B. Prepositions Review

1) A typical impediment to compromise is an overemphasis on price.

2) Overcoming blockage is a process of getting rid of obstacles in the road to an

agreement.

3) It was a real challenge to remove the barriers that had been set up, but in

the end we succeeded.

4) It is important to removeobstacles to reaching an agreement.

Online Activities – Flash Quizzes

(click above to open)

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.business english pod.com 25

Successful Negotiations

Online Activities: M P 3 P o d cast:

BEP 403 – Building Relationships

This episode on relationship building is part of

an ongoing series on negotiation skills.

There’s an old saying in business – It’s easy to

make money once, but it’s hard to keep

making money for a long time. In other words,

I may be able to make a deal with you this one

time, but unless we establish a relationship

based on long-term mutual benefit, you may

not answer the phone the next time I call.

In negotiation, establishing a good relationship based on trust makes it possible to

jointly search for creative solutions, to overcome blockage and even to turn conflict

into a productive force.

In this episode, both Peter and Maxine are owners of local telecommunication

services that provide mobile phone users with ring tones and games. Peter’s

company, Textacular, has a significant presence in Denmark; meanwhile, Maxine’s

company, Gamester, is based in northern Germany.

Peter is working on a plan to sell his business to a large, European-wide telecom

service provider. In an effort to increase his company’s value so that he can get

more money for it, Peter wants to roll up or buy other local services like his. In

today’s listening, he is having lunch with Maxine to find out whether she might be

interested in selling her company. As the dialog starts, they have just ordered their

food.

Listening Questions

1) Have Peter and Maxine met before?

2) What does Peter say is his and Maxine’s “biggest overlapping concern?”

3) How does Peter bring up the subject of a possible merger between his and

Maxine’s company?

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Vocabulary

Only good things, I hope! Small talk. Typical response to the phrase, “X has said

lots about you." “A: Jenny has said a lot about you. B: Only good things, I

hope!”

To be very impressed with sth: To have a good impression of sth. or to be filled

with admiration about sth. “I was very impressed with how he handled the

situation.

Mutual interests: Joint/shared concerns or benefits. “We have a lot of mutual

interests that are worth exploring.”

Overlapping concerns: Shared areas of interest or concern. “I would be very

interested in discussing our overlapping concerns in this area.”

Pan-European providers: “Pan” means all; provider refers to a service provider.

A pan-European provider, thus, is a company that provides service to all of

Europe.

The trend is towards sth.: To have a tendancy towards sth. “The trend in the

market is towards smaller and smaller cars.”

Consolidation: The act of small parts merging into one. “There are so many

small, regional players in this market that we think some consolidation is

inevitable.”

To be in sth. together: To be on the same team; to face difficulties together.

“There’s no way I’m abandoning you – we’re in this together.”

To band together: To form a strong group. “In the face of a strong common

opponent, the companies banded together.

To join forces (with) s/o: To combine resources and strength with s/o. “To

remain competitive, we were forced to join forces with another regional

provider.”

To cross one’s mind: To occur to s/o. “The thought has crossed our minds.”

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Successful Negotiations

Dialog

Peter: So, Sam has said a lot about you.

Maxine: Only good things, I hope!

Peter: Of course. And I’ve been looking at the figures, and I must say I’m very

impressed with your company.

Maxine: Thanks.

Peter: It’s great to finally have the opportunity to meet you.

Maxine: Likewise.

Peter: So, have you eaten here before?

Maxine: Once or twice. Can I make a recommendation?

Peter: Yes, that’d be great. [Fade out]

Peter: [Fade in] Mhhmm. The food is delicious…

Maxine: I’m glad you like it.

Peter: So, as I mentioned over the phone, I’m hoping we can explore some

mutual interests.

Maxine: Yes, we certainly have overlapping concerns.

Peter: Obviously, the big one is how to remain competitive in the face of

pan-European providers.

Maxine: Sure. The trend is definitely towards consolidation.

Peter: The way I see it, we’re in this together. We have everything to gain by

banding together.

Maxine: What did you have in mind?

Peter: We’re wondering whether you’ve ever considered joining forces with

another regional provider…

Maxine: The thought’s certainly crossed our minds.

Peter: Well, then I’d say we have a lot to talk about.

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Debrief

At this point in his conversations with Maxine, Peter has not actually directly

brought up the fact that he wishes to buy her company. Until now, he has just

been focusing on creating a good atmosphere and establishing common

interests. Peter knows that for a merger to succeed, building a good relationship

is essential. So he is being careful to lay good groundwork, that is, to establish a

strong foundation for his partnership with Maxine.

Let’s look in detail at some of the positive language and expressions that Peter

uses at the beginning of the dialog:

Peter: So, Sam has said a lot about you.

Maxine: Only good things, I hope!

Peter: Of course. And I’ve been looking at the figures, and I must say I’m very

impressed with your company.

Maxine: Thanks.

Peter: It’s great to finally have the opportunity to meet you.

First, Peter mentions a mutual acquaintance, Sam. Next, he uses two phrases to

start the conversation off on the right foot, that is, to start it off on a positive

basis: First he flatters Maxine on her business – he says, “I’m very impressed

with your company.” Second, he says, “It’s great to finally have the opportunity

to meet you.” Using this kind of language on the first meeting is often an

important element in starting off on the right foot – that is, making a good

impression and creating a good atmosphere. Let’s study more phrases that we

can use:

 It’s great finally to have the opportunity to meet you in person.

 I’m grateful for this chance to talk.

 We’ve heard a lot of great things about you.

 Your reputation precedes you.

What happens next? Peter and Maxine order their food, and the dialog fades out

while they begin eating. For more practice on business meals, we can listen to

BEP 96, which deals specifically with this topic, including ordering,

recommending dishes, and paying the bill.

When the dialog fades back in, Peter is ready to turn the topic of conversation to

business. How does he do that in a positive and productive way? He emphasizes

the interests that he and Maxine share. Listen again.

Peter: So, as I mentioned over the phone, I’m hoping we can explore some

mutual interests.

Maxine: Yes, we certainly have overlapping concerns.

“I’m hoping we can explore some mutual interests…” is a great way of bringing

up the topic of possible cooperation; since the emphasis is not only on my own

aims but rather on common goals, this kind of language helps establish a feeling

of shared benefit. Considering the other party’s benefit expresses “ you- attitude”

– instead of focusing on me, I start off by considering you. The “you-attitude” –

that is, taking a genuine interest in the other person – is useful in establishing

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Successful Negotiations

trust and building rapport in a relationship. Let’s listen to some more examples

of using a “ you- attitude” to explore mutual needs.

 What direction are you taking your business?

 What would be an ideal outcome for you?

 What are the top five things you value most in a business relationship?

 What do you like most about your current supplier, and what would you like

to change?

 What are you hoping to achieve in the next year?

 What are your medium and long-term goals?

After Peter has turned the conversation to business by exploring mutual needs,

how does the dialog continue? Maxine agrees with Peter that they have

overlapping or shared interests.

Maxine: Yes, we certainly have overlapping concerns.

Peter: Obviously, the big one is how to remain competitive in the face of

pan-European providers.

Having opened the topic of business, Peter and Maxine now emphasize a

common interest that will form the basis of his relationship with Maxine: How to

remain competitive in the face of pan-European providers. “Pan” means “all,” a

“providers” means competing service providers, like Peter’s and Maxine’s

companies. So, Peter is talking about competition from larger, Europe-wide

companies that sell ring tones and games.

Thus, Peter and Maxine can say that their major overlapping concern is how to

remain competitive in the face of larger providers. Peter and Maxine use these

phrases to establish common interests. Let’s review some more types of useful

expression for this purpose:

 We have a lot of common ground.

 There are definitely many areas where our interests are aligned.

 There is great potential for synergy between our two businesses.

 Our needs in this area complementary, don’t you think?

How does the dialog continue to develop? Maxine agrees with Peter about the

threat they jointly face from larger competitors, doesn’t she?

Maxine: Sure. The trend is definitely towards consolidation.

In this context, consolidation refers to smaller companies merging or being

bought to form larger companies.

The positive response that Peter is getting from Maxine is, of course, due to his

focusing specifically on clear areas of common interest.

Next, Peter takes advantage of this positive response to build on the good

atmosphere by emphasizing solidarity. Solidarity is, as Peter puts it, the feeling

that we are in this together. It is the basis of loyalty and trust. Listen again.

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Peter: The way I see it, we’re in this together. We have everything to gain by

banding together.

To band together similarly means to form a strong group.

Giving emphasis to feelings of togetherness and solidarity is an effective method

of building a strong relationship. Listen to some more useful language:

 Our long-term partnership can only contribute to the success of both our

companies.

 This is a great chance to forge an even closer and more productive working

relationship.

 By working closely together, we can achieve great things.

As their conversation continues, it’s now Maxine’s turn to ask Peter for

clarification about what exactly he is thinking of:

Maxine: What do you have in mind?

Peter: We’re wondering whether you’ve ever considered joining forces with

another regional provider…

Peter asks Maxine if she has ever considered joining forces. This is the most

direct reference that Peter makes to a merger during the dialog. To join forces is

an idiom that comes from military language. The original meaning is to merge

armies. We can use this expression with the preposition with – for example, to

join forces with someone. Here are some more examples with this phrase:

 Because we faced such fierce competition from larger companies, I suggested

joining forces with some of our competitors.

 Originally, they were on opposite sides; but then, when they faced a common

enemy, they joined forces to defeat their competitor.

How does Maxine respond to Peter’s suggestion that they should join forces?

Maxine: The thought’s certainly crossed our minds.

Peter: Well, I’d say we have a lot to talk about.

To cross one’s mind means to occur to someone. So Maxine is saying that she

had actually already been thinking about possibilities for some sort of merger.

Peter finishes off the dialog by suggesting a next step – he says, “Well, I’d say

we have a lot to talk about.” Of course, in a business discussion it’s not enough

just to build the relationship – at some point, we need to take action. Let’s

review further expressions for proposing the next step.

 This is an area that’s worth exploring further.

 Let’s try to hammer out an agreement.

 Why don’t we get together next Thursday or Friday to talk?

 The next step, I’d say, is to get all the parties around the same table.

Now, it’s your turn to practice.

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.business english pod.com 31

Successful Negotiations

First, we’ll review the language of exploring each other’s needs and establishing

common ground. Imagine you are in discussions with some potential partners.

First you’ll hear a cue prompting you to ask them about their needs.

For example, if you hear…

Example cue: Directions, taking your business. <beep>

You can ask,

Example answer: What directions are you taking your business?

Next, listen to their reply. After they have finished, respond by using a phrase

we studied for establishing common ground. For instance you could say, “We

have a lot of common ground…” or “Our needs in this area are complementary,

don’t you think?”

Are you ready? Let’s give it a try.

Cue 1: hoping to achieve, next year?

Learner 1 – Question:

Partner 1 – Reply: We’re looking to expand into new markets.

Learner 1– Response::

Cue 2: ideal outcome, for you?

Learner 2 – Question:

‘

Partner 2 – Reply: We’re hoping to double profits in the next five years.

Learner 2 – Response::

Cue 3: directions, taking your business?

Learner 3 – Question:

Partner 3 – Reply: We’re focusing more and more on innovation.

Learner 3 – Response::

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Now, let’s listen to some example answers.

Cue 1: hoping to achieve, next year?

Learner 1 – Question: What are you hoping to achieve in the next year?

Partner 1 – Reply: We’re looking to expand into new markets.

Learner 1– Response: Yes, there’s definitely many areas where our interests

are aligned.

Cue 2: ideal outcome, for you?

Learner 2 – Question: What would be an ideal outcome for you?

Partner 2 – Reply: We’re hoping to double profits in the next five years.

Learner 2 – Response: Well, there is great potential for synergy between our

two businesses.

Cue 3: directions, taking your business?

Learner 3 – Question: What directions are you taking your business?

Partner 3 – Reply: We’re focusing more and more on innovation.

Learner 3 – Response: Our needs in this area are complementary, don’t you

think?

Practice 2

Next, we’ll review some of the useful vocabulary and collocations that we studied

in this episode. You’ll hear a series of sentences with a verb blanked out or

replaced with a beep. Repeat the whole sentence saying the missing word.

For example, if you hear…

Example cue: It’s great finally to have the <beep> to meet you in person.

You can say:

Example answer: It’s great finally to have the opportunity to meet you in

person.

After each response, we’ll play the correct answer. Let’s begin.

Cue 1: I’m <beep> for this chance to talk.

Learner 1:

Cue 2: This is a great chance to <beep> an even closer relationship.

Learner 2:

Cue 3: By working closely together, we can <beep> great things.

Learner 3:

Cue 4: They joined <beep> with each other to defeat their common opponent.

Learner 4:

Cue 5: Let’s try to <beep> out an agreement.

Learner 5:

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Successful Negotiations

Answer 1: I’m grateful for this chance to talk.

Answer 2: This is a great chance to forge an even closer relationship.

Answer 3: By working closely together, we can achieve great things.

Answer 4: They joined forces with each other to defeat their common

opponent.

Answer 5: Let’s try to hammer out an agreement.

That’s all for this episode on relationship building. We’ve talked about the

importance of a “ you-attitude”, learned useful idioms, and studied language and

expressions for starting off on the right foot, exploring each other’s needs,

establishing common interests, emphasizing solidarity and suggesting the next

step.

See you next time, and thanks for listening!

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Language Review

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