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Oxford Online English, How to Negotiate in English - Business English Lesson

How to Negotiate in English - Business English Lesson

Hi, I'm Gina.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn useful language for business negotiations.

You'll learn how to make your position clear, how to accept or reject the other side's

proposals, and how to express yourself in clear, professional-sounding English.

If you haven't already seen them, I suggest you watch our videos on chairing and attending

meetings.

Negotiations are also a kind of business meeting, and the language from those videos will also

help you in these situations.

Don't forget that you should also visit our website: Oxford Online English dot com.

You can find many free English lessons, and also book lessons with one of our professional

teachers if you need more help.

In this lesson, you'll see a scenario where I'll role-play a purchaser for a clothing

wholesaler.

Daniel will role-play the manufacturer's representative, and we'll be negotiating

a deal.

Let's look at the first part.

So, let's get started.

I've read your proposals, and I understand you're looking for unbranded clothing in

a variety of styles.

That's right.

Meaning: t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, zip-up tops, and long-sleeved tees, right?

Correct.

Alright.

So, my first question is: what kind of volumes are we looking at?

Well, we're a reseller, so we rebrand the clothing and sell it on to retailers.

We can potentially move quite a lot of product, but I suggest starting small and scaling up

later.

We're thinking of starting with around 500 to 1500 units per SKU, with more in popular

sizes and colours.

And that would be per-month, or…?

We'd prefer to keep things flexible to begin with.

What do you have in mind exactly?

I'm not against flexibility, but logistics require a certain amount of forward planning.

Of course!

Let me ask you something: what's the situation regarding production and delivery?

How long does it take you to process orders?

It's not completely fixed, but around two weeks.

Larger orders can take more time.

That's fine, so here's our situation: we don't have a lot of warehousing space.

That means we can't commit to a fixed schedule for deliveries.

Instead, we'll have to make orders once our stock level is low enough and we have

the space.

Hmm…

That's possible.

One thing you should know: we won't be able to offer the lowest prices if we can't be

sure of your delivery schedule in advance.

I understand.

And for one product category, for example short-sleeved t-shirts, how many variations

of size and colour do you need?

We need all the common sizes, from XS to XXL, each in 16 colours.

At the beginning of a negotiation, both sides need to make their position clear.

In the dialogue, you saw several ways to do this.

Can you remember any?

First, you can state what you want directly, like this: ‘I suggest starting small and

scaling up later.'

‘We're thinking of starting with around 500 units per SKU.'

‘We'd prefer to keep things flexible to begin with.'

You can use this language in other ways.

For example: ‘I suggest a six-month contract to begin with.'

‘We're thinking of opening new branches in 15 cities.'

‘We'd prefer to do the marketing work ourselves.'

You can also ask the other side specific questions to find out what they need.

In the dialogue, you heard: ‘What kind of volumes are we looking at?'

‘What's the situation regarding production and delivery?'

Again, you could use these in different situations.

For example: ‘What kind of schedule are we looking at?'

‘What's the situation regarding minimum order volume?'

Finally, you can also use open-ended questions to check information, or to get more information

from the other side, like this: ‘What do you have in mind exactly?'

‘And that would be per-month, or…?'

Making a question by leaving a sentence unfinished, with the word ‘or' at the end, is conversational.

You wouldn't use it in writing.

However, in spoken English, it's an effective way of showing that you need more information,

and that you want the other person to finish the idea.

Very often, negotiations depend on setting conditions.

What *you* can offer depends on what the other side can do.

Let's see how you can talk about this.

OK, so if we're ordering around 100,000 units at one time, what kind of per-unit pricing

can you offer?

That depends if you can commit to a regular delivery schedule or not.

Assuming that you need a flexible schedule, we could offer six dollars per unit for tees

and tank tops, and fifteen for hoodies and zip-ups.

If we need higher volumes, would you be able to go lower?

Possibly, but the schedule is more important to us.

Supposing you could commit to a minimum monthly volume, we could go down to five-fifty and

fourteen.

If we commit to a minimum volume over a six-month period, but with a flexible delivery schedule,

could you offer us the same price?

As long as there were some limitations on the delivery timing, I think that would be

acceptable.

The easiest way to express conditions is with if-sentences.

For example: ‘If we're ordering around 100,000 units at one time, what kind of per-unit

pricing can you offer?'

If we need higher volumes, would you be able to go lower?'

If we commit to a minimum volume over a six-month period, but with a flexible delivery schedule,

could you offer us the same price?'

If-sentences can be used in many ways; it's common to use the modal verbs ‘will' ‘can'

‘could' or ‘would' on the other side of the sentence.

Let's make some more examples: ‘If we commit to a longer contract, can

you offer us a better price?'

‘If we agreed to pay the licensing costs, would that make the deal work for you?'

However, there are other ways to talk about conditions.

Can you remember any from the dialogue?

You heard: ‘Assuming that you need a flexible schedule, we could offer six dollars per unit

for tees and tank tops…'

‘Supposing you could commit to a minimum monthly volume, we could go down to five-fifty…'

‘As long as there were some limitations on the delivery timing, I think that would

be acceptable.'

All of these have the same basic meaning, which is like an if-sentence, although ‘assuming…'

and ‘supposing…' are used when you want to suggest something which is more speculative.

Using these shows that you're talking about possibilities, rather than very firm suggestions

which need to be accepted or rejected immediately.

‘As long as…' has the opposite meaning; it sets a very firm condition.

If you say, ‘As long as there were some limitations on the delivery timing, I think

that would be acceptable', you mean that these limitations are necessary.

If you can reach an agreement, then that's great!

But, what if there's a sticking point?

Let's work out the details about delivery and scheduling.

For us to make this work at the lower price, we'd need to have monthly deliveries, but

we could let you adjust the size of the order to some extent, so that you can manage your

warehousing space.

I'll come right out and say that's not going to work for us.

Flexibility is essential for us; our whole model is based on just-in-time logistics,

so there's no way around this.

Well, in that case, we won't be able to offer you the lower price.

I have no problem with flexible deliveries as such, but we can't offer our best prices

without a regular commitment on your part.

I'm sorry to be blunt, but this seems a little short-sighted on your part.

We're potentially looking to order millions of units each year.

Flexible delivery doesn't mean that we won't make orders regularly, it just means that

we need to control the timing and quantities.

I understand completely, but you need to realise that we have our own logistics issues to deal

with.

If we don't know exactly when and how big an order will be, that creates costs for us.

We're not willing to absorb those costs; I feel that if you need this flexibility,

then you should be willing to pay for it.

I'm sorry but I have to draw a line here.

It's simply too risky for us to give you what you're asking.

It seems like we've reached a bit of an impasse.

Shall we take a five-minute break?

Good idea.

If the other side makes a proposal which you can't accept, you can tell them directly,

like this: ‘We won't be able to offer you the lower price.'

‘We can't offer our best prices without a regular commitment on your part.'

‘We're not willing to absorb those costs.'

This language is direct, but it's often better to be direct if something is important.

You can use this language in other ways.

For example: ‘We won't be able to finish the work in such a short space of time.'

‘We can't sign a contract if you can't guarantee a delivery date.'

‘We're not willing to share this technology for free.'

You can also show that you disagree by using phrases like: ‘I'll come right out and

say that's not going to work for us.'

‘There's no way around this.'

‘I'm sorry but I have to draw a line here.'

These are general, so you can use them to react to any suggestion which you strongly

disagree with.

It's a good idea when negotiating to keep things calm and avoid direct criticisms.

If things get confrontational, you could give everyone space to cool off by saying: ‘Shall

we take a five-minute break?'

Next, let's see how you can resolve disagreements in a productive way.

Right, I've spoken to a few people and I have a proposal which I hope can make this

work for everyone.

Sounds good!

What's your idea?

The problem for us is that if you don't maintain a certain monthly volume, we might

lose money at the lower prices, which obviously we can't do.

Sure.

So, here's my solution: we have an annual contract with a flexible delivery schedule,

but with a minimum volume per-quarter.

At the end of the quarter, if you haven't met the volume requirements, you're liable

for the difference in price between your orders and the minimum.

I like the basic idea, but earlier I suggested a six-month contract, and this sounds like

a much worse deal for us.

Well, I want to make this work, but the lower prices only work if we can guarantee orders

over a full year.

I'll make another offer: you pay five seventy-five for tees and tank tops and fourteen-fifty

for hoodies and zip-up tops.

Then, you can have a six-month contract, with minimum volume per-quarter.

That's a good offer, but can we have the minimum over the whole period, just to have

more flexibility?

I can't make more concessions that I already have, I'm afraid.

I think this is a good compromise which allows us to move forwards.

I'll need to call my team to confirm, but I think this should be feasible.

Great!

When you've reached an impasse, you need to make suggestions so that you can move forward.

To introduce a new idea, you heard this language from the dialogue: ‘I have a proposal which

I hope can make this work for everyone.'

‘Here's my solution: …'

'I'll make another offer...'

You can also ask the other side to suggest

their ideas, like this: ‘What's your idea?'

‘What would you suggest?'

Then, you need to react to the other side's ideas.

If you agree, you could say something like, ‘That's a good offer.'

‘I think this should be feasible.'

‘Feasible' has a similar meaning to ‘possible' or ‘practical'.

If something is ‘feasible', it means that you can do it, and it won't be difficult

or problematic.

Hopefully, at this point you've managed to reach an agreement!

If so, what else do you need to do?

Let's go through the main points: you'll order a minimum of 500,000 units in a six-month

period, at a price of five seventy-five for short-sleeved t-shirts, long-sleeved t-shirts

and tank tops, and fourteen-fifty for hoodies and zip-up tops.

That's right.

Regarding delivery, orders are flexible, but you commit to giving us three weeks' notice

for each order.

Yes.

We still need to settle the exact details of sizes, colours, and so on.

Of course, but from our point of view, that isn't an issue.

Production costs are almost identical.

OK, so we can work that out later.

There's also the matter of penalties in case you don't meet your minimum volume

over the course of the contract…

I thought we agreed that we would simply pay the unit cost for the shortfall?

Yes, but which unit cost?

We need to agree separate minimums for the t-shirts and tank tops, and for the heavier

items.

True, but I don't see that being a problem.

No, me neither.

So, we'll put this in writing and send you a provisional agreement within the next few

days.

If everything looks OK, we can work on getting a contract drawn up.

Perfect!

Once you've reached an agreement, you should summarise what you've agreed, and then outline

the next steps which you both need to take.

You might also mention points which need to be discussed later.

To summarise what you've agreed, you could say, ‘Let's go through the main points:

…' ‘Regarding delivery, …'

You can use ‘regarding' to introduce a new idea.

So, you could say, ‘Regarding the pricing…'

‘Regarding the timetable …' …and so on.

If there's something you need to talk about later, you could say, ‘We still need to

settle the exact details of…'

'There's also the matter of…'

These are flexible phrases, which you can use to talk about many points, like this:

‘We still need to settle the exact details of the training programme'

‘There's also the matter of integration with our existing software systems.'

Finally, you need to agree on the next steps.

You might say something like, ‘We'll put this in writing.'

‘We'll send you a provisional agreement.'

‘We can work on getting a contract drawn up.'

‘Draw up' is a phrasal verb which means ‘write', but it's only used for contracts

and other legal documents.

Do you have any interesting experiences or tips relating to business negotiations?

We'd love to hear from you, so please share your ideas in the comments!

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!

How to Negotiate in English - Business English Lesson كيفية التفاوض باللغة الإنجليزية - درس اللغة الإنجليزية للأعمال Wie man auf Englisch verhandelt - Lektion in Wirtschaftsenglisch Cómo negociar en inglés - Lección de inglés comercial Comment négocier en anglais - Leçon d'anglais des affaires 英語での交渉術 - ビジネス英語レッスン 영어로 협상하는 방법 - 비즈니스 영어 수업 Onderhandelen in het Engels - Les zakelijk Engels Jak negocjować po angielsku - lekcja angielskiego biznesowego Como Negociar em Inglês - Aula de Inglês para Negócios Как вести переговоры на английском языке - Урок делового английского языка İngilizce Müzakere Nasıl Yapılır - İş İngilizcesi Dersi Як вести переговори англійською - урок ділової англійської мови 如何用英語談判 - 商務英語課程

Hi, I'm Gina. مرحبًا، أنا جينا.

Welcome to Oxford Online English! Bem-vindo ao Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn useful language for business negotiations. Nesta lição, você aprenderá uma linguagem útil para negociações comerciais.

You'll learn how to make your position clear, how to accept or reject the other side's ستتعلم كيفية توضيح موقفك، وكيفية قبول أو رفض موقف الطرف الآخر Você aprenderá como deixar clara sua posição, como aceitar ou rejeitar a opinião do outro lado Вы узнаете, как четко изложить свою позицию, как принять или отвергнуть мнение другой стороны.

proposals, and how to express yourself in clear, professional-sounding English. propostas e como se expressar em um inglês claro e profissional. предложения, а также как выразить себя на четком, профессионально звучащем английском языке.

If you haven't already seen them, I suggest you watch our videos on chairing and attending إذا لم تكن قد شاهدتها بالفعل، أقترح عليك مشاهدة مقاطع الفيديو الخاصة بنا حول الرئاسة والحضور Falls Sie sie noch nicht gesehen haben, empfehle ich Ihnen unsere Videos zum Thema Vorsitz und Teilnahme Если вы еще не видели их, советую вам посмотреть наши видеоролики о председательстве и участии в мероприятиях

meetings. Treffen.

Negotiations are also a kind of business meeting, and the language from those videos will also Verhandlungen sind auch eine Art Geschäftstreffen, und die Sprache aus diesen Videos wird auch As negociações também são uma espécie de reunião de negócios, e a linguagem desses vídeos também Переговоры - это тоже своего рода деловая встреча, и язык из этих видео также будет

help you in these situations. помогут вам в таких ситуациях.

Don't forget that you should also visit our website: Oxford Online English dot com. Vergessen Sie nicht, dass Sie auch unsere Website besuchen sollten: Oxford Online English dot com.

You can find many free English lessons, and also book lessons with one of our professional Sie können viele kostenlose Englischstunden finden und auch Stunden bei einem unserer professionellen Lehrer buchen.

teachers if you need more help.

In this lesson, you'll see a scenario where I'll role-play a purchaser for a clothing In dieser Lektion werden Sie ein Szenario sehen, in dem ich die Rolle eines Einkäufers für ein Bekleidungsgeschäft spiele. Nesta lição, você verá um cenário em que interpretarei um comprador de uma loja de roupas

wholesaler.

Daniel will role-play the manufacturer's representative, and we'll be negotiating

a deal. um acordo.

Let's look at the first part. Vejamos a primeira parte.

So, let's get started. Então vamos começar.

I've read your proposals, and I understand you're looking for unbranded clothing in Ich habe Ihre Vorschläge gelesen und verstehe, dass Sie nach markenfreier Kleidung in Eu li suas propostas e entendo que você está procurando roupas sem marca em

a variety of styles. eine Vielzahl von Stilen. uma variedade de estilos. разнообразные стили.

That's right. Isso mesmo.

Meaning: t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, zip-up tops, and long-sleeved tees, right? Das bedeutet: T-Shirts, Tanktops, Kapuzenpullis, Oberteile mit Reißverschluss und langärmelige T-Shirts, richtig? Significado: camisetas, tops, moletons, tops com zíper e camisetas de manga comprida, certo?

Correct.

Alright.

So, my first question is: what kind of volumes are we looking at? Meine erste Frage lautet also: Mit welchen Mengen haben wir es zu tun? Então, minha primeira pergunta é: que tipo de volumes estamos vendo? Итак, мой первый вопрос: на какие объемы мы рассчитываем?

Well, we're a reseller, so we rebrand the clothing and sell it on to retailers. Bem, nós somos um revendedor, então mudamos a marca das roupas e as vendemos para varejistas.

We can potentially move quite a lot of product, but I suggest starting small and scaling up Wir können potenziell eine ganze Menge an Produkten bewegen, aber ich schlage vor, klein anzufangen und dann zu erweitern. Podemos potencialmente mover muitos produtos, mas sugiro começar pequeno e aumentar

later. mais tarde.

We're thinking of starting with around 500 to 1500 units per SKU, with more in popular Estamos pensando em começar com cerca de 500 a 1.500 unidades por SKU, com mais em populares

sizes and colours. tamanhos e cores.

And that would be per-month, or…? Und das wäre dann pro Monat, oder...? E isso seria por mês, ou...?

We'd prefer to keep things flexible to begin with. Preferimos manter as coisas flexíveis para começar. Мы бы предпочли, чтобы все было гибким.

What do you have in mind exactly? Was genau schwebt Ihnen vor? O que você tem em mente exatamente? Что именно вы имеете в виду?

I'm not against flexibility, but logistics require a certain amount of forward planning. Ich habe nichts gegen Flexibilität, aber die Logistik erfordert ein gewisses Maß an Vorausplanung. Não sou contra a flexibilidade, mas a logística exige um certo planejamento futuro. Я не против гибкости, но логистика требует определенного планирования наперед.

Of course! É claro!

Let me ask you something: what's the situation regarding production and delivery? Deixa eu te perguntar uma coisa: como está a situação da produção e entrega?

How long does it take you to process orders? Wie lange brauchen Sie für die Bearbeitung von Bestellungen? Quanto tempo você leva para processar os pedidos? Как долго вы обрабатываете заказы?

It's not completely fixed, but around two weeks. Sie ist noch nicht vollständig behoben, aber etwa zwei Wochen. Não é completamente fixo, mas cerca de duas semanas. Это не полностью исправлено, но около двух недель.

Larger orders can take more time. Pedidos maiores podem levar mais tempo.

That's fine, so here's our situation: we don't have a lot of warehousing space. Das ist gut. Wir haben also folgende Situation: Wir haben nicht viel Lagerfläche. Tudo bem, então aqui está nossa situação: não temos muito espaço de armazenamento.

That means we can't commit to a fixed schedule for deliveries. Isso significa que não podemos nos comprometer com um cronograma fixo para entregas. Это означает, что мы не можем придерживаться определенного графика поставок.

Instead, we'll have to make orders once our stock level is low enough and we have Stattdessen müssen wir Bestellungen aufgeben, sobald unser Lagerbestand niedrig genug ist und wir über Em vez disso, teremos que fazer pedidos assim que nosso nível de estoque estiver baixo o suficiente e tivermos

the space.

Hmm…

That's possible.

One thing you should know: we won't be able to offer the lowest prices if we can't be Eines sollten Sie wissen: Wir können nicht die niedrigsten Preise anbieten, wenn wir nicht in der Lage sind Uma coisa que você deve saber: não poderemos oferecer os preços mais baixos se não pudermos ser Знайте одно: мы не сможем предложить самые низкие цены, если не сможем быть

sure of your delivery schedule in advance. Sie sollten sich im Voraus über Ihren Lieferplan informieren. certeza de sua programação de entrega com antecedência. заранее уточните график доставки.

I understand.

And for one product category, for example short-sleeved t-shirts, how many variations Und für eine Produktkategorie, z. B. kurzärmelige T-Shirts, wie viele Varianten E para uma categoria de produto, por exemplo, camisetas de manga curta, quantas variações

of size and colour do you need? de tamanho e cor que você precisa?

We need all the common sizes, from XS to XXL, each in 16 colours. Precisamos de todos os tamanhos comuns, de XS a XXL, cada um em 16 cores.

At the beginning of a negotiation, both sides need to make their position clear. No início de uma negociação, ambos os lados precisam deixar sua posição clara. В начале переговоров обе стороны должны четко обозначить свою позицию.

In the dialogue, you saw several ways to do this. No diálogo, você viu várias maneiras de fazer isso.

Can you remember any? Você consegue se lembrar de algum?

First, you can state what you want directly, like this: ‘I suggest starting small and Erstens können Sie direkt sagen, was Sie wollen, etwa so: 'Ich schlage vor, klein anzufangen und Primeiro, você pode declarar o que deseja diretamente, assim: 'Sugiro começar pequeno e

scaling up later.'

‘We're thinking of starting with around 500 units per SKU.' 'Estamos pensando em começar com cerca de 500 unidades por SKU.'

‘We'd prefer to keep things flexible to begin with.' Wir würden es vorziehen, die Dinge von Anfang an flexibel zu halten. "Preferimos manter as coisas flexíveis para começar."

You can use this language in other ways. Sie können diese Sprache auch auf andere Weise verwenden. Você pode usar essa linguagem de outras maneiras. Вы можете использовать этот язык и другими способами.

For example: ‘I suggest a six-month contract to begin with.' Zum Beispiel: "Ich schlage vor, mit einem Sechsmonatsvertrag zu beginnen. Por exemplo: 'Sugiro um contrato de seis meses para começar.' Например: "Для начала я предлагаю заключить шестимесячный контракт".

‘We're thinking of opening new branches in 15 cities.' Wir denken daran, in 15 Städten neue Filialen zu eröffnen. 'Estamos pensando em abrir novas filiais em 15 cidades.'

‘We'd prefer to do the marketing work ourselves.' Wir würden es vorziehen, die Marketingarbeit selbst zu machen. "Preferimos fazer o trabalho de marketing nós mesmos."

You can also ask the other side specific questions to find out what they need.

In the dialogue, you heard: ‘What kind of volumes are we looking at?' In dem Dialog haben Sie gehört: "Was für ein Volumen haben wir denn?

‘What's the situation regarding production and delivery?' Wie sieht es mit der Produktion und der Lieferung aus?

Again, you could use these in different situations.

For example: ‘What kind of schedule are we looking at?' Zum Beispiel: "Welche Art von Zeitplan haben wir vor uns?

‘What's the situation regarding minimum order volume?' Wie sieht es mit der Mindestbestellmenge aus? 'Какова ситуация с минимальным объемом заказа?'

Finally, you can also use open-ended questions to check information, or to get more information Schließlich können Sie auch offene Fragen verwenden, um Informationen zu überprüfen oder um weitere Informationen zu erhalten

from the other side, like this: ‘What do you have in mind exactly?' von der anderen Seite, etwa so: "Was genau schwebt Ihnen vor? с другой стороны, примерно так: "Что именно вы имеете в виду?

‘And that would be per-month, or…?' 'И это в месяц или...?'

Making a question by leaving a sentence unfinished, with the word ‘or' at the end, is conversational. Eine Frage zu stellen, indem man einen Satz unvollendet lässt, mit dem Wort "oder" am Ende, ist konversationell. Задавать вопрос, оставляя предложение незаконченным, со словом "или" в конце, - это разговорный жанр.

You wouldn't use it in writing. Sie würden es nicht schriftlich verwenden. Вы бы не стали использовать его в письменном виде.

However, in spoken English, it's an effective way of showing that you need more information, Im gesprochenen Englisch ist es jedoch ein wirksames Mittel, um zu zeigen, dass Sie mehr Informationen benötigen,

and that you want the other person to finish the idea. und dass Sie möchten, dass die andere Person die Idee zu Ende führt. и что вы хотите, чтобы другой человек закончил свою мысль.

Very often, negotiations depend on setting conditions. Sehr oft hängen die Verhandlungen von den Rahmenbedingungen ab. Очень часто переговоры зависят от условий обстановки.

What *you* can offer depends on what the other side can do. Was *Sie* anbieten können, hängt davon ab, was die andere Seite tun kann. То, что *вы* можете предложить, зависит от того, что может сделать другая сторона.

Let's see how you can talk about this. Lassen Sie uns sehen, wie Sie darüber sprechen können.

OK, so if we're ordering around 100,000 units at one time, what kind of per-unit pricing OK, wenn wir also etwa 100.000 Einheiten auf einmal bestellen, wie hoch ist dann der Preis pro Einheit?

can you offer?

That depends if you can commit to a regular delivery schedule or not. Das hängt davon ab, ob Sie sich an einen regelmäßigen Lieferplan halten können oder nicht.

Assuming that you need a flexible schedule, we could offer six dollars per unit for tees Unter der Annahme, dass Sie einen flexiblen Zeitplan benötigen, könnten wir sechs Dollar pro Einheit für T-Stücke anbieten Если предположить, что вам нужен гибкий график, мы могли бы предложить шесть долларов за штуку за тройники

and tank tops, and fifteen for hoodies and zip-ups. und Tanktops, und fünfzehn für Kapuzenpullis und Zip-ups.

If we need higher volumes, would you be able to go lower? Wenn wir ein höheres Volumen benötigen, könnten Sie es dann niedriger ansetzen?

Possibly, but the schedule is more important to us. Möglicherweise, aber der Zeitplan ist für uns wichtiger.

Supposing you could commit to a minimum monthly volume, we could go down to five-fifty and Angenommen, Sie könnten sich zu einem monatlichen Mindestvolumen verpflichten, dann könnten wir bis auf fünfzig gehen und Предположим, вы могли бы взять на себя обязательства по минимальному месячному объему, мы могли бы спуститься до пятидесяти и

fourteen.

If we commit to a minimum volume over a six-month period, but with a flexible delivery schedule, Wenn wir uns zu einem Mindestvolumen über einen Zeitraum von sechs Monaten verpflichten, aber mit einem flexiblen Lieferplan, Если мы возьмем на себя обязательства по минимальному объему в течение шести месяцев, но с гибким графиком поставок,

could you offer us the same price?

As long as there were some limitations on the delivery timing, I think that would be Solange es einige Beschränkungen hinsichtlich des Liefertermins gibt, wäre das meiner Meinung nach eine gute Lösung. 只要对交货时间有一些限制,我认为就可以了

acceptable. akzeptabel.

The easiest way to express conditions is with if-sentences.

For example: ‘If we're ordering around 100,000 units at one time, what kind of per-unit

pricing can you offer?'

If we need higher volumes, would you be able to go lower?' Wenn wir mehr Volumen brauchen, könnten Sie dann auch tiefer gehen?

If we commit to a minimum volume over a six-month period, but with a flexible delivery schedule,

could you offer us the same price?'

If-sentences can be used in many ways; it's common to use the modal verbs ‘will' ‘can'

‘could' or ‘would' on the other side of the sentence.

Let's make some more examples: ‘If we commit to a longer contract, can Lassen Sie uns noch ein paar Beispiele nennen: Wenn wir uns für einen längeren Vertrag entscheiden, können

you offer us a better price?'

‘If we agreed to pay the licensing costs, would that make the deal work for you?' Wenn wir uns bereit erklären würden, die Lizenzkosten zu übernehmen, würde das Geschäft dann für Sie funktionieren? “如果我们同意支付许可费用,这会让这笔交易对你有利吗?”

However, there are other ways to talk about conditions. Es gibt jedoch auch andere Möglichkeiten, über Bedingungen zu sprechen.

Can you remember any from the dialogue?

You heard: ‘Assuming that you need a flexible schedule, we could offer six dollars per unit

for tees and tank tops…'

‘Supposing you could commit to a minimum monthly volume, we could go down to five-fifty…' Angenommen, Sie könnten sich zu einem monatlichen Mindestvolumen verpflichten, dann könnten wir auf fünf bis fünfzig runtergehen...

‘As long as there were some limitations on the delivery timing, I think that would

be acceptable.'

All of these have the same basic meaning, which is like an if-sentence, although ‘assuming…'

and ‘supposing…' are used when you want to suggest something which is more speculative. und 'supposing...' werden verwendet, wenn Sie etwas andeuten wollen, das eher spekulativ ist.

Using these shows that you're talking about possibilities, rather than very firm suggestions Die Verwendung dieser Begriffe zeigt, dass es sich um Möglichkeiten handelt und nicht um sehr konkrete Vorschläge.

which need to be accepted or rejected immediately. die sofort angenommen oder abgelehnt werden müssen.

‘As long as…' has the opposite meaning; it sets a very firm condition. Solange..." hat die gegenteilige Bedeutung; es stellt eine sehr feste Bedingung.

If you say, ‘As long as there were some limitations on the delivery timing, I think Wenn Sie sagen: "Solange es einige Beschränkungen für den Zeitpunkt der Lieferung gibt, denke ich

that would be acceptable', you mean that these limitations are necessary.

If you can reach an agreement, then that's great!

But, what if there's a sticking point? Was aber, wenn es einen Knackpunkt gibt?

Let's work out the details about delivery and scheduling. Lassen Sie uns die Einzelheiten der Lieferung und der Terminplanung ausarbeiten.

For us to make this work at the lower price, we'd need to have monthly deliveries, but Damit dies zu einem niedrigeren Preis möglich ist, müssten wir monatliche Lieferungen vornehmen, aber

we could let you adjust the size of the order to some extent, so that you can manage your Wir könnten Ihnen die Möglichkeit geben, den Umfang der Bestellung in gewissem Umfang anzupassen, so dass Sie Ihre Bestellung verwalten können.

warehousing space.

I'll come right out and say that's not going to work for us. Ich sage ganz offen, dass das für uns nicht funktionieren wird.

Flexibility is essential for us; our whole model is based on just-in-time logistics,

so there's no way around this. Es gibt also keine Möglichkeit, dies zu umgehen.

Well, in that case, we won't be able to offer you the lower price. In diesem Fall können wir Ihnen den niedrigeren Preis nicht anbieten.

I have no problem with flexible deliveries as such, but we can't offer our best prices Ich habe kein Problem mit flexiblen Lieferungen als solche, aber wir können nicht unsere besten Preise anbieten.

without a regular commitment on your part. ohne eine regelmäßige Verpflichtung Ihrerseits.

I'm sorry to be blunt, but this seems a little short-sighted on your part. Es tut mir leid, wenn ich das so deutlich sage, aber das scheint mir ein wenig kurzsichtig von Ihnen zu sein.

We're potentially looking to order millions of units each year. Wir werden möglicherweise Millionen von Einheiten pro Jahr bestellen.

Flexible delivery doesn't mean that we won't make orders regularly, it just means that Flexible Lieferung bedeutet nicht, dass wir keine regelmäßigen Bestellungen machen, es bedeutet nur, dass

we need to control the timing and quantities. wir müssen den Zeitpunkt und die Mengen kontrollieren.

I understand completely, but you need to realise that we have our own logistics issues to deal Ich verstehe das sehr gut, aber Sie müssen sich darüber im Klaren sein, dass wir mit unseren eigenen logistischen Problemen zu kämpfen haben.

with.

If we don't know exactly when and how big an order will be, that creates costs for us. Wenn wir nicht genau wissen, wann und wie groß ein Auftrag sein wird, verursacht das Kosten für uns.

We're not willing to absorb those costs; I feel that if you need this flexibility, Wir sind nicht bereit, diese Kosten zu übernehmen; ich bin der Meinung, dass Sie diese Flexibilität brauchen,

then you should be willing to pay for it. dann sollten Sie auch bereit sein, dafür zu bezahlen.

I'm sorry but I have to draw a line here. Es tut mir leid, aber ich muss hier einen Schlussstrich ziehen.

It's simply too risky for us to give you what you're asking. Es ist einfach zu riskant für uns, Ihnen das zu geben, was Sie verlangen.

It seems like we've reached a bit of an impasse. Es scheint, als ob wir in eine Sackgasse geraten sind.

Shall we take a five-minute break? Sollen wir eine fünfminütige Pause einlegen?

Good idea.

If the other side makes a proposal which you can't accept, you can tell them directly, Wenn die andere Seite einen Vorschlag macht, den Sie nicht akzeptieren können, können Sie ihm das direkt sagen,

like this: ‘We won't be able to offer you the lower price.' etwa so: Wir können Ihnen den niedrigeren Preis nicht anbieten.

‘We can't offer our best prices without a regular commitment on your part.'

‘We're not willing to absorb those costs.'

This language is direct, but it's often better to be direct if something is important. Diese Sprache ist direkt, aber es ist oft besser, direkt zu sein, wenn etwas wichtig ist.

You can use this language in other ways. Sie können diese Sprache auch auf andere Weise verwenden.

For example: ‘We won't be able to finish the work in such a short space of time.' Zum Beispiel: "Wir werden nicht in der Lage sein, die Arbeit in so kurzer Zeit fertig zu stellen".

‘We can't sign a contract if you can't guarantee a delivery date.' Wir können keinen Vertrag unterschreiben, wenn Sie keinen Liefertermin garantieren können.

‘We're not willing to share this technology for free.'

You can also show that you disagree by using phrases like: ‘I'll come right out and Sie können auch zeigen, dass Sie nicht einverstanden sind, indem Sie Sätze verwenden wie: "Ich komme gleich zur Sache und

say that's not going to work for us.' sagen, dass das für uns nicht funktionieren wird'.

‘There's no way around this.' Es führt kein Weg daran vorbei.

‘I'm sorry but I have to draw a line here.' Es tut mir leid, aber ich muss hier einen Schlussstrich ziehen.

These are general, so you can use them to react to any suggestion which you strongly Sie sind allgemein gehalten, so dass Sie damit auf jeden Vorschlag reagieren können, der Ihnen wichtig ist.

disagree with.

It's a good idea when negotiating to keep things calm and avoid direct criticisms. Bei Verhandlungen ist es ratsam, ruhig zu bleiben und direkte Kritik zu vermeiden.

If things get confrontational, you could give everyone space to cool off by saying: ‘Shall Wenn es zu Auseinandersetzungen kommt, können Sie allen Beteiligten Raum geben, sich zu beruhigen, indem Sie sagen: "Shall

we take a five-minute break?'

Next, let's see how you can resolve disagreements in a productive way. Als Nächstes wollen wir sehen, wie Sie Meinungsverschiedenheiten auf produktive Weise lösen können.

Right, I've spoken to a few people and I have a proposal which I hope can make this Gut, ich habe mit ein paar Leuten gesprochen und habe einen Vorschlag, der hoffentlich dazu beitragen kann, dass diese

work for everyone. Arbeit für alle.

Sounds good!

What's your idea?

The problem for us is that if you don't maintain a certain monthly volume, we might Das Problem für uns ist, dass wir, wenn Sie ein bestimmtes monatliches Volumen nicht einhalten, möglicherweise

lose money at the lower prices, which obviously we can't do. bei den niedrigeren Preisen Geld verlieren, was wir natürlich nicht tun können.

Sure.

So, here's my solution: we have an annual contract with a flexible delivery schedule, Hier ist also meine Lösung: Wir haben einen Jahresvertrag mit einem flexiblen Lieferplan,

but with a minimum volume per-quarter. aber mit einem Mindestvolumen pro Quartal.

At the end of the quarter, if you haven't met the volume requirements, you're liable Wenn Sie am Ende des Quartals die Volumenanforderungen nicht erfüllt haben, sind Sie haftbar

for the difference in price between your orders and the minimum.

I like the basic idea, but earlier I suggested a six-month contract, and this sounds like

a much worse deal for us. ein viel schlechteres Geschäft für uns.

Well, I want to make this work, but the lower prices only work if we can guarantee orders Nun, ich möchte, dass das funktioniert, aber die niedrigeren Preise funktionieren nur, wenn wir Aufträge garantieren können.

over a full year.

I'll make another offer: you pay five seventy-five for tees and tank tops and fourteen-fifty Ich mache Ihnen ein anderes Angebot: Sie zahlen fünfundsiebzig für T-Shirts und Tanktops und vierzehnfünfzig

for hoodies and zip-up tops.

Then, you can have a six-month contract, with minimum volume per-quarter. Dann können Sie einen sechsmonatigen Vertrag abschließen, mit einem Mindestvolumen pro Quartal.

That's a good offer, but can we have the minimum over the whole period, just to have Das ist ein gutes Angebot, aber können wir den Mindestbetrag für den gesamten Zeitraum haben, nur um die

more flexibility?

I can't make more concessions that I already have, I'm afraid. Ich kann nicht mehr Zugeständnisse machen, als ich bereits gemacht habe, fürchte ich.

I think this is a good compromise which allows us to move forwards. Ich denke, das ist ein guter Kompromiss, der es uns ermöglicht, voranzukommen.

I'll need to call my team to confirm, but I think this should be feasible.

Great!

When you've reached an impasse, you need to make suggestions so that you can move forward.

To introduce a new idea, you heard this language from the dialogue: ‘I have a proposal which

I hope can make this work for everyone.'

‘Here's my solution: …'

'I'll make another offer...'

You can also ask the other side to suggest

their ideas, like this: ‘What's your idea?'

‘What would you suggest?'

Then, you need to react to the other side's ideas.

If you agree, you could say something like, ‘That's a good offer.'

‘I think this should be feasible.'

‘Feasible' has a similar meaning to ‘possible' or ‘practical'.

If something is ‘feasible', it means that you can do it, and it won't be difficult

or problematic.

Hopefully, at this point you've managed to reach an agreement!

If so, what else do you need to do?

Let's go through the main points: you'll order a minimum of 500,000 units in a six-month

period, at a price of five seventy-five for short-sleeved t-shirts, long-sleeved t-shirts

and tank tops, and fourteen-fifty for hoodies and zip-up tops.

That's right.

Regarding delivery, orders are flexible, but you commit to giving us three weeks' notice

for each order.

Yes.

We still need to settle the exact details of sizes, colours, and so on.

Of course, but from our point of view, that isn't an issue.

Production costs are almost identical.

OK, so we can work that out later.

There's also the matter of penalties in case you don't meet your minimum volume

over the course of the contract…

I thought we agreed that we would simply pay the unit cost for the shortfall?

Yes, but which unit cost?

We need to agree separate minimums for the t-shirts and tank tops, and for the heavier

items.

True, but I don't see that being a problem.

No, me neither.

So, we'll put this in writing and send you a provisional agreement within the next few

days.

If everything looks OK, we can work on getting a contract drawn up.

Perfect!

Once you've reached an agreement, you should summarise what you've agreed, and then outline

the next steps which you both need to take.

You might also mention points which need to be discussed later.

To summarise what you've agreed, you could say, ‘Let's go through the main points:

…' ‘Regarding delivery, …'

You can use ‘regarding' to introduce a new idea.

So, you could say, ‘Regarding the pricing…'

‘Regarding the timetable …' …and so on.

If there's something you need to talk about later, you could say, ‘We still need to

settle the exact details of…'

'There's also the matter of…'

These are flexible phrases, which you can use to talk about many points, like this:

‘We still need to settle the exact details of the training programme'

‘There's also the matter of integration with our existing software systems.'

Finally, you need to agree on the next steps.

You might say something like, ‘We'll put this in writing.'

‘We'll send you a provisional agreement.'

‘We can work on getting a contract drawn up.'

‘Draw up' is a phrasal verb which means ‘write', but it's only used for contracts

and other legal documents.

Do you have any interesting experiences or tips relating to business negotiations?

We'd love to hear from you, so please share your ideas in the comments!

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!