for the relationship to continue.
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Can you guarantee us cheaper prices if we continue to order from you?
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Certainly.
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Our clients always get discounts when they stay with us over time.
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4. We've really gone down to the lowest possible price now, I'm afraid.
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But it's still not as good as the offer in terms of the service provided, and we've already discussed the fact that the repair cost,
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for example, will really be very minimal.
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That is correct.
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Of course, we're convinced of the quality as well, so I'll include repair costs in our offer, if you accept the price as it is.
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5. We've been mostly happy with the product so far, but of course we are always looking at our options.
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So in this case, in order to continue ordering from you, we would need these small changes to the contract.
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But we're not sure that this will still be profitable for us if we agree to these changes.
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I'm sorry, but we really have no choice.
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We could only extend the contract if you agreed to all the terms.
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Thank you.
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Exercise 6 So, as you know, I'd like to discuss some of the terms in the offer you sent.
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Yes.
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What is your overall impression?
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Well, compared to the other offers we've received so far, it's certainly in the ballpark.
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But, as I said, we need to discuss some of the details.
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OK.
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Where would you like to start?
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Perhaps with the leasing period.
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It is very long.
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Yes, I agree.
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That enables us to offer you a better price, which I'm sure is in your best interest, isn't it?
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Normally it is, yes, but unfortunately not in this case.
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You see, the maximum leasing period was fixed by our board of directors.
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Ah, I understand your difficulty.
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However, the period we are offering is the standard term here in London.
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If you want to differ from that, we will have to increase the leasing rate.
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Normally, we could accept that, but I think we also need to consider that the building has been empty for the past three months,
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and there seem to be no other interested parties.
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You may have a point there, but the leasing period is an extremely important factor in setting our price.
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Maybe we could set a dynamic rate based on your turnover at these premises.
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I'm sorry, I'm not with you.
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What exactly are you proposing?
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Well, we could fix a basic rate that is lower than our current offer, but then we would receive a percentage of your turnover.
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If the café is the success we're all hoping for, it will be beneficial to both you and us.
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Would that be acceptable?
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That may be a possibility, but I would have to talk to my boss about it and get back to you.
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On the next point...
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Unit 4, Exercise 9
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The way I understand the situation at the moment is that you are generally happy with all the terms of the contract,
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it's just the price which remains a problem.
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That's right, Gavin.
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We would like to create a long -term partnership.
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That is certainly in our best interests.
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But in order to start that, we really need a lower price.
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I can understand the price issue is important for you, Gabby.
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And we're also looking at becoming your long -term partner here.
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However, both parties have to benefit for that to work.
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Don't you agree?
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Yes, of course.
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But what can you offer us in relation to the price?
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Well, we can reduce the total price by 5 %
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if we receive a down payment of at least a third of the annual turnover within seven days of signing the contract.
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You know, Gavin, that we expected 6%, not just 5%.
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Unfortunately, we really can't go any further with the overall price.
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Yet you are still above the other offers.
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If that is your last word...
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There is one last possibility.
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So far, we have not talked about one -day registration.
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That means we would register the car formally under German law and deregister it the next day.
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Thus, we could offer them to you as used cars at a lower price.
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Is that because you would then receive state subsidies?
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Yes, that's right.
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That should enable us to offer you the 6 % you need.
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Well, it sounds fine to me.
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I'll check it internally and get back to you.
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But I don't see a problem at the moment.
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All right.
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I guess that's it then.
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All other details will have to be dealt with on the basis of our standard terms and conditions.
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Agreed?
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That should be fine.
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I'll check with our lawyers and confirm it for you as well.
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Thanks.
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I'm happy we found a solution, Gabby.
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I'll send you an email tomorrow summarising our agreement.
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Then our lawyers can draft the contract.
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Exercise 1.
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Call 1.
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Tejid, Jean Dubon speaking.
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Hello, Jean.
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It's Junko from JapanCom in Tokyo.
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How are you this morning?
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Oh, fine, Junko.
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Thanks. And yourself?
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Not bad.
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At least the sun is shining today.
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Yes, here too.
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A nice improvement.
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So what can I do for you today?
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We would like to order some USB adapters for our network.
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Both the XPR14...
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and XPQ12 models.
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OK, let me just write this down.
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So, model number XPR14, how many do you need?
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We need 400.
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And then for model XPQ12, 250.
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Can you manage delivery to our office in Osaka by Friday morning?
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Yes, of course, that's no problem so let me just make sure I've got everything down right.
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So that's model XPR14 400 units and XPQ12 250 units to be delivered by Friday morning to Osaka.
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Yes, that's right.
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Fine.
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I'll fax you a model contract immediately.
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As soon as we get that back with your signature, we can send off the shipment.
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OK.
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That sounds fine.
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Thanks, Sean.
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My pleasure, Junko.
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Bye.
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Bye.
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Phone Europe.
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Alex Beck speaking.
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Hello, Alex.
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It's Jean Dubon at Tégide in Lyon.
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I have just received your message.
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Hi Jean, yes, thanks for getting back to me.
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As I said in my message, we are ready to place our first order under the frame contract.
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That's great Alex.
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Let me just find a pen so I can write this down.
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OK, go ahead.
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OK, we'd like to have 13 ,000 extension leads.
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Sorry Alex, did you say 13 ,000 or 30 ,000?
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13, 1, 3.
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OK, 13 ,000.
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Yes, that will be fine.
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Obviously, we need to talk about the delivery date.
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If I remember correctly, we promised we would deliver that quantity within two months.
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Yes, that's correct.
511
Good.
512
I know our production unit is ready, so I'll pass the order on to them.
513
But you will email us the form as required, right? Of course.
514
I'll email it to you straight away.
515
That's great, Alex.
516
I'll be in touch to let you know how things are going.
517
Thanks, Jean.
518
Have a nice day.
519
You too, Alex.
520
Bye.
521
Fashion mode.
522
Roberto Branca speaking.
523
How can I help you? hello Roberto, Anna from Stores International in Leeds here how are you?
524
hi Anna, I'm fine thanks, you too I hope so, I saw your first order two days ago yes,
525
that's actually why I'm calling I need to change the order
526
but I'm not sure if the online tool for doing that is ready yet sorry
527
Anna, unfortunately that's right it should be available next week as soon
528
as all the features of your client access have been installed
529
but it's no problem I can type the changes into the system here okay thanks
530
but I'll need written confirmation as well yes of course I'll enter the changes into the system
531
and the software will automatically generate a confirmation email would
532
that be okay oh absolutely
533
so first could you please tell me the order number yes
534
it's wc zero zero zero one hyphen one two eight j h okay one moment
535
right here it is
536
so what do you need changed first
537
i have two corrections one is the place of delivery for item number seven
538
it ought to be Brighton not Birmingham Brighton okay I've got that and
539
the second change the women's t -shirts should be light green not light blue right
540
that's article number six I've changed that to light green wonderful
541
and finally could I also ask you to add another item
542
to the order certainly can we have two thousand women's jeans
543
black black did you say not blue like those are for the men no no black is correct aha
544
that's model number j m hyphen
545
one five k they should be delivered on the ninth of november to leeds okay is there anything else
546
i can do for you no that's all for now thanks roberto my pleasure
547
And as I said, you should be able to do this kind of thing online by the end of next week.
548
And if it still doesn't work then, just let me know.
549
Great, Roberto.
550
I really appreciate it.
551
Thanks again.
552
Bye.
553
Exercise 10.
554
1. The order number is 82 backslash 55 WR60.
555
Have you got that?
556
Two.
557
The sales have been great.
558
So far this year, we've sold a total of 136 ,587 units.
559
That's an increase of 13 % over last year.
560
Three.
561
Good news.
562
We can save up to £18 ,500 each quarter if we switch suppliers.
563
I'm pleased to report that this facility was able to increase its output from £850 ,000 to £1 .9 million last quarter.
564
5. I have a question about one of the items you ordered.
565
It's item number 17YTE -38R, the 3 .8mm cable.
566
6. The net total for your latest order is 128 ,876 euros 78 cents.
567
With the Dutch VAT of 19%,
568
this gives you a gross total of 153 ,363 euros 37 cents.
569
Unit 6, Exercise 1, Core 1
570
There seems to be a mistake with the shipment.
571
Oh, sorry to hear that.
572
What exactly is the problem?
573
Well, we placed an order for 10 sensors, model number TZ20, but instead we have received 20 TZ10 sensors.
574
I'm afraid this delay is going to cause us problems.
575
Yes, I can understand.
576
We will, of course, send the correct models as soon as possible.
577
Sorry, but I need something more specific so I can tell our customers.
578
Can you manage delivery by Friday?
579
That would be our absolute deadline.
580
Yes, of course.
581
I can confirm that you will receive the sensors first thing Friday morning.
582
Call 2.
583
We called you yesterday morning about the network you installed.
584
I'm afraid that it's still not working correctly.
585
Oh, that's strange.
586
I asked our service team to send a technician to take care of it immediately.
587
Somebody should have fixed the problem yesterday.
588
Well, I haven't seen any technicians, and I must say I'm getting rather annoyed.
589
Our mail order unit still can't access the system and it's costing us money.
590
I realise this must be frustrating for you.
591
How can I best help you?
592
I need someone here by noon, or else we will have to consider switching to a different system. By noon?
593
That should be no problem.
594
I'll personally get onto the service unit immediately and make sure they take care of it.
595
Can you confirm that someone will be here by noon?
596
We can't afford any more delays.
597
Yes, I understand.
598
I can assure you that the technician will be on your premises before 12 o 'clock.
599
OK, thanks.
600
Exercise 4 Hello, Alina Novak speaking.
601
Hello, Alina.
602
It's Linda Matthews at Logistics International here.
603
Hello, Linda.
604
How are things in Glasgow?
605
Well, not so good.
606
Unfortunately, there's a problem with the latest shipment.
607
Oh, I'm sorry, Linda.
608
What seems to be the problem?
609
We ordered your special premium paper for our copiers and printers a week ago, but we've received the wrong paper,
610
and we have some very urgent orders coming up.
611
Right, I understand your situation
612
Of course you can't send out your material with the wrong paper
613
No, we can't, and our deadlines are approaching
614
Okay, Linda, I realise this is a priority for you,
615
so I'll see to it immediately May I just ask you a few questions first?
616
Yes, sure.
617
What exactly do you mean by the wrong paper?
618
I mean, is it the thickness, the size, the colour or the quality?
619
Actually, the major problem is that the paper has a watermark that's not ours.
620
Also, the paper's standard white instead of cream white as ordered.
621
Right.
622
And can I just ask one more thing?
623
I see from my documents that you also ordered shipments of standard white paper.
624
Is that correct?
625
Yes, that's used for internal documents.
626
But we ordered the other type of paper last week. Of course.
627
There must have been a mix -up.
628
I'll speak directly with production and arrange a special delivery to you by 10am tomorrow
629
Would that suit you?
630
That's fine I think we can wait until then
631
Can you guarantee that delivery time?
632
Yes, absolutely We really can't afford any more problems I understand
633
I'll make sure the shipment is at your location no later than 10am tomorrow
634
I'll also fax you a copy of the original order
635
Could you please fax it back to me immediately
636
With your signature for confirmation?
637
Yes, that's no problem
638
Thanks, Linda I'm really sorry about this
639
And I'll personally make sure you get the right paper tomorrow
640
Thanks, Alina Bye Bye, Linda
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “English for Sales and Purchasing”. This video has 639 sentences and 5542 words to shadow. The speech runs for 41:51. The speaker talks at a steady 132 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| supplier noun | /səˈplaɪə/ | One who supplies; a provider. |
| repair verb | /ˈɹiːpɛɚ/ | To restore to good working order, fix, or improve damaged condition; to mend; to remedy. |
| lease noun | /liːs/ | An interest in land granting exclusive use or occupation of real estate for a limited period; a leasehold. |
| shipment noun | /ˈʃɪpmənt/ | A load of goods that is transported by any method (not just by ship). |
| specification noun | An explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service. | |
| discount noun | /ˈdɪskaʊnt/ | A reduction in price. |
| compare verb | /kəmˈpɛɚ/ | To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it… |
| confirm verb | /kənˈfɝm/ | To strengthen; to make firm or resolute. |
| presentation noun | /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/ | The act of presenting, or something presented. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| correctly adverb | /kəˈɹɛk(t).li/ | In a correct manner. |
| noon noun | /nun/ | The time of day when the Sun seems to reach its highest point in the sky; solar noon. |
| euro noun | /ˈjʊɹoʊ/ | The currency unit of the European Monetary Union. Symbol: € |
| tender adjective | /ˈtɛn.dɚ/ | Sensitive or painful to the touch. |
| confirmation noun | /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/ | An official indicator that things will happen as planned. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) | |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. | |
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. | |
| come under verb | To come underneath (something). | |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| draw up verb | To compose (a document), especially following a standard form; prepare a plan. | |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Perhaps we can talk more later?
- Is there anything you need from me?
- Can I ask which company you're with?
- Is that where you're from?
- Can I ask what they're offering?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if I understand you correctly, you will be · if we leased from them, we would receive |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has placed · has revised · has received |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be impressed · would be covered · was fixed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | suppliers, which means · unit, which has · moment, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 137 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'll, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: ninth /naɪnθ/, thereby /ðɛɹˈbaɪ/, thorough /ˈθʌɹoʊ/, forthcoming /fɔɹθˈkʌmɪŋ/, thickness /ˈθɪknəs/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shipment /ˈʃɪpmənt/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, confirmation /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, technician /tɛkˈnɪʃən/, calculation /ˌkælkjuˈleɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: confirmation /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, availability /əˌveɪ.ləˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like supplier, repair, lease.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.