Course:FunctioningInBusiness

Module3

Episode5BusinessLunch

PresentationVideo&InteractiveListening

ItisnowWednesday,June12th.It’s1:30intheafternoon.Mr.Blake,Mr.EpsteinandMs.Grahamarehavinglunchatarestaurant.Mr.Blakewantstosellhiscompany’sindustrialrobotstoAdvancedTechnologies.Ms.GrahamofAdvancedTechnologiesisinchargeofalargeprojecttobuildanewelectronicfactory.Inthisfactory,theywillneedmanyindustrialrobots.Mr.EpsteinthinksthattherobotsmadebyYamashitaLtdarethebest.Ms.Grahamagrees.Butsheisworriedaboutseveralotherproblems.Mr.Blakeneedstoconvinceherthatproblemscanbesolved.

E:Well,thatwasaprettygoodmeal.G:Um,itwasdelicious.

E:Wouldanyonelikesome…somemorecoffee?Shirley?

G:Notforme.Nothankyou.

B:Yes,I’dlikealittlebitmoreplease.

E:Okay.There’sthewaiter.Waiter,couldwegetanothercupofcoffeeoverhereplease?

B:Thankyou.

Okay.Ms.Graham,letmeseeifIunderstandyoucorrectlyonthis.Now,yourbasicproblemisthatweatYamashitacannotprovideadequatemaintenanceorsparepartsquicklyenough.

G:Yes,that’sright.That’smymainconcern.

B:Okay.Now,you’rerejectedtheproposalthatweuseyourwarehouseforstorage

spaceforspareparts.

G:Well,notentirelyMr.Blake.Letmeclarifythatalittle.Spaceislimited,anditwoulddependverymuchonthequantityofparts,thesize.Iwouldneedalotmoredetailsonthat.

B:Icancertainlyunderstandyourconcerns.I’mgoingtoputthisinformationina

reportafterIfaxTokyo.

G:Okay.

B:And,I’llhavethereportreadyforyoutomorrow,andmaybewecancomeupwiththesolutionstotheproblem.

G:Okay.Well,thatsoundsfine.EventhenMr.Blake,Ican’tmakeanyguarantees.Youknow,we’veneverdonebusinesswithaJapanesecompanybefore,soit’squiteanundertaking.

B:Oh,Icancertainlyunderstand.

G:SoIhopeyouwillunderstand.B:Sure.

G:Okay.

Alternatives(1)

E:Howaboutanothercupofcoffee,Shirley?G:Nothanks.Notforme.

E:Charles?

B:Oh,Iwouldn’tmindanothercup.Ithelpsthejetlag.

(2)

B:Justconfirmthings.Yourbasicproblemismaintenanceandspareparts,isthatit?G:Yes,that’sright.That’smymainconcern.

(3)

G:Thatwilldependonotherfactors,suchasquantitiesandsize.However,spareislimited.Iwouldneedsomemoredetails.

(4)

G:Fine.Howeverwe’veneverdonebusinesswithaJapanesecompanybefore,andthere’sanotherfirmthat’smuchcloserwhichwealsoconsidering.

B:Right.Thesearethetypeofproblemsthatwe’reconcernedwith,too.

Variations

Negotiating

A:tosummarize.Therearestillproblemswiththedeliverydateandthesizeofthediscount,buteverythingelseisokay.Isthatright?

B:Yes,that’sright.Thepriceishigherthanweexpected.Andweneeddeliverywithin6monthsatthelatest.

A:Isee.Well,IwillseewhatIcando.Canwegettogetheragain?Howaboutlaterthisweek?

B:Okay.ButI’mafraidIwon’tbefreeexcepttomorrowafternoon.Isthattooearly?A:No,that’llbefine.Howabout3:00?

B:Okay.Good.I’llseeyoutomorrow.Mr....A:Seeyouthen.

Episode6TheDisagreement

PresentationVideo&InteractiveListening

ItisnowWednesday,June12th.Mr.EpsteinandMs.GrahamhavefinishedtheirmeetingwithMr.Blake.TheyareinMs.Graham’soffice;theyarediscussingtheirmeetingwithMr.Blake.Ms.GrahamisworriedaboutdoingbusinesswithYamashita.ShethinksitwouldbesafertoboughtrobotsfromanAmericancompany.UnitedIndustriesspareandmaintenancewouldbeaproblembecausetheUnitedIndustries’factoryisclose.Andinthepast,theyhavealwaysbeenreliable.TheirtechnologicallevelhoweverisnotashighasYamashita’sandtheirpriceisabithigher.

G:Yes,inJapan,thequalityoftheirproductsisextremelygood,butIdon’tknowanythingabouttheirreliability.CantheybereliedontodothisbyOctober1st.Youknow,we’veworkedwithUnitedIndustriesbefore,andIthinkweshouldjustgoaheadonthedealwiththem.IfeelsuretheycanhaveeverythinginstalledandworkingbyOctober1st.

E:Well,look.Butthere’sanotherargumentShirley....andthatisthatIagreewithyoutheyhaven’testablishedthemselvesinthestates,butthat’sanadvantage.That’souradvantagebecausewecangettheirtechnologybeforeothercompaniescan...ifwe’rewillingtotaketherisk.Ithinkwereallyhavetotakerisk.

G:Well,Ithink,basicallythat’swhatitcomesdownto,Mike.Youwanttotaketherisk,andIreallyamnotwillingto.Idon’tfeelacanaffordtotaketherisk.

E:Oh,butwhathaveIbeendoingforthelastyear?I’vebeenlookingforthenewtechnologytoreallymakethisfactorysomethingspecial,andIthinkthatthisiswhatweneedtodo.Ican’tunderstandwhyyoudisagreewiththis,it’sreallyclear.

G:AndIthinkyou’vedoneaverygoodjob,butIthinkthattherearemoredisadvantagesthanadvantages.AndI’msorry,butI’mafraidonthisyou’rejustnotgoingtobeabletohaveitinthewayyouwantit.

Alternatives(1)

G:Well,Ithink,that’swhatitcomesdownto,Mike.Youwanttotaketherisk,andI

reallyamnotwillingto.Idon’tfeelacanaffordtotaketherisk.

E:Oh,comeonShirley.That’swhatthisbusinessallabout.

G:CarefulMike.Idon’tnee