In this Business English Podcast lesson we’re going to look at the language you can use to clarify and evaluate positions during a business negotiation in English.

An important part of any discussion is making our position clear; at the same time, we must make sure we understand the other side’s point of view. Achieving mutual understanding can help us save money by avoiding missed opportunities. In addition, the ultimate goal of any negotiation is to create value. Therefore, evaluation – determining whether an offer or position is good or bad – plays an important role. So in this show we’ll study stating, clarifying, and evaluating positions.

Listening Questions:

1) What is the basic source of disagreement between Maxine and Peter?

The basic source of disagreement between Maxine and Peter is price – Maxine will not sell business for less than 15 million; Peter “can’t do better than,” that is, can’t offer more than 11 million.

2) What are Maxine’s reasons for insisting on her price?

Maxine says that the market is going nowhere but up – that is, continuing to expand – and she says that she’s got “tremendous value here – good people, good products, and a solid business plan.”

3) What does Peter mean when he says he has done “months of due diligence?”

Due diligence refers to doing careful research before a big purchase or major decision.

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