Delivering your presentation

PART 2 Business English

UNIT 1 ORAL PRESENTATION

I Background

ORAL PRESENTATION

An oral presentation (or an oral report) is generally a speech or vocal performance, occasionally accompanied by visually based presentations such as a slideshow, audio, video, etc. Presentations come in nearly as many forms as there are life situations. There are informational and motivational presentations, sales presentations, first encounters, interviews, briefings, status reports, image-building, and of course, the inevitable training sessions. Making a good oral presentation is an art that involves attention to the needs of your audience, careful planning, and attention to delivery.

The audience

Some basic questions to ask about an audience are:

1. Who will I be speaking to?
2. What do they know about my topic already?
3. What will they want to know about my topic?
4. What do I want them to know by the end of my talk?

By basing the content and style of your presentation on your answers to these questions, you can make sure that you are in tune with your audience. What you want to say about your topic may be much less important than what your audience wants to hear about it.

Planning your presentation

In an effective presentation, the content and structure are adjusted to the medium of speech. When listening, we cannot go back over a difficult point to understand it or easily absorb long arguments. A presentation can easily be ruined if the content is too difficult for the audience to follow or if the structure is too complicated.

As a general rule, expect to cover much less content than you would in a written report. Make difficult points easier to understand by preparing the listener for them, using plenty of examples and going back over them later. Leave time for questions within the presentation.

Give your presentation a simple and logical structure. Include an introduction in which you outline the points you intend to cover and a conclusion in which you go over the main points of your talk.

Delivering your presentation

People vary in their ability to speak confidently in public, but everyone gets nervous and everyone can learn how to improve their presentation skills by applying a few simple techniques.

The main points to pay attention to in delivery are the quality of your voice, your rapport with the audience, use of notes and use of visual aids.

Voice quality involves attention to volume, speed and fluency, clarity and pronunciation. The quality of your voice in a presentation will improve dramatically if you are able to practise beforehand in a room similar to the one you will be presenting in.

Rapport with the audience involves attention to eye contact, sensitivity to how the audience is responding to your talk and what you look like from the point of view of the audience.

Spoken v. written language

There are both subtle and significant differences in speech and writing, and it's good to know what they are when preparing an oral presentation. For one thing, a speech should sound more like natural speech.

· First person

One of the most obvious ways in which to achieve this is to speak sometimes in the first person - you can refer to yourself in an oral presentation, for example, "I'd like to start by..." or "Let me give you an example...", whereas in written projects it is best to keep the use of the first person to a minimum.

· Terminology and nominalisation

Because your audience needs to be able to follow you without being able to refer back to written text, try to unpack your language somewhat - don't be too academically dense or use too much terminology.

· Signposting

You will be accustomed to signposting in essays, where you foreshadow or guide your readers through your argument with phrases such as "The focus of this paper will be..." or "I'd like to move on to..." This technique is crucial in oral presentations, where the audience does not have the luxury of referring to the writing in front of them.

Visual aids

Visual aids help to make a presentation lively. They can also help the audience to follow your presentation and help you to present information that would be difficult to follow through speech alone. Some speakers give printed handouts to the audience to follow as they speak. Others prefer to give their handouts at the end of the talk, because they can distract the audience from the presentation.

II Practice and Experience

Part I Vocabulary Practice

1. Match the objectives of a presentation introduction with the corresponding vocabulary:

1.	Get the audience's attention and signal the beginning	a.	Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce myself. Good morning everyone, I'd like to start by introducing myself. My name is...I am a student at the INT. I am a researcher from… I've been working on the subject now for X years...I've had wide experience in the field of...
2.	Greet the audience	b.	My purpose in doing this paper is to give you a solid background on the subject of… What I would like to do today is to explain/to illustrate/to give you the essential background information on/to outline/to have a look at... What I want my listeners to get out of my speech is... If there is one thing I'd like to get across to you today it is that…
3.	Introduce oneself, (name, position, and company)	c.	Right. Well. OK. Let's begin. Good. Fine. Great. Can we start? Shall we start? Let's get the ball rolling. Let's get down to business.
4.	Give the title and introduce the subject	d.	I have broken my speech down/up into X parts. I have divided my presentation (up) into Y parts. In the first part I give a few basic definitions… In the next section I will explain… In part three, I am going to show... In the last part I would like/want to give a practical example...
5.	Give objectives (purpose, aim, goals)	e.	I plan to speak about... Today I'm going to talk about... The subject of my presentation is... The theme of my talk is... I've been asked to give you an overview of... I have chosen to speak about this because... I was asked to speak about X because...
6.	Announce an outline	f.	Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning, members of the jury. Good afternoon, esteemed guests. Good evening, members of the board. Fellow colleagues,… Thank you for your kind introduction.

2. Read the phrases in the box and define their purpose.Complete the presentation introduction with the given phrases.

And finally	To begin with
or to put it another way	is divided into three parts
In this presentation, I am going to talk to you about	First of all, let me start by thanking you

 

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. 1._____ for attending this presentation. I understand that everybody is very busy. So your attendance is very much appreciated.

My name is Russel Grants and I work as the European human resources manager for LPS, which I have done for the past 5 years. I have worked in the field of human resources in various companies since I left university, nearly 20 years ago.

2._____why your staff are lazy and unproductive, 3._____, how employers and managers mismanage their staff.

Today's presentation 4._____, which I will tell you about now. 5._____, I will give an overview of how current employee under-performance is costing companies millions in lost revenue, every minute of every day. Then I will explain the causes of this under-performance. 6.________, I will outline an easy method to rectify this problem, which will keep your staff motivated and more productive.

3. Find in the table below the phrases which are aimed:

1. To rephrase

2. To emphasize

3. To refer to what you will say

4. To refer to common knowledge

5. To give an example

6. To refer to what you have said previously

7. To summarize

8. To refer to what an expert says

a. Now let's take an example… An example of this can be found... To illustrate this… Let's see this through an example… For example/For instance,…	b. Let me rephrase that,… In other words… Another way of saying the same thing is… That is to say…
c. To summarize… To sum up,… Let me summarize by saying… So that concludes my overview… In conclusion… Briefly said/In short,… What I've tried to show in this part... To recap what we've seen so far...	d. What is very significant is... What is important to remember... I'd like to emphasize the fact that... I’d like to stress the importance of.../to highlight.../to underline... What I tried to bring out... What we need to focus on...
e. I quote the words of... In the words of… According to... Here I'd like to quote… As Mr. X says in his book... There is a famous quotation that goes...	f. We will see this a little later on… This will be the subject of part 3… We will go into more detail on that later… For now, suffice to say...
g. As I have already said earlier... As we saw in part one... To repeat what I've said already…	h. As you all may well know... It is generally accepted that... As you are probably aware (of)...

 

Task 3 Plan the content.

An oral presentation needs an introduction, body and conclusion. In the introduction, you may like to include a brief (and relevant) anecdote or provocative question to engage your audience from the beginning. A question that includes your audience will make them want to follow through with you to find out the implications as they relate to them directly. The conclusion should point to further research or conclusive results if possible. Try to end with a clear concluding statement.

1. Introduction (may be planned last)

• Capture your listeners’ attention.
• State your purpose.
• Make an outline of your talk.

2. The Body

• Write down your main points one by one in a logical order.
• Make it absolutely clear when you move to another point. For example:
  ‘The next point is that...’
  ‘OK, now I am going to talk about...’
  ‘Right. Now I'd like to explain... ’
  ‘Of course, we must not forget that...’
  Use clear examples to illustrate your points.
• Use visual aids to make your presentation more interesting.

3. The Conclusion

• It is very important to leave your audience with a clear summary of everything you have covered.
• It is also important not to let the talk just fizzle out. Make it obvious that you have reached the end of the presentation.
• Summarize the main points again.
• Restate the purpose of your talk, and say that you have achieved your aim.
• Thank the audience, and invite questions.

Useful vocabulary

Time-keeper Well, that seems to be all the time we have today. Please be brief. I'm afraid we've run out of time. Let's get back on track, why don't we? That's not really why we're here today. Why don't we return to the main focus of the topic. We're beginning to lose sight of the main point. Keep to the point, please.

Speaker of Parliament What facts and figures are you using to support your argument? Your argument is flawed because it does not take into account … You haven’t convinced me yet. Where’s your prove? I cannot accept your argument.

Proposer • In my opinion… • The point is… • You know what I think... I think that… • Wouldn't you say that…? • Don't you agree that…? • I'd just like to say that… • I'd like to point out that… • I genuinely think that…

Opposer • Yes, but… • I disagree … • That's not the point … • No, I think you're wrong… • Up to a point, but… • Yes, that's quite true, but… • I'm not sure I quite agree … • Well, you have a point there, but… • Perhaps, but don't you think that… • I see what you mean, but… • I tend to disagree with you there… • You must admit that… • Surely it would make more sense… • Let’s face it, there won’t be a better idea…

3. Extemporaneous Speech

Give a 3 minute presentation without a written body of the speech. You may use only a written word-for-word introduction and conclusion of your speech (because these are the 2 crucial elements of a speech — the introduction captures listeners' attention and the conclusion gives them something to remember and perhaps act upon).

 

4. Give an oral presentation using visual aids and ask your groupmates to evaluate it according to the given criteria:

III Over to You

1. Consultancy Presentation

4-5 students are legal consultants for a company. Consultants have to prepare a ‘cutting-edge’ presentation to present the firm’s findings to the client. The rest of the class are the ‘clients’ and may interject and ask questions during the presentation.

Consultancy presentation topic

Lloyds Ltd. is a multinational company that is keen to invest in Ukraine. It has appointed your legal firm to prepare information on the topic “Ukraine’s tax policy for foreign investors”. Prepare the report and devise a ‘consultancy presentation’ to your clients.

2. Panel Discussion/ Forum/ Talk show

 

Choose one of the topics:

· Should gay marriage be legal?

· Should performance enhancing drugs (such as steroids) be accepted in sports?

· Do violent video games contribute to youth violence?

 

The group is to divide themselves as different personalities to participate in a panel discussion or talk-show. Students are to discuss points to be presented by each and conduct a lively discussion directed by a moderator.

Useful vocabulary

 

LANGUAGE TOOLBOX	EASIER ALTERNATIVES
Structuring your OP First of all we’ll look at… Then I’ll move on to… Now I’d like to present… Now I’d like to explain… To round up I’ll	Structuring your OP I’m going to speak about… First, I’ll (do whatever) and then I’ll move on to (whatever other topic) and I’ll finish with…
Playing for time Now that’s a very interesting question… I’m glad you brought that point up… I’m glad you asked me that…	Playing for time I see. That’s an interesting question. Let me think… What I can say is… Could anybody answer that? Thanks!
Reporting on your discussion There was some disagreement as regards… We were pretty much in agreement as far as… was concerned We found it difficult to imagine… We reckoned that… One thing we felt sure about was… On reflection we agreed that…	Checking the communication process is going OK Is this clear? Do you follow me? Can you understand me? Would you like me to speak more slowly? Do you have any questions?/ Have you got any questions or comments?

 

 

I Background

Notes: conference proceedings матеріали конференції, збірки наукових праць

keynote speaker доповідач

panel discussions обговорення групою спеціалістів

 

Throughout your career life, you're likely to attend lots of meetings with your supervisors, colleages and subordinates. Although there are many different kinds and styles of meetings, they all serve the same objective - to foster teamwork and help the business do a better job.

Meetings come in all shapes and sizes, from chats in the corridor, to weekly meetings and annual conferences.

The term “meeting” covers a lecture (one presentation), seminar (typically several presentations, small audience, one day), conference (mid-size, one or more days), congress (large, several days), exhibition or trade show, workshop (smaller, with active participants), training course and team-building session.

Symposium is often as a synonym for (academic) conference. However, a symposium is usually characterized by a more open discursive or discussion, rather than a one-way lecture or presentation. Congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different nations, constituent states, independent organizations (such as trade unions), or groups. Convention (meeting) is a large formal meeting for people who belong to the same profession or organization or who have the same interests. Summit isan important meeting or set of meetings between the leaders of several governments.

 

Structure of Meetings

Meetings generally follow a more or less similar structure and can be divided into the following parts:

I - Introduction

Opening the meeting

Welcoming and introducing participants

Stating the principal objectives of a meeting

II - Beginning the Meeting

Introducing the agenda

Allocating roles (secretary, participants)

Agreeing on the ground rules for the meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.)

III - Discussing Items

Introducing the first item on the agenda

Closing an item

Next item

Giving control to the next participant

IV - Finishing the Meeting

Summarizing

Finishing up

Thanking participants for attending

Closing the meeting

Meeting Vocabulary

Whether you are holding a meeting or attending a meeting, it is important that you understand key English phrases and expressions related to meetings. A successful meeting has no surprises. With proper preparation and careful organization, a meeting can run smoothly. Setting goals and time limits, keeping to the agenda, and knowing how to refocus, are key components of an effective meeting.

 

Writing an Agenda

In order to keep the meeting on task and within the set amount of time, it is important to have an agenda. The agenda should indicate the order of items and an estimated amount of time for each item. If more than one person is going to speak during the meeting, the agenda should indicate whose turn it is to "have the floor".

 

Welcome

 

Once everyone has arrived, the chairperson, or whoever is in charge of the meeting should formally welcome everyone to the meeting and thank the attendees for coming.

e.g. I think we'll begin now. First I'd like to welcome you all and thank everyone for coming, especially at such short notice. I know you are all very busy and it's difficult to take time away from your daily tasks for meetings.

 

Introductions

 

If anyone at the meeting is new to the group, or if there is a guest speaker, this is the time when introductions should be made. The person in charge of the meeting can introduce the new person, or ask the person to introduce him or herself.

 

Objectives

Some people who hold meetings prefer to pass around copies of the agenda, and others will post a large copy on a wall, or use an overhead projector. No matter which format is used, attendees should be able to follow the agenda as the meeting progresses. Before beginning the first main item on the agenda, the speaker should provide a brief verbal outline the objectives.

e.g. As you can all see here on the agenda we will be mainly talking about the upcoming tourist season. First we'll discuss the groups that will be coming in from Japan. After that we'll discuss the North American Tours, followed by the Korean tours. If time allows we will also discuss the Australian tours which are booked for early September. Next, I'm going to request some feedback from all of you concerning last year's tours and where you think we can improve. And finally, we'll be voting on where and when to have this year's staff picnic.

Watching the Time

One of the most difficult things about holding an effective meeting is staying within the time limits. A good agenda will outline how long each item should take. A good chairperson will do his or her best to stay within the limits. Here are some expressions that can be used to keep the meeting flowing at the appropriate pace.

I think we've spent enough time on this topic.

We're running short on time, so let's move on..

If we don't move on, we'll run right into lunch.

We've spent too long on this issue, so we'll leave it for now.

We'll have to come back to this at a later time.

We could spend all day discussing this, but we have to get to the next item.

Regaining Focus

 

It is easy to get off topic when you get a number of people in the same room. It is the chairperson's responsiblity to keep the discussion focused. Here are some expressions to keep the meeting centred on the items as they appear on the agenda.

Let's stick to the task at hand, shall we?

I think we're steering off topic a bit with this.

I'm afraid we've strayed from the matter at hand.

You can discuss this among yourselves at another time.

We've lost sight of the point here.

This matter is not on today's agenda.

Let's save this for another meeting.

Getting back to item number 5...

 

Comments and Feedback

During the meeting, participants will comment, provide feedback, or ask questions. Here are some ways to do so politely:

If I could just come in here...

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree about that.

Could I just say one thing?

I'm really glad you brought that up, Kana.

I couldn't agree with you more. (I agree)

If I could have the floor (chance to speak) for a moment...

We don't seem to be getting anywhere with this.

Perhaps we should come back to this at another time?

II Practice and Experience

Part I Vocabulary Practice

1. A. Match words and word combinations that will help you register at a conference with their meanings:

1) conference proceedings	a) a person who takes part in something;
2) registration fee	b) a person who attends a conference or other gathering;
3) agenda	c) the official written records of a meeting (conference);
4) calls for papers	d) a place where a business person can show their products to customers;
5) attendee	e) the money you pay to go into a conference or exhibition;
6) conference pack	f) a list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting;
7) participant	g) official documents that give information about the conference, an invitation to take part in a conference;
8) exhibition	h) a set of papers with information about the conference.

 

2. Match the objectives of an introduction with the corresponding vocabulary:

1.	Moving forward	a.	Good morning/afternoon, everyone. If we are all here, let's get started / start the meeting / start
2.	Welcoming and introducing	b.	So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let's move on to today's agenda. Shall we get down to business? Is there Any Other Business? If there are no further developments, I'd like to move on to today's topic.
3.	Stating the principal objectives	c.	Please join me in welcoming (name of participant) We're pleased to welcome (name of participant) I'd like to extend a warm welcome to (name of participant) It's a pleasure to welcome (name of participant) I'd like to introduce (name of participant)
4.	Opening	d.	We're here today to... I'd like to make sure that we... Our main aim today is to...

3. Find in the table below the phrases which are aimed:

1) tointroduce the agenda;

2) to allocate roles (secretary, participants);

3) to agree on the ground rules for the meeting;

4) to introduce the first item on the agenda;

5) to close an item;

6) to introduce the next item;

7) to give control to the next participant.

 

a.	We will first hear a short report on each point first, followed by a discussion of... I suggest we go round the table first. Let's make sure we finish by... There will be five minutes for each item. We'll have to keep each item to 15 minutes. Otherwise we'll never get through.
b.	So, let's start with... I'd suggest we start with... Why don't we start with... So, the first item on the agenda is Shall we start with... (name of participant), would you like to introduce this item?
c.	I'd like to hand over to (name of participant), who is going to lead the next point. Next, (name of participant) is going to take us through... Now, I'd like to introduce (name of participant) who is going to...
d.	Have you all received a copy of the agenda? There are X items on the agenda. First,... second,... third,... lastly,... Shall we take the points in this order?
e.	Let's move onto the next item. Now that we've discussed X, let's now... The next item on today's agenda is... Now we come to the question of…
f.	Shall we leave that item? Why don't we move on to... If nobody has anything else to add, lets...
g.	(name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes. (name of participant), would you mind taking the minutes? (name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on... (name of participant) will lead point 1, (name of participant) point 2, and (name of participant) point 3. (name of participant), would you mind taking notes today?

 

4. Define the objectives of the following vocabulary (consulting the background) and rearrange it in the correct order.

Finishing the Meeting

...	Thank you all for attending. Thanks for your participation.
…	Before we close today's meeting (conference), let me just summarize the main points. Let me quickly go over today's main points. To sum up,...,. OK, why don't we quickly summarize what we've done today.
…	The meeting is finished, we'll see each other next… The meeting is closed. I declare the meeting closed.
…	Right, it looks as though we've covered the main items. If there are no other comments, I'd like to wrap this meeting up. Let's bring this to a close for today. Is there Any Other Business?

5. Review useful phrases of the unit. Translate the following phrases into English:

 

Раді бачити вас.

Розпочинаємо роботу нашої секції.

На порядку денному 15 доповідей.

Ми маємо визначитися з регламентом.

Які будуть пропозиції?

Зважаючи на те, що ми обмежені в часі, пропоную встановити регламент до

10 хвилин для доповіді і до 3 хвилин для відповідей на запитання.

Погоджуємо.

Слово надається…

До слова запрошується…

Ми плідно попрацювали.

Дякуємо за активну участь.

Робота в секції була плідною.

Було заслухано 15 доповідей різноманітної тематики/які були присвячені....

Всі доповіді були цікавими/ змістовними/викликали жваве обговорення.

Особливий інтерес викликала....

Було висловлено пропозицію…

Part II Conference Planning

Meeting - Agenda Setting

a. Secondly we want to have a look at the cybercrime.

b. And then we’ll see if there’s any other business.

c. If we could go through each of them in order.

d. And finally we need to look at the staffing levels for the project.

e. Just three things on the agenda today.

f. First of all we need to discuss our aims for the project.

g. Right let’s start with item number one.

Conference Speech

The opening of a conference is very important because it sets the tone for what delegates can achieve, usually in a very short space of time. Conferences vary of course. There are pharmaceutical conferences, medical, legal conferences and business conferences. Each one has its own individual message to get across but there are some things that are common to all.

The speaker who welcomes the delegates has a challenging task. His/her opening speech is very important indeed. He/she has to set the tone for the whole event. So it is his/her duty to ensure the delegates are eager to hear what the speakers are going to say. In other words the chairman/chairwoman* imbues the atmosphere with a sense of anticipation.

It is important that the chairperson makes the delegates feel welcome, introduces the speakers, explains the schedule for the conference and sets out the agenda for the conference. A good speech should flow from one topic to the next. Basically a good speaker opening a conference will hold out the promise of exciting times ahead. At some time during the event the chair will probably announce coffee or lunch.

At the closing of the conference he/she will usually speak again, summing up the advantages of being present, thanking delegates for their participation and expressing the hope that they will all meet again soon at yet another successful event. If the chair’s remarks are light-hearted, enthusiastic and concise it will have gone a long way towards ensuring the success of the conference.

 

*Note! Many people use chairperson or chair instead, to avoid suggesting that this person must be a man.

 

A. -Welcome, everyone. To open the … conference today, we are privileged to welcome… The two gentlemen who will be speaking to you today are two great legal scholars investigating the subject of …. We are delighted to have… and …with us.

B. -Ladies and gentlemen, I have one announcement before we go to our first presentation… We’re ready to proceed to our next presentation, to be given by…

C. -Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We’re ready to commence our afternoon session after that lovely meal.

D. -Today we have a slight variation in the schedule.

E. -On that note, we’re going to end the question period to give you all lunch.

F. -I want to thank you all for joining us here today for the 2011… Conference.

G. -Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name … I’m the… It gives me great pleasure to open the plenary session of the…

H. -You all have the agenda before you. Before I address the agenda, I just want to say… Structurally, we will have a couple of people address you in the beginning to report on …, and we’ll have plenty of time for discussion.

 

Expressing agreement

I agree with you 100 percent.

I couldn't agree with you more.

That's so true.

That's for sure.

You're absolutely right.

Absolutely.

That's exactly how I feel.

Exactly.

No doubt about it.

 

Student E. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation). You disagree with everybody! Each time someone speaks, tell them that you disagree with them

 

Expressing disagreement

I don't think so.

I'm afraid I disagree.

I totally disagree.

I beg to differ.

That's not always true.

That's not always the case.

No, I'm not so sure about that.

 

Student F. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation).You are hesitating about the main point of discussion. Try to clarify your ideas.

 

Conceding to Make a Point

That may be true, but...

I may be wrong, but...

You might be right, but...

You have a good point, but...

You could say that, but...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

I don't mean to be rude, but...

I hate to bring this up, but...

I don't mean to be negative, but...

This may sound strange, but...

 

Student G. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation). You love meetings! You want this meeting to continue forever! Try to keep the meeting going, and don’t let anyone stop it.

 

Asking for Clarification

What do you mean (by that)?

What are you trying to say?

What was that again?

Could you clarify that?

 

Student H. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation). You hate meetings! Try to stop the meeting as soon as possible.

Making Recommendations

I recommend that...

I suggest that...

Why don't we...

Moving on

 

Let's move on to point 2.

What about Plan C?

Let's look at the fourth choice.

Should we move on to the next point?

 

St Global Conference

The aim of the project is to develop different ways of interpreting the complexity of shared understandings of punishment from a variety of perspectives, approaches and practitioner experiences.

Presentations, papers, performances, reports and workshops are invited on issues broadly related, but not limited, to any of the following themes:

§ Cultural approaches to Punishment

§ Punishment in relation to Religion

§ Pain, fear and corporal punishment

§ Punishing the body for pleasure (modification, smoking, etc)

§ Desire and Punishment (addiction, modification, fashion, beauty)

§ Representations of punishment in contemporary times and across historical periods

§ Theories of punishment: What is punishment’s purpose? Ideal methods?

§ Punishment, Education and/or the Family

§ The limits of punishment: whether controlled by the state, institutions or groups

§ Shifting social attitudes toward punishment

§ TV, Movies and Punishment

§ Discipline, Punishment and Enforcement

 

UNIT 3 NEGOTIATION

I Background

Negotiation

Notes:

preponderance of evidence наявність більш переконливих доказів

to posture and bluster позувати та погрожувати

good faith bargaining (bargaining in good faith) чесні перемовини

unobjectionable що не викликає заперечень (неприємного почуття); прийнятний

Joseph Joubert
Never cut what you can untie.

Chester L. Karrass
In business, you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.

 

A negotiation is an interactive communication process that may take place whenever we want something from someone else or another person wants something from us.

"Take it or leave it!" "This proposal is non-negotiable." "This is it. If you don't want to accept it at that price, forget it." "Negotiating with you is a waste of time. We'll see you at the courthouse!" How do you feel when you hear statements like this? How do you feel when people are belligerent; when they let you know that they do not want to have a dialogue with you about such delicate subjects as your needs, interests, or concerns about a proposal or a transaction?

If you react negatively to ultimatums, inflexibility, and statements like those in the preceding paragraph, you may come to the realization that other people feel the same way. Unless you are in the military, or subject to some similar hierarchical organization, you will conclude that, if you want to have a relationship with the party on the other side of the table or the other end of the phone, you must negotiate. Negotiation is unavoidable.

Negotiation occurs in business, non-profit organizations, government branches, legal proceedings, among nations and in personal situations such as marriage, divorce, parenting, and everyday life.

Legal Negotiation

Legal negotiation is the process whereby an attorney, acting on behalf of his client either as an advocate or advisor, tries to obtain a favorable outcome. At the same time, the attorney may offer concessions by consultation and dialogue with another so as to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement. Though there are elements common to all instances where legal negotiation is employed (e.g. good communication skills and bargaining in good faith), the various techniques applied will vary according to the legal context in which they occur. Since the vast majority of cases are settled prior to trial, the object of legal negotiation in the context of litigation is to secure an advantageous settlement of the matter in dispute prior to trial.

In order to negotiate successfully, an attorney must have a firm grasp of the law and how the particular circumstances or facts of his client's case will determine the probability of prevailing at trial. A shrewd attorney will realize that even though the preponderance of evidence may weigh in his client's favor, a trial still presents unforeseeable risks and uncertainty. There is no guarantee of the outcome once it is placed in the hands of a judge or a jury for deliberation. The behavior of witnesses at trial may be quite different than expected, and a judge or jury may not draw the same favorable conclusions from the evidence presented as an attorney thinks.

The goal of negotiation during litigation is to find through persistent communication with opposing counsel over time, the areas in which there may be consensus as to the relative weaknesses and/or strengths of each party's respective case. Litigation also seeks to find a dollar (hryvnya) range at which the benefits of settlement outweigh the uncertainty and risks of proceeding to trial. Legal negotiation during litigation is a fluid and dynamic process. At the initial stages a common tactic is for one or both sides to posture and bluster; bargaining positions of one or both sides may remain uncompromising and inflexible.

As the date for trial draws nearer, the former rigid positions of previously uncompromising parties often change dramatically. The illusion of fixed positions disappears. The realization of being subject to the risks of the trial process has a positive effect on legal negotiation and often causes a more heightened desire to reach agreement through good faith bargaining rather than through intimidation. For these reasons, it is not uncommon for cases to settle on the day of trial on the courthouse steps.

In the context of business transactions or contract discussions, the goal of legal negotiation is to structure or draft an agreement with terms and conditions that protect the interests of one's client while agreeing to stipulations that the other party requires in order to consummate the transaction. Successful negotiation tactics require the careful exercise of an attorney's skills at drafting, communication, and effective persuasion. In attempting to secure provisions that protect his client, an attorney must be able to persuade the other party as to the necessity of the proposed provision under consideration. Often, a revised proposal, judiciously drafted, will be unobjectionable to a party who was reluctant initially to accept the wording of the original proposal.

Negotiation Styles

People often ask "which is the best negotiation style?" As with much management theory there is no single 'best' or 'right' approach. All five profiles of dealing with conflict are useful in different situations. Although we're capable of using all five, most of us tend to have one or two preferred negotiation conflict styles that we use unconsciously in most conflict situations. Why? Either because our preferred styles have worked for us in the past, or because of our temperament (nature) or because of our upbringing (nurture).

So if you're involved in negotiations, which negotiation styles are likely to reward you with the biggest profit prizes? Let’s consider each of these important conflict profile styles.

 

Remember

We all have our own natural negotiating style, and your behavior will differ in different situations. You should recognize and appreciate your own natural style, but be prepared to change it when negotiating on a client’s behalf. Work through your list of goals in your concession strategy, and decide which issues are best to: collaborate, compete, compromise, avoid, accommodate. The best negotiators can shift from one approach to another depending on circumstances.

II Practice and Experience

1. Match the objectives of opening negotiations with the corresponding vocabulary:

1.	Welcoming	a	I will now hand the floor to Mr. White, who is … Now let me hand over the meeting over to my colleague, Ms. Bradshaw, who is …
2.	Suggesting a procedure	b	May we leave that till later and first look at… Can we deal with … first?
3.	Checking for agreement	c	What in general terms are you looking for here? May I ask, please, what your proposal is in connection with our company?
4.	Giving the discussion leadership to a colleague	d	On behalf of …I would like to welcome you to It’s my pleasure to welcome you to…
5.	General outline of a proposal	e	I would like now to begin by suggesting the following procedure (agenda). As our first order of business, can we agree on a procedure?
6.	Dealing with digressions	f	Does that fit with your objectives? Does that seem acceptable to you? Is there anything you’d like to change?

 

2. Find in the table below the phrases which are aimed:

9. To review the previous session

10. To move on to the next point

11. To put forward future possibilities

12. To seek clarification

13. To define a proposal more specifically

14. To reassure

15. To ask why

16. To ask why not

a. Why couldn’t you …? Why would you object to …?	e. Let me reassure you that … I can promise you that … Have no doubts that we will …
b. What is the reason for wanting to …? What would you do with …?	f. It involves … It covers … It leaves out …
c. We foresee … We see …	g. At our last meeting, we discussed … Perhaps you will recall that during our last discussion, we decided that …
d. Could you clarify one point for me? I’m not sure I fully understand your point. What exactly do you mean by …? Could you be more specific?	h. Could we now move on to the next subject, which is … Let’s go on to the next subject, shall we?

3. Read the dialogue. What negotiation style is used here? How do the speakers maintain an atmosphere of respect? Find in the dialogue phrases which mean:

I’ll be frank about it.

We can’t accept it.

We cannot possibly do this.

That’s a good idea (move).

Situation 3

A

You own a law firm. You are in your office. Your best employee knocks on your door. He/she wants to talk with you.

B

You are at work. Please tell your boss that you have accepted a position in another firm, so you will be leaving the firm in 2 weeks.

Situation 4

A

You work in a department with a lot of difficult people, and unfortunately you argue with them a lot. It’s not your fault, it’s theirs! Two weeks ago, your manager (student B) called you into his/her office and told you to try to resolve the situation. You have been trying really hard. Now your manager has asked you to come into the office again.

 

B

One of your employees (student B) is causing a lot of problems, and many of his/her colleagues have complained to you about him/her. Two weeks ago you spoke to student B about these problems, but the situation has become even worse. You have decided to fire student B.

 

Situation 5

 

A

You are a good employee; you work hard, and you get good results. Most of your

colleagues got pay raises recently, but you didn’t get one. Go and speak to your manager (student B), and ask for a raise.

B

You are the manager of the department. You recently gave pay raises to some of your staff. However, you didn’t give student B a raise, because you are not particularly pleased with his/her work.

 

 

Useful phrases

Summarizing positions up to this point:	Can we summarize your position up tothis point? Would you care to summarize your position up this point?
Confirming a negotiating position:	Is that an accurate summary of whereyou stand? Would you say that is a fair representation of your position?
Looking for options:	Just for the sake of argument, what if... Can I ask a hypothetical question? Suppose that...
Signalling the start of bargaining:	We've looked at what you have proposed, and we are ready to respond. After serious consideration, we are prepared to respond to your proposal
Responding to a proposal:	Regarding your proposal, our position is... Our basic position is... As far as your proposal is concerned, we think that...
Making and qualifying concessions:	We would be willing to..., provided, ofcourse, that... We'd be prepared to.... However, there would be one condition.
Making counter proposals:	May we offer an alternative? Wepropose that... We'd like to make an alternative proposal. We propose that... From where we stand, a better solution might be...
Identifying obstacles:	The main obstacle to progress at the moment seems to be... The main thing that bothers us is... One big problem we have is...
Analyzing an obstacle:	What exactly is the underlying problem here? Let's take a closer look at this problem. I would like to analyze this situation and get to the bottom of the problem.
Asking for concessions:	In return for this, would you be willingto...? We feel there has to be a trade-off here.
Declining an offer:	I'm afraid your offer doesn't go far enough. Unfortunately, we must decline your offer for the following reason(s). I'm sorry, but we must respectfully decline your offer.
Delaying:	We would have to study this. Can we getback to you on this later? We'll have to consult with our colleagues back in the office. We'd like to get back to you on it.
Accepting:	We are happy to accept this agreement. This agreement is acceptable to us. I believe we have an agreement.

III Over to You

Imagine you are an experienced and successful negotiator. Your assistant in the coming negotiations is young and very nervous about the result. Look through the tips below and instruct your assistant in a friendly but persuasive manner.

A. get to the point

B. clear the air

D. bring something up

E. get through to someone

G. point something out

 

1. It’s so frustrating talking to her! It takes her for ages to say what she is really trying to say.

2. I’m really glad we’ve discussed that. I feel much better about it now.

3. I couldn’t make him understand what I wanted.

4. I thought it best to tell them what the disadvantages would be.

5. When he started talking about style I thought he meant those things you climb over between fields in the country…

6. In the meeting I decided to start talking about the sensitive issue of staff cuts.

7. I don’t know why, but he always manages to irritate or offend me whatever he does; maybe it’s his manner.

 

 

 

 

UNIT 4 TELEPHONE ENGLISH

I Background

 

A telephone call is a purposeful activity. Your caller will have some objective in mind and you will need to elicit this objective as quickly and as clearly as possible. In a simple information-seeking call, all you need to do is ask for the caller's name, address, telephone and fax numbers. However, in more complex situations, you need to develop your questioning techniques so that you obtain the facts. For example, poor phone skills at work can decrease an employee's chance for advancement or a pay raise. First, one may have to answer a want ad with a call to the company. This call might involve answering questions, obtaining information about the job, and finding out where and how to apply for the position. Second, following an interview or submission of an application, the applicant should follow up with a phone call to ask about the status of the position.

Telephone conversations, especially business telephone conversations, also follow certain patterns:

Someone answers the phone and asks if he /she can help.

The caller makes a request - either to be connected to someone or for information.

The caller is connected, given information or told that he /she is not in the office at the moment.

If the person who is requested is not in the office, the caller is asked to leave a message.

The caller leaves a message or asks other questions.

The phone call finishes.

Problems

One of the biggest problems is speed. Native speakers, especially business people, tend to speak very quickly on the telephone. Immediately ask the person to speak slowly. When taking note of a name or important information, repeat each piece of information as the person speaks. By repeating each important piece of information or each number or letter as the spell or give you a telephone number you automatically slow the speaker down. Do not say you have understood if you have not. Ask the person to repeat until you have understood. If appropriate, repeat what the caller has said.

Reframe any negative statements into solution-oriented ones. Stay calm. If the customer needs to vent, don’t jump to the solution too quickly. The caller may not be ready to listen to you yet.

Sometimes, there may not be anyone to answer the telephone and you will need to leave a message. Follow this outline to make sure that the person who should receive your message has all the information he/she needs: 1. Introduction (Hello, this is...); 2. Stating the time of day and your reason for calling (It's ten in the morning. I'm phoning (calling, ringing) to find out if... / to see if...); 3. Making a request (Could you call (ring, telephone) me back?/ Leave your telephone number... /Call me at...); 4. Finish (Thanks a lot, bye. / I'll talk to you later, bye).

II Practice and Experience

Part 1 Answering the phone

1.How do you answer the phone? Tick what you do.

1 greet the caller 4 say your department’s name

2 say your name 5 say your telephone number

3 say your company’s name 6 offer to help the caller

2. Underline the most suitable phrases in italics in this conversation.

RECEPTION (1) Ready / Hello. Sales. (2) Can I help you? / What do you want?

RAY Yes. (3) Give me / Can I speak to Vitaliy Smirnov, please?

RECEPTION Certainly. One moment.

VITALIY Hello. (4) Thirty-three, ninety-two, seventeen./Three four nine, two one seven.

Vitaliy Smirnov (5) speaking / talking.

RAY Hi Vitaliy. (6) I am / It’s Ray Graham here.

VITALIY Oh Ray. Nice to hear from you again. How are you?

 

3. Read these telephone numbers.

Note we say telephone numbers in groups of two or groups of three. For 0 say zero or oh. For 22 we can also say double two.

1. 0708 567 8493 4 00 39 050 364 478

2. 0770 336 3309 5 010 350 114 5794

3. 00 44 207 657 7467

Part 3 Leaving a Message

Read the message.

Act out the role-play

Place two chairs back to back at the front of the classroom. Students will be coming up to these chairs to perform impromptu role-plays. Because these role-plays take place on the telephone, they will not be able to see their partner. Divide the class into pairs. Act out the role-play. The rest of the class must provide some other useful telephone expressions and reformulations. Now, ask the first pair to select the next pair.

 

1. Student A You are calling your friend Ken, a lawyer at Peterson and C. You want to speak to him because you need his help.

Student B The person on the other end is not Ken but John. You don't know anyone named John.

 

2. Student A You need to make a lawyer's appointment because you need to apply to the court to sue your employer for your dismissal from the firm. Call the lawyer’s office and make the appointment.

Student B You work in a lawyer's office answering the phones. You receive the call from a person who wants to make a lawyer's appointment.

 

3. Student A You want to reserve a table for five at a restaurant called the Slanted Door. Call the restaurant and make a reservation for 8:00 this Saturday.

Student B You work at a restaurant called the Slanted Door. Answer the phone. (The restaurant is completely booked for Friday and Saturday nights this week.)

 

4. Student A You're on business trip with your colleague in Las Vegas. You have just spent all your money. Your friend is upstairs in the hotel room. Call your friend and ask to borrow $60.

Student B You're asleep in your Las Vegas hotel room. Your friend is still downstairs in the casino. It's four o'clock in the morning. The phone rings. It’s your friend wants to borrow some money from you.

 

5. Student A You have not finished preparing documents of the case. Call the investigator and ask if you can turn them in late.

Student B You are an investigator. The phone rings. It's one of your subordinates. He hasn’t finished the report on the case and asks if he can turn it in late.

 

B Product Information

Student A:

You need to purchase six new computers for your notary office. Call JA's Computer World and ask for the following information:

· Current special offers on computers

· Computer configuration (RAM, Hard Drive, CPU)

· Guaranty

· Possibility of discount for an order of six computers

 

Student B:

You work in at JA's Computer World answer student A's questions using the following information:

· Two special offers: Multimedia Monster - with latest Pentium CPU, 256 RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, Monitor included - $2,500 AND Office Taskmaster - cheaper CPU, 64 RAM, 10 GB Hard Drive, Monitor not included - $1,200

· 1 Year guaranty on all computers

· Discount of 5% for orders of more than five computers

 

C Leaving a Message

Student A:

 

You want to speak to Ms Braun about your account with her company, W&W. If Ms Braun isn't in the office, leave the following information:

· Your