新职业英语_经贸英语教案_Unit3

Unit 3

Business Negotiation

本单元结合国际经贸业务中的典型工作流程、工作场景概述国际货物买卖过程中商业背景调查之后的一个重要环节——“交易磋商”：

? 交易磋商概述：介绍交易磋商过程中典型的四个环节，主要涉及四个环节的

基本含义、内容和在整个过程中的地位与作用(Reading A)，为进行实际交易磋商提供理论指导；

? 口头磋商：根据业务需要，向贸易伙伴询问商品报价、提供报价、磋商分歧

和达成协议(Listening & Speaking)，学习实际磋商中的谈判技巧；

? 书面报盘与还盘：客户通过电子邮件向公司相关人员进行报盘，即商品的名

称、价格和样品等信息，公司对报盘进行还盘，指出需要进一步磋商部分，并提供具体建议(Reading A)

? 起草询盘和介绍信件：根据所给的信息，起草一份得体的询盘和接受信函

(Reading B & Writing), 熟悉交易磋商信函包括的一般内容和格式。

Unit Objectives

After studying this unit, you are able to:

? Understand the four basic steps in the process of a business negotiation ? Know the formats of enquiry, offer, counter-offer and acceptance ? Use the bargaining skills in business negotiation

? Draft and answer enquiry, offer, counter-offer and acceptance

1. Warming-up

Task 1

The following jeans picture is a sample for whole sales advertised in China Daily. Discuss with your partner what you will enquire of the seller when you plan to import them.

A price list Specification Quantity Samples Terms of payment Shipment

Task 2

Discuss with your classmates to find out what steps might be taken to reach a deal on

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importing the jeans above. Then, fill in the following boxes and explain why. Reading an advertisement for jeans

Negotiating about what they differ in

Confirming what they have agreed

Asking for detailed information of the jeans Sending a quotation of the jeans and samples 2. Reading A

Background Information

As a key part in international trade, business negotiation refers to the process in which a seller and a buyer negotiate the terms and conditions on trading specified products, and finally reach an agreement. It can be done orally or in writing. Normally, it comes when the company finishes its business background check on its potential business partner. The general

procedure of business negotiation is enquiry, offer, counter-offer, and acceptance. But it should be noted that in practice not all business negotiations go through the four phases.

Task 1

Before reading the passage, see how much you know about the business negotiation by answering the following questions.

1. Have you ever heard of the general steps in business negotiations? If so, list them in time order; if not, guess what they are. Suggested Answers

I’ve heard a little bit about the steps of business negotiations in Chinese. And after discussing with Tom, we finally nail down our version of the general steps in business negotiations. The first step is to ask general information about a product. I remember it is called “enquiry”; next is to give a reply to the so-called “enquiry”, which is mainly on the product’s price; the third step is called “counter-offer”; and the last one is to reach an agreement which means one party finally accepts the other’s conditions and terms.

2. What do we need to pay close attention to in business negotiations? Suggested Answers

We think all the four steps are very important. For example, if you are a buyer and want to make an enquiry about the product you are interested in, you should state clearly the name and specifications of the product in the letter. And if you want to buy a lot, you’d better tell the seller to quote you the best price. For the seller, he should reply the enquiry as soon as possible. When quoting the price, he is strongly recommended to make it clear that the price might fluctuate, especially in a turbulent market. When receiving the seller’s offer or quotation, you might find it impossible to

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accept. Don’t reject it rudely or give no reply because he might be your future business partner. When drafting a counter-offer, you should give good reasons for the part you disagree with and your new suggestions. As to the last step, “acceptance”, you’d better restate what you have agreed on to make sure there is no misunderstanding about it. It is much helpful, especially after several rounds of exchanges between you and the seller.

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General Steps in Business Negotiations

Generally speaking, business negotiations involve four steps: enquiry, offer, counter-offer and acceptance.

一般来说，交易磋商包括四个步骤：询盘、报盘、还盘和接受。

The first step is “enquiry”. When reading an advertisement in a newspaper, website or anywhere else, buyers may make requests for the information relating to their interested products like price lists, samples and terms of payment. Such a request is called “an enquiry”.

第一步是“询盘”。买方在报纸、网站或者其他地方看到一则广告后，可能会向对方索取有关自己感兴趣的商品信息，如价格表、样品、付款条件等。而这种索取信息的请求就被称为“询盘”。

After sending the enquiry, it comes to “offer”. An offer is the expression of the wish of the seller to sell particular goods under stated terms, including quantity, prices, shipment, terms of payment, etc. It usually follows an enquiry that is either written or oral.

在发出询盘后，买方就会收到“报盘”。报盘表达了卖方希望出售某种商品的条件，包括数量、价格、装运、付款条件等。它通常出现在口头的或者书面的询盘之后。

Offers can be classified into two types: firm offers and non-firm offers. A firm offer is usually a seller’s promise to sell specified goods or services at specified prices, and valid for a specified period, with packing, payment, etc. described clearly. Once the firm offer is accepted by the buyer within the validity, the seller is not permitted to revise or withdraw his/her offer and is obliged to enter into a contract with the buyer. In contrast, a non-firm offer is actually an offer without engagement which often contains reservation clauses like “ We make you an offer subject to our final confirmation.”

报盘可以分为两大类：实盘和虚盘。实盘通常是指卖方以指定的价格、有效期、包装、付款等内容销售某种商品或服务的承诺。实盘一旦在有效期内被买方接受，卖方就不准修改或者撤回其报盘，并有义务与买方签署合同。相比之下，虚盘实际上是一个没有约言的报盘，它经常包括诸如这样的保留条款：“此发盘须经我方最终确认。”

Next step is “counter-offer”. When an offer reaches the offeree, he/she may reject it and end the negotiation if he/she finds it impossible to reach an agreement. But usually he /she will carefully study the offer, and renew the received offer by altering or adding some terms and conditions. In such a case, the reply to the offer is called “counter-offer”.

下一步是“还盘”。当报盘送达受盘人，如果发现不可能达成一致，他/她可能会拒绝，

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从而终止谈判。但是通常他/她会仔细研究报盘，修改或添加一些条款和条件。在这种情况下，对报盘的回复称作“还盘”。

A counter-offer functions as both a rejection to the original offer and a new offer by the buyer. Consequently, the former offeror now becomes an offeree, and the former offeree turns to be an offeror. Normally, such exchanges might go through several rounds before a contract is signed.

还盘的作用既是对原始报盘的拒绝，又是买方提出的新报盘。因此，以前的发盘人现在变成了受盘人，而以前的受盘人变成了发盘人。通常，在最终签署合同之前，这种相互之间的交流可能要经历几个来回。

Last, we’ll discuss “acceptance”. When an offer arrives, the offeree might agree on all terms contained in the offer unconditionally, and an agreement will be reached between the two parties. In such a case, the reply to an offer is known as “acceptance”. Here, it should be noted that the word “offer” refers to both the original offer and the counter-offer in several rounds of negotiations.

最后，我们将谈谈“接受”。当报盘到达受盘人后，他可能无条件地接受报盘中的所有条款。这样，双方就达成了一致。在这种情况下，对报盘的回复被称作“接受”。这里需要指出的是，“报盘”这个词这里既指原始的报盘，也指谈判回合中的还盘。

involve

v. to include or affect someone or something

His reform involves the reorganization of several ministries in the government.

go through

to experience a particular process

You have to go through several rounds of interviews before such a big company recruits you.

agree on

to have or express the same opinion about something as someone else They agreed on a date for next round of negotiation in this meeting. Useful Expressions:

agree to do sth.:同意做某事 agree with sb.:同意某人

agree on/about sth.:就某事达成一致

Task 2

Read the passage, and match each step with the corresponding aspect. enquiry provide prices and shipment of the products offer reach an agreement between the two parties request for pricelists, samples and terms of payment counter-offer acceptance point out terms of payment and conditions that are unaccepted 4

Task 3

Read the passage again and tick off the facts mentioned in the passage. □ 1. definition of business negotiations □ 2. people’s attitudes toward an enquiry □ 3. legal consequence of a firm offer

□ 4. differences between a quotation and an offer □ 5. the possibility of rejecting an offer □ 6. how to make a counter-offer □ 7. the effects of a counter-offer

□ 8. definite number of offer and counter-offer rounds □ 9. format of writing an acceptance letter

Task 4

The reading passage has shown four general steps in business negotiations. Discuss with your classmates and decide which of the above steps is the most difficult and explain the reasons.

3. Listening

Task 1

Miss Chen of Pioneer Garment Factory, is talking with Mr. Addison, a potential customer from the US. Listen to the conversation and match the people with the correct information.

Mr. Addison Miss Chen

Script

Miss Chen: Good morning, sir. Can I help you?

Mr. Addison: Good morning. I’d like to know something about your latest blouses. Oh, by the way, I’m Tom Addison from Rocky Mountain Import & Export Co. Here’s my card.

Miss Chen: Glad to meet you, Mr. Addison. This is my card. I’m Chen Hong, sales manager of Pioneer Garment Factory. Have a seat, please! Mr. Addison: Thank you.

Miss Chen: I think you might be interested in the embroidered ones which are the newest models. Here are the samples. In fact, it sells well in Canada. Mr. Addison: Yes, they look really nice and fashionable.

Miss Chen: I’m quite sure they’ll find a ready market in your country.

Mr. Addison: I hope so. But I need to study them further. Could you give me your catalog and price list?

Miss Chen: Of course. Here you are.

Mr. Addison: I’ll contact you later. Thank you!

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? ? ? ? Rocky Mountain Import & Export Show the newest models of blouses Ask for the catalog and pricelist Sales manager

1. A purchasing manager of an X-ray 2. After receiving the offer from an American company f rom I reland intends to place an company for sports wear, you are to telephone order for 15 tons of pineapple if the price their sales manager and tell him/her that their is competitive. You are to offer your price is still higher than other suppliers. You company’s best price and tell him your argue with him/her and finally get 1.5% company’s policy on discount: If the 3. A British businessman phones you to enquire

quantity exceeds 20 tons, you’ll give 2% the tea price and you offer him your rocket

discount. After several rounds of bottom price. Unfortunately, the gap between his

argument, you and the purchasing expectation and your offer is too and he decides

manager reach a deal. to find other suppliers. Sample A: Lanxing Fruit Import & Export! Can I help you? B: This is Robinson from X-ray Co., Ltd. I’m very interested in your pineapple. A: Great! How much do you want to order? B: 15 tons. So, please quote us your lowest price. A: $1,000 per ton. B: It’s not very competitive, yes? A: But if your order exceeds 20 tons, we’ll give you a 2% discount. That’s our lowest price. B: OK, done! 5. Reading B

Task

Rocky Mountain Co. is a big company located in San Francisco, whose business covers buying and selling clothes, toys, etc. Now, it is seeking an alternative supplier of jeans in China and sends an enquiry to Win-win Clothing Factory that is located in Qingdao, China. The following is the correspondence between them.

落基山公司是一家坐落于旧金山的大型公司，其业务涉及衣服、玩具等的买卖。目前，它正在中国寻求一家牛仔裤替代供应商。它向位于中国青岛的双赢服装厂发去了询盘。下面就是它们之间的信件往来。

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thanks for your enquiry of February 5th, 2009. We are glad to know your interest in the jeans we produce. Our company is the second largest manufacturer in China with favorable comments from home and abroad. The jeans you enquired about are specially designed for the Americans and in rising demand.

We wish to inform you that the samples you asked for in your last letter have

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been sent to you by EMS and we expect your favorable feedbacks.

Your terms of payment by L/C are acceptable to us. To make sure the shipment of the jeans on time, please ensure that the L/C reaches us at least 60 days before the time of shipment.

For the quantities you mentioned, we are pleased to quote as follows:

If you want to have any further information, please contact us by telephone. Our phone number is 0532-8888xxxx.

We are looking forward to receiving your order.

Yours sincerely,

Zheng Zhi Sales Manager

史密斯先生：

非常感谢您2009 年2 月5 日的询盘。我们非常高兴地获悉您对我们生产的牛仔裤感兴趣。我公司是中国第二大生产商，产品倍受国内外好评。您所询问的牛仔裤是专门为美国人体型所设计的，需求量持续增长。 我们希望告知您，您在上封信中要求的样品已经通过特快专递发送给您，期待着您的好评。

我公司接受贵方提出的信用证付款方式。为确保牛仔裤及时发运，请确保信用证至少在发运前60 天开到我方。

我们非常高兴地根据您提到的需求量报价如下：

如果您想要获知其他信息，请通过电话联系我们。我公司电话号码是0086-0532-8888xxxx。

盼望早日收到贵公司订单。

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销售经理

郑智 （ 谨上）

郑先生：

非常感谢您给我公司发来的男款牛仔裤样品。 我们非常欣赏贵公司牛仔裤的质量和款式。但是，在仔细研究您的报价和目前市场后，我们发现您的价格似乎偏高。如果接受贵公司的报价，我们将几乎没有利润。因此，我们建议您给我公司10% 的折扣，这样就可以为我们打开您的产品销路铺平道路。

关于付款，您要求我们最少在装运前60 天开出信用证，坦率的说，那样会占用资金。因此，我可否建议我们在装运前30 天将信用证开到贵处？ 我们热切地期望您肯定的回复。

采购部经理

汤姆·史密斯

（ 谨上）

Task 1

Choose the best answer to each of the following questions according to the above correspondence.

B 1. Which of the following topics has not been stated in the first email? A. The position of Win-win Clothing Factory. B. Feedbacks to the samples. C. The terms of payment. D. The quotations for jeans.

A 2. It can be inferred from the first email that . A. it is the first time for the two companies to do business with each other B. the samples were sent to the business partner before February 5th, 2009 C. Win-win Clothing is only dedicated to American market

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D. Rocky Mountain hates women’s jeans

C 3. What is the price of small blue jeans for men? A. $11. B. $10.5. C. $10. D. $50.

D 4. What have the two companies agreed on according to the second email? A. The amount of profit. B. The price of the jeans. C. Time of payment. D. The quality of the jeans.

Task 2

Match the following terms with their Chinese meaning. 1. manufacturer a. 信用证 2. favorable b. 信件 3. L/C c. 制造商 4. freight d. 占用 5. insurance e. 为……铺平道路 6. alternative supplier f. 有利的 7. correspondence g. 运费 8. quotation h. 报价 9. pave the way for… i. 保险费 10. tie up j. 交替供应商

Task 3

Translate the following short paragraph chosen from the second email into Chinese. We do appreciate the good quality of your jeans and their styles. However, after a careful study of your quotation and the current market, we learn that your price seems to be on the high side. To accept your quotation will leave us with little profit. 我们十分欣赏贵公司牛仔裤的质量和样式。但是，在认真研究您的报价和目前市场后，我们发现您的价格似乎偏高。如果接受贵公司的报价，我们将几乎没有利润。 6. Writing

Task 1

Fill in the following letter according to the given information.

Mr. Smith wanted to find an alternative supplier of clothes. He sent a seller a letter to ask for samples and the latest pricelists. He might place orders if the price is reasonable. Dear Sir or Madam, (1)We learn your company and its address from your advertisement in China Daily on Monday, February 9th. You may be glad to know that we are one of the most important importers of jeans in the US. We’re seeking (2)an alternative supplier of jeans. Could you send us (3)your samples and the latest price list for men’s jeans? (4)We would like to have 1000 pairs of men’s jeans in Size L, M and S respectively with the(5)delivery date before June 30th. The color can be either black or blue. Please (6)quote us your best price as we will (7)place regular orders in the future if 14

your products are at reasonable prices. We are (8)looking forward to receiving your replay. Yours faithfully, Tom Smith Purchasing Manager Task 2

Read the second email in Reading B again, and send an acceptance with the help of the following tips.

◆ Express your acceptance directly and clearly and restate the terms and conditions you have agreed upon;

◆ Remind the reader to countersign;

◆ Show your confidence in carrying out the deal. Suggested Answers Dear Mr. Smith,

We accept your counter-offer of February 8th, 2009 and are pleased to confirm having concluded the transaction of the jeans you ordered. The 1,000 pairs of men’s jeans in Size L, M and S respectively will be manufactured as soon as your L/C reaches us and be ready before the shipping time. You can rest assured that your order will be fulfilled as contracted upon.

To make sure that the shipment is on time, we’d like to reiterate that your L/C must reach us 30 days before the shipping time.

We are now enclosing here with our Sales Contract No. 09T4321 in duplicate. Please counter-sign and return us one copy for our records.

We appreciate your cooperation and are confident that our products will turn out to your satisfaction.

Yours sincerely,

Zheng Zhi

7. Project

Project Guidelines

This project aims at performing the process of business negotiation. The whole task is divided into three steps. Step one involves sending an enquiry and giving an offer. Step two focuses on two sides’ arguing over the terms and conditions of the offer. Step three bears upon the confirmation of what have been agreed on. Please follow the Task Description to complete the project.

Task Description

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