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BEP 268 – Strategic Negotiations 5: Recovering from Setbacks

Advanced, Business English, Negotiating /

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on how to overcome a setback during a strategic negotiation.

In a negotiation, things don’t always work out the way we hope. Sometimes we face obstacles that just can’t be overcome. In this situation, you’re faced with a choice – do you walk away, or do you think outside the box and try to save the relationship? After all in a strategic negotiation, it’s the relationship you build between the parties that is really important.

In this back and forth of overcoming obstacles, there are several techniques you can use. We’ll learn how to present a problem and how to introduce a different opportunity. We’ll also look at giving evidence for a proposition and narrowing the focus of the proposition. And finally we’ll cover how to request more time to think about things.

In the dialog, we will hear Mike, who works for an auto parts company called Sigma. Mike is talking with Lisa, the lead negotiator for NVP, a Japanese distributor. Sigma and NVP were trying to negotiate a partnership to distribute Sigma’s products in east Asia. The key to that deal was Sigma getting out of an existing arrangement with a Chinese distributor called Wuhan Auto. Today we’ll hear Mike and Lisa try to overcome that obstacle.

Listening Questions

1. What new opportunity does Mike present to Lisa?
2. What evidence from the World Bank does Mike use to back up his idea?
3. Mike narrows the focus of his idea. What product market does he propose partnering in?

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Successful Negotiations

English for Negotiations eBook, features over 4-hours of MP3 audio lessons covering business English skills of negotiating in English. Each lesson is accompanied by a detailed set of PDF study notes, including a full transcript, vocabulary notes and explanations, and language review exercises. Learning is reinforced with an extensive set of online quizzes and activities reviewing all the language and vocabulary covered in the course.

English for Negotiations

  • Key points to consider for negotiations
  • Tactical and strategic concerns
  • Vocabulary for describing negotiations
  • Establishing relationships with the other party
  • Starting off the negotiation and setting the agenda
  • Clarifying and evaluating positions
  • Declining an offer while maintaining goodwill
  • Bargaining and trading concessions
  • Restarting talks and overcoming obstacles
  • Closing the deal
Sample MP3 Sample PDF

Members: click a link below to view and download files (right-click to save).

Negotiations eBook
Title
Transcript
Audio Lesson
PhrasesCasts
Online Quizzes
Complete Set/ZIP
Strategy (Part 1)
Strategy (Part 2)
Building Relationships
Starting Off
Evaluating Positions
Declining an Offer
Bargaining
Restarting Talks
Closing the Deal

Business English Pod

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Business English Pod

With over 75 million lessons delivered since 2006, Business English Pod is the go-to source for Business English lessons, podcasts and mobile apps for intermediate and advanced Business English learners.

Learn English conversation and listening skills, business vocabulary, idioms, and more, with effective business English lessons on everything from meetings, presentations, negotiations to sales, job interviews and finance. Our Business English lessons are designed to help you understand the language that we use to communicate and the reasons why we use it. Our goal is to teach natural and effective English for business.

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BEP 250 – Strategic Negotiations 4: Reaching Agreement

Business English, Negotiating /

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on strategic negotiations.

Negotiating a good partnership requires the right balance of determination and compromise. You lay out your opening position and try to get as much as you can out of the deal. But you have to accept that you can’t get everything you want. You need to find common ground and reach a satisfying agreement. And that takes skill.

But like all skills, negotiation is something you can learn. And today we’ll look at several techniques for reaching agreement, including easing off an aggressive position, proposing an exchange, and making a counterproposal. We’ll also cover how to propose a compromise and summarize areas of agreement.

In the dialog, you’ll hear Mike and Lisa negotiating a strategic partnership. Mike represents a US auto parts company called Sigma, while Lisa is leading the negotiation for NVP, a Japanese distributor. Together, they’re trying to work out a deal for NVP to distribute Sigma’s products in Asia.

Listening Questions

1. What does Lisa initially propose as an exchange?
2. What does Mike propose to offset the costs of buying out their Chinese partner?
3. What is the final compromise on staffing for the deal?

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BEP 249 – Strategic Negotiations 3: Countering a Position

Business English, Negotiating /

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on strategic negotiations. This is actually the third part in our ongoing series on advanced negotiations and follows on from what we covered in BEP 241 and 242.

Business is a competitive game, but companies don’t always have to work against each other. Sometimes they work with each other to form strategic partnerships. By combining forces they can often make more money than they would working alone.

But forming a good partnership isn’t easy. It involves getting together and working out an arrangement that makes sense for both parties. And that means both companies are going to have to give something to get something. This give and take is established in the strategic negotiation, which is what we’ll look at today. We’ll cover some useful techniques for negotiations, including laying out an opening position, presenting a counter position, and emphasizing a deal breaker. We’ll also cover how to use strategic tentativeness and make a strategic threat.

As you may remember, the discussion centers around a US auto parts company called Sigma and NVP, a Japanese distributor, who are trying to establish a strategic partnership. Previously, we heard Mike from Sigma map out a negotiating position with his colleagues back in the US. Now he’s going to call talk to Lisa, who is the lead negotiator for NVP. Through this negotiation, Mike and Lisa are trying to work out a deal for NVP to distribute Sigma’s products in Asia.

One thing you’ll notice is that Lisa is a non-native English speaker with an Asian accent. As a regular listener, you’ll know we like to bring you a variety of spoken accents, because that’s what international business sounds like these days. And perhaps just as important as listening to different native accents, is listening to non-native accents. After all, you may often find that the person on the other end of the phone or across the meeting table is a non-native speaker of English just like you! Let us know what you think by posting a comment on the site.

Listening Questions

1. What part of the deal does Lisa emphasize is essential for her company?
2. Which aspects of business does Mike want to share costs on?
3. What does Mike say at the end of the dialog that might worry Lisa?

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BEP 242 – Strategic Negotiations 2: Establishing a Position

Business English, Management English, Negotiating /

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on strategic negotiations in English and establishing a position.

If you’ve ever had to negotiate anything, whether it’s a salary, a corporate buyout, or a partnership, you’re sure to understand the importance of preparation. You can’t head into the room without first figuring out what you want and what you’re willing to give up. And if you’re doing the negotiation with a team, it’s even more important. Everyone needs to know the plan and the strategy beforehand. Otherwise you’ll be looking at each other and wondering “well, what should we do now?”

Before a strategic negotiation, your team needs to establish its position. But what does that involve? How do we do that? In today’s lesson, we’ll look at some useful techniques for this situation. We’ll cover summarizing key benefits, anticipating obstacles, and suggesting ways around obstacles. We’ll also learn how to decide on an initial position and propose a negotiating strategy.

In our last lesson, we heard Mike, the VP of Asian sales for an American autoparts company called Sigma. He pitched the idea for a partnership to a former colleague who now works for a Japanese company called NVP.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Mike meeting with Grant, Sigma’s Senior Vice-President of Worldwide Sales, and Tess, who looks after the business development and legal departments. Together, they’re trying to work out an initial position before heading into the negotiation with NVP.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Mike mention NVP’s huge volume, huge network, and strong foothold in SE Asia?
2. What does Mike suggest as a way around the China problem?
3. Which idea does the team agree to save for later in the negotiation?

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BEP 241 – Strategic Negotiations 1: Pitching the Idea

Business English, Management English, Negotiating /

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on business English for negotiations and how to pitch the initial idea.

Competition is at the heart of business. Companies try to outdo each other, outsell each other, and even destroy each other. It’s the nature of the game. But cooperation has its place to. Companies often work together to achieve mutual aims. They form partnerships, using their different assets and strengths to become an even greater competitive force.

But a good partnership is tough to build. Any kind of agreement has to make sense for both sides, and each will try to get as much out of a deal as possible. Sure, they’re cooperating, but they want to make sure they’re cooperating in the best possible way for themselves.

So how does a strategic partnership begin? Well, any agreement begins with a negotiation, a strategic negotiation. And how does a negotiation begin? It begins with an idea, an idea for two companies to work together. And that’s what we’ll be looking at today.

When you pitch an idea for a strategic partnership, there are several key techniques you’ll need. This includes broaching the topic, pitching the basic idea, and speculating about feasibility. It also includes showing tentative agreement, outlining how the partnership might work, and outlining the next steps in the process. We’ll cover all these techniques in today’s lesson.

In the dialog, we’ll hear Jamie and Mike, two former colleagues who have run into each other at a trade show in Malaysia. They have agreed to meet up for a drink after the day’s events, and are now talking about doing business in Asia. Mike is looking for a way to introduce his idea for the two companies to cooperate.

Listening Questions

1. In the beginning, what does Mike say his company is looking for?
2. Which idea is Mike tentative or hesitant about?
3. What is Mike going to do next?

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BEP 209 – Contract Negotiations 2: Discussing the Fine Print

Business English, Legal English, Negotiating, Sales /

This is the second part of our Business English Pod series on negotiating a contract.

So, you’ve found a company you want to work with and have agreed on the major points of the deal. Now it’s time to negotiate the ‘fine print’ or the details of the contract. Even if you’ve come to terms on price and payment, there may be a lot of costs or savings unaccounted for. A good warranty, for example, could save you a lot of money. The details may not break a deal, but you do need to negotiate them successfully so that the contract protects you and guarantees you certain benefits.

To do this, you’ll need to be comfortable with the language of contracts and the techniques used to talk about them. And that’s what we’ll be looking at today. We’ll learn how to ensure warranty terms, ask about response times, and talk about the bottom line in order to win concessions. We’ll also cover talking about renewal and agreeing to overall terms.

We are going to rejoin Sam and Larry, who are discussing a contract to lease a fleet of cars and vans. Larry, who represents the vehicle company, has drawn up a contract. He and Sam are discussing the details over the phone. You’ll hear Sam try to get the best deal possible for his company.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Sam want to ensure the terms of the warranty?
2. What does Larry offer to Sam free of charge?
3. How does Larry respond to Sam’s request for a renewal clause?

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BEP 208 – Contract Negotiations 1: Seeking Concessions

Business English, Legal English, Negotiating, Sales /

In this Business English Pod lesson, we’re going to look at language for negotiating a contract.

As we’ll be discussing contracts, you might want to check out our Video Vocab lessons on contract law to refresh your memory.

A lot of business is done with a verbal agreement and a handshake. But it doesn’t take a lawyer to know that you’re usually better off having everything written down in a contract. Contracts protect both sides of the arrangement and spell out exactly who must do what and at what time and where.

If you’re familiar with contracts, you know that there are certain parts and clauses that are almost always included. But exactly how those are written can vary greatly from contract to contract. “The devil is in the details,” as the saying goes, which is a traditional way of saying that details are very important.

And when it comes to contract negotiations, you will have to focus on a lot of details. You might agree generally on what type of arrangement you want, but working out the finer points is crucial if you want a contract that works for you. Negotiating these fine points requires several key skills. Today we’ll cover highlighting concerns in a contract, seeking concessions, and citing previous arrangements to strengthen your position. We’ll also look at agreeing with hesitation to a concession as well as emphasizing the positive.

We will hear Sam negotiating a vehicle leasing contract with Larry, a leasing company rep. Sam wants to lease several cars and vans for his company. He and Larry have agreed on the major points and are now discussing the draft contract over the phone.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Sam mention that their account reps try to stay in close touch with customers?
2. What does Sam say about their last leasing situation?
3. What does Larry offer to do for Sam?

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