让基础职场词汇成为你的“嫡系”（欢迎全程参与互动）

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54.Meetings1: types of meeting

A. Word combinations with 'meeting'
arrange/set up/fix a meeting: organize a meeting
bring forward a meeting: make a meeting earlier than originally decided
put back/postpone a meeting: make a meeting later than originally planned
cancel a meeting: not have a meeting after all
run/chair a meeting: be in charge of a meeting
attend a meeting: go to a meeting
miss a meeting: not go to a meeting


B. Types of meeting
Meetings come in all shapes and sizes, of course. Here are some types:
a. chat (informal discussion) with colleagues at the coffee machine.
b. brainstorming among colleagues: where as many ideas as possible are produced quickly, to be evaluated later.
c. project meeting/ team meeting of employees involved in a particular activity.
d. department/departmental meeting.
e. meeting with suppliers, for example to negotiate prices for an order.
f. meeting with a customer, for example to discuss a contract.
g. board meeting: an official, formal meeting of a company's directors.
h. Annual general meeting/AGM(BrE); annual meeting (AmE): where shareholders discuss the company's annual report.
i. EGM: extraordinary general meeting: a shareholders' meeting to discuss an important issue such as a proposed merger.


C. How was the meeting?
Some colleagues are discussing a meeting they have just come out of.
Anil: I thought it was very productive.
Juliet: Well, I thought it was a complete waste of time. I didn't hear anything I didn't already know.
Barbara: I agree with Anil. I felt we had some very useful discussions, and that we reached an agreement that was good for both sides. We certainly covered a lot of ground. It was incredible the number of things we got through.
Juliet: But there were too many digressions. John was rambling and kept wandering off the point. He just uses meetings as a chance to show off. Just like a lot of men: he just wanted to show how powerful he is and what a good talker he is.
Anil: But to be fair, the chair really kept things moving: she encouraged people to be brief and to stick to the point and we achieved a lot in a short time. Anyway, I learned a lot and I think they listened to what we had to say.


Over to you
What sort of meetings do you go to in your school or organization? Are they useful?

 

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55.Meeting2: the role of the chairperson

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Before the meeting[/FONT]
Hilary Rhodes is a management consultant who specializes in meeting skills:
'A good chairperson has to be a good organizer. What they do before the meeting is as important as the meeting itself. They should make sure the agenda (the list of things to be discussed) is complete by asking those involved what should be on it and then circulating (distributing) it to everyone concerned. They should check the venue, making sure the room will be free, without interruptions, until the end of the meeting.'


B. During the meeting
The chairperson should be a good timekeeper. They should start the meeting on time, without waiting for latecomers.
They should appoint a minute-taker to take the minutes, making sure that opinions and action points (where participants agree to do something) are noted.
They should make sure each point on the agenda is allocated the time it deserves and should keep to the timetable. When the time allocated to one point is up, the chair should make sure that discussion moves on to the next point, even if the issue has not been completely covered or resolved (decided).
The chair should make sure that each participant has the chance to make their point, and should deal tactfully with disagreements, making sure that each side feels their point of view has been noted. They should also try to avoid digressions, where people get off the point.
Finally, they should ensure the meeting finishes on time, or early.


C. Follow-up
After some meetings, it's necessary for the minutes to be circulated, especially if there are action points that particular people are responsible for.
At the next meeting, the chair should ask for the minutes to be read out and see if all agree that it is an accurate record of what happened, and see if there are any matters arising (any points from the last meeting that need to be discussed). And they should check what progress has been made on the action points from the previous meeting.


Over to you
What do you think are the most important skills for someone chairing a meeting?

 

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56.Meetings 3: points of view

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Opening the meeting[/FONT]
Carla Eagleton, chief executive of Creative Advertising, is opening a meeting. She could also have said:
It's about time we got started.
Let's begin, shall we?
Shall we make a start?
Let's make a start.
Let's get down to business.
Ok, let's get started.

Then she says 'As you know, I've called the meeting to discuss the situation in the design department. The designers have a lot of freedom to work as they wish, but it seems that things are getting our of control---'
She could also have said:
As you are aware ---
I've arranged this meeting to ---
The purpose of this meeting is to ---
The main objective is to ---


B. Inviting people to speak
Carla then uses some of these expressions.


Inviting someone to start:
Would you like to open the discussion, Greta?
Greta, would you like to kick off?
Perhaps you'd like to get the ball rolling, Greta.


Asking for one person's opinion:
What about you, Keith?
What do you think about this, Keith?
What are your feelings on this, Keith?
What are your views on this, Keith?


Asking for everyone's opinion:
What's the general feeling on this?


C. Making your point
The other participants use some of these expressions.
a. Head of human resources: I believe the design department needs a certain amount of freedom, but there are limits.
b. Head of design: As I see it, I can't run the design department as if it was the accounts department.
c. Chief financial officer: In my opinion, they're going much too far. I can't bear to think of the costs involved.
d. Senior designer: Of course, we are sensitive types and need to be given the freedom to work how we like.


Other ways of making your point include:
The way I see it ---
Personally, I think ---
It's clear to me that ---
It looks to me as if ---
Obviously ---
Note: You use Of course and Obviously to introduce an idea, but also to show that you think other people will be aware of it already. Be careful, as this can sound rude.


Over to you
How freely can people express their feelings in your school or organization? Are people at all levels encouraged to say what they think? Are new employees asked for their opinions?

 

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57.Meetings 4: agreement and disagreement

[FONT=微软雅黑]A[/FONT]. Discussion without argument?
Hilary Rhodes is talking about the importance of keeping calm in meetings:
'In a meeting, you discuss things. In the discussion, some people may agree with you. Others may disagree. They may have differences of opinion with you, but the important thing is to keep calm and remain courteous. It's OK to disagree, but it's not OK to be impolite or rude or to lose your temper.
An argument is when people disagree about something, perhaps becoming angry. Your argument is also the set of ideas that you use to prove your point: to show that what you are saying is true.'


B. Agreeing
Strong agreement:
a. You're perfectly right. The costs involved must be incredible.
b. I couldn't agree more. We got our latest recruits after we won the industry award for best advertisement.
c. Precisely. Creativity comes to some of our people in the middle of the night.
d. Exactly. We have to look at the company as one unit.
e. Absolutely. It's the output, not the input, that counts.


Mild agreement:
f. You may be right there. We're already ten percent over budget.
g. That's true, I suppose. There must be some limits on when they work.
h. I suppose so. They seem to arrive and then go straight out again to eat.


C. Disagreeing
Mild disagreement:
a. That's not really how I see it. Everyone should be allowed to work in the way that's best for them.
b. I don't really agree. The prizes are important, but people would come to work for us anyway.
c. I can't really go along with you there. I think we need to see people at their desks actually working.
d. I think you're mistaken. If the designers get to work late, they don't go out for lunch.
e. I'm afraid I can't agree with you there. All you financial people do is worry about costs.


Strong disagreement:
f. I'm sorry, but that's out of the question. You can't expect people to go home at ten and come back at nine in the morning.
g. I think you're wrong. The design department's costs are justified because of our high quality work. The costs of the other departments are not justified.
h. Of course not. The latest figures I've seen show that the project is within budget.
i. That's absurd. There must be some sort of control on when people work.
j. That's ridiculous. Each department has very specific needs.
Note: Be careful with That's absurd and That's ridiculous. These expressions are very strong and can be offensive.


Over to you
What are you like in meetings? Do you often disagree with other people? Or do you prefer to avoid arguments?

 

[chwcau]

回复: 让基础职场词汇成为你的“嫡系”（欢迎全程参与互动）

ding

 

[逆水行舟]

回复: 让基础职场词汇成为你的“嫡系”（欢迎全程参与互动）

ding

谢谢参与，其实此贴非常实用，我个人感觉受益菲浅！

 

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58. Meetings 5: discussion techniques

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Hedging[/FONT]
Hedging is when you avoid disagreeing directly. To hedge, you could say:
a. I take your point about punctuality, but clocking in and out would not be very popular.
b. I understand what you're saying about the needs of each department, but each department must be treated in an appropriate way.
c. I see/know what you mean, but we must look at the human factors as well as the numbers.
d. I hear where you're coming from on this, but we must remember this is an advertising agency, not a car factory.


B. Checking understanding, interrupting, referring back
To interrupt someone politely:
Can I come in here?
Sorry to interrupt you, but ---
If I can just stop you for a moment ---


To refer back to what was said earlier:
As we were saying earlier ---
To go back to what I was just saying ---
To go back to what X was saying earlier ---


To check that you understand what someone has said:
Are you saying that ---?
If I understand (you) correctly, ---
Are you suggesting that ---?
If I follow you ---
Are you implying that ---?


C. Agreement, consensus or compromise?
Hilary Rhodes is talking about how to deal with agreements and disagreements:
'It may be possible to reach agreement or to reach an agreement about something, or at least come to a consensus: something that most people can agree with. It may be possible to compromise or to find a compromise: an agreement where people accept less than they wanted at first. Or perhaps the differences are so great that there will just be disagreement. Something in particular that you disagree about is a disagreement.'


D. Concluding
Carla Eagleton sums up and brings the meeting to a close:
' Right. I'm afraid we're running out of time so we're going to have to stop there. To go over what's been said, there is a disagreement about timekeeping and budgets in the design department. I've listened to both sides of the argument. I think I can sum it up by saying that it's a problem of creativity versus control. I think you'll just have to agree to disagree. I'll let you know my decision about the solution to this problem by the end of the month. So unless anyone has anything else to add, I think that's it. Thank you all for coming.'


Over to you
Are compromises always possible? In your organization or school, are decisions based on compromise and consensus or are they imposed by the management?

 

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59.Presentations 1: preparation and introduction

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Types of presentation[/FONT]
Melanie Kray is an expert in giving presentations. Here, he gives some examples of different presentations:
a. press conference: two chief executives tell journalists why their companies have merged.
b. briefing: a senior officer gives information to other officers about a police operation they are about to undertake.
c. demonstration: the head of research and development tells non-technical colleagues about a new machine.
d. product launch: a car company announces a new model.
e. lecture: a university professor communicates information about economics to 300 students.
f. talk: a member of a stamp-collecting club tells other members about 19th century British stamps.
g. seminar: a financial adviser gives advice about investments to eight people.
h. workshop: a yoga expert tells people how to improve their breathing techniques and gets them to practise.


B. Dos and don'ts: preparation
Here are some tips for a stand-up presentation (one person talking to an audience).
a. Find out about the audience: how many people there will be, who they are, why they will be there, and how much they know about the subject.
b. Find out about the venue and the facilities: the room, the seating plan, the equipment, etc.
c. Plan the content and structure, but don't write the complete text of the presentation.
d. Write notes on sheets of paper, not on cards.
e. Try to memorize the first five sentences of your talk.
f. Prepare visual aids: pictures, diagrams, etc.
g. Rehearse your presentation (practise it so that it becomes very familiar) with friends or colleagues.


C. Key phrases: introduction
Melanie is advising Anne-Marie Duval on giving a presentation at a conference.
h. Introduce yourself and your subject: My name's Anne-Marie Duval and I work for Gem Consultants. My talk is called 'Consultantcy Skills for the 21st Century'.
i. Outline what you're going to talk about: describe the different sections of your talk: There are three main skills areas I want to talk about today---
j. Say whether people should ask questions during the talk, or at the end: If you have any questions, I'll be very happy to answer them at the end of the session.


Over to you
Have you ever given a presentation? What type was it ?
In your experience, what makes a good/bad presentation?

 

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60.Presentations 2: main part

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Dos and don'ts: timing[/FONT]
Melanie Kray is giving more advice about presentations.
a. Start on time. Don't wait for latecomers.
b. Plan how long you're going to spend on each point and keep to these timings.
c. Don't labour a particular point (spend too long on something).
d. Don't digress (talk about things that have nothing to do with the subject), unless you have a particular purpose in mind.
e. Finish on time. Don't run over. It looks bad if you don't have time to finish all your points and answer questions.


B. Dos and don'ts: voice
f. Project your voice to the back of the room, but don't shout. Don't ask if people at the back can hear. Check the volume (loudness) of your voice beforehand.
g. Use a microphone if you need one. Don't hold it too close to your mouth.
h. Whether using a microphone or not, speak in a natural tone of voice. Don't speak in a monotone (on the same level all the time). Vary the pitch (level) of your voice.


C. Rapport with the audience
Experts say that you can gain the audience's attention in a presentation by:
a. telling an anecdote ( a story, perhaps a personal one).
b. mentioning a really surprising fact or statistic.
c. stating a problem.
d. asking a question.
Of course, it is important to respect the cultural expectations of your audience.


D. Key phrases: main part
Anne-Marie continues her presentation:
'OK. To begin, let's look at the first type of skills that consultants need: technical skills. Of course, related to technical skills is a good general knowledge of management subjects---
But I'm digressing: let's get back to the technical skills themselves--- That's all I have time for on technical skills.
Let's move on to the second area: interpersonal skills. As you can see on this transparency, there are two key areas in relation to interpersonal skills--- I think that covers everything on interpersonal skills.
Time is moving on, so Let's turn to the third area: people management issues.'


Over to you
How are people expected to dress for different types of presentation in your country?
What do people think about humour in presentations?

 

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61.Presentations 3: closing and questions

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Dos and don'ts: body language[/FONT]
Melanie gives these tips on body language.
a. Make eye contact: look at each person in the audience for about a second, before moving on to the next person. Don't concentrate on just one or two people.
b. Don't speak to the equipment or the screen: face the audience at all times.
c. Smiling is fine at appropriate moments, but not too much.
d. Use gesture (hand movements) to emphasize key points.
e. Stay more or less in one place: don't move around too much.
f. Avoid mannerisms (ways of moving and speaking which you do repeatedly without realizing).


B. Visual aids
Melanie sometimes uses these visual aids when giving presentations:
bullet, screen, projector, overhead projector, computer screen, whiteboard, blackboard, handouts


C. Key phrases: closing and dealing with questions
Anne-Marie is bringing her presentation to a close:
'let me sum up. Firstly, we looked at technical skills, secondly, at management skills and last, but by no means least, at interpersonal skills. In my view, the secret for success in the future is going to be interpersonal skills. That brings me to the end of my presentation. Are there any questions?'
Here are some phrases which can be useful when answering questions:
a. That's fair point. I know that some consultants don't have a very good image. But I think that Gem Consultants have helped companies reduce costs and increase profits enormously.
b. That's confidential. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you.
c. That's not really my field. But I can put you in touch with someone in my organization who is working on Internet applications.
d. The questioner would like to know what sort of background the people we recruit usually have. Is that right?
e. Well, I think that goes beyond the scope of today's presentation. Today I wanted to concentrate on consultants' skills, not go into particular case studies in consultancy.
f. I'm afraid we've run out of time. But if you'd like to come and discuss that with me now, I'll try and give you an answer.
If a member of the audience didn't hear a question, they might say:
'Sorry, I didn't catch the question - could you repeat what the questioner said?'
Anne-Marie ends the presentation by saying:
'I think that's a good place to stop. Thank you for listening.'


Over to you
How is body language used in presentations in your country? Which gestures are acceptable and which are not?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using different types of equipment?
What are some of the potential problems?

 

[helenbaby]

回复: 让基础职场词汇成为你的“嫡系”（欢迎全程参与互动）

追到这里,跟着楼主学英语。

 

[helenbaby]

回复: 让基础职场词汇成为你的“嫡系”（欢迎全程参与互动）

1

 

[逆水行舟]

回复: 让基础职场词汇成为你的“嫡系”（欢迎全程参与互动）

追到这里,跟着楼主学英语。

1

热烈欢迎！其实这本教材绝对是商务英语的经典，我坚持了两个月收益颇丰。
我一直认为，没有压力，就没有坚持，就不会有成果。我坚持按学习进度上贴，就是给自己压力，现在厚厚的一本书就快学完了！若当初我只是把书放在床头，有空看两页的话，估计早就半途而废了。
所以非常赞成你晒进度的方式，不要放弃哦！加油！

 

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62.Negotiations 1: situations and negotiators

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Types of negotiation[/FONT]
If people negotiate (with each other), they talk in order to reach an agreement which is to their mutual advantage (good for them both). For example:
a. customer-supplier negotiations
b. merger or takeover negotiations
c. wage negotiations
d. trade negotiations
Negotiations also take place to settle disputes (decide arguments) such as:
a. contract disputes
b. labour disputes
c. trade disputes


B. Word combinations with 'negotiations'
a. Intense (Intensive) negotiations are very difficult and tiring, with a lot being discussed.
b. Delicate (Tense) negotiations are very difficult and could easily fail.
c. Eleventh-hour (Last-minute) negotiations take place at the last possible moment of the time available.
d. Protracted negotiations take a very long time.
Someone who takes part in negotiations is a negotiator, and someone who is good at getting what they want is a tough negotiator.


C. Bargaining
Another word for 'negotiate' is bargain. This is also used to talk specifically about discussing and agreeing the price of something. Another name for 'negotiator' is a bargainer.
Another word for 'negotiation' is bargaining, used especially in phrases like:
a. collective bargaining
b. pay bargaining
c. wage bargaining (discussions between groups of employees and their employers about pay and conditions)
'Bargaining' is often used in these combinations:
bargaining ploy (tactic): a particular technique used by a negotiator
bargaining chip (tool): an issue that a negotiator uses in order to gain an advantage
bargaining point: a particular issue that a negotiator discusses
bargaining power: the degree to which one side is strong enough to obtain what it wants
bargaining process: the way that negotiations develop


Over to you
What qualities make a good negotiator?
Do you have to negotiate? Do you like negotiating? Why/ why not?

 

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63.Negotiations 2: preparing

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Preparing to negotiate[/FONT]
John Rix is an expert on negotiation:
'Before negotiations begin, preparing and planning are very important.
a. Get as much information as possible about the situation. If dealing with people from another culture, find out about its etiquette and negotiating styles: the way people negotiate, what they consider to be acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and so on.
b. Work out your initial bargaining position: what are your needs and objectives ( the things that you want to achieve)? Decide your priorities (the most important objectives).
c. Try to estimate the needs and objectives of the other side.
d. Prepare a fallback position: conditions that you will accept if your original objectives are not met.
e. Perhaps you are in a position to influence the choice of venue: the place where you are going to meet. If so, would you prefer to:
be on your own ground/ on home ground (in your own offices)
go to see the other side on their ground (in their offices)
meet on neutral ground, for example in a hotel?
f. If you are negotiating as part of a negotiating team, consult your colleagues about points a to e, and allocate roles and responsiblities.'


B. Negotiating scenario
At the beginning of a negotiation, follow these steps:
a. Meet and greet representatives of the other company and introduce your colleagues.
b. Offer coffee and small talk. Try to create a relaxed atmosphere.
c. Go to the meeting room and suggest that you get down to business.
d. Have a clear agenda and a timetable.
e. First, give the background to the negotiations. Talking about the situation is a good way of reminding people of key facts and issues.
f. Then kick off the negotiations themselves, perhaps by finding out more about the priorities of the other side (the things they think are most important) or talking about your own requirements.


C. Negotiating styles
When you're negotiating with people from other cultures, it's important to think about what they consider as 'normal' behaviour. You'll need to think about the following:
body language
conversational rules
hierarchy
physical contact
relationship building
attitudes to time


Over to you
What are the normal social 'rules' in your country in the context of a buyer-customer negotiation?

 

[mallplus]

回复: 让基础职场词汇成为你的“嫡系”（欢迎全程参与互动）

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64.Negotiations 3: furthering negotiations

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Win-win[/FONT]
In a successful negotiation, everyone should leave the negotiating table happy with the outcome: there shouldn't be winners and losers. The negotiators should try to reach a win-win solution: an agreement of equal benefit to both sides. This can be achieved in a number of ways.


B. Probing
One way of furthering negotiations is probing (asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers). Here are some probing questions:
a. What is the situation on production at your plant at the moment?
b. What sort of quantities are you looking for?
c. What are we looking at in the way of discount?
d. What did you have in mind regarding specifications?
e. What were you thinking of in terms of delivery dates?
f. How important to you is the currency for payment?


C. Proposal and counter-proposal
Through a series of proposals or offers from one side and counter-proposals or counter-offers from the other side, the two sides work towards an agreement which will benefit them both.
Here are some ways of making offers:
a. If you offer more flexible payment conditions, then we will be able to ---
b. As long as engine performance improves by ten per cent, then we can agree to ---
c. On condition that you deliver 20 engines by May, then we could consider ---
d. Supposing that you provide good technical support, then we may offer ---
e. Providing that you supply documentation in Portuguese, then we may offer ---
f. Providing that this contract works out OK, then we might offer to ---


D. Trade-offs
When you offer to change your position to one that is less favourable to yourself, you make a concession. Perhaps this is in exchange for a concession from the other side, although there is no guarantee of this. Your concession may be a goodwill gesture: a concession that you make hoping that the other side will see this as friendly and make a concession in return.
Even in a friendly negotiation, there may be horse-trading, with each side making a series of concessions in return for concessions from the other side. (This expression is often used to show disapproval.) If you argue about something for a long time, especially about the price of something, you haggle.
A series of concessions in exchange for concessions from the other side is a series of trade-offs. If you make a concession, you may not get anything back. If you make a trade-off, you give something away and get something in return.


Over to you
Is every negotiation potentially a win-win one?
Do you think that making goodwill gestures is a good idea, or should you always demand concessions in return for the concessions that you make?

 

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65.Negotiations 4: difficulties

A. Confrontation
Sometimes one side is in a stronger position than the other: they have more bargaining power. For example, during a recent strike at Lamda Inc., the company was in financial difficulty and the public was on the workers' side, so Lamda was negotiating from weakness. The strikers' union knew this: they were negotiating from strength.
The union made demands: objectives that were so important that they were unwilling to change them. They wanted a 15 per cent pay increase. Later they moderated these demands, and said they would accept ten per cent. However, their demand for a week's extra holiday was non-negotiable: they would not accept less.
Lamda said they were being forced to accept something that they did not want. They accused the union of making them negotiate under duress.
Eventually Lamda conceded to most of the union's demands and gave them what they wanted. The media said that Lamda had backed down, climbed down and given in.
The feelings had been very strong on each side: the dispute was bitter, and the negotiations were confrontational and adversarial.


B. Confrontational negotiating tactics
Although using tricks isn't recommended, there are negotiators who:
a. issue threats, final offers or ultimatums: they say that the other side must accept something, with very bad consequences for them if they refuse.
b. lie and bluff: they threaten to do something that they do not intend to do, or are not able to do.
Of course, you can always call someone's bluff: pretend to believe them, when you know they are bluffing.


C. Dealing with problems
When negotiations get stuck, and don't progress, there are a number of things you can do.
a. Underline common ground: the areas where agreement has been reached.
b. Reassure the other side on key points that have been decided: confirm that you have not changed your mind.
c. Be willing to compromise on your original objectives: be ready to accept less than you wanted in exchange for compromises from the other side.
d. Identify the exact obstacles or sticking points: the problems that are causing negotiations to become difficult.
e. Postpone discussions until later so that each side can reconsider its position.


Over to you
Do you think people should tell the complete truth when negotiating?

 

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66.Negotiations 5: reaching agreement

[FONT=微软雅黑]A. Deadlock and mediators[/FONT]
BASEBALL STRIKE IN BASELAND
Every year in Baseland there are negotiations between the baseball players' union and the baseball team owners about pay and conditions for the coming season. Last year, after months of negotiations, there was deadlock: the negotiations broke down. Some commentators said there was stalemate; and impasse: a situation where no progress could be made. There were irreconcilable differences between the two sides and it was impossible differences between the two sides and it was impossible to reach an agreement. The baseball players went on strike.
The two sides agreed to bring in a mediator, someone from outside to help restart the negotiations and bring the two sides closer together in a process of mediation. The person they chose was a respected retired politician. He recommended a cooling-off period where each side would take no action. The players ended their strike for the time being.
Another month passed, and still there was no progress. The two sides agreed to accept an agreement imposed by an arbitrator. A judge was chosen. She looked at the claims of each side and imposed a settlement or resolution to the dispute, fixing the salaries and the working conditions of the players. In this case, arbitration had settled the dispute.


B. Agreements and contracts
An agreement of any kind is a deal. When you reach an agreement, you can talk about clinching a deal or closing a deal.
A bargain is also an agreement reached through negotiation. People who get what they want in a negotiation are said to drive a hard bargain.
An agreement may be in the form of a contract. 'Contract' is used in these combinations:
a. An employment contract is about what someone has to do in their job, or about what a particular group of employees have to do.
b. An oral/verbal contract is not written down.
c. A binding contract forces both sides to carry out the actions.
d. A legal contract that they had promised to carry out, by law.
e. A commercial contract is about buying or selling a product.


C. Checking the deal
It's important to check the points of an agreement to avoid misunderstandings. You could say:
a. Let me just go over/run over (repeat and summarize) the main points.
b. On A, we agree that ---
c. As far as B is concerned, we agreed ---
d. We still have the question of C to settle (decide and agree on).
e. And there's still the outstanding (remaining undecided) issue of D.
f. We'll send you a written proposal.
g. We'll draw up (write) a contract based on those points.
h. I think that covers everything.


Over to you
What sort of agreements or contracts does your organization or school have with others?
Who draws them up?
Think of some recent negotiations in your country. What stages did they go through?

 

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