АНГЛІЙСЬКА МОВА ДЛЯ ДІЛОВОГО СПІЛКУВАННЯ ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Transcription

1 Державний вищий навчальний заклад Українська академія банківської справи Національного банку України Кафедра іноземних мов АНГЛІЙСЬКА МОВА ДЛЯ ДІЛОВОГО СПІЛКУВАННЯ ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Навчальний посібник для організації практичних занять і самостійного вивчення дисципліни Для студентів 1 курсу напрямів підготовки Фінанси і кредит, Право всіх форм навчання Суми ДВНЗ УАБС НБУ 2011

2 УДК (075.4) А64 Рекомендовано до видання вченою радою Державного вищого навчального закладу Українська академія банківської справи НБУ, протокол 3 від Укладачі: С. В. Дорда, кандидат філологічних наук, доцент, ; Р. В. Миленкова, кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент, ; Л. І. Клочко, кандидат філологічних наук, доцент, Сумський державний педагогічний університет ім. А. С. Макаренка Рецензенти: А. А. Сбруєва, доктор педагогічних наук, професор, проректор з наукової роботи Сумського державного педагогічного університету ім. А. С. Макаренка; С. П. Денисова, доктор філологічних наук, професор, завідувач кафедри зіставного мовознавства і теорії та практики перекладу Київського національного лінгвістичного університету; І. П. Мозговий, доктор філософських наук, професор, завідувач кафедри соціально-гуманітарних дисциплін А64 Англійська мова для ділового спілкування = English for business communication [Текст] : навчальний посібник для організації практичних занять і самостійного вивчення дисципліни / [уклад.: С. В. Дорда, Р. В. Миленкова, Л. І. Клочко] ; Державний вищий навчальний заклад Українська академія банківської справи Національного банку України. Суми : ДВНЗ УАБС НБУ, с. Посібник підготовлений з урахуванням вимог Болонської декларації відповідно до нової освітньо-професійної програми підготовки бакалаврів напрямів Фінанси і кредит, Право. Метою видання є формування у студентів навичок спілкування діловою англійською мовою, умінь вирішення професійних ситуацій в англомовному оточенні, готовності до інтеркультурної взаємодії. Цілі видання полягають у допомозі студентам оволодіти необхідною мовною базою для забезпечення конкурентоспроможності фахівців у англомовному середовищі. Призначений для студентів 1 курсу напрямів підготовки Фінанси і кредит, Право всіх форм навчання. УДК (075.4) ДВНЗ Українська академія банківської справи Національного банку України, 2011

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE...4 PART I. TELEPHONING...5 Unit 1.1. Success on the Telephone...5 Unit 1.2. Taking and Leaving Messages...18 Unit 1.3. Business Phone Etiquette...23 PART 2. JOB INTERVIEW...39 Unit 2.1. Job-Hunting...39 Unit 2.2. Selection Procedure...53 Unit 2.3. Documents Supporting Job-Hunting...59 PART 3. PRESENTATIONS...72 Unit 3.1. Organizing a Business Presentation...72 Unit 3.2. Presenting a Company...93 Unit 3.3. Visual Aids PART 4. MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS Unit 4.1. Managing a Meeting Unit 4.2. Writing Minutes Unit 4.3. Negotiations SUPPLEMENT I. Texts II. Visual Aids III. Role Plays and Tasks IV. Useful Vocabulary ACTIVE VERBS LIST OF REFERENCES ACCOMPANYING LITERATURE SUBJECT INDEX...199

4 PREFACE In the competitive world of today s businesses and professions, the successful person is the one who can communicate effectively. This book arose of the belief that the ability to communicate one s knowledge is as important as the knowledge itself. Although this is not simply a how-to-do-it book, the primary objective is to provide students with the skills necessary for effective communication. The four parts and supplement of the book aim to improve those skills that will affect students business and professional success. Students learn to communicate by communicating not by just reading about communicating. The exercises in the book will help to: - Sound confident and positive in most business situations; - Structure conversations and become more effective; - Employ the language and techniques of effective communication; - Be assertive. Business communication problems in the real world do not occur in a vacuum. Events have happened before the problem and will happen after it, affecting its resolution. Thus in addition to exercises, this book provides role plays; they give students ample opportunities to apply what they have learned, reinforce basic communication skills. 4

5 PART I TELEPHONING UNIT 1.1. SUCCESS ON THE TELEPHONE TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of heir Ukrainian equivalents: lose your fear; stick to the standard phrases; confident opening; passive vocabulary; prepare beforehand; feel uncomfortable; prepare your thoughts Success on the Telephone You have some problems reading the language or understanding others. But telephoning in English? That s when you start to panic. This is understandable. You can t see the other person, and voices are often more difficult to understand on the phone. All is not lost, however. There are some simple steps you can take to improve your telephoning skills. 1. Don t panic. This is easier said than done, but really is the key to success. You must lose your fear of the phone. Make at least one call a day in English to a friend just to practice. Repeat to yourself: Telephoning in English is easy. Positive thinking can work. 2. Learn key vocabulary. Alternatively, copy the words and put them next to your phone at work, or take them with you when you re travelling. 3. Learn some key phrases. As well as key words, there are certain standard phrases that come up again and again on the phone. Learn them and use them! Don t try to be too clever on the phone; stick to the standard phrases. 4. Start and finish well. A confident opening is important. Say clearly, and not too quickly, who you are and why you are calling: This is Boris Volkov from Kyiv. I m calling about your order for.... Try to avoid saying My name is... ; this sounds less professional. At the end of the call, remember to thank the other person: Thanks for your help. If they thank you, the answer is You re welcome, not please. 5. Learn to control the call. Native speakers of English often speak too quickly and not clearly enough. Make sure you know how to stop them or slow them down. Phrases such as: I m sorry, I didn t catch that and I m sorry, could you speak a little more slowly will help you to control 5

6 the situation. Don t be embarrassed to stop your partner; remember, your English is almost certainly better than their Ukrainian. 6. Listen carefully. Listen to the vocabulary and phrases that your partner uses. Often you will be able to say the same things later in the same conversation. Your partner won t notice what you are doing, but you will feel good that you have activated your passive vocabulary. 7. Soften your language. Ukrainian-speakers often sound impolite in English because they are too direct. Would and could are the two key words. I d like to speak to Jane Brown, please is much better than I want to Create a positive atmosphere. Smile when you are on the phone. It really does make a difference to the way you sound. And the impression you create can make a big difference to your chances of business success. If you are unsure how you sound on the phone, record yourself during a conversation. You may be surprised by the result. 9. Learn to spell. Do you know the telephone alphabet in English? If not, learn it. It is important not only to know how to say the individual letters, but also to be able to check them: Was that I for India or E for Echo? (Don t say E like Echo.) 10. Give yourself time. If you want to make a call, you can prepare beforehand. But what happens when your phone rings and suddenly someone is speaking English? No problem. If you feel uncomfortable and need time to prepare your thoughts, simply say: Sorry, could I ring you back in five minutes, I m in a meeting at the moment. Answer the following questions: 1. How often do you have to speak on the phone in English? 2. Do you find it difficult? If so, why? 3. Are telephone conversations in English part of your job? 4. Will they be part of your job in the future? 5. Are work calls in English easier or more difficult than other calls in English? 6. How often should you make calls to lose your fear? 7. What are the most popular ways of learning key phone vocabulary? 8. Should you stick to the standard phrases or improvise while telephoning? 9. How does a typical start of a call sound? 10. What are the usual phrases at the end of the call? 6

7 EXERCISES 1. Are the following statements true or false? Find in the text the evidence supporting your opinion: 1. You needn t lose your fear of the phone. 2. Copy the words and put them next to your phone at work. 3. Try to be too clever on the phone; don t stick to the standard phrases. 4. A confident opening is not very important. 5. Don t be embarrassed to stop your partner. 6. Don t pay attention to the vocabulary and phrases that your partner uses. 7. Ukrainian-speakers never sound impolite in English because they are direct. 8. Smile when you are on the phone. 9. It is not quite important to be able to check the individual letters. 10. If you want to make a call, you can prepare beforehand. 2. Translate the useful vocabulary into Ukrainian: I d like to speak to, please. I m calling about I m sorry, I didn t catch that I m sorry, could you speak a little more slowly? Sorry, could I ring you back? Thanks for your help. You re welcome. 3. The following sentences (1 16) are taken from a phone call. The purposes of these sentences (a m) are listed below. Match each sentence with its purpose. 1. Thanks for calling. 2. Can you manage (day) at (time)? 3. Yes, that suits me fine. 4. See you soon. 5. I m afraid I won t be in the office on (day). 6. My name is. 7. Hilary Frick. 8. This is here. 9. Could we meet some time soon? 10. Could you put me through to, please? 11. Well, thanks for the information. 12. Not at all. 13. I m phoning to let you know the details of. 7

8 14. Well, I look forward to meeting you next (day) at (time), then. 15. Who s calling, please? 16. I d like to speak to, please. a) introduce your self first introduction; b) introduce your self second and subsequent introduction; c) identify your self; d) request person called; e) ask for caller s identification; f) explain purpose of call; g) request appointment; h) suggest time for appointment; i) confirm details of appointment; j) agree to details of appointment; k) decline appointment; l) thank; m) polite formula. 4. Match the words and phrases (1 10) with similar meaning (a j). 1. The line s busy. a) I ll connect you; 2. Will you hold? b) One moment; 3. I ll put you through. c) An office number; 4. A code. d) Could I have your name? 5. An extension number. e) I m ready; 6. Who s calling please? f) The line s engaged; 7. Hold on. g) A country or area number; 8. This is h) Is that all? 9. Go ahead. i) Can you wait? 10. Anything else? j). speaking. 5. Put the following extracts of telephone calls into the correct order. 1. Just a moment, Mr Brown, I ll put you through. Yes, I d like to speak to Miss Red. Michel Brown. Who s calling, please? Global Electronics. Can I help you? 2. She s got it, but just in case, it s Yes, could you ask her to call me back? Mr. Cloud here. Could I speak to Mrs Fields? Yes, of course. Could I have your number? I m afraid she s out at the moment. Can I take a message? 8

9 3. I m sorry, I m out on Wednesday. Good, that suits me too. Shall we say 11 o clock? Just a moment, I ll get my diary you said next week? Yes, could you manage Wednesday? What about Thursday then? Yes, Thursday morning would suit me fine. 6. Choose the most appropriate response by ticking the correct variant. 1. John Fielding speaking. a) Who s calling please? b) Sandra Bullock here; c) Hello, John. I m glad you called. 2. Can I take a message? a) I d like to leave a message; b) Yes, could you ask him to call me back? c) Please tell him to give him a ring. 3. The reason I called is we re having problems. 4. Could you manage Tuesday? 5. So that s fixed Thursday at 11. a) I don t believe it; b) Really? That surprises me; c) I don t mind. a) No, I can t; b) No; c) I m afraid I can t. a) I m afraid that s out of question; b) Right, I look forward to seeing you then; c) Bye. 7. A useful way to remember the pronunciation of some letters is to group them by vowel sound: ay ee e y oh u ar A H J K B C D E G P T V (US) Z F L M N S X (UK)Z I Y O Q U W R 9

10 A. Match the letters that have the same vowel sound. 1. B a) U 2. I b) P 3. D c) Y 4. Q d) K 5. M e) G 6. J f) S B. Match the letters with a word that has the same vowel sound. 1. O a) free 2. R b) pay 3. U c) car 4. V d) toe 5. I e) shoe 6. J f) fly C. Look at the abbreviations below. They are grouped by sound. Find the abbreviation which sounds different from the other three. 1. CBI BDI PTY PTE 2. GDP PST GMT GNP 3. MIT NEC NYC FIT 4. VAT CAP BKG PLC 5. EGM CIF DCF PPS 6. COD BOT FOB POD 8. Work with a partner. Take it in turns to dictate abbreviations and write them down. Do you know what the letters stand for? IBM FOB OPEC VIP EU VDU EDP CIF JAL AGM FBI IT VAT USA MBA ICI CEO RPI GDP OECD WHO GB IMF CIA 10

11 9. Work with a partner. Take it in turns to dictate telephone numbers and write them down Remember: There are different ways of saying telephone and fax numbers nine one four three zero (American English) nine one four three oh (British English) 6687 six six eight seven (American English) double six eight seven (British English) 10. Use the words in the box below to complete the conversation. hold can could here put just hang calling can in Michelle: Male: Michelle: Male: Michelle: Male: Michelle: Male Michelle: Male: Michelle: Hello, you ve reached the marketing department. How 1. I help? Yes, can I speak to Rosalind Wilson, please? Who s 2. please? It s Richard Davies 3.. Certainly. Please 4. and I ll 5. you through. Thank you. Hello, marketing. How 6. I help? 7. I speak to Jason Roberts please? Certainly. Who shall I say is calling? My name s Mike Andrews. 8. a second I ll see if he s 9.. Hello, Jason, I ve got Mike Andrews on the phone for you... OK I ll put him through. 10. on a moment, I m just putting you through. 11

12 11. Take a connecting Quiz: Choose the one correct answer: 1. When you telephone a company the person answering the phone may ask you a question. Which is the correct question? A Who s calling please? B Who calls? C Who it is? D Who called? 2. Which phrase means the same as hang on a moment? A Just a second B I ll put you on C Go ahead D I m ready 3. Choose the correct word: Please. and I ll put you through. A stop B stay C talk D hold 4. What is the expression used to connect two people on the telephone? A I m sending you through B I m putting you through C I m calling you through D I m talking you through 12. Choose the correct words in italics to complete the telephone conversation. A Claus Engineering. B Number/Extension 567, please. A I m afraid the line s broken/engaged. Will you hold? B Yes. A The line s free now. I ll put/connect you through. B Thank you. C Paint shop. B I d like to speak to Mrs Green. C Who s/whose calling, please? B Martin Blake. C Wait/Hold on, Mr Blake. I ll bring/get her. C I m afraid/regret she s in a meeting. Do you want to call up/back later? B No, it s urgent. Could you leave/take a message? C Yes, I will/of course. 12

13 B May/Could you ask her to call me back? C Does she have your number? B No. It London the code/area is then the number is Could you say/read that back to me? C B That s right. C Anything/What else? B No, that s anything/all. Thank you very much. C You re welcome/fine. B Goodbye. 13. Complete the puzzle and find the keyword in 14 down. Across 1. I ll back later. (4) 2. The line s busy. Will you? (4) 3. Could you hold on a and I ll get a pen. (6) 4. My new will be (6) 5. I leave a message? (5) 6. May I have 4456, please? (9) 7. Good morning. Sandra Bullock. (8) 8. I ll ask Mr Peterson to call you as soon as possible. (4) 9. Would you like me to take a? (7) 10. Could you me through to Miss Chesterton, please? (3) 11. Good morning, is Richard Geer. (4) 12. I m, but Mr Lee is away all week. (5) 13. The line is. Can I ask her to call you back? (7) Down 14. One of the keys to successful management. (13) 1 C 2 H 3 M 4 N 5 C 6 E 7 S 8 B 9 M 10 P 11 T 12 S 13 E 14 13

14 14. Read these extracts from telephone calls. Who do you think is talking? What do you think they are talking about? 1. A I ll see you outside the bank at then. B No, I said A OK, B And don t forget to change the number-plates. 2. A It s Mr Carter on line 4. B Not again! Could you tell him I m busy, Mary. A I did, but he says he ll wait. B Oh, all right then. Put him through. 3. A I m afraid no one is available to take your call. B Oh, no, I hate these things. A Please leave your name and number after the tone. B Er hello er I ll call back later. 4. A Darling, it s me. Can you talk? B Wait a minute. Yes, I think so, but be quick. A I can t stop thinking about you. B Thank you for calling, Mr Rolling. I ll put you a catalogue in the post for you right away. 5. A I m on my last unit. B Hold on, Jenny, I ll get a pencil OK. A I m on B Oh no! 6. A All in all the legal fees come to $ 30,000. B That s very reasonable. That s one three, I hope. A No, Mr. Green, three zero, I m afraid. B What? For three weeks work? You must be joking! TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: multi-word verbs; hold on; hang on; hang up; ring off; ring up; put you through; get through to; call back Multi-word Verbs One thing you can do to improve your telephone skills is to learn some of the multi-word verbs that are commonly used in telephone conversations. Hold on means wait and hang on means wait too. Be careful not to confuse hang on with hang up! Hang up means finish the call by breaking the connection in other words: put the phone down. 14

15 Another phrasal verb with the same meaning as hang up is ring off. The opposite of hang up / ring off is ring up if you ring somebody up, you make a phone call. And if you pick up the phone, (or pick the phone up) you answer a call when the phone rings. Hang on a second... If you are talking to a receptionist, secretary or switchboard operator, they may ask you to hang on while they put you through put through means to connect your call to another telephone. With this verb, the object (you, me, him, her etc.) goes in the middle of the verb: put you through. But if you can t get through to (contact on the phone) the person you want to talk to, you might be able to leave a message asking them to call you back. Call back means to return a phone call and if you use an object (you, me, him, her etc.), it goes in the middle of the verb: call you back. 15. Some of the prepositions in these sentences are wrong. Find the wrong ones and put the correct preposition in the space after the sentence. Choose from the following words. Some words are used more than once. up; off; down; on; through; back 1. Just a minute while I look up his number in the company phone book. (LOOK ) 2. I m sorry I can t talk to you now. Could I call you back in five minutes? (CALL ) 3. I m trying to get off to Mr. Homes. Could you give me his extension number? (GET ) 4. I need to take down his name and number. (TAKE ) 5. Could you hang on a minute while I get a pen? (HANG ) 6. I was talking to Mrs. Arnolds when we were cut up. (CUT ) 7. Please could you put me down again? (PUT ) 8. I ve been trying to talk to her all day but every time I call she hangs back. (HANGS ) 9. The phone rang and I picked off the receiver straightaway. (PICKED ) 10. I m sorry I don t have this information right now. Can I get up to you tomorrow? (GET ) 15

16 TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: level of formality; to feel comfortable; rude; business context; make a request; perfectly acceptable; overall tone; tip; clarification; to pretend Level of Formality Another thing to think about when talking on the telephone is formality. It s important to use the right level of formality if you are too formal, people might find it difficult to feel comfortable when they talk to you. On the other hand, if you are too informal, people might think you are rude! Generally speaking, if you are talking to someone in a business context, you should use could, can, may or would when you make a request: Could I speak to Jason Roberts, please?, Can I take a message?, Would next Wednesday be okay? You should also use Please and Thank you or Thanks very much whenever you ask for, or receive, help or information. It s important to show politeness by using words like would, could, please thank you etc. But it s also okay to use some of the features of informal/spoken English short forms, phrasal verbs and words like okay and bye in other words everyday English! So phrases like I m off to a conference..., No problem, bye! and Hang on a moment and I ll put you through are perfectly acceptable, as long as the overall tone of the conversation is polite. One last tip it s better to ask for help or clarification when you re having a telephone conversation, than to pretend you understand something that you didn t. It s perfectly acceptable to use phrases like Could you repeat that, please?, Could you speak a little more slowly, please? and Would you mind spelling that for me please? Using phrases like these will help make sure that you have a successful phone call, and may save you from lots of problems later on. You could always say that The line s very bad today if you can t hear very well. And it s also a good idea to practice words, phrases and vocabulary before you make the call. 16. Begin a telephone conversation by matching a phrase from Person A with one from Person B. Some combinations are not appropriate. Can you explain why? 16

17 Person A 1. Hi. This is Ann. Is Joe there? 2. Could I please speak to Professor Hunt? 3. Good morning, doctor s office. May I help you? 4. History Department. 5. My name is Thomas Greenfield. Can I please speak to Michael? Person B a) May I ask who s calling? b) Sure, hold on a minute. c) Is Ms. Sloan there, please? d) Could you spell that, please? e) He s not here right now. Can I take a message? f) One moment, please. g) Yes, I d like to make an appointment. h) May I please speak to Robert Jenning? i) Could you hold, please? 17. The dialogs below contain nine mistakes. Read them and try to correct the mistakes I Male: Hello, this is the press office. Michelle: Rachel Allsop please. Male: I m sorry, you might have the wrong number. There s no-one of that name here. Michelle: Oh. Can I check the number I ve got is there not ? Male: No, it s Michelle: Oh, sorry of that. I must have connected the wrong number. Male: No problem! Bye! II Male: Hello, press office, I can help you? Ruth: Hello. Paul Richards, please. Male: I m sorry, you ve got a wrong number, but he does work here. I ll try and put you on. In future, his direction number is Ruth: Did I not dial that? Male: No, you rang Ruth: Oh, sorry to have trouble you. Male: No problem. Hang on a moment and I ll put you through to Paul s extension. Ruth: Thanks. 18. Choose the most appropriate answer: 1. If you didn t catch the person s name and must ask it again, - Ask straight away; - Wait until a pause in the conversation and then ask. - Ask at the end of the conversation. - Ask when you feel like it. 17

18 2. Before calling the company for a job application form, - Don t bother preparing; it s only going to be a short conversation. - Prepare as you would for an interview. They may ask you an unexpected question. - Don t worry about preparing; you can always give them any information you need later. - Always have your previous job application handy. 3. According to some researchers, how much impact in spoken-word communication is visual? - A quarter. - A third. - Half. - Three-quarters. 4. Most people find it easier to talk on the phone when they are - Walking. - Sitting-down. - Lying down. - Standing up. 5. When you are looking for a job and telephoning the company, what should your objective be? - To tell as much of yourself as you can. - To tell as little about yourself as you can, hoping they will want to find out more and invite you for an interview. - To leave a positive impression, of someone who s capable and efficient. - To get interviewed straight away, over the telephone. 6. Which of these is not correct? If you are expecting a phone call concerning a potential job, - You should have a pen and paper handy. - You should answer with the number or your name. - You should take this opportunity to assess how business-like your possible employer is. - You should let the phone ring for at least a minute to show how busy you are with other things. UNIT 1.2. TAKING AND LEAVING MESSAGES TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: to leave a message; beep; message slip; extension; area code; conspicuous place 18

19 Leaving a Message 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 Ken. OR Hello, My name is Ken Beard (more formal). 2. State 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... / to let you know that... / to tell you that Make a request: Could you call (ring, telephone) me back? / Would you mind...? / 4. Leave your telephone number: My number is... / You can reach me at... / Call me at Finish: Thanks a lot, bye. / I ll talk to you later, bye. Here s an example of message Telephone: (Ring... Ring... Ring...) Hello, this is Tom. I m afraid I m not in at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep... (beep). Ken: Hello Tom, this is Ken. It s about noon and I m calling to see if you would like to go to the Mets game on Friday. Could you call me back? You can reach me at until five this afternoon. I ll talk to you later, bye. As you can see, leaving a message is pretty simple. You only need to make sure that you have stated all the most important information: Your Name, The Time, The Reason for Calling, Your Telephone Number. Taking a Message 1. Be prepared with pen and message slip when you answer the phone. 2. When taking messages be sure to ask for: 3. a) Caller s name (asking the caller for correct spelling.) b) Caller s phone number and/or extension (including area code) c) Ask what the call is in regard to. 4. Repeat the message to the caller. 5. Be sure to fill in the date, time, and your initials. 6. Place the message slip in the called party s inbox or in a conspicuous place in their office, such as their chair. 7. Don t forget that you can transfer them to voic instead of taking a paper message, but don t forget to ask, Would you like me to transfer you to s voic ? Do not assume that the caller would rather go to voic . Always ask first. 19

20 Answer the questions: 1. What steps should you follow to leave a message? 2. Why should you state time and reason of your telephone call? 3. What is the most important information you should leave? 4. When do you need to leave a message? 5. What are the typical phrases of stating the time of day? 6. What are the typical phrases of making a request? 7. What equipment do you need to take a message? 8. What should you ask for when taking messages? 9. Where should you place the message taken? 10. Should you always transfer the paper message to the voic one? EXECISES 1. Complete these sentences using one of the words given below. that; on; calling; hold; up; through; leave; later; 1. Just a minute, I ll put you. 2. Can you call back? 3. I m the other line. 4. Could you speak? The line is bad. 5. The line is busy. Would you like to? 6. I m afraid she s out. Would you like to a message? 7. Is Sarah? 8. Thanks for. 2. Read this telephone conversation. Choose the correct words or phrases in italics. A Could I speak to Mr Green please? B Speaking. A Hello. I am/this is Sarah Sarandon from New York. I understand you would like me to/that I make a few changes to your itinerary. B Yes, that s right. I prefer/would prefer to see Ms Hudson and Mr Farewell before you meet Mr Trigger. Would you mind/would you like arranging that for me? A Yes, of course/no, not at all. I ll set up a meeting with Ms Hudson at eleven o clock and Mr Farewell at twelve. B Perfect. A And do/would you still like to go to the seafood restaurant for lunch? Perhaps at one instead of twelve? B Yes, I will/that would be nice. 20

21 A Good. There s just one other thing though. Mr Trigger won t be able to see you until four o clock. That doesn t give you much time so would you mind if I booked/me to book you on a later flight back? B Yes/No, that d be OK. A There s one at I ll try to book you a seat. B Thanks. I ll leave it to you then. Would you/would you mind give me a ring later on to confirm everything? A Yes, of course. 3. The lines in the following telephone conversation are in the wrong order. Rearrange them. 1. Claire: Or can I take a message? 2. Female: Actually, would you mind? Could you tell him that Jennifer McAndrews called and that I m in the office all day if he could call me back. 3. Claire: Goodbye! 4. Female: Yes, it s Claire: In about an hour. Can you call back later? 6. Female: Hello, can I speak to Adrian Hopwood, please? 7. Claire: Can I take your number, please? 8. Female: No I need to talk to Mr Hopwood, I think. What time will he be out of the meeting? 9. Claire: Hello, finance department 10. Female: Okay, I ll do that. 11. Claire: I m afraid he s in a meeting at the moment. Can I help? 12. Female: Thanks very much for your help, bye! 13. Claire: Okay, I ll make sure he gets the message. 4. Messages Quiz: Finish the sentence by choosing the correct words. 1. He s not in his office at the moment,? take / can / your / message / I / a / please 2. She ll be back in the office this afternoon,? later / call / can / back / you / soon / message 3. Can I speak to June Wilkinson please?. meeting / afraid / I m / she s / a / in / at / on 21

22 4. Could you ask him to ring me back please? My number is ,. message / I ll / sure / make / OK / gets / he / the / an / on 5. Hidden in this square are 21 words and expressions to do with telephoning. Can you find them all? (Some are vertical, some horizontal and some diagonal.) P E S W I T C H B O A R D U E X C H A N G E R Y B I T H F T G R E C E I V E R T A P A E M X B R D C L E H N O H K N M M E I O G C R G C V O U S G O Q N P T O U A D N N A I U D N G O U P L C W G E E O S E J R G O L I N E D Y N N C M Y H R T E L O P E R A T O R B U S Y C H D I A L F A X TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: effective tool; remind; fortunate; humbling Read the following recommendations. Do you agree with them? Give reasons for your answer. Do you have anything to add? Tips for Getting People to Slow Down One of the biggest problems is speed. Native speakers, especially business people, tend to speak very quickly on the telephone. Here are some practical tips to get native speakers of English to slow down! 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. This is an especially effective tool. 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. 22

23 Do not say you have understood if you have not. Ask the person to repeat until you have understood. Remember that the other person needs to make himself/herself understood and it is in his/her interest to make sure that you have understood. If you ask a person to explain more than twice they will usually slow down. If the person does not slow down begin speaking your own language! A sentence or two of another language spoken quickly will remind the person that they are fortunate because THEY do not need to speak a different language to communicate. Used carefully, this exercise in humbling the other speaker can be very effective. Just be sure to use it with colleagues and not with a boss! Answer the questions: 1. Do you have an experience of speaking English on the telephone? 2. What problems can be caused by speaking to native speakers? 3. What should you do for better understanding the caller? 4. Why is it useful to repeat each part of information? 5. Is it polite to tell the speaker you don t understand him more then twice? 6. Is it possible to speak your own language to a foreigner? When? 7. Do you find appropriate to slow down your boss? 8. What phrases would you use to slow a speaker down? 9. Should you ring off if the understanding is impossible? 10. Do you have your own ways of getting people to slow down? 6. Match these comments to their replies. 1. Sorry, could you spell that? a) Yes, it s Could I speak to Mrs Red, please? b) That s OK. I ll hold. 3. Could you take a message? c) I ll call back next week, then. 4. I m afraid the line s busy at the moment. d) Speaking. 5. I m sorry but he s away this week. e) Yes of course. I ll get a pen. 6. Could you repeat that? f) Yes, it s B-R-O-W-N. UNIT 1.3. BUSINESS PHONE ETIQUETTE TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: abuse, wireless technology, exhaustive, traits, violation, hazard, neophyte, poseur 23

24 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE There comes a time in any technological revolution when some basic guidelines need to be laid down. It happened when exploded on the scene and people started to learn some basic dos and don ts around the new medium. For example, if you copy the boss in on an message to a colleague, it means that you are through kidding around. No one teaches these things in company training; they are just things that get learned. There are some real abuses of wireless technology being perpetrated all around us, and the time has come to create some social order out of the cell phone chaos. This is by no means an exhaustive list simply because as the technology evolves, new annoying traits will surely emerge. But commandments usually come in tens, so think of this as the first Ten Commandments of cell phone etiquette, with amendments to follow: 1. Thou shalt not subject defenseless others to cell phone conversations. When people cannot escape the banality of your conversation, such as on the bus, in a cab, on a grounded airplane, or at the dinner table, you should spare them. People around you should have the option of not listening. If they don t, you shouldn t be babbling. 2. Thou shalt not set thy ringer to play La Cucaracha every time thy phone rings. Or Beethoven s Fifth, or the Bee Gees, or any other annoying melody. Is it not enough that phones go off every other second? Now we have to listen to synthesized nonsense? 3. Thou shalt turn thy cell phone off during public performances. This one needn t to be said, but the repeated violations of this heretofore unwritten law, compelled to include it. 4. Thou shalt not wear more than two wireless devices on thy belt. This hasn t become a big problem yet. But with plenty of techno-jockeys sporting pagers and phones, Batman-esque utility belts are sure to follow. Let s nip this one in the bud. 5. Thou shalt not dial while driving. In all seriousness, this madness has to stop. There are enough people in the world who have problems mastering vehicles and phones individually. Put them together and we have a serious health hazard on our hands. 6. Thou shalt not wear thy earpiece when thou are not on thy phone. This is not unlike being on the phone and carrying on another conversation with someone who is physically in your presence. No one knows if you are here or there. Very disturbing. 24

25 7. Thou shalt not speak louder on thy cell phone than thou would on any other phone. These things have incredibly sensitive microphones, and it s gotten to the point where I can tell if someone is calling me from a cell because of the way they are talking, not how it sounds. If your signal cuts out, speaking louder won t help, unless the person is actually within earshot. 8. Thou shalt not grow too attached to thy cell phone. For obvious reasons, a dependency on constant communication is not healthy. At work, go nuts. At home, give it a rest. 9. Thou shalt not attempt to impress with thy cell phone. Not only is using a cell phone no longer impressive in any way (unless it s one of those really cool new phones with the space age design), when it is used for that reason, said user can be immediately identified as a neophyte and a poseur. 10. Thou shalt not slam thy cell phone down on a restaurant table just in case it rings. This is not the Old West, and you are not a gunslinger sitting down to a game of poker in the saloon. Could you please be a little less conspicuous? If it rings, you ll hear it just as well if it s in your coat pocket or clipped on your belt. Well, so there you have it: the first 10 rules of using your cell phone. Most of these seem like common sense, but they all get broken every day. If you have suggestions for additions, welcome. Answer the questions: 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of technological revolution? 2. Why should people work out dos and don ts of the new medium (e.g. Internet, cell phone)? 3. What is the cell phone etiquette appearance caused by? 4. Who teaches clerks and cell-phone etiquette? 5. Name the situations that need turning the cell phone off. 6. How many wireless devices are appropriate to wear at once? 7. Do you think that dependency on communication is usual for the nowadays young people? 8. How are the people using phones to impress the public? 9. Where should a cell phone be when you are in a restaurant? 10. Do you find the commandments quite appropriate for Ukraine? 25

26 EXERCISES 1. Comment each of the Commandments. What can you add to this list? 2. Choosing from the words given below, fill in the gaps: vibration, human, hands-free devices, relationship, users, deserve, undivided, private, etiquette, wireless, courtesy, technology Cell phone (1) is a growing need. The number of (2) around the world is increasing exponentially as we speak. Surprisingly, surveys indicate that people find annoying when other people speak on their mobile phones in public places but they consider themselves to use (3 while on the phone. These two statements contradict each other. Laws are becoming the Etiquette Police on the use of (4) phones. Now it is not allowed to use it while driving or in places like theatres, schools or meeting rooms. A phone conversation is distracting. For your own safety and the safety of others, do not speak on the cell phone while driving, not even with (5). Your full focus must be on the road, not split between your conversation and the road. Turn off your mobile phone while in the theatre, class room or meeting room. Everybody, say performer, attendant, or speaker, made an effort to be there and (6) the utmost respect, just like you do. Even if your ring tone is in (7) mode, when you answer the phone you distract everybody and it is really annoying. Keep your conversations (8). If you are at the restaurant and must take the call, excuse yourself and go outside to attend the call. Your business is only yours. When you are with someone, give this person your (9) attention and turn your cell phone off. There is nothing more annoying than being replaced by a phone call, even if it s just for few minutes. Basic courtesy. Do not use your cell phone to deal with delicate issues, like the break-up of a (10) or the news of a terminal illness. Use your judgement. Delicate issues should be dealt with personally. Bottom line: give everything and everybody the importance they have. Not because you have great (11) at your disposal you forget about the basics in (12) relations. Cell phones are there to serve us, not the other way around. 3. Circle the appropriate form of each verb. Dos and Don ts: 1. Take / Never take a personal mobile call during a business meeting. This includes interviews and meetings with co-workers or subordinates. 2. Maintain / don t maintain at least a 10-foot zone from anyone while talking. 26

27 3. Talk / Never talk in elevators, libraries, museums, restaurants, cemeteries, theatres, dentist or doctor waiting rooms, places of worship, auditoriums or other enclosed public spaces, such as hospital emergency rooms or buses. And have/don t have any emotional conversations in public ever. 4. Use / don t use loud and annoying ring tones that destroy concentration and eardrums. Grow up! 5. Multi-task / Never multi-task by making calls while shopping, banking, waiting in line or conducting other personal business. 6. Keep / don t keep all cellular congress brief and to the point. 7. Use / don t use an earpiece in high-traffic or noisy locations. That lets you hear the amplification, or how loud you sound at the other end, so you can modulate your voice. 8. Tell / don t tell callers when you re talking on a mobile, so they can anticipate distractions or disconnections. 9. Demand / don t demand quiet zones and phone-free areas at work and in public venues, like the quiet cars on the Amtrak Metroliner. 10. Inform / don t inform everyone in your mobile address book that you ve just adopted the new rules for mobile manners. Ask / don t ask them to do likewise. Please. TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: short messaging service; common courtesy; backlash; miscues; to diminish; innocuous; stodgy superiors; lingo; conscientious; slumber Top 10 List of SMS Etiquette Text messaging is one of the simplest and most useful means of mobile communication. No one can doubt the popularity of text messaging and short messaging service (SMS) in particular. A text messaging grows in popularity, excitement over using new technology clashes head-on with common courtesy, not surprisingly giving rise to a mobile-phone manners backlash. So to help you avoid SMS miscues and text-message missteps, study the following guidelines. 1. Common courtesy still rules. Contrary to popular belief, composing an SMS while you re in a face-to-face conversation with someone is just about as rude as taking a voice call. 2. Remember that SMS is informal. SMS shouldn t be used for formal invitations or to dump your girlfriend or boyfriend. The casualness of SMS diminishes the strength and meaning of the message. 27

28 3. Don t get upset if you don t get a reply. Before you text someone and get frustrated at the lack of a response, be sure that they re familiar with how to use the service, and that their carrier will accept messages from yours. 4. Be aware of your tone. It is extremely difficult to discern tone in text messages, just as in . What seems to you to be a completely innocuous message may be grossly misinterpreted by the recipient, causing certain discomfort if not irreparable harm. 5. Don t SMS while you re driving. Talking on the phone is bad enough. You won t know what hit you or what you hit if you are pounding out a message on your keyboard. 6. Leave the slang to the kids. Don t expect your stodgy superiors at work to be hip to the lingo of the SMS streets. And don t expect to win points with your kids by trying to be cool, either. 7. Remember that SMS can be traced. Anonymous messages if you must send them -are still best sent from Web sites. 8. Be conscientious of others schedules. Don t assume that because you are awake, working, not busy, or sober that the person you re texting is as well. Many a pleasant slumber have been interrupted by recurring beep-beep...beep-beeps of messages. 9. If it s immediate, make a voice call. If you can t get through and your text message is ignored, there s probably a good reason. There are still some times when people don t even have a thumb free to respond. 10. Remember that your phone does have an off button. There are very, very few things in the world that absolutely cannot wait. 4. Use the phrases given below to complete the conversation. A I d like to arrange an appointment. B I m afraid he s in a meeting. C would next Wednesday be okay? D I ll just look in the diary. E So shall we say 4.15 next Wednesday. F I could make it. G can I speak to Brian Hibberd, please? H when s convenient for you? Michelle: Mr Hibberd s office! Peter: Hello, 1)? Michelle: 2) until lunchtime. Can I take a message? Peter: Well, 3) to see him, please. It s Peter Jefferson here. Michelle: Could you hold on for a minute, Mr Jefferson. 4). So 5)? 28

29 Peter: Some time next week if possible. I gather he s away the following week. Michelle: Yes, that s right, he s on holiday for a fortnight. Peter: Well, I need to see him before he goes away. So 6)? Michelle: Wednesday. Let me see. He s out of the office all morning. But he s free in the afternoon, after about three. Peter: Three o clock is difficult. But 7) after four. Michelle: 8), in Mr Hibberd s office? Peter: Yes, that sounds fine. Thanks very much. Michelle: Okay, then. Bye. 5. The lines in the following telephone conversation are in the wrong order. Rearrange them. 1. Well, I d like to go first class, but unfortunately I ll have to go economy company rules, you see. 2. Ah, it s just me. 3. Ah yes, hello. I d like to enquire about flights to Hong Kong from Kennedy Airport in New York, please. I m off to a conference at the end of the month Thursday 22nd until Tuesday 27th. Could you tell me about the flight availability and prices? 4. Okay, so that s one seat economy New York Kennedy to Hong Kong Airport. 5. Let me see to qualify for the discount rate, you need to stay over a Saturday, which you are doing Yes, that ll be $ No, tax is another $70 on top of that. 7. Hello! Dolores speaking 8. Okay. Can I book that, then? 9. Yes, sure, I understand. How many of you will be travelling? 10. And how much will that be? 11. Certainly. 12. Right, and does that include airport tax? 13. Certainly. Do you want to go economy, business or first class? 6. Choose the best response to complete each mini-dialog. 1. My name is Frick. a) Sorry, I don t quite follow you; b) Sorry, I didn t quite catch that; c) Could you spell that, please? Yes, it s F-R-I-C-K. 29

30 2. We met at the Paris Trade Fair. a) Could you explain what you mean, please? b) Sorry, I don t quite follow you; c) Excuse me, I didn t quite catch that. I said we met at the Paris Trade Fair. 3. We are manufacturers of environment-friendly appliances. a) What exactly do you mean by environment-friendly? b) Did you say environment-friendly? c) Sorry, I don t quite follow you. Well, research has shown that our products do not damage the ozone layer. 4. So, I plan to visit London late in May. a) Did you say 7 th May? b) I didn t quite catch that; c) What do you mean exactly? No, I said late in May I ll be staying at the Hotel Three Starks. a) What do you mean exactly? b) I didn t quite catch that; c) Sorry, I don t quite follow you. I ll be at the Hotel Three Starks. TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: favourably; seek; essential; solely; encourage; rapport The 7 P s of Business Phone Etiquette Etiquette is in essence about proper conduct and presenting yourself favourably. Demonstrating good etiquette is important if one seeks to be successful. An area in which this is essential is the business phone call. Millions of business phone calls are made every hour and day. Business people that interact solely over the phone yet never meet still form strong opinions of one another. Practising good business phone etiquette helps encourage clear lines of communication, build rapport and avoid misunderstandings. Most of us can recollect a phone call that left us feeling frustrated or irritated. How much of this could have been attributed to poor phone etiquette? Here we explore a few simple examples of areas within business phone etiquette that should be employed when making or receiving calls.

31 7. Put each of the P s in its proper place. privacy, pass on information, patient, purpose, professionalism, particularise, preparation. All successful business interaction needs (1). The phone call is no exception. It is important to know who you are calling, the most convenient time to do so, the reason for your call and what you can do for them. Be structured, short and sharp. If the caller is not known to the receiver it is important that the (2) of the call and the caller s credentials are established immediately. A simple introduction followed by a sentence or two not only shows good phone etiquette but allows the receiver to set the forthcoming information within a context. (3) your intention behind the call. Do not assume the receiver understands why you are calling them and what you expect of them. Expand upon information and specify the purpose of the call. (4) that the receiver will understand, appreciate and find useful. Waffling and speaking generically will lose attention and generally reflect poorly on the caller. Good business phone etiquette demands (5) at all times. When speaking to someone you do not know avoid informal speech or personal questions. Once a relationship has been built it is considered polite to enquire about weekends, children or other non-sensitive personal matters. (6) and security around furtive issues must always be borne in mind on the phone. If it is imperative that sensitive discussions take place over the phone, business etiquette requires that you confirm with the receiver whether this is appropriate. Be (7). Demonstrating good business etiquette relies on your staying calm, cool and collected under pressure or when facing a testing situation. Your ability to stay patient earns respect and avoids rash actions or decisions. Although there is much more to business phone etiquette than the above 7 P s you will find they can go a long way in contributing to an improved understanding of how to use the phone effectively in the business world. TAKE A QUIZ Choose the correct word to complete the sentence. 1. You have the wrong number. A. should B. would C. must D. can 31

32 2. His number is A. straight B. direct C. certain D. sure 3. I m to have troubled you. A. upset B. apologise C. sorry D. sad 4. I m sorry, you ve the wrong number. A. got B. had C. have D. put 5. I d like to an appointment A. arrange B. have C. do D. save 6. I could it after four A. take B. fake C. get D. make 7. Let s meet next Wednesday shall we 4.15? A. arrange B. say C. suggest D. see 8. Would next be OK? A. day B. morning C. week D. afternoon 32

33 CHECKLIST Useful telephone recommendations, vocabulary and phrases in English 1. Don t panic. 2. Learn key vocabulary. 3. Learn some key phrases. 4. Start and finish well. 5. Learn to control the call. 6. Listen carefully. 7. Soften your language. 8. Create a positive atmosphere 9. Learn to spell. 10. Give yourself time. Phrases of identifying your company Widget Ltd., can I help you? Good morning, Newland Ltd. Identifying yourself Hello, John Brown speaking. This is here. (Just giving your name can sound abrupt in English). Identifying the caller Who s calling, please? Who s that speaking? May I ask who s calling? I m sorry, I didn t catch your name. Asking for your connection Could you put me through to? Could I have extension 345, please? Ann Schneider, please. Could I speak to... please? I d like to speak to... please. I m trying to contact... Could I have the Finance Department, please? Could I speak to someone in the... department? Explaining the purpose I m calling about... The reason I m calling is... 33

34 I m calling from Tokyo/Paris/New York/Sydney I m calling on behalf of (Mr. X...) It s about... It s in connection with... It s concerning... I m phoning about... I m returning your call.... asked me to call. Asking about the purpose Could you tell me what it s about? What s it in connection with? Asking for a name/information Who s calling please? Who s speaking? Where are you calling from? Are you sure you have the right number/name? Asking the caller to wait Hold the line please. Could you hold on please. Just a moment please. Connecting Just a moment. Thank you for holding. The line s free now... I ll put you through/i m putting you through. I ll connect you now / I m connecting you now. Excuses I m afraid he/she s in a meeting (at the moment) /out of the office (at the moment) / on holiday (at the moment). He/she won t be back until Monday. He/she s away for the week. I m sorry, the line s busy. Will you hold? Messages Can I leave/take a message? Would you like to leave a message? 34

35 Could you give him/her a message? Could you ask him/her to call me back? Would you like him/.her to call you back? Could you tell him/her that I called? Could you give me your name please? Spelling Could you spell that please? Shall I spell it for you? You d better spell that, please. (informal) Noting Let me take/write that down... I ll just get a pen... What s your number please? Repeating Could you just go over that again? Let me just repeat that... Confirming That s right. Fine. Encouraging Of course. Go ahead. Please do. Certainly. Positive responses Good. Fine. That sounds great! Neutral responses OK. All right. Disappointed responses Oh dear. That s a pity. 35

36 Showing understanding I see. I ve got that. Asking for clarification/repetition I m sorry, I didn t catch that. Could you repeat that? Reassuring I ll make sure she gets the message. I ll tell him/her you called. I ll get someone to ring you first thing in the morning. Structuring a call There are two things I wanted to mention. The other point was... The other thing I wanted to say was... The first thing is... The other thing is... Just one more point... Shall we leave it there? Calling back Could you ask her to call me back? Could you ask him to get back to me? Telephone numbers Can I have your number? Have you got a direct line? Is that the switchboard? Could I have extension 555? What s the code for...? Technical reasons It s a terrible line. You sounds miles away. There s a terrible echo on the line. I m afraid we ve got a crossed line. I can hear you, but not very well. It s very noisy here. I can hardly hear you. The line is very bad. Could you speak up please? I m afraid I can t hear you. 36

37 Requests Could you speak a little slower (please)? Could you speak up/ a little louder (please)? Wrong numbers Sorry. I think you ve dialled/got the wrong number. I m afraid you ve got the wrong number. I ll try to transfer you. Excuses Sorry, I ve got someone on the other line (at the moment). Sorry, I m in a meeting (at the moment). Sorry, I ve got to go out. Offering to call back I ll call you back. Can I call you back? Let me call you back. Calling back This is returning your call. here. You called earlier. Hello, this is again. Thanking Thanks for calling back. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly/promptly. Returning to the subject The reason I called you was As I was saying, Anyway, Checking the line Is that any better? Can you hear me all right/ok/clearly? Giving negative information I m afraid the line s engaged. Could you call back later? I m afraid he s in a meeting at the moment. I m sorry. He s out of the office today / He isn t in at the moment. I m afraid we don t have a Mr/Mrs/Miss... here. I m sorry. There s nobody here by that name. 37

38 Confirmation So, let me just go over that... Can I just make sure I ve got your name right? Closing signals I think that covers everything. Is ther anything else? I m afraid I ve got a meeting now. I m sorry, I must leave it there. Thanking Thanks for calling. Thanks for calling back. Thank you for the information. Thank you for your help. Farewells Bye. Goodbye. Speak to you soon. Looking forward I look forward to seeing you soon.../ meeting you.../ hearing from you.../ our next meeting... (Response: Me too.) Have a good weekend/journey/holiday. (Response: You too.) See you soon. I ll get back to you. 38

39 PART 2 JOB INTERVIEW UNIT 2.1. JOB-HUNTING TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: application form, Curriculum vitae (CV,) résumé, recruitment, experience, competition, headhunting, responsibility, department, probationary period, financial package JOB-HUNTING TIPS Hunting for a job can be tricky. However, the hunt can be rewarding, for it can lead to wonderful career opportunities. Through telephone calls, correspondence, interviews, and other contacts, the job hunter will (1) meet people, (2) share information, (3) get glimpses of various companies, and (4) enhance interpersonal techniques and skills that can be used in a new position. Whether you are searching for your first job or want to change careers, you will need to know what kind of job you want and what kind of skills, qualifications and experiences you possess. A job hunter should be realistic. Being aware of what you have to offer will help you to convey your best in the most effective way. You can find the job you want by thoroughly preparing yourself for the hunt. With the goal of a job in mind, you should first prepare a resume, listing accurate information about your education, past work experience, affiliations, and so on. In fact, you may need to do several versions of your resume, customizing it to each job description. A resume that is too general may undermine your possibilities of being hired. For example, if you want to apply for a teaching position at a community college and for an editorial job at a publishing house, a different resume would probably be needed for each. What would be emphasized for one would not necessarily be important for the other. Once you have created a resume, you are ready to begin serious jobhunting. You need to know the kinds of jobs you want or think that you are qualified for so that you can target specific companies or individuals to contact. You should pursue help wanted ads in newspapers, the job announcement sections of newsletters, campus placement offices, and employment agencies. To further broaden your search, you should let your family, 39

40 friends and acquaintances know that you are seeking employment. In short, leave no stone unturned. Remember that only 10 percent of all job vacancies appear in print. You should also attend job fairs, often held in major cities or on college campuses. This information can be obtained from local or college newspapers or employment offices. Recruiters from various fields interview prospective employees or accept resumes and/or give out employment applications. Some employers do presentations for interested employees. In this event, you should make every effort to attend. These sessions give job-hunters the chance to ask recruiters questions and get firsthand information. Once you know of some organizations you are interested in working for, you will need to gather information about those organizations. This research is important because it will give you insights into the company, and your potential employer will be able to see that you are prepared for the interview. This show of interest could help you in getting the job you apply for, don t be discouraged. In fact, the average job hunt lasts between six and eighteen weeks don t count on the six weeks minimum. Be prepared for the eighteen weeks or longer. If you are seeking employment out of town or abroad, you may need to make some long-distance calls and/or write to the personnel directors of the organizations you are interested in for information. If you phone, be prepared to answer questions. Sometimes employers will give you a brief preliminary telephone interview to see if you meet the minimum qualifications. You ought to write a cover letter to accompany your resume and/or application. This should be a one-page formal business letter in which you introduce yourself, state your reason for writing, briefly summarize your qualifications and request an interview. Once you are granted an interview, you should make every effort to arrive well-prepared. Before the interview, go over your experiences to align your skills to the position s description and requirements. This will allow you to appear sure of yourself. Also, prepare questions to ask during the interview. You might inquire about the specific job responsibilities, ask about the possibilities for advancement or promotion, and find out the special benefits the company offers. Avoid going into too many details about the salary at this time. In short, ask questions that will allow you to decide if the job is right for you. Above all, dress appropriately. This tells the employer you are a professional. In other words, if you are interviewing for a conservative, multinational company, you should not wear casual clothes like jeans and sneakers; get dressed up! Then, during the interview, sit up straight, speak clearly, be 40

41 attentive, look the interviewer in the eye, smile when appropriate, and try to relax. If you become nervous, take long, deep breaths and remember you have a valuable commodity to sell yourself. Remember not to say negative things about yourself or your former employers. You should be friendly and act like you really want the job. Many employers ask prospective employees to complete a job application and/or take an exam before the interview, so be sure to arrive about twenty minutes before the scheduled appointment. To be prepared, bring along extra copies of your resume, samples of your work, recommendation letters, and other supporting documents that will strengthen your application. You will certainly make a good impression by anticipating your employer s needs. After the interview, send a follow-up letter to the person(s) who interviewed you. In this one-page letter, you should thank the person for the interview, briefly summarize how your skills match the requirements, and reiterate your interest in obtaining the position. If you do not hear from the prospective employer within a specified period of time (about one week, depending on the situation), it is okay to phone and ask about the status of your application. At this time, you can find out when the company plans to fill the position, and you can use this opportunity to remind the interviewer that you are still interested in the job. Finally, job hunting can be hard work. Remember, you know your skills, abilities, and general worth. Don t grow impatient or let rejection undetermined your determination to get the job that best suits you. In time, you will get the job that best suits you. In time you will get what you deserve. (From: Job Hunting Tips. Bolles, Richard B. What color is your parachute? San Francisco: Ten Speed Press, 1990) Answer the questions: 1. What helps a job-hunter in meeting people, sharing information and investigating various companies? 2. How much time does usually a job hunt last? 3. What are the stages of an average job-hunting? 4. What documents should be prepared? Are they the same for different positions? 5. What is a Cover letter? 6. What are the dress and body language demands for a successful jobinterview? 7. Do the future employees have to take an exam? 8. What are the job-hunter s steps after the interview procedure? 41

42 EXERCISES 1. Find in the text the sentences with the phrases, translate them into Ukrainian: to hunt for a job; to be searching for; to interview a prospective employee; to accept resumes; to give out employment applications; to align the skills to the position s description and requirements; to ask about the status of the application. 2. Translate the phrases from job-advertisements: Well-qualified executive in field of Seek challenging position in Computer-literate Excellent organizational and communicational skills Mother tongue Ukrainian, fluent English, elementary German Bachelor of Science Degree: Business Administration. Experience with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Quicken The outstanding achievements are 3. Describe the job-hunting process using the scheme below and the phrases from useful vocabulary, item a if appropriate (See supplement). APPLY / APPLICATION FORM INTERVIEW / SHORT-LIST / CANDIDATES CV / RESUME / LETTER GETTING A JOB DESCRIPTION / CONTRACT / SALARY / PERKS ADVERTISEMENT / ADVERTISE / ADS RECRUIT / TAKE ON / EMPLOY 42

43 4. What factors below, in your opinion, are important for getting a job? Arrange them in a list depending on their importance. education references psychometric test results blood group experience sickness record sex appearance hobbies contacts and connections astrological sign qualifications intelligence marital status personal characteristics handwriting family background age software and internet skills 5. Match the verbs to the nouns to make word partnerships. 1) to enumerate a) a vacancy 2) to seek b) an interview panel 3) to train c) the candidates 4) to shortlist d) references 5) to advertise e) new staff 6) to assemble f) a job offer 7) to make g) experience 8) to check h) salary 9) to have i) a position 10) to pay j) the responsibilities nationality 6. Which of these words would you use to describe yourself in a work or study situation? Add other words using a dictionary. flexible creative articulate motivated dedicated honest confident loyal adaptable reliable determined resourceful charismatic meticulous ambitious 7. Match the words to people s characteristics: 1) computer-literate a) good at working on their own 2) proactive, self-motivated, b) good with numbers self-starters 3) systematic, methodical, c) good with computers organized 4) numerate d) naturally very good at what they do 5) motivated e) work well with other people 6) talented f) very keen to do well in their job 7) team players g) can work in planned, orderly way 43

44 8. Read and analyze the style of the advertisements. Internationally-oriented Ukrainian male, 24, single, Business Studies graduate. Two years experience in the field of accounting. Seeks a challenging position in Germany. First class computer skills, excellent organizational and communication abilities. Flexible, creative, hardworking. Mother tongue Ukrainian, fluent German/English, basic Spanish. Contact: Mark Stovych, [email protected]. Tel: European widely-travelled female, 26. UK-born and educated with BA in Media and Communications. Wide experience in the field of public relations in Eastern Europe countries. Computer literate, articulate, creative and charismatic. Currently Poland-based, seeking to relocate to UK. Bilingual English/Polish, excellent Russian, elementary German. Contact: Anna Cliffton, [email protected] Tel: Read the job advertisement a friend of yours has written. Then help him to shorten it and use appropriate style as in job advertisements above. I am a young American guy who is 24 years of age and who has very good qualifications in American law. I am looking for an interesting job with a law firm in California. I am now living in NY, and I have a year experience at an international law firm. I have travelled a lot in America and Canada and other parts of the world, that s why I am good at languages and communication. In addition to my own language I speak Spanish and French. I know a little Italian and German. I fit easily with the people and don t mind working hard. I can use computers well and good in finding information. Please, contact me in America: , write me at [email protected]. My name is Jonathan Singlson. I am really interested in a perspective job. 44

45 10. You ve decided you need a new job. Where do you start to look? What kinds of resources are available? Who are the best people to talk to? The following text gives you some suggestions which you might find helpful. Choose the correct noun to fill in the gaps. Most jobs are advertised as current 1). They appear in the local and national 2), trade 3), and specialist career publications. In addition, many professional 4) offer an appointments service which can help job seekers find a suitable 5) in a particular 6). Recruitment 7) hold details of a wide range of vacancies, and possibly local training 8). The Internet is a valuable 9) not only for vacancies but to find background information on companies. Approximately one third of jobs are never advertised, but may be found by approaching a company directly. This is called a speculative 10), and is common among students starting at the bottom of the career 11). Finally, don t forget to use your personal 12). 1. a) position; b) application; c) vacancies 2. a) press; b) bodies; c) resource 3. a) contacts b) journals; c) resource 4. a) bodies; b) contacts; c) agency 5. a) position; b) application; c) vacancies 6. a) industry; b) ladder; c) schemes 7. a) bodies; b) contacts; c) agencies 8. a) industry; b) ladder; c) schemes 9. a) press; b) journals; c) resource 10. a) position; b) application; c) vacancies 11. a) industry; b) ladder; c) schemes 12. a) bodies; b) contacts; c) agency 11. For all of the verbs below, select the correct noun partner. a) advertise... 1) a vacancy 2) a candidate 3) applicants b) arrange... 1) applicants 2) an appointment 3) a vacancy c) interview... 1) a candidate 2) a contract 3) a short list 45

46 d) sign... 1) a short list 2) a contract 3) a vacancy e) draw up... 1) applicants 2) a vacancy 3) a short list f) select... 1) an appointment 2) a short list 3) applicants 12. Written follow-up. Write your own job advertisement, using the phrases from useful vocabulary (see the Supplement). TEXT Read the text and pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: to keep up to date, to put forward, to work out, to hit the target, to be picking up the tab for training, to put their money where their mouth is Emphasis should be skills investment Ask any question about the problems facing an ailing economy and the answer is likely to include the skills shortage. Yet, while the diagnosis should be correct, the prescription is all too often wrong. Instead of developing existing staff, companies poach the best from their competitors or from overseas. Rather than organizing work-based and educational programmes, employees are sent on generalist courses in management or its new incarnation, leadership. Companies are often failing to hit the target, says Jim Hinds of Marakon Associates, consultancy that advises FTSE 100 companies on the issues that most drive their performance and long-term value. They are not investing enough in training, and what they are investing is often directed at wrong places. A competitive labour market and a shortage of skilled professionals should give more weight to the old manager has also made companies proposals put forward as part of the credo that people are your finest asset. But a gaping gulf has emerged between theory and reality. On the one hand, professional development broadly described as the systematic development of knowledge and skills is receiving more attention from policy 46

47 gurus than ever before; on the other hand, companies have become increasingly reluctant to invest in training, leaving the job regulators, individual employees or the professional associations they have formed. Exact figures are hard to pin down, but Saratoga, an arm of accountancy firm PwC, estimates that expenditure on formal, off-the-job training has decreased by 10 per cent during the past two years. This could be masked by the rise in online learning, but is still a fall big enough to cause concern. So long as employees are likely to change jobs at any time employers will question whether they should be picking up the tab for training. But the simple answer is that companies cannot afford not to. A good employer is not necessarily one who pays the highest rate, but is one who helps keep their staff s skills and hence their employability up to date, says Richard Phelps, partner at Saratoga. Mr Phelps says that training is often the last item to be added to a company s budget and the first to go because it is hard to demonstrate the return on investment. Companies have failed to take training as seriously as they should because it is hard to demonstrate exactly how much impact it has on the bottom line, he adds. However, the changing nature of work with downsized, flatter organizations, the end of the Job for life and the rise of the player manager has also made companies aware that to be competitive, they need to be more out of their people. Companies have downsized, rightsized, reorganized, but they now cannot cut or recognize any further. So, where do they focus next as a way of getting an advantage over their competitors? The most obvious place has to be their people says Mr Hinds. Consultancies, training providers and business universities all point to a near doubling in the number of customized education programmes as a result. Most companies are looking for training that will have the biggest impact. They are beginning to invest again, but they are being much more discriminatory says Bill Shedden, director of customized executive development at Cranfield University. Certainly, the increase in regulation is starting to push some companies to put their money where their mouth is. Continuing professional development (CPD) has become compulsory in most core accountancy disciplines. However, much of the burden has fallen on individuals who have been forced to foot the bill for training themselves. Jonathan Harris, chairman of the institute of Continuing Professional Development, says employees are much like athletes, engaged in a process of permanent and endless training. They plan their route, exercise and, as soon as they hit one goal, there is a new one. 47

48 Professional associations are forcing the many organizations that complete for members within each industry to pay more attention to CPD. The Financial Services Authority now requires employers to be responsible for keeping their staff s competence up to date, with those that fail liable to stinging fines. Proposals put forward as part of the Operating and Financial Review in the UK have put pressure on companies to increase transparency and demonstrate to shareholders the impact of human-resource policies. Once companies have worked out a way of measuring and demonstrating clearly to stakeholders the contribution that training makes to the company, they will find it easier to make room for it in their budgets, says Mr Phelps. In business terms, this could mean that the sums on training finally add up. Or, as Derek Bok, the Harvard president, once said: If you think training is expensive, try ignorance. (From: Emphasis should be skills investment, Gill Plimmer, Market Leader Intermediate) EXERCISES 13. Say whether the following sentences are true or false. a) The expenditure on formal, off-the-job training has decreased by twenty per cent during the past two years; b) Companies prefer to poach the best from their competitors or from overseas instead of developing existing staff; c) Professional development as the systematic development of knowledge and skills is receiving more attention than ever before; d) A good employer is one who helps keep their staff s skills and hence their employability up to date; e) Consultancies, training providers and business universities all point to a near tripling in the number of customized education programmes; f) The increase in regulation is starting to push some companies to put their money where their mouth is; g) The sums on training finally rise. 14. Complete the sentences with the appropriate expressions from a h. 1. According to the article, companies should invest more. 2. According to one consultancy, are not the answer to the problem. 3. Despite recognition of its importance, money allocated to has diminished in recent years. 4. Employers are training, knowing that their people may leave at any time. 5. Organizations need to provide regular skills training for their staff. 6. One current trend is the of executive training programmes. 48

49 7. Some professional bodies are making it obligatory for. 8. Richard Phelps says that it will be easier to increase spending on CPD once companies are able to measure. a) in order to remain competitive in the marketplace; b) in the professional development of their employees; c) companies to keep staff skills up to date; d) off-the-job training; e) reluctant to pay for; f) customization or tailoring; g) return on investment; h) generalized courses on management or leadership. 15. Translate the useful vocabulary into your own language. a) agency workers casual employment contract workers contracting-out downsizing delayering decreasing working hours lowering the age of retirement b) to work in shifts to work under a flexitime system to telecommunicate to commute to work to clock on and off 16. We interviewed four people about their ways of working. Which way you consider the most appropriate in your career? a) My name is Catherine, I am 30. I am an accountant in a multinational insurance company. It s a nine-to-five job with regular working hours. The work isn t interesting, but rewarding and I like to be able to go home at a reasonable time. We all have to clock in and clock out every day. In this company even managers have to, which is unusual! b) I am Jed Mitchell, 49, and I work in a car plant. I work in shifts. I may be on the day shift one week and the night shift the next week. It s difficult changing from one shift to another. When I change shifts, I have problems changing to a new routine for sleeping and eating; 49

50 c) My name s John, I am 26. I m in computer programming. There s a system of flexitime in my company, which means we can work when we want, within certain limits. We can start at any time before eleven, and finish as early as three, as long as we do enough hours each month. It s ideal for me as I have a child; d) I am Katie, 25, and I am a commercial artist in an advertising agency. I work in a big city, but I prefer living in the country, so I commute to work every day, like thousands of other commuters. Working from home using a computer and the internet is becoming more and more popular, and the agency is introducing this: it s called teleworking or telecommuting. But I like going into the office and working with other people around me, because staying at the same place is unstimulating. Remember: if you work or have work, you have a job. Work is also place where you do your job. 17. Match the words which are used for describing work or job with their explanations: 1) the work is interesting and gives you a) dull, boring; positive feelings; 2) the work is difficult and makes you b) repetitive, routine; tired; 3) the work involves doing the same c) demanding, tough; things again and again; 4) the work is not interesting. d) satisfying, fascinating. 18. Read the dialogue and pay attention to the prepositions with work - expressions. - Hi, Clive! What about your new job? - Hi, Frank, I work in a bank in New York City. I leave for work at 7.30 every morning. - How do you get to your bank? - I go by train and subway and arrive at work about nine and I am usually at work till six. - Do they have a flexitime system? People are sometimes ill or have problems with their children. - Luckily, I don t get ill very much so I am not often off work. - That s true, perhaps you fell happy you are in work. That s terrible, when somebody s ill for a long time and is out of work. 50

51 19. Complete the text with the prepositions, used in the dialogue above. Margaret lives in London and works in public relations. She leaves home for work at 7 a.m. She drives (1) work. The traffic is often bad and she worries about getting (2) work late, but she usually arrives (3) work at around 9. She finishes quite late, at about eight. Luckily I never ill she says. I could never take the time (4) work. She loves what she does and is glad to be (5) work. Some of her friends are not so lucky: they are (6) work. 20. Match the word to their definitions: 1) full-time job a) does not finish after fixed period 2) part-time job b) other options 3) permanent work c) working in a distance 4) temporary job d) less time than normal working 5) alternatives e) human resources 6) telecommuting f) employing people 7) personnel g) finishes after a fixed period 8) recruitment e) normal working week 21. Say about each person using the words in brackets and the ways of working from the task above. Example: I have a full-time job in an office. a) I am Mary. I work in a school library in the afternoons from two until six. (I/job); b) Our daughter is working in an office for three weeks. (she/work); c) Alicia works in a bank from eight till five every day (she/work); d) I m Don and I work in a café from 8 p.m. till midnight. (I/work); e) My wife works in a local government and she can have this job for as long as she wants it. (she/job); f) Our son works in an office from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (he/job). 22. Using the words from the box fill in the gaps in the sentences: demands objective alternatives cooperation proposal victory 51

52 1. We can t offer you the salary you requested, but let s discuss some other. 2. I have appreciated your throughout these interviews. 3. They had some last job that were entirely unrealistic. 4. I considered it a because they agreed to check me at work. 5. My prime is to have my family members supported. 6. While I listened to their I noted each of my objectives. 23. Job interview is a chance of a lifetime you sell yourself. Here are the instructions what do you say and what don t. Organize the recommendations into two columns. There are 5 of them in a column. Do say Don t say 52 1) you can type and have good word processing experience; 2) you can start as soon as you find a baby-sitter for your child; 3) you have a clean driving license; 4) your previous employee was unfair to you; 5) you change jobs every year; 6) you speak english and one other foreign language fluently; 7) you are hard-working, flexible and have good communication skills; 8) you have an elementary knowledge of english but want to work in a multinational company; 9) you don t remember the name of the director; 10) you can start tomorrow. 24. Separate the questions into two columns according to their role. Five of them are asked by an interviewer and the same number by an interviewee: interviewer interviewee a) Could you tell me about your first job? b) Could you expand on the stock options for the employees? c) Would you mind telling me about how old you are? d) Could you tell me why you left your last job? e) Would you tell me about promotion opportunities in your company? f) Could you tell me what the salary is? g) I d like to know what your colleagues say about you; h) Have you applied for any other jobs? i) What are my new responsibilities? j) Could I ask you about the dress-code in your company?

53 25. Read the questionnaire and interview your groupmate, who is looking for a part-time job. - Thank you for coming here this morning. Could I start by asking about your main life objectives and the future career plans? - Would you mind telling how old you are? - You say in your CV that you are a student. Could you describe the sphere of your professional interests? - You also mentioned that you were a student conference participant. Could you explain a bit more about it? - Could you expand on your educational qualifications? - Do you have any job experience? - Are you computer-literate? - Are you numerate? - Why would you like to work for our organization? - Why should we hire you? - What are your long-range career objectives? - What types of work do you enjoy doing most? Least? - What accomplishment has given you the greatest satisfaction? - What would you like to change in your past? - What courses did you like best and least in college? - Specifically, how does your education or experience relate to this job? - Are you seeking a job to stay in Ukraine or in future to relocate? - Are you ready to travel much? - What kind of motivation you find the most stimulating: financial package, new experience, promotion opportunities, stability? - How would you characterize yourself as a personality? - Are you a team-player or do you prefer an individual work? - Could you tell what do you know about our company? - What do you expect from working here? - Very good. That s what I like to hear. Are you ready to start tomorrow? UNIT 2.2. SELECTION PROCEDURE TEXT Read the text and put the paragraphs in a logical order: The Secretes of Selection Procedure A. Dagmar Schmidt is the head of recruitment at a German telecommunications company. She talks about the selection process, the methods, that the company uses to recruit people: B. After this, we shortlist three or four candidates. We check their references by writing to their referees: previous employers or teachers that 53

54 candidates have named in their applications. If the references are OK, we ask the candidates to come back for more interviews. Finally, we offer the job to someone, and if they turn it down we have to think again. If they accept it, we hire them. We only appoint someone if we find the right person. C. We invite the most interesting candidates to a group discussion then we have individual interviews with each candidate. We also ask the candidates to do written psychometric tests to assess their intelligence and personality. D. We advertise in national newspapers. We look at the backgrounds of applicants: their experience of different jobs and their educational qualifications. We don t ask for handwritten letters of application as people usually apply by mail; handwriting analysis belong to the 19 th century. (From: Business Vocabulary in use. Bill Mascull. Cambridge Univercity Press, 2002) Answer the questions: 1. What are the functions of recruiting companies? 2. How are the vacancies advertised? 3. What tests are the candidates to write and what for? 4. What questions do you think they are asked in the written psychometric tests? 5. What personal information about the candidates is taken into consideration? 6. What kinds of meetings do recruitment companies organize with candidates? 7. How can the references be checked? 8. Who would give a reference for you? 9. Is typing an application considered appropriate now? 10. Describe the selection procedure step by step according to the text. EXERCISES 1. Use the words or phrases from the box to answer the questions below. resume headhunting pep talk mentor fast-tracking financial package 1. What refers to an older, more experienced person, who helps you? 2. What is an American variant for British English CV? 3. How is the stealing of employees called? 4. Which phrase in job advertisement refers to money and benefits? 5. What means a short chat to motivate staff? 6. What usually leads to quick promotion? 54

55 2. Fill in the gaps with the words from the box: well-being employment jobs risks unemployment incomes The British are increasingly at risk. The chances of their (1) disappearing, of their (2) falling, of their homes being repossessed or being impossible to sell, of their families breaking up, of their networks of friendships disintegrating, have not been higher since the war. On top of the long-standing concerns about the growing gap between rich and poor, there is an increasing awareness of a new range of (3) that are bringing fresh patterns of social distress and exclusion. (4) and low pay are no longer the sole measures of inequality and lack of social (5) With the rise of new forms of casualized, temporary and contract forms of (6), even those on average incomes and above can become victims of pressures beyond their control. TEXT Read the text and answer the questions below. While reading pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: high performers, rival companies, headhunting, inspiration, financial package inefficiency Motivating High-Calibre Staff An organization s capacity to identify, attract and retain high-quality, high-performing people who can develop winning strategies has become decisive in ensuring competitive advantage. High performers are easier to define than to find. They are people with apparently limitless energy and enthusiasm, qualities that shine through even on their bad days. They are full of ideas and get things done quickly and effectively. They inspire others not just by pep talks but also through the sheer force of their example. Such people can push their organizations to greater and greater heights. The problem is that people of this quality are very attractive to rival companies and are likely to be headhunted. The financial impact of such people leaving is great and includes the costs of expensive training and lost productivity and inspiration. However, not all high performers are stolen, some are lost. High performers generally leave because organizations do not know how to keep them. Too many employers are blind or indifferent to the agenda of would be high performers, especially those who are young. Organizations should consider how such people are likely to regard important motivating factors. 55

56 Money remains an important motivator but organizations should not imagine that it is the only one that matters. In practice, high performers tend to take for granted that they will get a good financial package. They seek motivation from other sources. Empowerment is a particularly important motivating post for new talent. A high performer will seek to feel that he or she owns a project in a creative sense. Wise employers offer this opportunity. The challenge of this job is another essential motivator for high performers. Such people easily become demotivated if they sense that their organization has little or no real sense of where it is going. A platform for self-development should be provided. High performers are very keen to develop their skills and their Curriculum Vitae. Offering time for regeneration is another crucial way for organizations to retain high performers. Work needs to be varied and time should be available for creative thinking and mastering the skills. The provision of coach mentor signals that the organization has a commitment to fast-tracking an individual development. Individuals do well in an environment where they can depend on good administrative support. They will not want to feel that the success they are winning for this organization is lost because of the inefficiency of others or by weaknesses of support areas. Above all, high performers especially if they are young want to feel that the organization they work for regards them as special. If they find that it is not interested in them as people but only as in high performing commodities, it will hardly be surprising if their loyalty is minimal. On the other hand, if organization does invest in its people, it is much more likely to win loyalty from them and to create community of talent and high performance that will worry competitors. (From: Motivating High-Calibre Staff, Michael Douglas: Answer the questions: 1. Who are high performers? 2. Name the personal characteristics of high performers. 3. Why are they likely to be headhunted? 4. Why do high performers generally leave organizations? 5. What kind of the financial impact of such people leaving does a company feel? 6. What kind of motivation do they prefer? 7. What conditions should be organized for creative thinking at work? 8. What administrative environment do high performers need? 9. What do young high performers want to feel in an organization? 10. How would you motivate your personnel? 56

57 3. Consult a dictionary and give the definitions of the following expressions: salary wage performance-related bonuses fringe benefits benefits package remuneration package share options compensation package golden parachute severance payment pension 4. Fill in the gaps, using the words from the box: salary perks wage commission a) I am Martin. I work as a half-time driver in small company. I get every week; b) My name is Harris. I am a personnel manager at an enterprise. I get paid every month; c) I am Monica and I am a saleswoman in a supermarket. I get a basic salary and. for everything I sell; d) My name is Catherine; I work in a private hotel as a receptionist. I get paid a salary, sometimes tips, and I have nice for example free meals. 5. Jobs and people who do them can be described according to the skills and qualifications. Match the skills with the jobs: 1) highly skilled a) teacher 2) skilled b) car cleaner 3) semi-skilled c) brain surgeon 4) unskilled d) taxi driver 6. Organize the following words and phrases according to their meaning into two columns. to employ to dismiss 1) engage; 2) lay off; 3) appoint; 4) sack; 57

58 58 5) take on; 6) fire; 7) hire; 8) make redundant. 7. Complete the text using words or phrases from the box. interview psychometric test application form covering letter CV / resume probationary period The problem is that now many job-hunters submit their (1) speculatively to companies they would like to work for. In other words, they do not apply for an advertised job, but hope the employee will be interested enough to keep their CV on file and contact them, when they have a vacancy. When replying to an advertisement, candidates often fill in a/an (2) and write a/an (3) The employer will then invite the best candidates to attend a/an (4) Sometimes candidates will take a/an (5). before the interview to assess their mental ability and reasoning skills. These days it is normal for successful candidates to have to work a/an (6) in a company. This is usually three or six months before they are offered a permanent post. 8. Match the abbreviation from the list on the right, with its definition on the left: 1) per week a) (ref. no) 2) thousand b) (inc.) 3) negotiable c) (k) 4) reference number d) (p/w) 5) per annum, yearly e) (pro rata) 6) stamped addressed envelope f) (neg) 7) as soon as possible g) (c.) 8) approximately h) (asap) 9) according to time worked j) (p.a) 9. The following text describes a typical selection process, but the sentences are in the wrong order. Re-arrange the sentences in each section so that the whole text makes sense. The first sentence has been done for you Firstly, a vacancy is advertised; and suitable candidates are invited for interview; These are sorted; and applications are received; and applicants are interviewed; After that, a final short list is drawn up;

59 Next, appointments are arranged; A job offer is made to the successful candidate; and one of them is selected; and finally, an employment contract is signed; 10. A Human Resources Manager has drawn up a shortlist of applicants he feels would be suitable for a vacancy in his company. Look at the descriptions of the candidates he plans to invite for interview. Hamed has a can-do attitude and is able to meet deadlines; Tomoko is a self-starter who can work on her own initiative; Ivan is able to multi-task and has a proven track record; Li is an effective team player with a customer-focused approach; Cristina is numerate and computer-literate. Which candidate can be a sales manager, an accountant, an advertising agent, a project leader, a company representative? Why do you think so? UNIT 2.3. DOCUMENTS SUPPORTING JOB-HUNTING CV or RESUME When you apply for a job, most employers want to have 2 important documents from you: a CV or resume; a covering letter. CV stands for the Latin words Curriculum Vitae, which mean: the course of one s life. A CV is also called a resume, resume or résumé (especially in American English). Your CV is a summary of your professional/academic life until now, and it usually concentrates on your personal details, education and work experience. The example shown on this page is a simple demonstration of one basic type of CV. Read it and pay attention to its structure. Name Thomas Crown Objective Seeking an International Sales Management position in Information Technology where my extensive sales experience will be used to the full Experience Intelel London, UK National Sales Manager Increased sales from $60 million to $100 million. Doubled sales per representative from $5 to $10 million. Implemented Internet sales grossing $25 million Teletrona Systems Edinburgh, UK 59

60 Education Interests Contacts Northern Sales Manager Increased regional sales from $95 million to $200 million. Expanded sales team from 30 to 60 representatives. Suggested new services adding $35 million to revenue ESS Holdings Cambridge, UK Senior Sales Representative Increased sales by 300 % annually. Closed deals with 100 major new accounts. Won over 25 competitor clients adding $50 million to revenue ESS Holdings Cambridge, UK Sales Representative Increased sales by 300 % annually. Awarded company s highest sales award each year. Developed Winning Presentations training course London University London, UK BA, Business Administration and Information Systems Captain of university Rugby Club St Andrew s School Plymouth, UK 4 GCE A Levels. President of School s Drama Society St Andrew s Board of Governors, rugby, drama, chess 17 King s Terrace, Richmond, Surrey, UK Tel: [email protected] Answer the questions: 1. What position does Thomas Crown hunt? 2. Does his education correspond to the position he seeks? 3. What experience does he have? 4. Where did he work in 1998? 5. What did he do in 1985? 6. What was his main duty in Intelel London? 7. What was his main achievement in the sphere of sales? 8. What do Thomas interests tell about his character? 9. What awards did he have? 10. Can Thomas Crown be called a high caliber staff? 60

61 EXERCISES 1. Read the article and match the headings with the paragraphs 1 7. A. A number is worth 1,000 words. B. Sell benefits, not skills. C. Put important information first. E. Use power words. F. Target the job. G. Sell benefits, not skills. J. Solve your employer s (hidden) needs. 7 Resume Tips Your resume (CV in British English) has one mission and one mission only: to get you a job interview. Your resume is usually the first impression an employer has of you. And as you never get a second chance to make a first impression, you d better get it right first time. 1. Employers don t have time to read through each of your job descriptions to know if you have the skills they need. The design of your resume must do it for them. Your resume should be concise, well-organized and relevant. It should emphasize the most important and relevant points about your experience, skills and education. 2. To control the image that an employer has of you, use power words that match the position you want. Certain words are used frequently by recruiters in their job descriptions. You should study recruiters advertisements and job descriptions and use these words in your resume and covering letter. 3. People react to numbers! Numbers are alive and powerful. They create vivid images in our minds. General statements are easy to ignore. Be specific and use numbers when describing your duties and achievements. Don t talk about managing a major turnover. Talk about managing a $27,000,000 turnover. Don t talk about extensive teaching experience. Talk about 7,000 teaching hours. Better still, talk about 7,300 teaching hours the more precise a figure, the more real it becomes. 4. List important information at the beginning of your job descriptions. Put statements in your resume in order of importance, impressiveness and relevance to the job you want. A powerful statement with numbers and power words influences every statement that follows. 61

62 5. Holiday companies don t sell holidays. They sell relaxation, adventure, sun, sea and sand (the benefits of a holiday). You should not sell your skills (many other people have the same skills). You should sell the benefits of your skills. When you write your skills and past duties, be careful to explain their benefits to the employer. 6. Employers want people who can solve problems, not create them! Your resume and cover letter should show how you can solve the employer s problems and needs. And in addition to the skills or needs shown in a job advertisement, an employer may have other needs. You should identify these additional needs and show how you can satisfy them too. But concentrate first on the needs listed in the job advertisement. Your additional solutions should come later, after you already have the employer s attention. 7. You will have more success if you adjust your resume and cover letter for the specific skills an employer is seeking. This means that you would write one resume for one particular job and a different, modified, resume for another job. You re-package yourself. In that way, an employer will see immediately that you correspond to the job description. It is not dishonest to re-package yourself. You are simply presenting yourself and your skills in the best light for a particular employer. This will help you to get more interviews and allow you to apply for a wider range of jobs. (From: 2. There are usually 6 general headings of information to include in a CV. Match the headings with their descriptions: 1) personal a) name, address, and telephone number information; (and sometimes nationality, age/date of birth); 2) objective; b) being married or not; 3) work experience; c) a headline that summarizes the job opportunity you are seeking; 4) education; d) hobby which is demonstrating that you are a balanced, responsible member of society with an interesting life outside work; 5) personal interests; e) details of secondary and university education including the establishments and qualifications (but excluding any that are irrelevant to your career); 6) marital status. f) your previous employment in reverse chronological order with most detail for your present or most recent job. 62

63 3. In general, 5 or 6 headings will be enough for most resumes or CVs. However, sometimes you will want to use more headings when applying for a particular job for which additional information is appropriate. Here is a CV layout with most of the possible headings that you can choose from. Tick which up to you are obligatory. ٧ 1. Your name First name Surname (for example, John Brown) Include a good photo if you want or if requested 2. Address Number, Any Road, Anytown, Anycountry 3. Telephone Fax [email protected] 6. Marital status Single, married, divorced, separated or widowed 7. Nationality Ukrainian, English, French 8. Place of birth Town, Country 9. Objective State the position or opportunity that you are looking for. (This must be short. One or two lines only) 10. Summary of qualifications 11. Professional experience A short list of the qualifications you have for this job. (This should be short. Your full qualifications will appear later under Education ) Your jobs in reverse chronological order (last is first) 12. Education Your university/school in reverse chronological order (last is first) 13. Specialized skills 14. Patents and publications 15. Additional professional activities 16. Professional memberships 17. Extracurricular activities Any additional special abilities you have (for example, computer programming) that may be of interest to the employer Any relevant inventions you have made or books, articles and papers you have published Any relevant work activities not listed elsewhere Relevant professional associations or clubs of which you are a member Any activities that you have outside work 63

64 18. Security clearance It may be necessary to state your level of authorization to work on classified or confidential projects 19. Languages Mother tongue, fluent, excellent, good, some knowledge 20. Interests and activities 21. Additional information Your favorite leisure-time activities (for example, stamp-collecting). You should include this only if you think it will be interesting for the employer Any additional information that is necessary and relevant for a particular job 22. References The names and addresses of (two) people who can give you a reference. Alternatively, you can state Available on request 4. Written follow-up: Your CV (Resume) is the summary of your professional life. You should include everything that is relevant to your employment or career and nothing that is irrelevant. Exactly what you include depends partly on your type of work. Prepare your CV (Resume) to apply to one of the positions: accountant, flight attendant, math teacher, software developer. 5. Read about the other important document and pay attention to its structure. Covering Letter Before even looking at your CV, an employer usually reads your covering letter. If it is badly-written, or untidy, or difficult to read, your CV will probably go into the nearest bin. If it is well-written, attractive, easy to read and persuasive, the employer will turn to your CV. It s that simple! A covering letter sent with a CV/resume is also called a letter of application. Your letter of application is a sales letter. The product it is selling is your CV. Content The reader of your letter may be busy and unwilling to waste time on unnecessary details. You should therefore design your letter to be easy to read. It should be short, concise and relevant. It should not be too formal or complicated. Your letter should confirm that you are applying for the position; say where you learned about the position; say why you want the position; say why you would be a benefit to the company; request an interview. 64

65 Format The layout of a modern business letter in English is very simple. Your address is at the top, on the right or in the middle. The rest of the letter can be in block format, with each line starting on the left. Try to keep the whole letter on one single page, with plenty of white space. Should your letter of application be hand-written? Probably not. In some cultures employers require candidates to send letters written by hand. But in the English-speaking world, an employer would usually prefer to receive a letter of application that is word-processed (that is, produced on a computer and printed). A hand-written letter could be considered unprofessional. You must judge according to the country, culture and tradition. 6. Read a covering letter of Thomas Crown and analyze taking into account information given above. The Principal Interplay Sales 77 bd Saint Germain PARIS 17 April 2006 Dear Madam: 17 King s Terrace, Richmond, Surrey, UK Tel: [email protected] I am interested in working as International Sales Manager for your organization. I am a National Sales Manager with nearly 15 years experience to offer you. I enclose my resume as a first step in exploring the possibilities of employment with Interplay Sales. My most recent experience was managing national sales for Intelel London. I was responsible for the overall software sales, including home and professional ones. In addition, I doubled the sales from 5 to 10 $million. As International Sales Manager with your organization, I would bring a focus on quality and effectiveness to your sales design. Furthermore, I work well in a team, and I am experienced in sales planning. I would appreciate your keeping this enquiry confidential. I will call you in a few days to arrange an interview at a time convenient to you. Thank you for your consideration. Yours faithfully, Thomas Crown 65

66 Remember: in British English it is Covering letter and in American English Cover letter. 7. Here is the typical format for your covering letter. Match the structural units with the descriptions and instructions. 1. Your address a) is the name of the person to whom you are writing, his/her job title, the company name and address. This should be the same as on the envelope 2. Date b) A letter in English always begins with Dear..., even if you do not know the person. There are several possibilities: Dear Sir, Dear Mr 3. Destination name and address c) put the subject of your letter, which for a job application is normally the Job Title 4. Reference d) the letter itself, in 3 to 6 paragraphs 5. Salutation e) sign in black or blue ink with a fountain pen 6. Subject f) put your telephone number, fax and/or address at the top, in the centre or on the right 7. Body g) your first name and surname 8. Ending j) if you are using company headed paper, write your Job Title here. If you are using personal paper, write nothing here 9. Your signature h) indicate that one or more documents are enclosed by writing Enc: 2 (for two documents, for example) 10. Your name i) do not write the date as numbers only: it can be considered too official and therefore impolite 11. Your title includes the word Yours sincerely, faithfully, truly 12. Enclosures you write the number or code given by the employer in their advertisement or previous letter in the form: Your ref: If you wish to include your own reference, you write: My ref: Remember: All-number dates are written differently in British English (31/12/99) and American English (12/31/99). This can lead to confusion. 8. There are some unwritten rules of preparing a cover letter. Here are the instructions what should you do and what don t. Organize the recommendations into two columns. There are 10 of them in a column. Do Don t 66

67 1) be positive; 2) sign your letter with a fountain pen; 3) be neat; 4) write CV or Resume at the top; 5) write Mr, Mrs or Miss in front of your name; 6) give full addresses of past employers; 7) keep to the point. Be relevant; 8) ask a friend to look at your CV and letter; 9) give minor or unimportant school qualifications; 10) give lots of irrelevant or unimportant hobbies; 11) look forward to the future; 12) check your work for grammatical errors; 13) make your covering letter more than 1 page; 14) look backward to the past; 15) emphasize the benefit you will bring to an employer; 16) write names in capital letters; 17) use lots of capital letters, italics or fancy typefaces; 18) create an organized layout; 19) use lots of capital letters, italics or fancy typefaces; 20) use active verbs 9. It is a good idea to get your gratitude after a successful interview in writing. Analyze the sample below whether it is successful and get ready to write your own one. To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Today s interview Dear Ms Daniels: I just wanted to write and thank you for spending your time interviewing me today. I m pleased with how our talks went and I am excited to take my new role as an Interplay Sales employee. I will begin my new duties of International Sales Manager on Monday. That s a great honor for me to work in Interplay Sales. If you have any concerns, feel free to call me at home over the weekend. Thank you again, Thomas Crown 67

68 10. Written follow-up. You have successfully gone through the interview in Perkinsons Company. Write the letter to thank your employer (Mr Edward Smith) for the interview and confirm that you are eager to accept the position of personnel manager. TAKE A QUIZ Look at the following phrases from job advertisements. Do they refer to the company, the candidate (the person applying for the job), or the job benefits (extra money or other advantages you might get as part of the job)? 1. Multinational group A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 2. Proactive individual A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 3. Leading service provider A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 4. Competitive salary A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 5. Decision maker A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 6. Market leader A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 68

69 7. Ongoing training A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 8. Inspirational leader A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 9. Company pension A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 10. Attractive package A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 11. High flyer A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits 12. World-class organisation A. refers to the company B. refers to the candidate C. refers to the job benefits CHECKLIST Useful job-hunting recommendations Planning a Job-hunting Take a holiday before you start looking for a new job changing circumstances is effective in such a situation. Exchange information and ideas with other unemployed people, then with successfully employed persons. Determine the purpose of the job-hunting, formulate what kind of position you seek. Determine what information to include in the Resume or Curriculum vitae. 69

70 Analyze the information about the company which is a prospective employer. Learn as much as possible about corporative etiquette and dress appropriately. Acting Apply for as many jobs as possible even jobs you don t really want. Review all your business contacts regularly some people are often the first to hear about the new job offer. Remember: seeking a job is the same as a doing a job you need to work full time on it. Tips for résumé writers Avoid including anything that might prove to be negative, such as a low grade-point average, political affiliation, or travel restriction. Be short and to the point. Highlight your uniqueness. Use action words. Do not include false information. Do not exaggerate accomplishments. Be organized. Make your résumé attractive. Preparing to Negotiate a Job Offer Negotiating a job offer should mean more than just saying, yes. Though being offered a job is an exciting time, it is also an important time to use your negotiating skills. Here are some issues you may want to raise before you accept: salary; promotion; opportunities; іnsurance (medical, dental, accident, life); holidays; vacation time; retirement/pension plans; stock options; overtime; expenses. 70

71 In a Job Interview be ready to hear the phrases and questions: Thank you for coming to meet me here today. What was the turning point in your career? Could you describe your role as brunch sales manager? What were your outstanding achievements? Could you expand on that? Could you explain a bit more about that? Use the active words to make an impression Remember, the most power words are verbs. Action verbs describe dynamic activity as opposed to state. Here are some management skills power words: stimulate; train; organize; guide; facilitate; encourage; coach; resolve; instruct; enable; clarify. Be ready to ask: about working hours: typical or not; what are the main responsibilities; about travel: how much and where to; about pay: bonuses depend on what; any other details you would like to have. 71

72 PART 3 PRESENTATIONS UNIT 3.1. ORGANIZING A BUSINESS PRESENTATION TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: superiors; subordinates; immense; implemented; compelling; competency; contemporary; feedback; on the spot; cues; strenuous The Role of Business Presentations Anyone who plans a career in sales, training, or education expects to make many oral presentations to customers, employees, or students each week. What you may not realize, though, is that just about everyone in business will probably give at least one major presentation and many smaller ones each year, to customers, superiors, subordinates, or colleagues. The costs of ineffective presentations are immense. With many managers earning big salaries, a presentation that discusses ideas incompletely and inefficiently wastes time and money. Sales are lost, vital information is not communicated, training programs fail, policies are not implemented, and profits fall. Technology is undoubtedly changing the physical characteristics of oral presentations in business. Competent communicators recognize, however, that the compelling effects of verbal and nonverbal communication strategies that are possible in oral presentations will continue to make them a critical communication competency in the contemporary business organization. Written reports and oral presentations both play important roles in helping an organization achieve its objectives. An oral presentation may be made either in conjunction with or in place of a written report. Effective communicators must recognize the advantages and disadvantages of presenting business information orally. Probably the most important advantage of live oral presentations is the immediate feedback that is possible from the audience. Questions can be answered and decisions can be made on the spot. In addition, the speaker can pick up cues from audience members regarding how well they understand and agree with his or her points and can then adjust content and delivery accordingly. 72

73 A second advantage concerns speaker control. A written report may never even be read, let alone studied carefully. But speakers have a captive audience. They can control the pace of the presentation; question the audience to ensure attention and understanding; and use nonverbal cues such as pauses, gestures, and changes in voice speed and volume to add emphasis. In addition, visual aids used in an oral presentation are often more effective than those used in a written report. A third advantage of the oral presentation has to do with the listener: presentations are simply less work for the audience. Listening is less strenuous and often more enjoyable than reading. The written report presents mostly verbal clues, whereas the oral presentation is filled with a variety of verbal and nonverbal clues to make comprehension easier and more interesting. Considering the advantages of immediate feedback, speaker control, and reduced audience effort, why isn t all business information communicated orally? The major reason is that oral presentations are impermanent. They disappear, and within hours of delivery much of the information presented has been forgotten. Also, listeners have only one opportunity to understand what they re hearing. In contrast, the written report provides a permanent record that can be reread and referred to in the future. Multimedia presentations, of course, avoid this problem. Oral presentations may also be very expensive. It is much more costeffective to have 1,000 managers scattered around the country read a written report than to have them hear the same information in a mass meeting. In addition to the expense, the sheer logistics of assembling such a large group can be overpowering. Furthermore, the visual aids used in oral presentations are often more expensive than those used in written reports (which is perhaps one reason that they re also typically more effective). It s not surprising, then, that many presentations include both an oral and a written component. As a business communicator, you ll need to weigh a number of factors when you decide whether to communicate orally or in writing: the complexity of the material, the size of the audience, your need for immediate feedback, and the cost of the presentation, among others. Answer the questions: 1. Do you ever have to listen to business presentations, in English or in your own language? 2. What makes the difference between a good presentation and a bad one? 3. Do you ever have to make business presentations? Do you find it easy or difficult? 73

74 4. What kinds of problems do you face when you have to make a business presentation? 5. How do you prepare for it? 6. What is the cost of a presentation according to the text? 7. What are the advantages of oral presentations? 8. How does a presenter organize a feedback from the audience? 9. What are the disadvantages of written reports? 10. How can a presentation include both an oral and written components? EXERCISES 1. Say if the following statements are true or false: The costs of ineffective presentations are immense; Technology is hardly changing the physical characteristics of oral presentations in business; Effective communicators must recognize the advantages and disadvantages of presenting business information orally; The most important disadvantage of live oral presentations is the immediate feedback; One of the advantages concerns speaker control; Oral presentations are simply more work for the audience; Oral presentations are permanent; Oral presentations may be very expensive; You ll need to weigh a number of factors when you decide whether to communicate orally or in writing. 2. What are the most important factors in a good presentation? Put the following factors in order, from the most important to the least important, then compare with a partner. Feel free to add different factors if you want to. logical organization; clear pronunciation; good visual aids; timing (not too long, not too short); body language; knowledge of the subject; vocabulary preparation. 74

75 3. The following paragraphs contain a total of ten mistakes. Correct the mistakes. Paragraph 1 Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very lot for come along here today. I hope my presentation isn t going to take too long and that you will find it interesting. The purpose of today s presentation is for discuss how can we improve internal communications within our company. Now let me beginning by explaining that I d like to talk about the business case for better communication; secondly, I want to cover different styles and methods; and final I would like to finish off by talking about some of the basics we need to have in place to deliver good quality, consistent communications across the company. I d be very happy to instruct you to ask questions in the end of the session and I m sure there ll be plenty of time for us to discuss some of the points that have been raised. Paragraph 2 Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for finding the time to come and join me for this presentation this afternoon. My name is Tim Mason, I m a retail consultant, and many of you will have seen me shadowing you in your jobs and looking through the accounts and so on in the company over the last week. I ve invite you here today to have a look on my findings. First, I d like to have a look at the performance of the company, the sales of the company over the last three years; then I d like to have a look at our market share in the womenswear market and look at our competitors; and thirdly, I d like to suggest some improvements in our range of womenswear. At the finally I d be happy to answer any of your questions. 4. Understanding the Role of Business Presentations. Interview two business-people in your community who hold positions in your area of interest to learn more about their experiences in making oral presentations. Write a memorandum to your instructor summarizing what you ve learned. You may want to ask such questions as the following: Do you routinely give presentations as part of your work? How important has the ability to make effective oral presentations been to your career? How do you typically prepare for them? Do you give presentations in your own language and/or in English? Do you give individual or group/team presentations? Who is your audience? Are they local or international? 75

76 What are qualities that make a good presentation? What are the strong points of your presentations? What are your positive and negative observations when others are making presentations? 5. Below are the introductions to two different presentations, one quite formal, the other informal. Complete them with the items from the box. And we ll finish with I ll kick off with Secondly everyone I ve divided my presentation into Thank you Finally, we ll look at ladies and gentlemen Thanks First of all, we ll analyse My talk s in Then Formal presentation Good morning, 1). On behalf of Widget Ltd., I d like to welcome you all. Let me introduce myself. My name is Jack Brown, and I ve been managing Widget s department of international economic relations for the past six years. 2) for giving me the opportunity to talk to you today. The theme of presentation is a comparison of the changes in consumer prices in the EU and the USA from 2003 till today. 3) three parts. 4) the pattern of price inflation in the various countries under scrutiny. 5), we ll study the main factors responsible for the rise and fall of inflation in the two regions. 6) the forecast for the next two years. Informal presentation Hello 7). I m Vicky Reed. 8) for this opportunity to talk to you about our new products. 9) three parts. 10) the findings of the market research that led to the development of our new educational computer games. 11) we ll move on to a demo, so that you ll have a chance to have a go. 12) your feedback and your ideas and suggestions for our forthcoming advertising campaign. 6. Whatever the topic or the style of your presentation, you should always put your audience first. Match the items below to discover some useful tips about how you can do that. 1. Be genuinely interested. a) to process the information; 2. Maintain. b) is appropriate in the host culture; 3. Avoid. c) if you know them; 76

77 4. Use individuals names. d) in your audience as people; 5. Ask various kinds of. e) a good-natured attitude; 6. Give your audience time. f) sounding or looking superior; 7. Use as much eye-contact as. g) questions during the presentation. 7. Comment the following statements: Don t give a speech until you know what you want to accomplish with your speech. Then test each statement against that touchstone. A speech without a clear purpose will accomplish nothing. (Michael M. Kleppner I d rather Die Than Give a Speech, 1995, p. 13.) When asked to give a presentation, three things were critical. (1) I spoke about a topic I not only knew, but knew well and was passionate about. (2) From first word to last, there was an easy-to-follow, logical flow to my material. (3) I was prepared. I was rehearsed. I was confident. I was enthusiastic. (Michael M. Kleppner I d rather Die Than Give a Speech, 1995, p. 3.) When Demostracles speaks, the people say, My, what a wonderful speaker he is, but when Pericles speaks, the people say, Let us march! (An ancient Greek saying.) 8. Read the text and circle the appropriate verb in italics: TEXT The Use of Humor in Business Presentations When ideas are presented with humor, the audience not only is able to recall/recap more details of the presentation but also is able to retain the information longer. If you know you do not tell/tell humorous stories well, the moment you re in front of an audience is not the time to try to rectify that situation. Both you and your audience will suffer/enjoy. If, however, you feel that you can use humor effectively, doing so might add just the appropriate touch to your presentation. Jokes, puns, satire, and especially amusing real-life incidents are just a few examples of humor, all of which serve to form a bond between speaker and audience. Humor can be used/can t be used anywhere in a presentation in the opening to get/lose attention, in the body to add interest, or in the closing to drive home a point. Humor should, of course, be avoided/added if the topic is very serious or has negative consequences for the audience. If you tell an amusing story, it must always be appropriate to the situation and in good taste. Never tell an off-color or sexist joke; never use offensive language; never single out an ethnic, racial, or religious group; and never use a dialect or foreign accent in telling a story. Such tactics are always 77

78 in bad taste. The best stories are directed/can t be directed at yourself; they show that you are human and can laugh /can t laugh at yourself. Before telling a humorous story, make sure you understand it and think it s funny. Then personalize/impersonalize it for your own style of speaking and for the particular situation. Avoid beginning jokes by saying, I heard a funny story the other day about... A major element of humor is surprise, so don t warn/warn the audience a joke is coming. If you do, they re mentally preparing for a funny punch line, and you may disappoint/disapprove them. If, on the other hand, you re already halfway into the story before the audience even realizes it s a joke, your chances of success are greater. Resist/expand the temptation to laugh at your own stories. A slight smile is more effective. Wait/don t wait for the (hoped-for) laughter to subside; then continue/stop your presentation by relating the punch line to the topic at hand. Regardless of your expertise as a joke teller, do not use/use humor too frequently. Humor is a means to an end not an end in itself. When all is said and done, you don t want your audience to remember that you were funny. You want them to remember that what you had to say was important and made sense. 9. Fill in the gaps using the words below. a) entertaining; b) right; c) structure; d) short; e) end; f) long; g) point; h) feed. Male 1: With a presentation, I think the aims and the 1. need to be clear. Male 2: I like to wait until the 2. of the presentation before people. 3. back on what I ve just said, rather than interruptions throughout the presentation. Male 3: I think of a presentation If you re standing up in front of a group of people, you need to make sure you re 4., make sure you re engaging, make sure you re interesting, make sure you re relevant, make sure you re talking to the 5. audience. Female: Don t make it too 6., otherwise people fall asleep! Be 7., precise and to the 8., definitely. 78

79 10. Work-team Presentation: Divide into teams of four or five students. Your instructor will assign you to either the pro or the con side of one of the following topics: Drug testing should/should not be mandatory for all employees; the workplace including outside the building; Employers should/should not provide flextime (flexible working hours) for all office employees; Employers should/should not provide on-site child-care facilities for the preschool children of their employees; Employees who deal extensively with the public should/should not be required to wear a company uniform; Employers should/should not have the right to hire the most qualified employees without regard to affirmative action guidelines. Assume that your employee group has been asked to present its views to a management committee that will make the final decision regarding your topic. The presentations will be given as follows: a) Each side (beginning with the pro side) will have eight minutes to present its views; b) Each side will then have three minutes to confer; c) Each side (beginning with the con side) will deliver a two-minute rebuttal to refute the arguments and answer the issues raised by the other side; d) Each side (beginning with the pro side) will give a one-minute summary; e) The management committee (the rest of the class) will then vote by secret ballot regarding which side (pro or con) presented its case more effectively. Gather whatever data you think will be helpful to your case, organize it, divide up the speaking roles as you deem best, and prepare speaker notes. (Hint: It might be helpful to gather information on both the pro and the con sides of the issue in preparation for the rebuttal session, which will be given impromptu.) 11. A one-minute impromptu presentation. Your instructor will randomly call on members of the class to come to the front of the room and give a one-minute impromptu presentation on a topic that he or she selects from the following list. As you give your presentation, be aware of the time limits and your body language. Recognize that the audience doesn t expect a polished spur-of-the-moment presentation, but do your best, recognizing that surprises like this one occasionally happen in business. 79

80 a) How I feel about giving impromptu presentations; b) My career plans after college; c) My most embarrassing experience on a date; d) My opinion of Microsoft; e) The college course I enjoyed most; f) The cost of college; g) What bugs me about ; h) What I like (or dislike) about the current U.S. president; i) What I ve learned from the Internet; j) Where I grew up; k) Why I do (or do not) live on campus; l) Why I enjoy (or dislike) team projects. 12. Presenting and Accepting an Honor. Your instructor will divide you into two-member teams for this exercise. By a flip of the coin, determine which one of you has just been named the Student of the Month for this month and will be recognized at the faculty meeting next week. Prepare a one-minute acceptance of this award. The other student should assume the role of president of the faculty and prepare to present the Student of the Month award. Prepare a one- or two-minute introduction. 13. Read the text and comment each point. TEXT The Speaker as a Visual Cue Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective. Throughout your presentation, display: Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker s credibility. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility; Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and others will react favorably. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more; 80

81 Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates understanding; Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest; Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other s space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. Typically, in large rooms, space invasion is not a problem. In most instances there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for others to speak; Voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull. People report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to those who have not learned to modulate their voices. 14. Circle the appropriate word in italics. One disadvantage/advantage of oral presentations over written reports is the opportunity to engage in two-way communication. The question-andanswer session is a vital/unimportant part of your presentation; don t plan/ plan for it accordingly. Normally, you should announce at the beginning of your presentation that you will be happy to answer any questions when you re through/back. Holding questions until the end prevents/prevails you from being interrupted and losing/gaining your train of thought or possibly running out/through of time and not being able to complete your prepared/finished remarks. Also, there is always the possibility that the listener s question will be answered/delivered in the course of your presentation. The exception to a questions-at-the-end policy is when your topic is so complex/easy that a listener s question must be answered later/immediately if he or she is to follow the rest of the presentation. Another exception is formal/informal (and generally small/big) meetings, where questions and comments naturally occur throughout/after the presentation. As you prepare your presentation, anticipate what questions you might expect/wait from the audience. Make a list of them and think through impossible/possible answers. If necessary, make notes to refer to while answering. 81

82 If your list of questions is very short/long, you should probably consider revising your presentation to incorporate some of the answers into your prepared remarks. Always listen carefully to the question; don t repeat it/repeat it, if necessary, for the benefit of the entire audience; and look/don t look at the entire audience as you answer not just at the questioner. Treat each questioner with unfailing courtesy. If the question is antagonistic, be firm but fair and polite. If you don t know the answer to a question, freely say so and don t promise/promise to have the answer within a specific period. Then write down/never write the question to remind yourself to find the answer later. Do not risk/risk embarrassing another member of the audience by referring the question to him or her. If your call for questions results in absolute silence, you may conclude either that you did a superb/bad job of explaining your topic or that no one wishes to be the first to ask a question. If you suspect the latter, to break the ice, you might start the questions yourself, by saying something like, One question I m frequently asked that might interest you is... Or you may/can t ask the program chair ahead of time to be prepared to ask the first question if no one in the audience begins. 15. PR Director is giving a presentation on new TV series. Match the underlined phrases in the talk with phrases given below with a similar meaning. Introducing the topic a) I ll deal with b) My presentation will be c) I ll give you an overview of Dealing with questions d) please feel free to ask me any questions Introducing each section e) let s turn to f) So, let s start with Referring g) As mentioned previously, h) I ll say more about this Referring to visual information i) as you can see from Referring to common knowledge j) As I m sure you re aware, k) As many of you will recall 82

83 Concluding l) that brings me to the end of my presentation (Section 1) Hello, everybody, and thank you for taking the time to come to this meeting. The topic is the new TV series,. (1) I ve divided the talk into three sections. First, (2) I d like to say a little about Network Video Productions. Then I m going to talk about the content of the series. Finally, (3) I ll go over the financial side of the project. (4) First of all then, let s look at the background to NVP. We started out in 1985, producing TV series on leisure interests and lifestyles. Our first big success was, which was about traditional English country cooking. (5) As many of you may remember, it was shown here in Australia and in the USA. And then NVP (Section 2) Well, that s enough about NVP. Now (6) let s move on to the series itself,. (7) As I said earlier, our first big success was with another series on food, so we re always interested in doing further projects in this area. (8) As you know there always seems to be a huge amount of interest in food and cooking, and we re very lucky to have signed up Frank Brown to present the series. OK. Let me just turn on this OHP. Right. Now, (9) if you look at this chart you can see it shows very clearly what we plan to show in each of the ten programmes. It s a complex project, so very substantial investment will be needed. But (10) we ll come back to this point later when we move on to talk about finance... (Section 3)...and that then gives you a basic picture of the financial requirements. So, to summarize, we re looking for a third partner to contribute up to 33 % of the total investment and provide regional marketing strength. We hope, therefore, to welcome Festival Productions to the group as our new partner. Well, (11) that concludes my talk. Now I know that there are lots of points which I have not discussed in detail, so (12) if you have any questions. I d be pleased to answer them. Remember: A presentation is a talk given by a speaker to one or more listeners. To be effective, the speaker s message must pass to the listeners, i.e. it must be heard and correctly understood. 83

84 The elements of an effective presentation are: 1) the effective organization of the information; 2) the effective delivery of the information; 3) the effective use of language. 16. Read the text, pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: establish rapport, announce your main points, know the scope of your remarks TEXT Organizing the Presentation For most presentations, the best way to begin is simply to brainstorm: write down every point you can think of that might be included in your presentation. Don t worry about the order or format just get it all down. During the next several days, carry a pen and paper with you so that you can jot down random thoughts as they occur during a meeting, at lunch, going to and from work, or in the evening at home. Later, separate your notes into three categories: opening, body, and ending. As you begin to analyze and organize your material, you may find that you need additional information. You may need to retrieve records from files, consult with a colleague, visit your corporate or local library to fill in the gaps, or perhaps go online to retrieve data from the World Wide Web. The purpose of the opening is to capture the interest of your audience, and the first 90 seconds of your presentation are crucial. The audience will be observing every detail about you your dress, posture, facial features, and voice qualities, as well as what you re actually saying for clues about you and your topic, and they will be making preliminary judgments accordingly. Begin immediately to establish rapport and build a relationship with your audience not just for the duration of your presentation but for the long term. If you re making a proposal, you need not only the audience s attention during your presentation but also their cooperation later to implement your proposal. Because the opening is so crucial, many professionals write out the entire opening and practice it word for word until they almost know it by heart. The kind of opening that will be effective depends on your topic, how well you know the audience, and how well they know you. If, for example, you re giving a status report on a project about which you ve reported before, you can immediately announce your main points (for example, that 84

85 the project is on schedule and proceeding as planned) and go immediately to the body of your remarks. If, however, you re presenting a new proposal to your superiors, you ll first have to introduce the topic and provide background information. Don t apologize or make excuses (for example, I wish I had had more time to prepare my remarks today or I m not really much of a speaker ). The audience may agree with you! At any rate, you ll turn them off immediately and weaken your credibility. Your opening should lead into the body of your presentation by previewing your remarks: Today, I ll cover four main points. First,... Let the audience know the scope of your remarks. For example, if you re discussing the pros and cons of a plant closing from a strictly dollars-and-cents standpoint, advise the audience immediately that your analysis does not include political or human relations considerations. If you don t first define the scope of your remarks, you may invite needless questions and secondguessing during your presentation. For most business presentations, let the audience know up front what you expect of them. Are you simply presenting information for them to absorb, or will the audience be expected to react to your remarks? Are you asking for their endorsement, their resources, their help, or what? Let the audience know what their role will be so that they can then place your remarks in perspective. 17. Say if the following statements are true or false: From the very beginning you should worry about the order and format; As you begin to analyze and organize your material, you may find that you don t need any additional information; The purpose of the opening is to capture the interest of your audience; The audience is not interested in every detail about you; Begin immediately to establish report and build competition with your audience; Opening never depends on your topic, how well you know the audience, and how well they know you; Sometimes you can apologize or make excuses; Your opening shouldn t lead into the body of your presentation; Let the audience know what their role will be. 18. The following 16 sentences are taken from a presentation. The purposes of these sentences (a-j) are listed below. Match each sentence with its purpose. 85

86 a) greet; f) conclude first main point; b) introduce; g) introduce second main point; c) introduce talk; h) summarize talk; d) outline talk; i) conclude talk; e) introduce first main point; j) invite questions. 1. So, if there are no further comments about the first point, shall we look at the proposed budget? 2. So, the purpose of today s meeting is to revise the budget. 3. Finally, let me say that I look forward to maintaining a good working relationship with all the parties. 4. I d like to welcome you to the team. 5. Right, I think that covers the timing. 6. Finally, I d like to say that we shall monitor our performance closely. 7. I d like to explain to you today the plans for the project. 8. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. 9. I ve divided the talk into three parts: firstly ; secondly ; and thirdly 10. I d like to start by looking at the old budget. 11. That s all I have to say about the old budget. 12. So, we ve looked at the plans for the project under two main heads timing and costs. 13. And now, if there are any questions, I ll be happy to answer them. 14. Okay, let s look first of all at the timing of the project. 15. My name is.. and I am of So, let s move on to the next point. 19. While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: attire; beverages; feedback; adjustments; to regroup; go blank; emphasis; jog memory TEXT Delivering the Presentation Your clothing is a part of the message you communicate to your audience, so dress appropriately in comfortable and businesslike attire. Try to dress just slightly better than the average member of your audience; the audience will be complimented by your efforts. 86

87 If you re speaking after a meal, eat lightly, avoiding heavy sauces, desserts, and alcoholic beverages. As you re being introduced, take several deep breaths to clear your mind, walk confidently to the front of the room, take enough time to arrange yourself and your notes, look slowly around you, establish eye contact with several members of the audience, and then, in a loud, clear voice, begin your presentation. In most environments, a microphone is not needed if you re speaking to a group smaller than 150 people 10 to 12 rows of people. Your voice should carry that far. Not using a microphone gives you more freedom to move about and avoids problems with audio feedback and volume adjustments. If you need to use a microphone, test it beforehand to see how it operates and to determine the appropriate setting and height; the microphone normally should be 4 to 6 inches from your mouth. You should know your presentation well enough that you can maintain eye contact easily with your audience, taking care to include members in all corners of the room. If you lose your place in your notes or script, relax and take as much time as you need to regroup. If your mind actually does go blank, try to keep talking even if you repeat what you ve just said. The audience will probably think you intentionally repeated the information for emphasis, and the extra time may jog your memory. If this doesn t work, simply skip ahead to another part of your presentation that you do remember; then come back later to the part you omitted. 20. Say if the following statements are true or false: Clothing can t be a part of the message; You shouldn t dress better than the average member of your audience; Before speech have a good heavy meal; Begin your presentation in a loud, clear voice; Test a microphone beforehand; It s not necessary to maintain eye contact easily with your audience; If your mind actually does go blank, skip ahead to another part of your presentation that you do remember. 21. Read and choose the best response to each question. 1. May I ask you a question? a) No, of course not; b) Please do; c) No, that s a problem. 87

88 2. Do you mind telling me where you got those figures? a) Well, actually, it s confidential; b) Yes, I do; c) Certainly. 3. I suppose you re in town for a week. Is that right? a) You could say so; b) That s right; c) I d prefer not to. 4. Don t you think we need to take a break? a) I need a break; b) I don t need a break; c) That s a good idea. 5. All the job losses are in the plant, aren t they? a) No, they aren t; b) You re wrong; c) Actually, some are at headquarters. 6. Could I ask you when you re going to leave? a) Any moment; b) That s a difficult question; c) That s interesting. 22. To prepare a presentation you should know the structure of it. We identified the elements of an effective presentation as: e.g. 1) the effective organization of the information; 2) the effective delivery of the information; 3) the effective use of language. Remember: The effective use of language includes the ability to use connectors to show the relationship between ideas. We put these words or phrases at or near the beginning of a sentence or clause. They connect the following information with the earlier information: In particular, we ve noted our trading strengths as well as our weaknesses (highlight); First of all, let me say it has given me a great personal satisfaction to read that Widget Plc is considered one of the hundred best companies to work for in this country (time); As a result, we can t afford to take as many employees as our competitors (cause). 88

89 We can use connectors and sequence markers to signal different types of relationships between ideas. The main ones are: time relationships; logical relationships; text relationships. Study some of the language forms associated with these relationships. To signal time relationships Beginning first; first of all; to start with second; secondly then; after that; next finally; last of all; lastly End To signal logical relationships a) Cause therefore; so; as a result; that s why (informal); b) Contrast yet; however; but; c) Condition then; in that case; d) Comparison similarly; in the same way; e) Concession anyway; at any rate; f) Contradiction in fact; actually; g) Alternation instead; alternatively. To signal textual relationships a) Addition also; in addition; b) Summary to sum up then; in brief; in short; c) Conclusion in conclusion; finally; lastly; to conclude; d) Equivalence in other words; that means; namely; e) Inclusion for example; for instance; such as; 89

90 f) Highlight in particular; especially; g) Generalisation usually, normally, as a rule, in general; h) Stating the obvious obviously; of course; clearly; i) Digressing by the way, in passing. 23. Complete the following extract from a presentation by putting in the most appropriate connector from those listed above. That s all I have to say about the environment. So, (1) we come to training. When we started up ten years ago, we offered an average half a day s training per employee per year. (2), by industry standards, that was quite generous at the time. In the last three years, the time has gone up to seven days per employee. (3) this shows our commitment to providing training opportunities. (4), our training falls into three broad categories, (5) understanding the business, improving skills and adding to general education (6), adding languages. (7), developing our trading position is a key concern. (8) we need to train people so they have a good level of knowledge. (9), those people need to be able to apply that knowledge to the market place, (10) in our sector. (11), to get truly committed staff, you need to help them develop as individuals; (12) you need to give them a chance to grow. 24. Complete the following process description by inserting appropriate verbs (active or passive forms) or sequence markers selected from the lists below. to launch in the end to invest to reach at first then to die at this stage Verbs to to develop to grow become Sequence markers then next until subsequently The Product Life Cycle First, the product 1) according to the needs of the market. 90

91 2), when it is ready, it 3) onto the market, small numbers of consumers buy the product, 4) as it 5) known, more and more follow. 6), the company 7) a lot of money in advertising and promotion. Sales 8) rapidly 9) the product 10) its mature stage of development. During this stage, the sales start to level off. 11), the sales move into a period of decline. Companies sometimes try to arrest this decline by re-investing again in advertising or by finding new applications for the product. 12), it is inevitable that most products die. 25. Link the ideas in these sentences by adding an appropriate word or phrase. 1. That was a good meeting. Did I tell you about the match last night? 2. Our competitors are becoming stronger. One of them, Gadget, has a joint venture with a Korean firm. 3. I ve divided this into two parts. The issue of profit-sharing. The question of share option scheme. 4. This year we have lost market share. We expect to remain No. 1 in the market. 5. There are some vital factors to consider. The risk of a take-over bid. 6. Gadget has reduced its costs by relocating. We must consider cutting the cost of our premises. 7. We ve had a difficult year. We ve still made a healthy profit. 8. We expected to lose money in Eastern Europe. This was our most profitable market. 9. The dollar dropped against the euro. We made considerable profits on the exchange rate. 10. There have been some failures on occasions. We have been very successful. 91

92 26. Talk about present trends in your country. Give figures and/or suggest reasons for the trend. Use this flow-chart to help you. Introduction I d like to talk today about Outline I ve divided my talk into Questions If you have any questions, please Part 1 Let s start with Part 2 That brings me to Let s leave that there Part 3 etc and turn to Summary To sum up Conclusion In conclusion the number of marriages/divorces; the birth rate (the number of children born); the number of people living in towns and cities; the number of foreign tourists; the cost of living (food, clothes, housing); the price of computers and telecommunications. Post-Presentation Activities After the presentation is over, evaluate your performance using the guidelines presented in the Supplement so that you can benefit from the experience. What seemed to work well and what not so well? Analyze each aspect of your performance from initial research through delivery. Regardless of how well the presentation went, vow to improve your performance next time. 92

93 UNIT 3.2. PRESENTING A COMPANY TEXT Read the presentation explaining the organization of a company called Widget Plc. Complete the organization chart. Presenting the Company or the Department I d like to say a few words about the organizational structure of Widget Plc. Now, if you look at this chart you will see that the Managing Director, that is Mr Tompkins, is responsible for running the company and is accountable to the Board. Now, he is assisted by four executive departments. These are Personnel Department, which is responsible for human resources, training and management development; then there is the Finance Department which takes care of corporate finance and accounting; next, we have the Management Services Department, led by Mike Moore who is in charge of rationalization throughout the company; and finally there is the R & D Department research and development which works closely with the five regions on new product development. So this brings me on to the regions. Directly under the Managing Director there are five Regional Managers. Each of them is responsible for the day-to-day management of a territory these are geographically split into North, South, East, West, and Central Regions. Now then, the five regions are supported by two sections Marketing and Technical Services. They are organized on a matrix basis with section leaders accountable to the Regional Managers. They work closely with the regions on the marketing and technical side. Now, in addition to the parent company, Widget Plc. has three subsidiaries, namely Widget Germany, Italy and Japan. The subsidiaries report to the Export Sales Department, which in turn is accountable to the Board. Right, well that s a brief overview. Are there any questions? Answer the questions: 1. How can you evaluate the presentation according to its structure? 2. Who is the head of the company described in the text. 3. What four departments is he assisted by? 4. What are these departments responsible for? 5. What responsibilities do the regional managers have? 6. How are the supporting sections organized? 7. Where are the Widget Plc s subsidiaries situated? 8. What positions do you think are the lowest in the company hierarchy? 9. How can you characterize the Widget Plc as to its structure? 10. What questions would you ask a reporter? 93

94 1. Analyze the organization chart below. BOARD I II HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WIDGET Plc FRANCE WIDGET Plc JAPAN N O R T H W E S T MARKETING SECTION The vocabulary demonstrates some of the language used to describe an organization in terms of: hierarchy; responsibilities/functions; titles; affiliates; structure. Hierarchy The company is headed by the MD. The Sales Director reports to the MD. The Sales Director is under the MD. The Sales Director is accountable to the MD. The Sales Director is supported by a sales team. The Sales Director is assisted by an Assistant Sales Manager. 94

95 ets: Responsibilities/functions The Finance Department is responsible for accounting. The R&D Department takes care of new product development. The Administration Manager is in charge of personnel. Titles Below are the main managerial titles with the US equivalents in brack- Chairman (President). Managing Director (Chief Executive Officer/ Senior Vice-President). Finance Director (Vice-President Finance). Sales Manager (Sales Director). Affiliates X is the parent company. A, B, C are subsidiaries (more than 50 % owned by the parent). Structure The Car Division consists of the Production Department and the Sales Department. The Production Department comprises the Methods Section and the Maintenance Section. The Sales Department is made up of the Advertising Section and the After-sales Section. 2. Use the language of this unit to complete these sentences. 1. The Managing Director to the Board. 2. The Managing Director for running the company. 3. The Managing Director by four executive departments. 4. the Managing Director, there are five regional divisions. 5. Each Regional Manager of a territory. 6. The five regions by two other sections Marketing and Technical Services. 7. The Section Leaders to the Regional Managers. 8. In addition to the company, Festival has three. 9. The subsidiaries Festival France, Festival Germany and Festival Japan. 10. The subsidiaries to the Export Sales Department. 95

96 3. Read the part of the presentation given by the Personnel Director of Widget Plc. He explained the structure and organization of the Personnel Department. Complete the organization chart. OK, first of all, on behalf of the personnel team, I d like to welcome you to Widget. As you know, my name is Daniel Brown but I m always known as Dan. In this meeting I m going to explain the structure of the department. If you don t mind, we ll leave questions till the end. Let s get started. Well, as you can see on this chart here, I head the department. So, what s involved in heading the department? Well, I act as a spokesperson for the department in all our senior management discussions, as well as in policy-making meetings. I am also responsible for cocoordinating the work of the personnel team. So, in brief, those are my two functions representing the Personnel Department and coordinating its activities. Now, moving on to the second level on the chart, as you can see, there are four managers who report to me. Let s take them individually. First, there is our Recruitment and Selection Manager. She s responsible for maintaining contact within the community in order to look for manpower according to our needs. Next we have the Compensation and Benefits Manager. He handles the company s employee benefits program primarily health insurance and pension plans. Then we have the Training and Development Manager, who s in charge of skill training and management development. That post is currently vacant but we are, at the moment, advertising in the national press, so we hope to find someone pretty soon. By the way, training and development are both very important for us here at Widget. Part of our policy here has been to offer opportunities for personal development. And, despite the current recession, this will continue. And finally, there s our Employee Relations Manager. She deals with the relationship between management and employees and advises us, that is the organization, on all aspects of union-management relations. So, to sum up, those are the four managers who are accountable to me, and each manager takes care of a section. Is that clear so far? 96

97 PERSONNEL DIRECTOR...& Manager...& Manager...& Manager...& Manager Main responsibilities: looks for handles and.... in charge of... and..... deals with.. between.... and. 4. Complete the organization chart from the information provided. (Note that there are various ways of constructing an organization chart. This is one of the most usual.) The Managing Director (sometimes called the Chief Executive or President) is the head of the company. The Company is run by a Board of Directors; each Director is in charge of a department. However, the Chairman of the Board is in overall control and may not be the head of any one department. Most companies have Finance, Sales, Marketing (sometimes part of Sales), Production, Research and Development (R&D) and Personnel Departments. These are the most common departments, but some companies have others as well. Most departments have a Manager, who is in charge of its day-to-day running, and who reports to the Director; the Director is responsible for strategic planning and for making decisions. Various personnel in each department report to the Manager. One example, present in almost all companies, is the Sales Representative, who reports to the Sales Manager. 97

98 5. Study this organization. Which department: a) puts the products in boxes and crates? b) places ads in magazines? c) pays the staff? d) purchases supplies? e) sells the products to customers? f) plans how to sell new products? g) services the machines and equipment? h) arranges courses for the staff? i) recruits new employees? j) manufactures the products? k) invoices customers? l) looks after customers problems and complaints? m) dispatches the products and sends them to customers? n) organizes control systems to prevent mistakes? o) deals with taxation, investment, and cash management? Human Resources Production Marketing Finance Training Production Marketing Buying Personnel Packaging Sales Customer Accounts Wages and After-Sales Financial Distribution Salaries Service services Quality Advertising Maintenance 6. Complete the sentences by choosing from the words below each sentence to fill in the gaps. 1. The employees responsible for carrying out general office duties, filling in forms and keeping statistics are. a) clerks; b) accountants; c) supervisors. 2. The employees who sell a company s products are the sales representatives, usually known as. a) vendors; b) renters; c) reps. 3. The employees who decide what to purchase, and who make the purchases of finished goods or components to be made into goods, are the. a) choosers; b) procurers; c) buyers. 4. The employees who are responsible for seeing that the finished goods are well made are the. a) packers; b) quality controllers; c) financial staff. 98

99 5. The clerical workers who use word processors and who produce letters, memos or other documents, are. a) secretaries; b) editors; c) copywriters. 6. The employees who check a company s financial affairs are the. a) statisticians; b) accountants; c) counters. 7. The employees who are responsible for preparing checks, pay packets and payslips are the. a) wages clerks; b) filing clerks; c) paying clerks. 8. The workers who process data, under the control of managers and supervisors, are the computer. a) hackers; b) operators; c) screeners. 9. The person who greets a visitor and tells him or her how to get to the right office is the. a) manager; b) president; c) receptionist. 10. The employees who deal with a company s telephone calls ate the. a) VDU operators; b) fax operators; c) switchboard operators. 7. Look at this list of words. Match pairs of words to make the expressions defined below. sales annual company development office human research marketing stock market resources managing head parent director production site public relations turnover 1. A department in charge of finding new ideas 2. A person in charge of a company 3. A firm which owns subsidiaries 4. A department in charge of finding and increasing the number of customers 5. A factory or a plant 6. Department in charge or recruitment, training, and personnel 7. The administrative and central building of a company 8. The value of a public company is quoted here 99

100 9. The total sales of a company for a year 10. The department of a company which is in charge of external communication 8. Complete the following word table by writing the missing forms. Noun Verb Adjective act management responsible recruitment maintain maintained health develop developmental vacant advertise advertising relationship employ advise 9. Describe the typical management structure of a British company. Use the following organization chart. Chairman Managing Director Personnel Officer Financial Director Marketing Director Production Director Chief Accountant Sales Manager PR Manager Advertising Manager Factory Manager Purchasing Manager 100

101 10. Describe the structure of your company. Prepare the organization chart of your own. Mention functions and responsibilities of the personnel. TEXT Read an extract from a presentation given by a Managing Director as he reviews the company s achievements over the last ten years to complete the notes of the Managing Director s talk. Presenting Company Trends, Forecasts and Results So, that s our view of the market position. In particular, we ve noted our trading strengths as well as our weaknesses. Moving on, now I d like to take a look at our organization and at our company culture. First of all, let me say it has given me great personal satisfaction to read that Widget is considered one of the hundred best companies to work for in this country. And, in this short presentation, I d like to focus on what we have been trying to do here at Widget over the last decade and outline our goals for the next one. To do this, I shall consider five main headings, namely remuneration, promotion, training, the environment and communications. Let s start with remuneration. Obviously this includes both financial and non-financial compensation. Turning first to pay, our goal is to be the top ten per cent in terms of salary paid. This means that we prefer to pay our people a bit more money. As a result, we can t afford to take on as many employees as our competitors. But those who do join us are assured of individual attention, as well as a good pay package. In addition, our single-status profit-sharing scheme means that everyone gets the same amount, irrespective of position. Moving on to non-financial compensation, I d like to look at life insurance, pensions and holidays. Firstly, everyone in the company is covered by life assurance as soon as they join. Secondly, our voluntary pension fund is open to all staff after they ve been with us for three months. Alternatively, employees can, of course, make their own arrangements and we are happy to advise on the best scheme, for example, a private personal pension plan. Thirdly, holidays, which I should say are well-earned, are fixed at 24 days, rising to 30 days after five years. So, to sum up, under remuneration I ve touched on pay, profit-sharing, pensions, life assurance and holidays. 101

102 11. Complete the notes of the Managing Director s talk. 1. REMUNERATION profit-sharing non-financial life insurance TRAINING COMMUNICATIONS 12. Study the following key verbs used to talk about rising and falling prices. Going up These words are used to talk about prices going up. They do not in themselves indicate by how much the prices have gone up: advance, climb, increase, rise, gain ground. Going down These words are used to talk about prices going down. They do not in themselves indicate by how much the prices have gone down: decline, drop, fall, head south, lose ground, retreat, slide. Going up by small or moderate amounts These words are used to talk about prices when they rise by a small or moderate amount: edge ahead, edge higher, edge up, firm. (Edge cannot be used by itself in this context. It must be followed by ahead, higher, up.) Going up by large amounts These words are used to talk about prices when they rise by larger amounts, or when they increase quickly or sharply: jump, leap, roar ahead, roar up, rocket, shoot ahead, shoot up, skyrocket, soar, surge (ahead). Going down by small or moderate amounts These words are used to talk about prices when they fall by a small or moderate amount: dip, drift (lower), ease, edge down, edge lower, slip (lower). 102

103 Going down by large amounts These words are used to talk about prices when they fall by large amounts: dive, nosedive, plunge, plummet, tumble. Going down fast by very large amounts These words are used to talk about prices if they fall by very large amounts, especially if they fall very quickly: collapse, crash, crumble, slump. 13. Rising and falling prices: verbs. Many of the same verbs can be used to talk about things other than prices. Choose the correct alternative for each sentence. 1. The cost of living as high as 3.1 % on a year-to-year basis in June. slipped climbed plummeted 2. British operating profits from 51 million to 19.2 million last year. edged down tumbled skyrocketed 3. Industrial output grew by 25.6 % in 1992 over the previous year, as China s total economy by more than 12 %. slid edged up shot ahead 4. Lodz s rapid growth in the 19th century between 1877 and 1914 the population from 50,000 to almost 500,000 meant there was little town planning. slumped leapt nosedived 5. Farm prices 0.7 % from September as raw milk prices continued their rise. edged up rocketed surged 6. Total car production 5 % because of lower sales in the US, where all European car makers are struggling with weak demand. shot ahead slid increased 7. A year ago, people selling their homes routinely received as many as six offers, with the winning bid often higher than the asking price. Prices as much as 35 % in a single month last year. edged up skyrocketed firmed 8. Japanese production has, falling by 9 % from its peak in risen edged down plummeted 9. The dollar to its lowest level against the mark for 18 months. slumped rose advanced 10. Sales held steady, but margins more than halved from 5.6 to 2.4 %, and profits from 29.7 million to 12.1 million. drifted lower crumbled leapt 103

104 14. Study the following key nouns used to talk about rising and falling prices. Going up These words are used to talk about prices going up. They do not in themselves indicate by how much the prices have gone up: advance, climb, hike, increase, rise. Going down These words are used to talk about prices going down. They do not in themselves indicate by how much the prices have gone down: decline, drop, fall, retreat, slide. Going up by large amounts These words are used to talk about prices when they rise by large amounts, or when they increase quickly or sharply: jump, leap, surge. Going down by small or moderate amounts These words are used to talk about prices when they fall by a small or moderate amount: dip, drift, slip. Going down by large amounts These words are used to talk about prices when they fall by large amounts: dive, nosedive, plummet, plunge, tumble. Going down fast by very large amounts These words are used to talk about prices if they fall by very large amounts, especially if they fall very quickly: crash, collapse, slump. 15. Many of the same nouns can be used to talk about things other than prices. Choose the correct alternative for each sentence. 1. More people were pessimistic about the coming 12 months. The in confidence was most severe in Scotland. advance jump decline 2. Dorling Kindersley lifted its annual profits to June by 105 % to $7 5 million, with a 66 % in turnover. collapse drift hike 3. The dollar s to a fresh low of failed to upset the market. rise dip surge 4. Germany s industrial strength took a from second position in 1992 to 11th place now. retreat crash nose-dive 104

105 5. Though the drop isn t enough to be called a slump, analysts said the hidden danger is that a small in steel consumption could trigger a nasty price war. collapse crash retreat 6. Japan s production of cars, trucks and buses in September fell 4.1 % from a year ago to 1,120,317 units because of a in exports. plummet slip nosedive 7. Its money mountain has mushroomed from $217 million to $503 million, a massive of 132 %. drift leap drop 8. A dramatic 40 % in steel prices has sent British Steel spiraling into the red. rise slump drift 9. A in cold-drink sales during hot and sunny May and June helped Cadbury Schweppes push pre-tax profits ahead 13 per cent to 126 million. fall surge collapse 10. Industrial output has stabilized, after falling 60 % in , the most precipitous economic in Eastern Europe. drift collapse dip UNIT 3.3. VISUAL AIDS TEXT Read the text and pay attention to the following words, think of their Ukrainian equivalents: an orderly arrangement of data, visual impact, vertical dimension, horizontal bars Visual Aids for Presentations Today s audiences are accustomed to multimedia events that bombard the senses. They often assume that any formal presentation must be accompanied by some visual element. Visual aids are relatively simple to create and help the audience understand the presentation, especially if it includes complex or statistical material, and add interest. A table is an orderly arrangement of data into columns and rows. It represents the most basic form of statistical analysis and is useful for showing a large amount of numerical data in a small space. A table presents numerical data more efficiently and more interestingly than narrative text and provides more information than a graph, albeit with less visual impact. Because of its orderly arrangement of information into vertical columns and 105

106 horizontal rows, a table also permits easy comparison of figures. However, trends are more obvious when presented in graphs. The appropriate use of well-designed charts and graphs can aid in listener/reader comprehension, emphasize certain data, create interest, and save time because the listener can perceive immediately the essential meaning of large masses of statistical data. Because of their visual impact, charts receive more emphasis than tables. Therefore, you should save them for presenting information that is important and that can best be grasped visually for example, when the overall picture is more important than the individual numbers. Also, recognize that the more charts your presentation contains, the less impact each individual chart will have. The cardinal rule for designing charts is to keep them simple. Trying to cram too much information into one chart will merely confuse the reader and lessen the impact of the graphic. Well-designed charts have only one interpretation, and that interpretation should be clear immediately. A line chart is a graph based on a grid of uniformly spaced horizontal and vertical lines. The vertical dimension represents values; the horizontal dimension represents time. Line charts are useful for showing changes in data over long periods of time and for emphasizing the movement of the data the trends. A bar chart is a graph with horizontal or vertical bars representing values. Bar charts are one of the most useful, simple, and popular graphic techniques. They are particularly appropriate for comparing the magnitude or size of items, either at a specified time or over a period of time. The vertical bar chart (sometimes called a column chart) is typically used for portraying a time series when the emphasis is on the individual amounts rather than on the trends. A pie chart is a circle graph whose area is divided into component wedges. It compares the relative parts that make up a whole. Pie charts are useful for showing how component parts add up to make a total when the whole contains three to five component parts. A chart is generally not needed for presenting only two component parts; more than five can present visual difficulties in perceiving the relative value of each wedge. As the name visual aids implies, charts act as a help not a substitute for the presentation. Never use visual aids simply to make your report look prettier. Do not overuse visual aids; they will detract from your presentation. 106

107 Answer the questions: 1. What functions do visual aids have in presentations? 2. What do tables represent? 3. What advantages do charts and graphs have? 4. Describe the different types of the charts. 5. What role do they play? 6. How many charts should you use to make a presentation successful? 7. What is the cardinal rule for designing charts? 8. What kind of charts is the most useful according to the text? 9. Do you have your own experience of creating charts? Was the procedure difficult for you? 10. What is the rule for (over)using the visual aids? 1. Illustrations (graphs, tables and charts) are used to make a point in reports so they must be clear, simple and relevant to the objectives of the report. The commentary must be accurate and varied. Look at the following graph and put one of the numbers next to the given words: ( ) trough ( ) erratic movements ( ) a gradual rise ( ) to level off ( ) a dramatic fall ( ) fluctuations ( ) to reach a peak 107

108 ( ) a sharp recovery ( ) a gradual fall ( ) a plateau ( ) to take a plunge ( ) a steady increase ( ) to leap upwards ( ) a decline ( ) to slump 2. Read the report given below and try to draw a graph: Sales (per unit sold) of Frosty Fish Fingers It can be seen on this graph, the sales of Frosty Fish Fingers fluctuated from the start of the financial year. The year started with a steady decline in sales and stabilized in September. Sales then rose dramatically to a peak in November. During December sales dipped again, which can be attributed to the Christmas season and a general preference among the population for turkey rather than fish. However, sales increased slowly during January but then declined steadily until the end of the financial year A M J J A S O N D J F M 3. Choose from the words in the box to complete the sentences. net market loss cash-flow capital sales overheads expenditure gross profit 1. The forecast which predicts how much money will be gained by a business is called the forecast. 2. The forecast which predicts how much money will be lost by a business is called the forecast. 3. The forecast which predicts how much money will be received or spent by a business is the forecast. 4. The forecast which predicts where most sales will be made, and what their value will be, is the forecast. 108

109 5. The forecast which predicts how much the company will sell is the forecast. 6. The forecast which predicts how much money will be spent by the company is the forecast of. 7. The forecast which predicts how much money is needed to start up a business or to increase its wealth is the forecast. 8. The forecast which predicts how much money the company will earn before tax is paid is the profit forecast. 9. The forecast which predicts how much money the company will earn after tax is paid is the profit forecast. 10. The forecast which predicts how much money the company will have to spend on salaries, heating and lighting, rent, etc., is the forecast of. When we talk about the future, we can do so either personally or impersonally. We can also indicate the degree of probability in terms of: certainty; probability; possibility. Personal form Impersonal form Likelihood We are sure sales will rise Sales will (certainly) rise Certainty We intend to increase sales Sales are going to rise We expect sales will rise We think sales will rise Sales should rise Sales will probably rise Probability We hope sales will rise Sales may rise Sales could rise Possibility 4. Change these sentences into the equivalent personal or impersonal form. 1. Sales of B24 will probably reach their target. (personal form) 2. We hope sales of Al 4 will be above target. (impersonal form) 3. We intend to launch the D44 next year. (impersonal form) 4. We are sure that C34 sales will reach their target. (impersonal form) 5. The D44 should replace the A14. (personal form) 109

110 6. We hope the new medium-range product will be ready in two years time. (impersonal form) 7. The sales team intend to carry out a large-scale promotion campaign. (impersonal form) 8. Total sales could be around 1,250,000 next year. (personal form) 9. We think the campaign will be successful. (impersonal form) 10. The R & D department hope to have the product ready in five years time. (impersonal form) 5. Talk to your partners about the sales chart shown here. It gives the forecast for the sale of DVD players. Do it personally or impersonally: Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec This shows the sales forecast for the next six months. In June sales will start to fall because that s when the summer holidays begin. Now carry on like this: July/fall sharply/summer holidays begin August/low but not falling/most people are on holiday September/start to recover/people have more money October/steady rise/people plan for winter November/large increase/the long evenings and cold weather keep people at home December/best month for sales/christmas presents and family parties 110

111 6. Talk to your partner about these forecasts. Do it personally or impersonally: Interest rates will fall sharply in July because of the rise in the pound. Forecast fall sharply in July rise dramatically in August stabilise in September climb slowly in October reduce gradually in November and December Interest rates forecast in % Reasons rise in the pound increase in oil prices reduction in inflation exports falling fall of the dollar against the pound Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 7. Talk to your partner about these forecasts. Forecast rise in February drop in summer rise in September drop in October rise again in December Reasons pay talks in February many people leave then we train new staff then we sack part-timers then extra staff for Christmas 111

112 Labour costs per unit Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Pay attention to the style of presenting information: In the presentation the speaker can describe trends impressionistically or precisely. Describing trends impressionistically A simple statement, e.g. The sector share increased, can be modified to give a stronger impression: The sector share increased dramatically. Modifying words can be classified in the following ways: Size Speed Impact substantially rapidly remarkably considerably fast dramatically moderately gradually significantly slightly steadily noticeably modestly slowly markedly It is possible to use modifiers which generalise: e.g. pretty (stable) fairly (constant) quite (stagnant) 8. Choose the correct words in italics to complete this report. Sales began the year at 30,000 units in January and increased slight/ slightly to 32,000 units in February. There was a sharp/sharply rise to/by 38,000 in March due/ led to the introduction of a new price discounting scheme. This was followed by a slight/slightly fall in April when sales dropped to 36,000 units. 112

113 Our competitors launched a rival product in the spring and this resulted in/from a dramatic/dramatically fall to 25,000 in May. But we ran a summer advertising campaign and sales increased steady/steadily to/by 2,000 units a month throughout June, July and August until they stood in/at 33,000 in September. The dramatic/dramatically rise to 45,000 in October resulted in/from the launch of our new autumn range. But then we experienced problems meeting demand and sales fell sharp/sharply in November and remained steady/steadily at/by 39,000 in December. 9. Use the language given above to complete the following sentences. An indication of which type of modifier should be used is given in brackets. The first one has been done for you. 1. The full milk sector has declined (size) over the last ten years. 2. In the same period, skimmed milk sales have risen (speed). 3. The milk drink sector share has remained stable. 4. The long life sector share has risen 8 %. 5. Over the next ten years, we expect the full milk sector to continue to decline (speed). 6. The skimmed milk sector will rise (impact) 35 % 40 % over the next five years. 7. The long life sector will reach a (impact) sector share of 20 % by the end of the period. 8. Milk drink sales are likely to decline (size). 9. During the last ten years skimmed milk sales while full fat milk sales. 10. Over the next ten years, the changes will be more (size), except for the virtual disappearance of milk drinks from the market. 10. Rewrite the following sentences, beginning with the given words, and replacing the words in italics with a verb phrase. 1. There has been a marked rise in sales for B. in recent weeks. B. sales have risen markedly in recent weeks. 2. A. has suffered a sudden drop in market share. A s market share 3. C. showed a slight fall in share price last week. C s share price 4. There will be a quick recovery in the share price. The share price will 113

114 5. A levelling off sales for MDF is expected. MDF sales 6. There has been a considerable decline in the market. The market 7. There was a sharp increase in share price. Share prices 8. The wild fluctuation in share values was because of the price war. Share prices 9. PF experienced a rapid climb in market share in the late 1990s. PF s market share Pay attention at the style of presenting information: Describing trends specifically Very often the audience wants to know the precise extent of change. In this case the prepositions are important: e.g. has fallen from 56 % to just 34 % From to expresses the start and end figures. Verb + by (decreased by $50); Noun + of + amount (a decrease of $40/55 %); Noun + in + topic (a decrease in inflation/sales). 11. Complete these sentences about the sales figures. Use a preposition (to, from, by, at). 1. Sales stayed in February. 2. They increased in March in April. 3. They decreased in May. 4. They fell in June. 5. They rose in August. 6. They increased between August and October. 7. They remained steady in December. 12. Draw a graph representing something connected with your work or study. Present your graph to your colleagues / fellow students: Explain what it represents; Give reasons for the changes; Answer the questions. These phrases will help you. As you can see This graph shows 114

115 This resulted in This led to This resulted from This was due to 13. The following sentences interpret the table. Analyze each sentence to determine whether it represents the data in the table accurately. a) Males and females alike believe Apex is an asset to the company; b) More than one-fifth of the females (22 %) did not respond; c) Age and the generation gap bring about different beliefs; d) Married males over age 50 had the most positive opinions; e) Females disagree more than males probably because most of the workers at Apex are male; f) Female respondents tend to disagree with the statement; g) Apex should be proud of the fact that four-fifths of the residents believe the company is an asset to the community; h) Thirteen percent of the younger residents have doubts about whether Apex is an asset to the community; i) More single than married residents didn t care or had no opinion about the topic; j) Overall, the residents believe that 8 % of the company is not an asset to the community. Agree No opinion Disagree Response to Statement, Apex Company is an asset to our community. (N = 271; all figures in %) Total Marital Status Gender Age Married/Single Male/Female Under Over Total Politicians, businesspeople, and others love to quote statistics to support their viewpoints. Locate three news stories in which someone quotes statistics to support a particular case. Then find an unbiased source that either confirms or refutes those statistics. Write a memo to your instructor discussing your findings. Include a photocopy of both the original news articles and your supporting statistics. 115

116 TAKE A QUIZ Imagine that you are making a presentation to a large group of people working in your industry. 1. How do you start your presentation? A. Are we all here? Good, well if we look at the first slide you ll see our total carbon usage for B. Hello everyone. Thanks very much for coming along today. My name is Kirk Reynolds and today I ll be talking about some of the work we ve been doing on our environmental strategy... C. Hello ladies and gentlemen. My name is Kirk Reynolds and today I ll be talking about some of the work we ve been doing on our environmental strategy What do you say next? A. I ll begin by giving you some background into why we started the trials, then we ll look at some organizational challenges and finally I ll present the results and take any questions you might have B. Well, as I said, this presentation is all about our environmental strategy and when we first started looking at this none of us were really sure where to start, but I ll talk about that in more detail in a minute or two. Er... and then C. I ll tell you about some of the problems we had setting this up actually, I remember one particular incident very clearly, which I ll quickly relate Later in the presentation, you begin to go through your slides... A. Well, as you can see in this slide, energy savings increased significantly as we implemented our strategy... B. In January 2009, there was a saving of 293, in February, there was a saving of 300, in March... C. Oh dear! I m awfully sorry but we seem to be having some technical problems with the projector. At this point I wanted to show you a slide with the energy savings we made between 2008 and Savings increased from just under 300 to Suddenly, someone asks a question. How do you respond? A. Look, I said at the start that I d be happy to take questions at the end... B. That s a very interesting question... C. Would you mind if I came back to your question at the end? It s just that I m rather conscious of the time

117 5. You have reached the end of your presentation. What do you say? A. I m terribly sorry but I seem to taken too long, so we don t actually have time for any questions! However, if you grab me after the session I ll be happy to answer any questions you might have. B. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them now... C. Any other business? CHECKLIST Useful recommendations for presentations in English Planning a presentation Determine whether an oral presentation will be more effective than a written report; Determine your purpose: What response do you want from your audience? Analyze your audience in terms of demographic factors, level of knowledge, and psychological needs; If possible, schedule the presentation to permit adequate preparation and to avoid inconvenience for the audience; Select an appropriate delivery method. Organizing Brainstorm. Write down every point you think you might cover in the presentation; Separate your notes into the opening, body, and ending. Gather additional data if needed; Write an effective opening that introduces the topic, discusses the points you ll cover, and tells the audience what you hope will happen as a result of your presentation; In the body, develop the points fully, giving background data, evidence, and examples. a) Organize the points logically; b) To maintain credibility, discuss any major negative points and be prepared to discuss any minor ones; c) Pace the presentation of data to avoid presenting facts and figures too quickly; Finish on a strong, upbeat note by summarizing your main points, adding a personal appeal, drawing conclusions and making recommendations, discussing what needs to be done next, or using some other logical closing; 117

118 Use humor only when appropriate and only if you are effective at telling amusing stories; Ensure that your visual aids are needed, simple, easily readable, and of the highest quality; Ensure that your audience handout contains useful and new information and is readable. Practicing Rehearse your presentation extensively, simulating the actual speaking conditions as much as possible and using your visual aids; Use simple language and short sentences, with frequent preview, summary, transition, and repetition; Stand tall and naturally, and speak in a loud, clear, enthusiastic, and friendly voice. Vary the rate and volume of your voice; Use correct diction and appropriate gestures. Delivering Dress appropriately in comfortable, businesslike, conservative clothing; Use a microphone effectively; Maintain eye contact with the audience, including all corners of the room in your gaze; To avoid anxiety, practice extensively, develop a positive attitude, and concentrate on the friendly faces in the audience; Plan your answers to possible questions ahead of time. Listen to each question carefully and address your answer to the entire audience. 118

119 PART 4 MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS UNIT 4.1. MANAGING A MEETING TEXT While reading the text pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: to affect the involving industry, to manage interprisewide meeting and event activities, to achieve measurable business objectives, to build a centralized meetings management infrastructure, to work hard to facilitate Strategic Meetings Management Drastically slashed budgets and misperception issues have pummeled the meetings industry in Ironically, these same factors have contributed in some way to the success of several key segments that had shown potential even before the global economic slump. Journalists spoke with industry experts and analysts regarding these bright spots, and how they might affect our evolving industry. Planners who are well informed about these topics likely will find themselves in demand over the coming years. The increasingly popular acronym SMM traditionally has meant different things to different industry segments, but growing buzz around a strategic approach to slashing meeting costs has helped to usher in a more stringent definition. Early this year, representatives of the National Business Travel Association which has been publishing white papers on strategic meetings management programs (SMMP) since 2004 sat down with top brass at Meeting Professionals International, which has long offered a strategic management educational track at its conferences. The two groups agreed on a definition of SMM as a disciplined approach to managing enterprisewide meeting and event activities, processes, suppliers and data in order to achieve measurable business objectives aligned with an organization s strategic goals/vision, and to deliver value in the form of quantitative savings, risk mitigation and service quality. The importance of this joint agreement can t be overstated, according to Kari Kesler, president and chief strategist of Minneapolis-based consulting firm KK Strategic Solutions, as it clarifies differences between the associations approaches and allows this field to progress to the next level. 119

120 Specifically, Kesler is referring to NBTA s new SMMC (the C is for Certification) program, the development of which she has worked hard to facilitate. The program consists of two core weeks of classes and electives that will earn participants the credential. Demand for Core Week 1, set for Nov. 2 6, was brisk when it was announced in September, says Kesler. NBTA received far more than 25 applications, the expected maximum class size. SMM really stemmed from this need for data and the ability to apply spend management principles to it, Kesler explains, and I m thrilled to say that it has morphed into more than that. It really has to do with SMMP and the infrastructure within a corporation to drive value and to illustrate value. That s where the worlds of NBTA and MPI and other organizations can come together very productively. While NBTA s SMMC focuses on building a centralized meetings management infrastructure within a corporation (a role often assumed by travel and/or procurement managers, as well as meeting managers), MPI traditionally has focused more on the content and return on investment of strategic management and planning. Both approaches emphasize the need to demonstrate value. Kate Lastinger, CMP, CMM, founding partner of the Atlanta-based consulting company Metaphrasis Group and an SMM proponent for the past decade through MPI, has seen a tremendous increase in interest in strategic meetings management, from companies large and small. It s about the need to standardize contracts, risk mitigation and measuring, she says. These are things that can be put to use on any scale. (From: Answer the questions: 1. What kind of business is the meeting industry? 2. Is this industry successful under nowadays global economic conditions? 3. What was the influence of slashed budgets and misperception issues on the meeting industry? 4. What is the general definition of SMM? 5. What kind of classes does NBTA organize? 6. Are they popular? 7. What does Kate Lastinger say about companies interest in strategic meetings management? 8. Why are companies interested in it? 9. What two different approaches do SMMC and MPI emphasize? 10. What topics can be put to use on any scale according to K. Lastinger s words? 120

121 EXERCISES 1. Find out in the text what the following abbreviations mean: NBTA, MPI, SMMP, SMM, SMMC 2. Translate useful vocabulary into your native language. а) Let s just identify the key issues. Shall we look at the agenda first? We see two important issues. Would you agree? If I understand correctly, you are interested in team making training. You ve all seen our brochures. I think you ve all had a chance to read our proposal. I don t want to go over the same ground; b) Wouldn t you agree that..? Do you mind if..? I hope you don t mind if..? Is that all right with you? Is that OK? Remember: Where possible, it s more inclusive to say We d like to rather than I d like to 3. Read the article and match the headings to the paragraphs Effective Meeting Tips A. Use a facilitator B. Methods C. Practice skills D. Teach something E. Solve problems F. Share news Here are some tips how to organize a short, effective staff meeting. 1. Keep them short. Most meetings should last less than an hour. You want your staff to spend their time working on things that earn money for your business, not sitting in meetings. Keep them positive. Negative meetings contain insults, ridiculness, and attacks. These activities create caution and resentment, which always costs your company money. Keep them interactive. Your staff consists of intelligent people. Put them to work in your meetings to advance the effectiveness of your organization. 2. Give the members of your group one minute to report on progress made in their area of responsibility. You ll find that this results in bullet 121

122 point reports of essential information. It also prevents people from philosophizing, explaining, justifying, criticizing, and engaging in other unproductive activities. Plan a time budget: 8 to 10 minutes. 3. Invite a guest expert to give a 10 minute presentation on some skill or technology that benefits your group. Tell the expert that you want a logical explanation of practical ideas. You can also ask members of your group to take turns delivering brief tutorials on topics that benefit the others. Plan a time budget: 10 to 15 minutes. 4. Create team learning activities that sharpen or teach skills needed in your business. For example, you could role play job skills (especially useful for sales teams), solve puzzles (useful for high tech groups), or take quizzes (useful for everyone). Ask group members to take turns bringing an activity that reviews or teaches a valuable skill. Follow this activity with a brief recap of key ideas. Then ask the group members to give a fifteen second report on how these ideas can be applied to improve their work. Plan a time budget: 10 to 20 minutes. 5. Give each group member a minute to describe a challenge that hinders work on a current project and then let everyone propose solutions. Suggestions should be brief and free of self aggrandizing explanations or motivational sermons. This process also requires a positive, supportive environment to succeed. If this is used to ridicule, insult, or criticize the individual, then people will be reluctant to reveal issues that need attention. Plan a time budget: 3 to 6 minutes per person. 6. A facilitator will help you conduct meetings where the results matter. That way, you can participate, rather than spend your time managing the meeting. A good facilitator will know group decision making processes that move your meeting toward results everyone supports. 4. Chose the right word to fill in the gaps: 1. We ran out of time and were forced to the meeting. a) allocate; b) address; c) adjourn. 2. If you have a please wait until Marie has finished speaking. a) commence; b) comment; c) formality. 122

123 3. The board members couldn t come to a so they had to hold a vote. a) grievance; b) designate; c) consensus. 4. Markus was away on business, so was assigned. a) a show of hands; b) apologies; c) a proxy vote. 5. Before we I want to remind everyone to sign the attendance form on the way out. a) wrap up; b) strategize; c) collaborate. 6. In his the chairman thanked everyone for doing such a good job this month. a) agenda; b) ballot; c) closing remarks. 7. I ll as soon as all of the board members take a seat. a) verification; b) commence; c) brainstorm. 8. Since everyone was so we were able to finish the meeting early. a) participant; b) punctual; c) confidential. 9. We ll be discussing this year s profits at the. a) AOB; b) AGM; c) ABC. 10. A to eliminate all part-time positions was put forward at the meeting. a) action; b) caution; c) motion. 123

124 5. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the words from the box. Some words can be used more than once. efficient leader business meeting accomplish agenda strategic communication skill parliamentary procedure 1. The basic principle of is that the minority shall be heard but that the majority shall prevail. 2. Knowledge of basic parliamentary procedure is a for managers. 3. Anyone who runs a would do well to become familiar with the basic requirements of conducting meetings in a parliamentary manner. 4. An begins and ends each meeting on time. 5. One key to a focused meeting is to follow the. 6. Begin the with a statement of your purpose and an overview of the. As the progresses, keep track of time. 7. At the end of the summarize for everyone what the meeting has. 6. Match the verbs with their definitions and then translate them: 1) to amplify; a) to change one s mind/terms slightly in order to find a resolution; 2) to compensate; b) to expand; give more information; 3) to comply; c) to make a request that is much higher than you expect to receive; 4) to compromise; d) to convince by altering or not telling the whole truth about something; 5) to confront; e) to make up for a loss; 6) to dominate; f) to work hard to convince another of an idea; 7) to high-ball; g) to offer something much lower than you think the opponent will ask for; 8) to low-ball; h) to present an issue to someone directly; 9) to mislead; i) to have the most control/stronger presence; 10) to pressure. k) to agree. 124

125 7. Use the words and phrases from the box to fill in the gaps in the sentences: tactics point of view bottom-line hostility consensus deadlock 1. It would be great if we could come to a by 5:00 p.m. 2. When the discussions came to a we decided to continue the department meeting next week. 3. We want you to know that we don t have any towards your ideas despite last meeting s mix-up. 4. From my it makes more sense to wait another six months. 5. There are certain that all skillful meetings facilitators employ. 6. Our facilitators accept a raise of ten dollars per hour, but they say, that s their. 8. Read the text and answer the questions after it. While reading pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents: project work, project coach, steering committee, building block, corporate strategy, clarification, deadline TEXT Kick-off Meeting Most people are involved in some kind of project work for example, for product development, organizational change of marketing strategies. Successful projects can be a vital mechanism for reaching corporate goals. In this article we examine one important aspect of projects the organization and running kick-off meeting. Project may have several kickoffs : there may be one with a steering committee and high-level sponsors; one held by the project leader and a team of sub-project leaders; and ones held by sub-project leaders and their team members. We will consider the case of an international project team made up of a project leader, sub-project leaders, and project team members who come from different national business units. We assume senior management has already agreed to the project and that a high-level sponsor has been specified. The first tip for effective kick-off meeting is to choose the right people. Project success depends on having the right people, with the necessary experience, expertise and personalities. Yet project leaders often fail to manage 125

126 actively the nomination of project members by line managers in other business units. Instead, they often accept whoever is offered and then struggle with people who do not have the right mindset or skills. To get the right people, project leaders need to speak with the individuals nominated and the nominating managers, together and separately. These discussions should clarify expectations about goals, roles, expertise, levels of participation and lines of reporting. The second tip is to use an external facilitator. One key decision is whether to involve an external facilitator, both in the planning of the agenda and the kick-off meeting itself. Project leaders often have to battle with their sponsors to justify such costs. But effective international facilitators or project coaches can easily pay for themselves by focusing team efforts and reducing inefficiency. Using an external facilitator can have the following advantages: it frees up the project leader to take part more easily in the meeting; it brings external expertise into the project at an early stage for example, intercultural team-building skills or project-management expertise; it can increase the energy and output of the meeting. The main building blocks you can use to plan the agenda for a project kick-off are shown below. Spend time together. Building relationship and developing trust is a long process. But the kick-off meeting is a good place to start the process, which can vary greatly. It may be a short person-by-person introduction of job-functions and project expectations. Alternatively, much more time can be spent discovering each person s experience and expertise, mindset and working style, and learning about the daily life and culture in their business unit. Make people feel important. After the fun get-to-knows, the next stage is usually the more serious business of explaining what the project is all about. What is the high-level vision? This often takes the form of a presentation from the sponsor, who then leaves the project head to work on the details of project structure and milestones. It is important that the sponsor s vision message makes project members feel important and that it gives them a powerful message to take home. Team members have to know that the project is aligned directly to the corporate strategy as defined by senior management, since this increases the level of commitment. The vision message should also provide a powerful message that team members can take back to their business units, where there may be skepticism about the project. Sponsors need to inspire team members to become project ambassadors who will communicate the project vision in their organization. Project 126

127 teams could work in smaller groups to draft mission statements and slogans for the project. This allows for time to discuss the vision, and can also create a greater sense of ownership of the process, and thus increase commitment. Specify different types of goals. After the sponsor has left, the project leader will often make a presentation to clarify specific goals. It is important to focus the team early in the project on delivering financial targets. This is essential because different departments tend to have different priorities, and they may not all focus on the financial aspects. Secondly, it is vital to integrate the perspectives of the customers and other stakeholders into the project s targets. Indeed, there is a good argument for inviting key stakeholders to the kick-off to make sure their perspectives are understood and integrated. Thirdly, and this is more controversial, project leaders must discuss the possibility that the project s goals may change during its lifetime as new information arises. Clarify expectations. After looking at the vision and goals, it is necessary to go into more detail by looking at the project structure, the organization into sub-projects (or workstreams ) and the main tasks of each subproject. This gives team members a holistic view of the project and enables them to think about deadlines, dependencies and risks. Train people to communicate. Towards the end of the kick-off, the meeting should take a look at communication. Communication planning is an important part of project management, and there are two dimensions to a kick-off: internal team communication and marketing to externals. If you ask a project manager where things went wrong on a project, the question of communication is likely to be mentioned. We used too much ; Meetings were not focused enough ; The business didn t understand the project. Much face-to-face communication in business is a form of collective monologue. And much communication is a case of Sent that. Not my responsibility any more. Take time to do training on how to speak, listen and write effectively across different cultures, whether national, corporate or departmental. Allow time at the end. It is essential that people know what they have to do and by when they also have to be motivated to do so. If not, the meeting has failed. (From: Kick-off Meeting, Bob Dignen: Business Spotlight 3/2009) 127

128 Answer the questions: 1. What are the several kick-offs a project may have? 2. What does a project success depend on? 3. What do the project leaders need to find the right people? 4. What are the main building blocks for a project kick-off? 5. Is communication more productive than a face-to face one? 6. What is an international project team made up of? 7. What are the tips for an effective kick-off meeting? 8. What advantages does using an external facilitator have? 9. What are the two dimensions to a kick-off? 9. Match the structural units of a meeting with the typical phrases which correspond them: 1. Welcoming I think we ve spent enough time on this topic. We re running short on time, so let s move on. We re running behind schedule, so we ll have to skip the next item. We only have fifteen minutes remaining and there s a lot left to cover. 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 2. Roll Call 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... Now where were we? Oh yes, let s vote 3. Watching the time Well, since everyone is here, we should get started. Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today. I think we ll begin now. First I d like to welcome you all. Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I really appreciate you all for attending today. We have a lot to cover today, so we really should begin 128

129 4. Regaining Focus It looks like everyone is here today. If you notice anyone missing, please let Jane know so that she can make a note of it. Unfortunately, Ken cannot join us today. He has been called away on business Mike will be standing in to take the minutes today, as Lisa is home with the flu 5. Voting It looks like we ve run out of time, so I guess we ll finish here. I think we ve covered everything on the list. I guess that will be all for today. Well, look at that...we ve finished ahead of schedule for once. If no one has anything else to add, then I think we ll wrap this up. I m afraid we re going to have to cut this meeting short. I ve just been informed of a problem that needs my immediate attention 6. Closing a Meeting All in favor? (Those who agree raise their hands or say Aye.) All opposed? Motion to hire more tour guides, moved by Thomas. Motion to hire more tour guides seconded by Nolan Remember: Suggestions or ideas that are put to a vote are called motions. When a person makes a suggestion, the term to use both during the meeting and in the minutes is moved. When another person agrees with the motion, it is seconded. 10. Fill in the missing words in the sentences below: room meeting decision start any other business (AOB) agenda monthly chair item/point point closed matters arising 129

130 1. The was called because we had to discuss our future strategy. 2. It was planned to. at ten o clock. 3. But no one had an. 4. And no one knew which to go. 5. The arrived at We thought we could start. But no one had the of the last meeting, so the secretary had to go and look for them. 7. It took a long time to go through the of the last meeting. 8. At last we got the main on the agenda. 9. We talked for two hours and didn t reach a. 10. There was no time for. 11. The chair declared the meeting just before midday. 12. Thank goodness it s only a meeting. 11. Match the words and phrases a l to the definitions 1) 12): 1) agenda; a) the people at the meeting; 2) action points; b) the person in charge of the meeting; 3) chairperson; c) to go to a meeting; 4) propose; d) a list of topics to be discussed; 5) attend; e) one topic on the list; 6) to send your apologies; f) the last topic on the list; 7) item; g) to make a suggestion formally; 8) vote; h) to support a formal suggestion; 9) AOB; i) a method of making a decision; 10) participants; j) an official record of what was said or decided; 11) second; k) to say that you cannot go to a meeting; 12) minutes. l) what needs to be done after the meeting. 12. Fill in the missing verbs in the sentences below. Put the verbs from the box in the correct grammar forms. analyze propose disagree interrupt prepare summarize present decide report meet suggest discuss 1. Meetings are good if everyone them in advance. 2. First of all, we have to who should be the chair. 3. I that Mr Smith should chair the meeting. 4. He is the only person here who can the situation properly. 130

131 5. Mr Sutton, please, would you not when I am speaking. 6. Next point. I that everyone here should get a 10 % salary increase next year. 7. Now Julia is going to the sales figures for the last quarter. 8. I with what she says. 9. We need to again soon. 10. We have to this question in more detail. 11. So, I d like to what we have said so far. 12. Good. So who is going to all this to the board? 13. Look through the types of meetings 1) 9). Then say at which type of meeting you would be most likely to hear each of a i phrases. 1) chat (informal discussion at the coffee machine); 2) brainstorming among colleagues; 3) project meeting/ team meeting of employees; 4) department meeting; 5) meeting with suppliers; 6) meeting with a customer; 7) board meeting; 8) annual general meeting (AGM), for company s annual report; 9) extraordinary general meeting (EGM), where shareholders meet to discuss an important issue a) I m pleased to announce another good year for this company; b) I know this sounds crazy, but how about giving away 100,000 free samples? c) Things in the sales department are getting out of control. We should all start making a real effort; d) So, you think you can provide 10,000 a month at unit cost of $ 5.99? e) Have you heard? Suzanne is being fired: apparently her sales figures aren t good enough; f) That s a deal then. Looking forward to working with you. I m sure you won t be disappointed; g) Amazingly, we are ahead of schedule on this project; h) I recommend to shareholders that you accept this offer for our company; i) As you know, Princeclub wants to buy this company. As a chief financial officer, what do you think of their offer, Jane? 131

132 14. Work in groups. Imagine you all work for a European company which wanst to launch a new low-calorie chocolate bar in Ukraine. Hold a meeting to discuss the points on the agenda below. AGENDA Marketing Kick-off meeting LOW-CALORIE CHOCOLATE BAR 1. Target customer? - age - sex 2. Dimensions? - 10 cm ~ 4 cm ~ 3 cm - 15 cm ~ 3 cm ~ 3 cm - 8 cm ~ 8 cm ~ 3 cm 3. Wrappings? - sporty - classic - young & sexy 4. Product name - Choc lite - Athlet s friend - Fantasy 5. Price? - same as the other chocolate bars - higher than usual - lower then usual 6. Launch date? - June - November - January 7. Advertising? - a famous personality to promote it - a slogan for the advertising campagn 15. Organize your own kick-off meeting of a new international trade project. Use the sentences and expressions: b) Starting the kick-off meeting: Good morning. I m I d like to start by welcoming you all to today s meeting. I am very happy all of you are here today for what I believe is a very important project for our organization. Just by way of a short personal introduction, I work here as Introducing the agenda: I d like to run quickly through the agenda for this day. Firstly, we start with introductions, then we ll discuss the expectations of the project. In terms of process, Jenny is here as an external facilitator and will also give an input on international team communication. To close, we plan to do a special exercise on collaborating effectively in international project teams. 132

133 Facilitating: So, in the next session, Martin will tell us about the project goals and benefits. In this session, we will work in break-out groups in parallel. The objective is to discuss In the firs session after lunch, we ll have a short report from each of the groups. c) Checking on break-out groups: How much time do you need? Can you appoint a speaker from each of the groups to report back to us all? d) Noting action points, decisions and open-questions: Shall I add this to our action list? So we need to discuss this point further. I ll add it to the open questions. Are there any other questions that anyone would like to add to the list? 16. Read the article and match the headings to the paragraphs 1 7. Meeting Evaluating Tips А. Meeting evaluation techniques. В. Finding a technology. С. Evaluation criteria. D. Finding out your meeting popularity. 1. Research a technology solution for your company. Find one that best meets your technology, functionality and reporting requirements. If such a system already is in place, help to market it internally so that you re capturing as much data as possible. 2. People familiar with continuous improvement principles know that the last step in any activity should be an evaluation of performance. Meetings are no different. Use the last couple minutes during a meeting to evaluate the group s meeting performance. Then apply the lessons learned to future meetings. 3. Think what you are trying to learn during an evaluation? Here are some of the basic questions the evaluation should address: 1) Was the meeting well planned? 2) Did we achieve the planned objectives? 3) Were the right people involved in the meeting? 4) Did people come prepared? 5) Did we manage our time wisely? 133

134 6) How well did we manage the interaction between participants? 7) What did we do well that we should keep on doing? 8) What did we do that we should avoid doing in future meetings? 9) What didn t we do that we should have done? 4. There are lots of ways of quickly evaluating the meeting. Here are several simple options. 1) Draw a line down the middle of a flip chart or a white board. On one half write the word Keep and on the other half the word Change. Ask people to reflect on the meeting and yell out things they think should be kept or changed for the next meeting; 2) Each person gives the meeting a letter grade (A F). After recording the grades, ask people for one or two reasons they graded the meeting as they did; 3) Distribute a short survey card at the end of the meeting that asks people to comment directly on the evaluation questions. It doesn t matter how you collect the information. It only matters that you do collect and use it. The insights gained will lead to better meetings. UNIT 4.2. WRITING MINUTES Read the text and say whether the sentences in the exercise below are true or false. TEXT Writing Minutes soliciting input, solving problems, making decisions, promote unity and cohesiveness, controversial ideas, presiding officer, parliamentary procedure Much of the listening you ll do in the workplace will be in the context of business meetings. Meetings serve a wide variety in the organization. They keep members informed of events related to carrying out their duties; they provide a forum for soliciting input, solving problems, and making decisions; and they promote unity and cohesiveness among the members through social interaction. Routine meetings may require only a short memorandum as a followup to what was decided. Formal meetings where controversial ideas were discussed may require a more formal summary. Minutes are an official record of the proceedings; they summarize what was discussed and what decisions were made. Generally, they should emphasize what was done at the meeting, not what was said by the members. Minutes may, however, present an intelligent summary of the points 134

135 of view expressed on a particular issue, without names attached, followed by the decision made. Avoid presenting minutes that are either so short they lack the flavor of what transpired or so long they tend to be ignored. The first paragraph of minutes should identify the type of meeting (regular or special); the meeting date, time, and place; the presiding officer; the names of those present (or absent) if customary; and the fact that the minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The body of the minutes should contain a separate paragraph for each topic. According to parliamentary procedure, the name of the maker of a motion, but not the seconder, should be entered in the minutes. The precise wording of motions, exactly as voted on, should also appear in minutes. It is often helpful to use the same subheadings as in the agenda. The last paragraph of the minutes should state the time of adjournment and, if appropriate, the time set for the next meeting. The minutes should be signed by the person preparing them. If someone other than the chair prepares the minutes, they should be read and approved by the chair before being distributed. The minute-taker can use a pen and paper or a laptop computer and does not need to include every word that is spoken. It is necessary to include important points and any votes and results. Indicating who said what is also necessary, which is why the minute-taker should make sure to know the names of the attendees. If you cannot remember someone s name, take a brief note of their seating position and find out their name after the meeting. A minute-taker should type out the minutes immediately after the meeting so that nothing is forgotten. A sample minutes outline you can see after the text. Supervisor s Meeting Friday, May 5 Room 3 Start: Finish: Chair: Pierre Attendees: Late to arrive: Early to depart: 135

136 Answer the questions: 1. What are the functions of meetings in organizations? 2. What different attitudes to the follow-up documents do formal and routine meetings require? 3. What is the structure of minutes? 4. Who should sign the minutes? 5. Is it obligatory to include every word that is spoken? 6. Should all the motions appear in the minutes? 7. What are the important points to include? 8. What does a minute-taker have to do if he/she doesn t know the names of the attendees? 9. What length is appropriate for minutes? 10. Who has to read and approve minutes before being distributed? EXERCISES 1. Say if the following sentences are true or false: a) Meetings keep members informed of events related to solving their financial problems; b) Formal meetings where controversial ideas were discussed may require an informal summary; c) Minutes summarize what was discussed and what decisions were made; d) The first paragraph of minutes should identify what was done at the meeting; e) The body of the minutes should contain only one paragraph for the whole meeting; f) The last paragraph of the minutes should state, if appropriate, the time set for the next meeting. 2. Translate the useful vocabulary into your own language: Timing That gives us two hours. It will take two hours. It won t take long. I need to be away by o clock. How are you fixed for time? Roles is going to sit it. is going to take the minutes. would like to say a few words about is going to give us a presentation. 136

137 Procedure We ll deal with first. We ll go round the table. We ll have a question and answer session at the end. We can table that for discussion later. Suggestions and proposals I propose I suggest I advise you What would you say if we offered you 3. These are the minutes of a meeting. Some parts have been left out. Choosing from the words in the box, complete the minutes. The first has been done for you. minutes of the last meeting present chairman AOB chaired members subcommittee seconder apologies date of next meeting proposer action (1) Present: Mr Jones (chairman), Mr Perkins, Ms Carson, Mr Smith, Ms Trueman (secretary) (2) Ms Green and Mr Brown were unable to attend and sent their apologies (3) No business remained from the last meeting. Membership of the Committee: It was agreed that the Production Manager should be invited to become a member of this Committee. Proposer: Ms Perkins (4) Mr Smith Carried unanimously A (5) is to be set up to consider ways in which the company can meet the challenge. (6) should be drawn from the Sales, Publicity and Marketing departments; Mr Jones will be the (7) of this. After some discussion, it was agreed that Ms Perkins should look into the possibilities of moving some manufacturing operations to Kenya. (8) Mr Jones Seconder: Ms Carson 137

138 Carried unanimously The heads of the Design, Promotion, Sales and Marketing Departments are to form a committee to work on this. The committee will be (9) by Mr Jones and he will notify the people concerned. (10) Mr Jones (11) : Since there was nothing further, the meeting was adjourned. (12) : The next meeting will be held on 6th March. 4. Think about meeting s ethics. Make these invitations to speak less aggressive and more natural: 1. Edward, kick off. 2. John, open the discussion. 3. Kate, get the ball rolling. 4. Monica, tell us what you think. 5. Elizabeth, give us your views. 6. Mary, what do you feel? 5. Divide the phrases 1 9 according to their meaning into three groups: Responding positively Neutrally Negatively 1. That s not possible. 2. We can t do that. 3. That sounds fine. 4. That s true, but 5. I see what you are saying. 6. That would be out of the question. 7. I go along with that. 8. Good idea. 9. I understand why you think so. 6. Intonation pays a very important role in downtoning. Pronounce the statements with different intonation patterns: a) flattering; b )serious; c) encouraging; d) threatening. 1. Your prices are a bit high. 2. PR expenditure is much too high. 3. You need to analyze your costs in more detail. 4. Look at page fifty-three of the document. 5. How can you make such a poor offer? 138

139 7. Match the words with their definitions: 1. Agenda a) a formal proposal, esp. one made to a deliberative assembly 2. Parliamentary procedure b) to express formal support of (a motion, proposal, etc.) before further discussion or voting 3. Adjourn c) written rules of order that permit the efficient transaction of business in meetings 4. Minutes d) en official record of the proceedings of a meeting 5. Roll call e) an ordered list of topics to be considered at a meeting, along with the name of the person responsible for each topic 6. Motion f) to postpone, suspend, or transfer a proceeding 7. Second g) the calling of a list of names for checking attendance 8. Write one letter a g next to the number of the speaker. You will have to use each letter twice a) starting the meeting; b) setting objectives; c) asking for reactions; d) dealing with interruptions; e) keeping to the point; f) speeding up or slowing down; g) summarizing. Speaker 1. : Any comments on this? Anything you don t agree with, or anything you d like to add? Speaker 2. : As you know, the purpose of this meeting is to inform you about forthcoming changes in our Human Resources department. Speaker 3 : Great to see so many people here this afternoon. Right. Let s get down to business. Speaker 4. : We don t want to run over schedule, so let s skip the details and move on to the last key issue. Speaker 5. : I think we ve covered everything, so let s go over the main points briefly. Speaker 6. : I don t think that s relevant to our discussion. Speaker 7. : Just let me finish, please, if you don t mind. 139

140 Speaker 8. : OK then. Let me stop here and explain that in a bit more detail. Speaker 9. : OK, let s go over what we ve agreed. Speaker 10. : It s almost nine o clock, and I think everybody s here. Shall we make a start, then? Speaker 11. : So, how do you feel about his proposal? Mary? OK, tell us what you think. Speaker 12. : Sorry. Just hang on a moment, please. Jack hasn t quite finished. Speaker 13. : Well, that s certainly an interesting issue, but I m afraid it isn t on today s agenda. Speaker 14. : We ve called this meeting to discuss ways in which we could improve our recruitment strategy. 9. Typing minutes and other documents needs IT knowledge. Check your computer-literacy. Add to the lists using the words in the box to record the collocations. Some words can be used more than once. open database paste rename copy attach print word-processing enter spreadsheet 1) a application 2) to a document 3) to text 4) to a folder 140

141 10. A management consultant is talking about meetings. Put what he says into a logical order: a) point and rambling. And then there are those who want to show; b) moving. If they do this, it s amazing how much ground you can cover; c) Of course, everyone wants meeting to be productive and achieve results. But from personal experience, we know that a lot of them are a waste of; d) off; to show how important and clever they are. The chair should keep things; e) the point. And we ve all seen those annoying people who keep on wandering off the; f) time, and nothing is achieved. In order for discussion to be useful, people should not go off on digressions: they should stick to. 11. Match the verbs with the nouns they go with: 1) to avoid a) the minutes 2) to take c) a minute-taker 3) to take c) a minute-taker 4) to appoint d) the agenda 5) to circulate e) to the next point 6) to allocate f) on time 7) to move on g) digressions UNIT 4.3. NEGOTIATIONS Read the text and answer the questions in exercise after it. TEXT Negotiations in English schedule, promotion, job benefits, investments, merger, collaboration, manipulation, consideration One of the most important skills anyone can hold in daily life is the ability to negotiate. In general terms, a negotiation is a resolution of conflict. We enter negotiations in order to start or continue a relationship and resolve an issue. Even before we accept our first jobs, or begin our careers, we all learn how to negotiate. For one person it begins with the negotiation of an allowance with a parent. For another it involves negotiating a television schedule with a sibling. Some people are naturally stronger negotiators, and are capable of getting their needs met more easily than others. 141

142 Without the ability to negotiate, people break off relationships, quit jobs, or deliberately avoid conflict and uncomfortable situations. In the world of business, negotiating skills are used for a variety of reasons, such as to negotiate a salary or a promotion, to secure a sale, or to form a new partnership. Here are a few examples of different types of negotiations in the business world: Manager and Clerk: Negotiating a promotion; Employer and Potential Employee: Negotiating job benefits; Business Partner A and B: Making decisions about investments; Company A and Company B: Negotiating a merger; Customer and Client: Making a Sale. Negotiating is often referred to as an art. While some people may be naturally more skillful as negotiators, everyone can learn to negotiate. And, as they often say in business, everything is negotiable. Some techniques and skills that aid people in the negotiating process include: Aiming high; Visualizing the end results; Treating one s opponent with respect and honesty; Preparing ahead of time; Exhibiting confidence. Lack of preparation in a negotiation almost always sets a person up for failure. First and foremost, each party must clearly define their own goals and objectives. Secondly, each party must anticipate the goals of the opposition. This may require doing some background research. Finally, each party must come up with various alternatives to their main objectives. Even if you make the decision to treat your negotiating opponent with honesty and kindness, here are some preparatory questions to ask yourself before beginning talks with the other party: What is my objective? What are all of the alternatives I can think of? What will my opponent s counter proposal likely consist of? How can I respond to it? In business, the goal of negotiating parties should always be for mutual gain. This type of win-win negotiation is often called collaborative negotiating. The opposite of collaborative negotiating is called competitive negotiating. The goal of competitive negotiating is for one party to win and the other to lose. Dishonest practices, such as lying, manipulation, intimidation, and bribery are often used in this type of negotiation. Main Principles of Collaborative Negotiating are: Resolve previous conflicts ahead of time; Deal with issues, not personalities; 142

143 Commit to listening more than speaking: The more you know about your counterpart, the more likely you will achieve your goals. You cannot convince someone of something when you do not know anything about them, or what their own needs are. A common mistake is to prepare one s next question or point while the opponent is speaking; Establish trust in the onset; Develop a common goal; Discuss a common enemy; Take opponent s views/needs into careful consideration: Not only do you want to win this negotiation, you want your opponent to win as well, so that he or she will negotiate with you again in the future. There are a number of signals that indicate that negotiations are coming to a close. This may not always mean that an agreement has been reached. In many cases, there are many rounds of negotiations. The preliminary round may uncover the major issues, while subsequent rounds may be needed to discuss and resolve them. Here are some signals of talks coming to a close: A difference of opinion has been significantly reduced; One party suggests signing an agreement; One or both parties indicate that a period of time to pause and reflect is necessary. Even if you make the decision to treat your negotiating opponent with honesty and kindness, the other party may not extend you the same respect. Be prepared to stand your ground firmly, yet cordially, especially in the last few minutes of the negotiations. This is the time when manipulative parties may employ certain tactics in order to try to fool you into losing focus or lowering goals and standards. Remember that conflicts are generally resolved in the last few minutes. The theory behind last minute tactics is that one party may be more willing to give in out of fear that all of the concessions or progress made up to that point (perhaps hours or weeks of talks) might be lost. People also get tired or have other commitments that need to be met, such as making an important phone call before another business closes, or picking up children from school. Here are some last minutes tricks that negotiators often use at this time: Walking out of the room; Offering a short-term bribe; Telling you to take it or leave it; Giving an ultimatum; Abrupt change in tone (used to shock the other party into submission); Introducing new requests (used at to get you to concede with little thought or consideration); 143

144 Stating generalizations without evidence (dropped without significant statistics/proof); Adopting the Mr. Nice Guy persona (used to try to make it look like they are doing you a favor in hopes that you will lower your expectations). Answer the questions: 1. Do you think an ability to negotiate is a nature-born skill? 2. Name some examples of different types of negotiations in business world and private life. 3. What are the main steps to prepare the negotiations? 4. What are the two opposite types of negotiations? 5. What are the principles of Collaborating Negotiating? 6. How can you understand that negotiations are coming to close? 7. When the conflicts are generally resolved? 8. What is a common mistake in asking questions? 9. What are the last minutes tricks? 10. How should you stand your ground in negotiations? EXERCISES 1. Translate the useful vocabulary into your own language. a) agreement on a point: I agree with you on that point. That s a fair suggestion. So what you re saying is that you... In other words, you feel that... I don t see any problem with/harm in that. b) objection on a point or offer: I understand where you re coming from; however,... I m prepared to compromise, but... The way I look at it... The way I see things... That s not exactly how I look at it. From my perspective... I d have to disagree with you there. I m afraid that doesn t work for me. Is that your best offer? c) closing the negotiations: It sounds like we ve found some common ground. I m willing to leave things there if you are. Let s leave it this way for now. I m willing to work with that. I think we both agree to these terms. 144

145 You ve given me a lot to think about/consider. Would you be willing to sign a contract right now? Let s meet again once we ve had some time to think. 2. Match the nouns to their meaning: 1) arbitration; a) argument/conflict; 2) counter proposal; b) person on the other side of the negotiations; 3) counterattack; c) conflict that is addressed by using a neutral third party; 4) counterpart; d) quick decision without thought or time; 5) dispute; e) (bargaining power) something that gives one party a greater chance at succeeding over another; 6) impulse; f) the offer/request which is presented second in response to the first proposal 7) leverage; g) a display of opposition 8) resistance; h) a final term that has serious consequences if not met 9) trade-off; i) present other side of an issue 10) ultimatum. j) terms that are offered in return for something else 3. While negotiations you should pay attention to non-verbal communication. Match non-verbal signals to their meaning: Body Language Possible meaning 1. Avoiding Eye Contact a) - Nervousness - Lack of confidence - Submission 2. Serious Eye Contact b) - Lying - Not interested - Not telling the whole truth 3. Touching the face/fidgeting c) - Frustrated - In disbelief - Disagreeing with a point 4. Nodding d) - Agreeing - Willing to compromise 5. Shaking the head/turning e) away - Trying to intimidate - Showing anger 145

146 146 TEXT Read the text and answer the questions after the text: Online Event Management data, centralized registration, sourcing, technology solution, difficult-to-wrangle data, double-digit growth, site-selection software The most essential ingredient in a strategically managed meetings program is data. Without centralized registration and sourcing, however, that data can be very difficult to acquire on any meaningful level. I believe that the very first and most important step is to go ahead and purchase a technology solution, says Lastinger, and to create a process whereby all meetings register. Lastinger advises her clients to collect the following data for every event: who s planning it, the name and purpose of the meeting, how many people are attending, how much money was budgeted initially, how much actually was spent and the basic details of supplier contracts. Even if that s all they do, she notes, in a year they have a lot of valuable and very specific data. Technology suppliers that facilitate strategic management through online site selection, data collection and reporting are getting a lot of attention. Philadelphia-based StarCite achieved record growth in the second quarter of this year, due to clients expansion of their strategic meetings management programs at a greater rate than ever before. The 10-year-old company recently processed its 4-millionth electronic request for proposal. Technology can capture typically difficult-to-wrangle data such as that from small meetings, says Kevin Iwamoto, StarCite s vice president of enterprise strategy. He adds, Why wouldn t a responsible meetings manager go after this area? Standard terms and conditions and the organization s preferred relationships can be uploaded. With all information captured in the tool, companies can begin to see trends and leverage data for future agreements. Also booming is Cvent, a McLean, Va.-based supplier of meetings management and site-selection software. The company has posted doubledigit growth every quarter since its 2000 launch and has been profitable for the past 26 consecutive quarters. This past spring, the company unveiled an enhanced, streamlined set of strategic meetings management tools based on extensive feedback from planners. Harrison, N.Y.-based Worktopia also has had a busy year. Focusing on meetings of fewer than 50 attendees, Worktopia offers a database of venues through which planners can search, compare and book meeting space in real time. Companies can load meeting policy and contracts into the system.

147 The solution decentralizes booking while centralizing visibility, says CEO and founder John Arenas. Anyone in the company tasked with booking a meeting can use it. In the past year, Worktopia has become the engine that powers small meeting bookings for American Express, GetThere and Travelocity Business. (From: Online Event Management, Michael J. Shapiro: Answer the questions: 1. What kind of work is on-line management according to the text? 2. What are the components of facilitating strategic on-line management? 3. What is the most essential ingredient in a meeting program? 4. What meeting and event data should be collected by companies? 5. What is the purpose of capturing the data? 6. What kind of database does Worktopia Company offer? 7. What meetings does the company focus on? 8. Characterize the figures of StarCite, Cvent and Worktopia. 9. How does John Arenas characterize his company? 10. What is the purpose of capturing information? 4. Translate the useful vocabulary into your own language. Checking and confirming the information Is that an accurate summary? Does that reflect what we said? Is there anything you want to add? Follow-up documentation Would you like that in writing? We ll put together a written proposal. We ll let you have a detailed summary. Can you draft that before the next meeting? Progress made We ve taken a major step forward. We ve made excellent/ good/ some progress. We ve taken a step in the right direction. We didn t get as far as we hoped, but Summarizing Let s go over the main points again. Can I just run over the main points? We ve agreed the following There s still the question of to resolve. 147

148 5. Following is a brief glossary of the terms that comprises many different forms of virtual 1. Application sharing a) a visual representation of a computer user. It may be a three-dimensional figure, as used in virtual worlds such as Second Life, or a two-dimensional image used in online forums 2. Avatar b) a high-end form of videoconferencing that enhances the immersive experience through use of studio-quality audio and video and life-size images of the participants at other locations 3. Videoconferencing c) two-way, interactive audio and video communication between two or more parties. A very wide range of options are available, from free or low-cost solutions such as that offered by Skype, to higher-quality solutions that require high-definition video cameras and displays 4. Hybrid event d) any physical, in-person event that includes a virtual component, from live streaming keynotes to a full virtual environment. Also used to describe an approach to a series of events, such as a virtual trade show followed by a traveling road show of physical events 5. Telepresence: e) web-based platforms that attempt to replicate the experience of a trade show or other in-person event by creating a visual representation of that event. Typically, virtual attendees can navigate among virtual booths in an exhibit hall and attend or on-demand keynote and/or seminar presentations. Events may contain streaming video as well as audio 6. Virtual events/trade show environments f) a three-dimensional, customizable software environment, such as Second Life, that may be accessed through the Internet. A virtual world generally requires use of downloaded software. Participants are represented by avatars, which move through the environment based on the participants directions 7. VoIP: g) web services that allow participants to log into an online meeting through their browsers. Rather than the mostly one-way communication provided during a webcast, a web conference allows for more interaction among attendees 148

149 8. Virtual world: h) voice over Internet Protocol. Technology that allows for voice transmission over the Internet. This is the technology behind web presentations that do not require participants to call in for the audio portion, as well as that used by phone companies Vonage and Skype or any Internet Service Provider that offers broadband phone service 9. Web conference: i) a feature of many collaboration tools that allows two or more people to share the same application concurrently. Generally, the application is only running on the host computer; the other users needn t have it installed on their machines 10. Webcast: j) the broadcast of a presentation or event, either audio only or video and audio, over the web. The broadcast may be either live or on-demand. The webcast is an increasingly popular medium to convey information from either one source, or several presenters, to a larger audience 11. Webinar: k) a web-based seminar; has yet to acquire any technical definition, but is generally used to mean a webcast, possibly with the additional interactive elements offered by a web conference (Reference: A guide to the most-used terms in this burgeoning industry segment, Michael J. Shapiro10/28/2009) 6. Using the definitions from exercise above fill in the gaps with the words given in the box below. options, participants, text, browse, avatars, web conferencing 1. Telepresence requires a significant investment for the specialized studio and equipment, and generally limits the number of at each location to no more than six or eight. Cisco, Polycom and Hewlett- Packard are among the major suppliers of telepresence systems. 2. In videoconferencing a very wide range of are available, from free or low-cost solutions such as that offered by Skype, which make use of simple webcams and VoIP, to higher-quality solutions that require high-definition video cameras and displays, to telepresence systems, which require specialized studios and expensive equipment. 3. As opposed to virtual worlds, hybrid virtual events may be accessed via a and don t require the attendees to install specialized software on their computers. 149

150 4. Individuals, presented by, can gather in a virtual auditorium, convention center or other, less traditional, venues, and view and listen to presentations. 5. Examples of. solutions include WebEx, Microsoft LiveMeeting, and Adobe Acrobat Connect. 6. When streamed live, the webcast may allow for questions from the audience generally submitted via and answered verbally by the presenters. TAKE A QUIZ Analyze the meetings and negotiating tactics. Choose the right word to fill in the gaps: 1. It took over five hours of negotiating for the parties to come to a. а) hostility; b) bottom-line; с) consensus. 2. It was a decision to settle our differences out of court. а) flexible; b) mutual; с) unrealistic. 3. One that always works is to ask your counterpart to speak first. а) tactic; b) bargain; с) resistance. 4. We would have more if we had some more recent statistics to use. а) haggling; b) concession; с) leverage. 5. They were to our proposal until we made our last demand. а) hostility; b) receptive; с) tension. 150

151 6. We were over prices all afternoon. а) misleading; b) conflict; с) haggling. 7. I wasn t expecting our opponents to so quickly а) amplify; b) yield; с) counterproposal. 8. When I the client about their promise they agreed to honor it. а) log-rolled; b) entitled; с) confronted. 9. If that is your only I would be happy to concede. а) pressure; б) objective; с) victory. 10. Within ten minutes the negotiations had already ended in a. а) deadlock; b) counterpart; с) bottom-line. CHECKLIST Useful recommendations for meetings and negotiations in English I. Meetings Think about how to call the meeting. There are a number of ways that you may call or be called to a meeting. Some meetings are announced by , and others are posted on bulletin boards. If a meeting is announced at the end of another meeting, it is important to issue a reminder. A reminder can also come in the form of an e- mail or notice. Verbal announcements or reminders should always be backed up by documented ones. The date, location, time, length, and purpose of the meeting should be included. It is also important to indicate exactly who is expected to attend, and who is not. If you are planning on allocating someone to take on a certain role, make personal contact with that person to inform them of his or her duty. 151

152 Write the 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. In some cases, it may be useful to forward the agenda to attendees before the meeting. People will be more likely to participate in a meeting, by asking questions or offering feedback, if they know what is going to be covered. Allocate the roles The person in charge of calling and holding a meeting may decide to allocate certain roles to other staff members. Someone may be called upon to take the minutes, someone may be asked to do roll call, and someone may be asked to speak on a certain subject. This should be done either in person, or in an . Start with a small talk Whether you are holding the meeting or attending the meeting it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. You should discuss things unrelated to the meeting, such as weather, family, or weekend plans. Welcome the auditory 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. Organize a roll call If the meeting is a small group, it is probably unnecessary to take attendance out loud. The person who is taking the minutes will know everyone personally and can indicate who is present and who is absent. In a larger meeting, it may be necessary to send around an attendance sheet or call out names. If an important figure is absent, it may be necessary for the chairperson to apologize for his or her absence and offer a brief explanation for it. Announce the 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. 152

153 Anyone, including you, may be assigned to take the minutes at a meeting. Often someone who is not participating in the meeting will be called upon to be the minute-taker. Concentrate on how to regain the focus It is easy to get off topic when you get a number of people in the same room. It is the chairperson s responsibility to keep the discussion focused. Here are some expressions to keep the meeting centered on the items as they appear on the agenda. Watch 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. Organize voting When issues cannot be resolved or decisions cannot be easily made, they are often put to a vote. Most votes occur during meetings. Votes can be open, where people raise their hands in favour or in opposition of the issue. In an open vote, the results are evident immediately. Other votes, such as who should be elected to take on a certain role, are private or closed. During private votes, attendees fill out ballots and place them in a box to be counted. The results may not be counted until after the meeting. Don t forget about comments and feedback During the meeting, participants will comment, provide feedback, or ask questions. II. Negotiations Always try to negotiate for at least 15 minutes Any less than that and it is unlikely that either party has had enough time to fairly conider the other side. Generally, the size or seriousness of the negotiation determines the amount of time needed to negotiate it. Setting a time limit is a good idea. Approximately 90 % of negotiations get settled in the last 10 % of the discussion. Offer to let the other party speak first This is especially important if you are the one making a request for something such as a raise. The other party may have overestimated what you are going to ask for and may actually offer more than what you were going to request. 153

154 Always respect and listen to what your opponent has to say This is important even if he or she does not extend the same courtesy to you. Do your best to remain calm and pleasant even if the other party is displaying frustration or anger. Remember some people will do anything to intimidate you. Acknowledge what the other party says Everyone likes to know that what they say is important. If the other party opens first, use it to your advantage, by paraphrasing what you have heard. Repeat their important ideas before you introduce your own stronger ones. Pay attention to your own and your counterpartner s body language. Review the chart below to learn how to interpret body language during the negotiations. Make sure that you aren t conveying any negative body language. 154

155 SUPPLEMENT I. TEXTS 1. TELEPHONING SAYING NO ON THE PHONE No is often a difficult word to say. In English, it can have a negative effect if it is said too abruptly or too strongly. This is especially true on the phone, where you can t see the other person. Of course, sometimes a straightforward no is necessary to show that you really mean what you say. But usually you want your conversation partner to accept your negative response without any bad feelings. Here s a telephone conversation between Sara and Brian. She needs to say no to him twice. Look at how she does it without causing a problem and making him feel bad. Brian: Sara. Would it be possible for you to send me the report by next Monday? Sara: No, I m afraid, I can t, Brian. I m on a training programme for three days this week. Brian: How about Tuesday or Wednesday? Sara: I can do some work on it over the weekend. But I m away for two days on a business trip next Monday and Tuesday. You ll get it by Friday then. Is that OK? Brian: OK let s say Friday next week. Sara: Fine. Sara uses three linguistic techniques to make her negative answers more acceptable to Brian: 1. I m afraid I m afraid or I m afraid not are alternatives to saying no. The speaker knows that what she says is unhelpful. But she wants the other person to understand that it is unavoidable. For example: Brian: Would it be possible for you to send me the report by next Monday? Sara: No, I m afraid, I can t. I m on a training programme for three days this week. As you have just seen, often the phrase I m afraid is followed by a reason: I m on a training programme Here is another example: Caller: Can I speak to John, please? Secretary: I m afraid, he is not in the office today. Can I take a message? 155

156 Caller: Do you have the latest sales figures jet? Secretary: I m afraid, not. John is making some corrections. They ll be available tomorrow. 2. Positive, not negative To avoid problems, Sara tries to be positive in her approach to a negative situation. She doesn t say You won t get it until Friday, then. Is that OK? Do the same in your telephone calls. Don t say, Our office closes at 5 p.m. Say instead, Our office is open until 5 p.m. Don t say: Please, don t hesitate to call me if you have any problems. Say instead, Please, feel free to call me if you have any questions. 3. The good news sandwich Give negative news between two positive pieces of information. Sara does it like this: I can do some work on it over the weekend. Bit I m away for two days on a business trip next Monday and Tuesday. This makes the bad news easier for Brian to accept. This technique is very useful indeed when you have to give negative feedback to someone: I thought your presentation last week was great. Perhaps you could have stressed the financial aspect a bit more, but the overall effect was excellent. If you use these three techniques, you will be able to say no clearly but politely and you won t damage the positive feeling in your calls. (From: Saying No on the Phone. K. Taylor. Business Spotlight p. 36) 2. JOB INTERVIEW. RESEARCHING THE ORGANIZATION As a result of having developed your resume and written your application letters, you have probably done enough general homework on yourself. You are likely to have a reasonably accurate picture of who you are and what you want out of your career. Now is the time to zero in on the organization. It is no exaggeration to say that you should learn everything you possibly can about the organization. Research the specific organization in depth. Search the current business periodical indexes and go online to learn what has been happening recently with the company. Many libraries maintain copies of the annual reports from large companies. Study these or other sources for current product information, profitability, plans for the future, and the like. Learn about the company s products and services, its history, 156

157 the names of its officers, what the business press has to say about the organization, its recent stock activity, financial health, corporate structure, and the like. Relate what you discover about the individual company to what you ve learned about competing companies and about the industry in general. By trying to fit what you ve learned into the broader perspective of the industry, you will be able to discuss matters more intelligently during your interview instead of just having a bunch of jumbled facts at your disposal. If you re interviewing at a governmental agency, determine its role, recent funding levels, recent activities, spending legislation affecting the agency, and the extent to which being on the right side (that is, the official side) of a political question matters. If you re interviewing for a teaching position at an educational institution, determine the range of course offerings, types of students, conditions of the facilities and equipment, professionalism of the staff, and funding levels. In short, every tidbit of information you can learn about your prospective employer will help you make the most appropriate career decision. You will use this information as a resource to help you understand and discuss topics with some familiarity during the interview. No one is impressed by the interviewee who, out of the blue, spouts, I see your stock went up 5 1/2 points last week. However, in response to the interviewer s comment about the company s recent announcement of a new product line, it would be quite appropriate to respond, That must have been the reason your stock jumped so high last week. In short, bring up such information only if it flows naturally into the conversation. Even if you re never able to discuss some of the information you ve gathered, the knowledge itself will still provide perspective in helping you to make a reasonable decision if a job offer is extended. (From: http/ INTERVIEW. PREPARING YOUR OWN QUESTIONS During the course of the interview, many of the questions you may have about the organization or the job will probably be answered. However, an interview is a two-way conversation, so it is legitimate for you to pose relevant questions at appropriate moments, and you should prepare those questions beforehand. Questions such as the following will provide useful information on which to base a decision if a job is offered: How would you describe a typical day on the job? How is an employee evaluated and promoted? 157

158 What types of training are available? What are your expectations of new employees? What are the organization s plans for the future? To whom would I report? Would anyone report to me? What are the advancement opportunities for this position? Each of these questions not only secures needed information to help you make a decision but also sends a positive nonverbal message to the interviewer that you are interested in this position as a long-term commitment. Do not, however, ask so many questions that the roles of the interviewer and the interviewee become blurred, and avoid putting the interviewer on the spot. Finally, avoid asking about salary and fringe benefits during the initial interview. There will be plenty of time for such questions later, after you ve convinced the organization that you re the person it wants. In terms of planning, however, you should know ahead of time the market value of the position for which you re applying. Check the classified ads, reports collected by your college career service, and library and Internet sources to learn what a reasonable salary figure for your position would be. (From: http/ DRESSING FOR SUCCESS The importance of making a good first impression during the interview can hardly be overstated. Studies have shown that 75 % of the interviewees who made a good impression during the first five minutes of the interview received a job offer, whereas only 10 % of the interviewees who made a bad impression during the first five minutes received a job offer. The most effective strategy for making a good impression is to pay careful attention to your dress, grooming, and posture. Dress in a manner that flatters your appearance while conforming to the office norm. The employment interview is not the place for a fashion statement. You want the interviewer to remember what you had to say and not what you wore. Although different positions, different companies, different industries, and different parts of the country and world have different norms, in general prefer well-tailored, clean, conservative clothing for the interview. For most business interviews, men should dress in a blue or gray suit and a white or pale blue shirt with a subtle tie, dark socks, and black shoes. Women should dress in a blue or gray tailored suit with a light-colored blouse and medium-height heels. Avoid excessive or distracting jewelry, heavy perfumes or after-shave lotions, and elaborate hairstyles. Impeccable grooming is a must, including clothing clean and free of wrinkles, shoes 158

159 shined, teeth brushed, and hair neatly styled and combed. Blend in; you will have plenty of opportunity to express your individual style once you ve been hired. (From: http/ CONDUCTING YOURSELF DURING THE INTERVIEW Observe the organizational environment very carefully and treat everyone you meet, including the receptionist and the interviewer s assistant or secretary, with scrupulous courtesy. Maintain an air of formality. When shown into the interview room, greet the interviewer by name, with a firm handshake, direct eye contact, and a smile. At the beginning, address the interviewer as Mr. or Ms., switching to a first-name basis only if specifically requested to do so. If you re not asked to be seated immediately, wait until the interviewer is seated and then take your seat. Sit with your feet planted firmly on the floor, lean forward a bit in your seat, and maintain comfortable eye contact with the interviewer. Avoid taking notes, except perhaps for a specific name, date, or telephone number. Recognize that certain parts of the office are off-limits especially the interviewer s desk and any area behind the desk. Do not rest your hands, purse, or notes on the desk and never wander around the office. Show interest in everything the interviewer is saying; don t concentrate so hard on formulating your response that you miss the last part of any question. Answer each question in a positive, confident, forthright manner. Recognize that more than yes-or-no answers are expected. Control nervousness during the interview the same way you control it when making an oral presentation; that is, practice until you re confident you can face whatever the interviewer throws your way. The career centers at many colleges conduct mock interviews to prepare prospective interviewees. If yours does not, ask a professor or even another student to interview you. Practice answering lists of common questions. Throughout the interview, your attitude should be one of confidence and courtesy. Assume a role that is appropriate for you. Don t go in with the attitude that You re lucky to have me here. The interviewer might not agree. Likewise, you needn t fawn or grovel. You re applying not begging for a job. If the match works, both you and the employer will benefit. Finally, don t try to take charge of the interview. Follow the interviewer s lead, letting him or her determine which questions to ask, when to move to a new area of discussion, and when to end the interview. Answer each question put to you as honestly as you can. Keep your mind on the desired job and how you can show that you are qualified for 159

160 that job. Don t try to oversell yourself, or you may end up in a job for which you re unprepared. However, if the interviewer doesn t address an area in which you believe you have strong qualifications, be ready to volunteer such information at the appropriate time, working it into your answer to one of the interviewer s questions. If asked about your salary expectations, try to avoid giving a salary figure, indicating that you would expect to be paid in line with other employees at your level of expertise and experience. If pressed, however, be prepared to reveal your salary expectations, preferably using a broad range. When discussing salary, talk in terms of what you think the position and responsibilities are worth rather than what you think you are worth. If salary is not discussed, be patient. Few people have ever been offered a job in industry without first being told what they would be paid. You might participate in a group interview, in which several people interview you at once. If possible, find out about this practice ahead of time so that you can learn the name, position, and rank of each interviewer. Address your responses to everyone, not just to the person who asked the question or to the most senior person present. It is also likely that you will be interviewed more than once having either multiple interviews the same day or, if you survive the initial interview, a more intense set of interviews to be scheduled for some later date. Be on the alert for clues you can pick up from your early interviews that might be of use to you in later interviews and be sure to provide consistent responses to the same questions asked by different interviewers. The different interviewers will typically get together later to discuss their reactions to you and your responses. When the interview ends, if you ve not been told, you have a right to ask the interviewer when you might expect to hear from him or her. You will likely be evaluated on these four criteria: Education and experience: Your accomplishments as they relate to the job requirements, evidence of growth, breadth and depth of your experiences, leadership qualities, and evidence of your willingness to assume responsibility; Mental qualities: Intelligence, alertness, judgment, logic, perception, creativity, organization, and depth; Manner and personal traits: Social poise, sense of humor, mannerisms, warmth, confidence, courtesy, aggressiveness, listening ability, manner of oral expression, emotional balance, enthusiasm, initiative, energy, ambition, maturity, stability, and interests; Appearance: Grooming, dress, posture, cleanliness, and apparent health. (From: http/ 160

161 THE ETHICAL DIMENTIONS OF THE JOB CAMPAIGN For some applicants, one of the ethical dilemmas occurs when they receive a second, perhaps more attractive, job offer after having already accepted a prior offer. Most professionals believe that such a situation should not present a dilemma. A job acceptance is a promise that the applicant is expected to keep. The hiring organization has made many decisions based on the applicant s acceptance, not the least of which was to notify all other candidates that the job had been filled. Reneging on the commitment to the employer not only puts the applicant in a bad light (and don t underestimate the power of the network in spreading such information) but also puts the applicant s school in a bad light. If you re unsure about whether to accept a job offer, ask for a time extension. Once you ve made your decision, however, stick to it and have no regrets. If you decide to accept the job, immediately notify all other employers that you are withdrawing from further consideration. If you decide to decline the job, move on to your next interviews without looking back. Learn to live with your decisions. (From: Will Ethical Conflicts Undo Your Career? Mt. Pleasant (Ml) Morning Sun, May 12, 1988, p. 9.) 3. PRESENTATIONS The Nine Presentation Sins and How You can Avoid Them Presentation Sin 1: Wasting time Start on time and finish on time. Presentation Sin 2: Boring your audience Package the information with your voice, body language and style to make it interesting. Presentation Sin 3: Lacking passion Believe in your message and let them know how much you believe in it. Passion is captivating, contagious and more convincing than logic. Presentation Sin 4: Confusing your audience Keep your message clear. Eliminate unnecessary information and conflicting messages. Use words that they understand. Repeat your message three times. Presentation Sin 5: Insulting your audience Talk to them and with them but not down to them. Don t make jokes about the audience. Don t assume that you know what they think, know or have done. Presentation Sin 6: Not clear about your purpose/message 161

162 Ask yourself why you are giving this speech. Be able to state your message in one short clear phrase. Then build your presentation around that. If you can t don t. Presentation Sin 7: Information overload Give them what they need to know to do what you want them to do. Don t overload them with too much information. Presentation Sin 8: Stuck in your rut of delivery unable to flex to the audience Be prepared to alter your presentation to reach the audience in the way that is best for them. It is not about you. You must reach them with your message. Presentation Sin 9: Using slides that are boring, irrelevant, or confusing Only use visual aids that reinforce your message. PowerPoint will never rescue you from poor presentation skills. You are your best messenger. (From: http/ 4. MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS USING HUMOUR AT WORK Although business is usually thought to be no laughing matter, people often use humour with colleagues and business partners. Humour is an important tool for creating a friendly atmosphere and building rapport. Humour can also be used to deal with problems at work. 1. Softening criticism One form of humour is self-deprecation. This is when you jokingly say something negative about yourself. Self-deprecation can be used to try to soften any criticism you think you might receive from, say, a boss or colleage. In the first dialogue, Amy knows that she will not have some work ready for a meeting. By joking about it, she hopes her colleague, Rob, won t have to embarrass her. Dialogue 1 Amy: So, even if I see you at the marketing task-force meeting, and don t have my things ready, you won t have to embarrass me. Rob: Forgive you, anyway, yes. Amy s strategy of using humour works, because Rob joins in the joke by teasing her that he will forgive you, anyway, although her work is not ready. This shows that he is not annoyed, and that, perhaps, it just doesn t matter. 162

163 2. Criticizing someone Humour can also be used to criticize others. In the second dialogue, Paul, a sales manager, criticizes a junior sales rep, Sam, for misunderstanding the amount of an order that he took over the telephone. The real amount was two and a half thousand, not ten and a half thousand, as Sam had thought. Dialigue 2 Paul: Yeah. Your ten-and-a-half-thousand order from Phoenix. It was two and a half thousand. Sam: No! He said ten, ten and a half! That s what he said. Paul: And I ll find you some cotton buds soon, all right? Paul teases Sam by saying he will get him some cotton buds to clean his ears. Although this is a joke, it is also a criticism of Sam s actions. By using humour, Paul is able to criticize the sales rep in an indirect and friendly way. 3. Solving a problem Humour can also be used to help solve a problem. If people are arguing, humour can lighten the atmosphere, and so help to make people more cooperative in finding a solution. However, this isn t always successful. In the third dialogue, Sid, who owns a small company, and his office manager, Val, are discussing a dispute with a customer. The discussion has become very heated, and Val tries to lighten the atmosphere by making a joke about Sid s star sign, saying that she thinks it might well be the same as the customer s. Dialogue 3 Val: You re probably both the same star sign, Sid Sid: How can how can I jump into What? Val: I said, you re probably the same star sign. Sid: Oh, God helps us! Val: You are not Taurus, are you? Sid: No! Why do you put me Why is it every time we have a conflict here, that I m partly responsible for it? In this case, instead of joining in the joke, Sid gets even angrier. He thinks Val is trying to blame him for the problem by making him partly responsible for the conflict which has emerged. (From: Using Humour at work. A. Koster. Business Spotlight p. 64) 163

164 II. VISUAL AIDS Tables Use tables to present a large amount of numerical data in a small space and to permit easy comparisons of figures; Number tables consecutively and use concise but descriptive table titles and column headings; Ensure that the table is understandable by itself without reference to the accompanying narrative; Arrange the rows of the table in some logical order (most often, in descending order); Combine smaller, less important categories into a miscellaneous category and put it last; Use cross-tabulation analysis to compare different subgroups; Use only as much detail as necessary; for example, rounding figures off to the nearest whole increases comprehension. Align decimals (if used) vertically on the decimal point; Use abbreviations and symbols as needed; Ensure that the units (dollars, percentages, or tons, for example) are identified clearly. Charts Use charts only when they will help the reader interpret the data better never just to make the report look prettier ; Label all charts as figures, and assign them consecutive numbers (separate from table numbers); Keep charts simple. Strive for a single, immediate, correct interpretation, and keep the reader s attention on the data in the chart rather than on the chart itself; Prefer two-dimensional charts; use three-dimensional charts only when generating interest is more important than precision; Use the most appropriate type of chart to achieve your objectives. Three of the most popular types of business charts are line, bar, and pie charts. Line Charts: Use line charts to show changes in data over a period of time and to emphasize the movement of the data the trends. Use the vertical axis to represent amount and the horizontal axis to represent time; Mark off both axes at equal intervals and clearly label them; Begin the vertical axis at zero; if necessary, use slash marks (//) to show a break in the interval; 164

165 If you plot more than one variable on a chart, clearly distinguish between the lines and label each clearly. Bar Charts: Use bar charts to compare the magnitude or relative size of items (rather than the trend over time), either at a specified time or over a period of time; Make alt bars the same width; the length varies to reflect the value of each item; Arrange the bars in a logical order and clearly label each. Pie Charts: Use pie charts to compare the relative parts that make up a whole; Begin slicing the pie at the 12 o clock position, moving clockwise in a logical order; Label each wedge of the pie, indicate its value, and clearly differentiate the wedges. LINE CHARTS 165

166 BAR CHARTS 166

167 PIE CHARTS 167

168 III. ROLE PLAYS AND TASKS 1. Leaving a message Student A: Leave the following messages to your partner. Student B: Take the following messages. 1. Vicki White; 4 p.m.; to send quotation for pieces ref.no. 34/8897 to Motor Company; Ricky Brown; 9 a.m.; to send invoice # to head office; Paul Carter; 11 a.m.; to meet an important customer at the airport; Susan Sarandon; 3 p.m.; to send 200 pieces ref.no. 405 to the A Factory; Sara Brown; 1 p.m.; to postpone the meeting with the supplier; Taking a message Student A: You are Peterson. Telephone Student B and ask to speak to Rogers (you can use the title Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms or their first name). You want to speak to him/her about an order. Your telephone number is (0432) Student B: You are Roger s secretary. Rogers is out. You will receive a call from Student A. Take a message. Make sure you get his/her name and telephone number. 3. Making a call Student A: Rogers calls you back. You want to order some shoes. Before you order you would like to know the price for 10 pairs of model C32. Confirm the price and tell him/her you will fax the order right away. Student B: You are Rogers. Call Student A back. S/he will want to know the discount price for 10 pairs of model C32 shoes: Normal price: $55.00 Discount on 10 pairs: 10 %. 4. Inquiring information Student A: You are B. Reed (you can use the title Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms or their first name). You work for Sellersdown Sports Shop. Their address is 23 North Riding Road, Brentwood. Their telephone number is

169 Phone Newsome Sports Ltd. Ask the price of the following items and then place an order. Tell them you want the order to be delivered on or before 10 September. 50 pairs of training shoes 30 pairs of socks 10 squash rackets Cost: 1 pair of training shoes 1 pair of socks 1 racket Order number Student B: You work for Newsome Sports. Student A is going to phone you and place an order. Give your customer prices and the order number. Training shoes $ Socks $ 3.00 Squash racket $ 53 Order number: B Correcting mistakes Student A: There is an article about your company in one of your trade papers. Unfortunately, it contains a lot of mistakes. Phone the editor and complain. Explain what you should have said. 1. They misspelt your company s name. 2. They said your company s share price fell by 11 % last month. In fact it rose by 17 %. 3. They misspelt the name of one of your products. 4. They said your company s headquarters are in Seattle, USA. 5. They misspelt the name of your company s Chairman. Student B: You are the editor of a trade magazine. One of your readers calls you about some mistakes in one of your articles. Make a note of the errors so you can print corrections along with an apology next month. 6. Complaining Student A: You are the publisher of an international directory of famous business people. Someone calls you about some mistakes in their entry. Make a note of the errors so you can make corrections before the next printing. Student B: A publisher has included an entry on you in an international directory of famous business people. Unfortunately, it contains a lot of mistakes. Phone the publisher to correct them. 169

170 1. They misspelt your name. 2. They said you are ten years older than you really are. 3. They misspelt the name of the school you attended. 4. They said you speak Japanese. (You don t.) 5. They misspelt your husband s/wife s name. 7. Making an appointment Student A: You work at the headquarters of an international company. You are spending next week at your German subsidiary in Dresden and you have to arrange a meeting with the German Sales Director to discuss next year s targets. You ll probably need two or three hours of their time. Phone and fix an appointment. Student B: You are the Sales Director of the German subsidiary of a multinational company. Someone from your international headquarters phones you. You should do everything you can help them. 8. Rearranging an appointment Student A: The Sales Director calls you back ten minutes later. Take the call. Student B: It s now ten minutes later. Something has come up and you need to change the arrangement you just made. Phone your partner, explain what s happened (you d better have a good excuse ready) and fix another time. 9. Employment problem N Ltd is a medium-sized company with its factories and offices in Great Britain. It manufactures electronic components for computers. The company is in financial difficulties at the moment. In recent years it has been concentrating on the research and development of new products rather than on marketing them. As a result, the sales have decreased and the company is having heavy losses. In this crisis situation the Managing Director has resigned. There have been also a number of resignations from men occupying key positions within the Company. The posts that are vacant are those of Personnel Manager, Deputy Head of Research and Development, Sales Director. The company has advertised these posts in the mass media and received a great many applications. On the basis of the curriculum vitae submitted, a short list of candidates has been drawn up for each post, and those selected are to attend the interview. 170

171 Roles Chairman of the selection board You are responsible for leading each interview. You may allot particular areas of interview to other members of the selection board. Remember you will have to decide which candidate to appoint. Head of Research and Development You should approach each interview with the needs of your department firmly in mind. You are free to invent your requirements. Marketing Manager You should approach each interview with your marketing requirements firmly in mind. You are free to invent your requirements. Each member of the selection board Before you interview a candidate you should work out your attitude to the following points: The salary you will offer. The qualifications you require for the job. The value you put on the candidate s previous experience. Useful contacts abroad. Each candidate Before being interviewed you should think of an imaginary curriculum vitae. You should also work out your attitude towards such questions as: 1. Responsibilities and rights. 2. Salary Holidays. 3. Prospects you have with the company. You should think up other points which you may raise at the interview. 10. Preparing for the Interview Here is a list of commonly asked interview questions. Prepare a written answer for each of these questions based on your own qualifications and experience. Tell me about yourself. How would you describe yourself? Tell me something about yourself that I won t find on your resume. What do you take real pride in? Why would you like to work for our organization? Why should we hire you? What are your long-range career objectives? What types of work do you enjoy doing most? Least? What accomplishment has given you the greatest satisfaction? What would you like to change in your past? What courses did you like best and least in college? Specifically, how does your education or experience relate to this job? 171

172 11. Researching the Employer Assume that Philip Morris (or any other company) has invited you for the manager (lawyer)-trainee position. Research this company prior to your interview. Prepare a two-page, double-spaced report on your findings. You will, of course, concentrate on that information most likely to help you during the interview. As you re conducting your research, some questions are likely to occur to you that you ll want to get answered during the interview. Prepare a list of these questions and attach it as an appendix to your report. 12. Presenting a company Give a short talk to a new member of your company, department or social club. Decide beforehand what your and your partner s roles are. Your presentation should: include the relevant information; have a clear structure; make that structure clear by using appropriate language. 13. Presenting company activity Prepare and give a short presentation on one of the following areas: your company s pay policy; training in your company; your company s promotion practice; communications in your company. When you give your presentation, make sure that you use connectors to link your sentences and ideas. 14. Presenting yourself You decided at the last minute to apply to the graduate school at your institution to work toward an MBA degree. Even though you have a 3.4 (on a 4.0 scale), you were denied admission because you had not taken the exam, which is a prerequisite for admission. You have, however, been given ten minutes to appear before the Graduate Council to try to convince them to grant you a temporary waiver of this requirement and permit you to enroll in MBA classes next term, during which time you will take the exam. The Graduate Council consists of the director of the MBA program and two senior faculty members, one of whom is your business communication professor. a) What is the purpose of your presentation? b) What do you know or what can you surmise about your audience that might help you prepare a more effective presentation? c) What considerations affect the timing of your presentation? d) What method of delivery should you use? 172

173 15. The conflict The root reason for the conflict was insufficient quality of the equipment delivered by a supplier. Another complaint was that part of the equipment was still in a warehouse where it had been for more than 2 months. Progressively the losses were running into a huge sum. To cut the loss, the management of the plant decided to exercise their legal right to compensation. They made a formal claim on their business partners and submitted all relevant supporting documents. Roles The Buyer s side: Managing Director, Finance Manager. The Seller s side: Chief Executive Officer, Production Manager, Technical Expert. Buyers You represent the interests of the Production Plant. You claim full compensation for the losses. The list of damages includes: 1) part of the purchase price for the delivered equipment, 2) projected transport charges back to the country of origin, 3) the fee to the Experts Commission. You also claim the lost profit. If your partner blocks the negotiation the only option left is to submit the case to Arbitration. Tell your partner that you are ready to present: An act of experts examination; Chemical analysis of the content of steel. Sellers You represent the interests of the Suppliers; During the talks you cannot deny poor operation of the equipment as finished products have visual defects. But you are sure that the only reason for malfunction is improper steel. You are dead sure that poor quality steel affected the quality of the finished product. In business you are always committed to a customer and your rescue plan may be: 1) to run a test with your own sample of steel used (it will help to discover the real fault); 2) to complete the commissioning of the full set of equipment (you will select people of better professional skills). 16. Damage to delivered equipment Problem The Seller shipped to the Buyer six sets of equipment for a project under construction. 173

174 Assembly and commissioning was done by the Buyer s personnel under the guidance of the Seller s Chief engineer. During the trial run one set of equipment suffered damage. The Buyer asked the seller to remove the damage and cover all repair expenses. To this, the Seller said no. In their opinion, the Buyer s personnel had infringed the maintenance and operation instructions. However, the Seller could not produce convincing evidence that they had done all possible to remove the fault and its harmful consequences. That was one of the major conditions to the technical side of the Contract which ran: During the starting period the parties to the contract are to ensure the faultless operation and adjusting of the delivered sets. Encl. extract from the Contract on Warranty WARRANTY 1. The seller warrants all equipment manufactured to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. 2. This warranty is for a period of 12 months from the date of putting the equipment into operation and is applicable only when the equipment is installed or operated in accordance with factory recommendations. 3. The warranty does not extend to damage or wear caused by misuse, corrosion, negligence, accident, faulty installation. 4. This warranty will be extended if, through the Seller s fault, the plant operation has been stopped for a certain period of time. 5. All the transport, insurance or other expenses for transportation of defective parts back to the Seller s country and bringing replacement therefrom to the Buyer s country are to be borne by the Seller. Roles Buyer At a meeting you represent the Buyer. Make use of the arguments which are in your favor. Try to convince the Seller that the damage should be repaired at their expense. Seller At a meeting you represent the Seller. Defend your viewpoint on the matter. But if the Buyer sounds convincing in his counterarguments be cooperative. 17. The fire Below is the case study which is usually given to a student of a business school to test the ability to take action and make firm recommendations. 174

175 You are to assume that you will be appointed to a position of executive responsibility within the firm if your performance in the role-play shows that you can plan, organize, direct and control business operations. You are to take decisions on major issues concerned with the case study. Case-study Statement of facts Brown and Co. are in difficulty now. A month ago there was fire in its factory. The fire started in an old building. The fire brigade tried to prevent the fire from spreading. To do this they had to soak the research and development area and the water did a lot of damage. The Managing Director was up all night. As soon as he heard about the fire he telephoned the key people in management and they all hurried immediately to the factory. The next morning the Managing director called a meeting to hear reports from managers and heads of departments on the damage caused by the fire and to discuss what action should be taken to minimize the ill effects of the fire. Ground plan of the factory premises A Headquarters (Administrative/Personnel/Sales/Finance Departments). B Research and Development Area. C Warehouse. D Factory. C B A D Destroyed by the fire. Soaked in water by the fire brigade. 175

176 Roles Managing Director You want accurate reports from your subordinates with concrete and realistic proposals as to how problems can be overcome. You should prepare an agenda for yourself listing the points that you wish to raise and the order in which you wish to raise them. Marketing Manager You should prepare a short report on how the fire will affect deliveries to the local customers. Remember that most of your finished goods have been destroyed. You want your local customers to have priority over overseas customers on available stocks and on the goods as they are manufactured. You want to abandon overseas customers for the time being. Production Manager You have the most difficult problem. Your warehouse has been destroyed and there is no factory space available for storage purposes. Part of your factory has been burnt out, part soaked in water. You should prepare a short report on the extent of the damage. You should also be ready to state what problems in production you will have to face over the next few weeks. Head of Research and Development You are in despair. Your area has been soaked in water, which has destroyed a lot of your equipment, and nearly all your documents. Finance Director In your report you analyze the financial consequences of the fire. The firm is bound to have a short-term liquidity problem. The reasons for it are: 1. The insurance claim won t be met for some time. 2. The firm won t invoice customers for several weeks. 3. There will be extra wage bills. 4. There will be the added cost of renting new storage space. 18. Work-team communication job-getting techniques Working in a group of four to five students, complete the following tasks: a) Select an occupation; b) List five people any of you know who might provide information about this career or possible job leads. Tell why each person in your network of contacts was chosen; c) Interview a counselor at a nearby employment service to determine what help the service could provide in securing a job in this occupation; d) Review the help-wanted ads in your local newspaper to determine what types of jobs are available in this occupation. 176

177 19. Negotiations 1. You (Peter Mac Kenzi) ask your director (Mr Hains) for a meeting to negotiate your promotion. Now you are working as a bank officer. You (Peter Mac Kenzi) ask your director (Mr Hains) for $15 per hour. You are not satisfied with that. Answer the questions to prepare for negotiations: What is your main objective? What are all of the alternatives you can think of? Why do you deserve to have your goals met? What will your opponent s counter proposal likely consist of? How can you respond to this counter proposal? When would you like to have this issue resolved? What is your bottom-line? What market research/homework do you need to do to back up your cause? What is your bargaining power compared to your opponent s? What do you know about the principles of negotiating? 2. Today you (Peter MacKenzi) meet your director (Mr Hains) to negotiate the promotion as planned. Continue the negotiation, as started below: Peter: - Thank you for agreeing to meet me today. Mr Hains: - Okey, well, let s get started. Peter: - Very well then. First of all I want you to know that I am fully aware of the challenges you have faced running the bank in the last few years. However I think you realize that I am unsatisfied with my current salary. I ve been with the bank for 5 years now. Mr Hains: - You are lucky to have a job in these times. Peter: - Yes, I am thankful, but Mr Hains: -. Types of phone fixed desktop phone mobile hands-free push-button IV. USEFUL VOCABULARY 1. Telephoning 177

178 Parts of phone dial handset earpiece keypad mouthpiece Actions pick up put down hold on hang up dial redial Services operator directory enquiries call diversion call waiting call hunting Identifying who is speaking This is Ann Brant. Ann Brant speaking. Is that Helen Truem? Who is calling, please? Taking and leaving messages Can I leave a message? Can you tell her I called? Could you ask him to call me back? I ll call back later. Did you get my message? Are there any messages for me? Problems I m sorry, the line is busy. You ve got the wrong extension (wrong number). I m sorry, but there s no reply from the office. The number is engaged. There s a crosstalk on the line, you have to redial the number. The number is unobtainable. 178

179 2. Getting a job Personal characteristics well-educated computer-literate want to get to the top don t get angry or irritated quickly think of other people s feelings open and friendly can work alone / in a team don t get tired easily can change people s opinions can produce new ideas Employment unemployed retired fired employed selfemployed 3. Presentation Introducing the topic Good morning/afternoon. I d like to introduce myself. I m John Jones, the new marketing manager for Sun Tours. I appreciate you taking the time to attend this presentation. Good morning. My name is ( ). I m the new PR Manager. Ladies and gentlemen. It s an honour to have the opportunity to address such a distinguished audience. Good morning. Let me start by saying just a few words about my own background. I started out in. Welcome to Widget Plc. I know I ve met some of you, but just for the benefit of those I haven t, my name s ( ). Title/Subject I d like to talk (to you) today about This morning I m going to... (talk about..., present..., give you an overview of..., inform you about...) Today I d like to... (describe...) The aim of my presentation this morning is to... (explain...) The subject/focus/topic of my presentation/paper/speech is. Let me give you an idea of what I m going to talk about... My presentation will focus specifically on

180 Purpose/Objective We are here today to decide /agree /learn about The purpose of this talk is to update you on /put you in the picture about /give you the background to This talk is designed to act as a springboard for discussion/start the ball rolling. Overview (outline of the presentation) I d like to begin/start by I ve divided my presentation into... / My talk will be in...(three parts). They are The subject can be looked at under the following headings: There are a number of points I d like to make. Basically/ Briefly, I have three things to say. First, I d like to... (give you an overview of...) Second, I ll move on to.../then I ll focus on... After that we ll deal with.../finally, we ll consider... I ll be speaking about these/the following main points... We can break this area down into the following fields: Firstly/first of all Secondly/then/next Thirdly/and then we come to Finally/lastly/last of all Length I ll take about... minutes of your time. I plan to be brief. I ll only take... minutes of your time. This should only last/take... minutes. My presentation will take/last (about/roughly)... minutes. Referring to questions Feel free to/do interrupt me if there s anything you don t understand. If you don t mind, we ll leave questions till the end. I d be glad to take/to answer your questions while I m speaking/at the end of my talk. Please interrupt me if there s something which needs clarifying. Otherwise, there ll be time for discussion at the end. I ll open it up for questions and comments at the end of the presentation. Please interrupt/stop me if something isn t clear/you need clarification Analysing a point and giving recommendations Where does that lead us? Let s consider this in more detail What does this mean for? 180

181 Translated into real terms Why is this important? The significance of this is Giving examples For example A good example of this is As an illustration To give you an example. To illustrate this point Sequencing/Ordering So, let s start with... (the objectives...) Let s start with a brief background of our company. We are pleased to introduce/announce our... Firstly.secondly thirdly. Then next finally/lastly Let s go on to Now we come to Now let me turn to...that brings me to... Let s leave that That covers Let s get back to Now let s move on to... (the next part...) Let s turn our attention to... (the question of...) This leads me to... (my third point...) Finally,... (let s consider...) Summarizing a section That completes my... (description of...)/so, to summarize,... (there are five key points...) That s all I have to say about We ve looked at So much for Referring I mentioned earlier... (the importance of...) I ll say more about this later. /We ll come back to this point later. Checking understanding Is that clear?/are there any questions? Referring to visual information This transparency/diagram shows... If you look at this graph you can see.../what is interesting in this slide is... I d like to draw your attention to... (this chart...} 181

182 Referring to common knowledge As you know.../as I m sure you are aware... Concluding That concludes my talk. /That brings me to the end of my presentation. /That completes my presentation. Before I stop/finish, let me just say That covers all I wanted to say today. To conclude/wrap up/summarise, I ve just described... I ll just recap on the highlights of this presentation. As you can see... As you can see, there are some very good reasons To sum up... To summarise... I d like to leave you with the following thought/idea. Right, let s sum up, shall we? Let s summarise briefly what we ve looked at. If I can just sum up the main points Finally, let me remind you of some of the issues we ve covered Let me just run over the key points again. I ll briefly summarize the main issues. To sum up To conclude In conclusion In short Briefly... So, to remind you of what I ve covered in this talk Unfortunately, I seem to have run out of time, so I ll conclude very briefly by saying that I d like now to recap Closing Thank you for your attention. Thank you for listening. I hope you will have gained an insight into Thanks for your attention. Please pick up... (promotion material, samples, information) on your way out. Paraphrasing and clarifying Simply put In other words So what I m saying is. To put it more simply To put it another way 182

183 Dealing with questions I m happy to answer any queries/questions. I d be glad to try and answer any questions. If you have any questions, I d be pleased/i ll do my best to answer them. Does anyone have any questions or comments? Please feel free to ask questions. So, let s throw it open to questions. If you would like me to elaborate on any point, please ask. Would you like to ask any questions? Any questions? That s a good point. /I m glad you asked that question. That s an interesting comment. Let me say that... I d be glad to clarify that point... Thanks for your query. I ll have to check on that and get back to you. I ll be interested in finding out more about this... Clarifying a question If I understand you correctly, you are saying /asking I didn t quite catch that. Could you go over that again? I m not sure what you re getting at. Avoiding giving an answer Can I get back to you on that later? Perhaps we could deal with that later. Can we talk about that on another occasion? I m afraid that s not my field. I m afraid I don t have... (the information at present/the figures with me) I m afraid I m not the right person to answer that. I m sure Mr. ( ) could answer that question. That s interesting, but I d prefer not to answer that today. Checking the questioner is satisfied Does that answer your question? Is that clear? May we go on? Describing your company or organization I work for (It) was founded in established (It) is (100) % owned by belongs to 183

184 (It) produces sells provides specializes in (It) employs (worldwide) has employees (Its) annual turnover is (It) is located The headquarters are There are subsidiaries in SCALE TO EVALUATE YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS Fill in the rating by marks from 1 (excellent) to 5 (poor). Dimension Rating Comments 1. Specific purpose A. Clarity B. Appropriateness for audience C. Appropriateness for situation 2. Introduction A. Attention step B. Preparation of audience 3. Body of speech A. Organization B. Transitions C. Internal summaries D. Developmental materials E. Language 1) clarity 2) vividness 3) appropriateness 4) accuracy F. Visual aids 1) attractiveness, clarity 2) effectiveness of use 4. Conclusion A. Psychological satisfaction B. Accomplishment of purpose 5. Delivery A. Effectiveness of method B. Vocal variety and level 184

185 Table continued Dimension Rating Comments 1) loudness 2) pitch 3) rate 4) quality 5) distinctness C. Visual image 1) facial expressions 2) gestures 3) body movement 4) eye contact EVALUATE YOUR PERFORMANCE! What are most of the marks? Ask your group mates if you are right. Comment on your achievements. 4. Meetings and negotiations Hosting Good morning, I m I d like to start by welcoming you all to todays meeting. I am very happy all of you are here for what I believe is very important for our organization. Introducing the agenda I d like to run quickly through the agenda. Firstly we start with then we ll discuss To close, we plan to Checking on break-out groups Is everything going OK? How much more time do you need? Can you appoint a speaker from each of the groups to report back to us all? Noting action points, decisions and open questions Shall I add this to our action list? So we agree that it s important to collect all the information before next week. So we need to discuss this point further. Are there any other questions that anyone would like to add to the list? 185

186 Specifying the next steps So we need to do this by (deadline). Who will be responsible for this? Ann? Closing the meeting OK, I think we can close the meeting here. Many thanks for your participation. I think we have made great progress. The minutes of the meeting will be with you by the end of the week. QUESTIONNAIRE TO EVALUATE YOUR ROLES IN MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS (By Jill Hadfield) Put ticks (v) in the second column to show how many times each action was performed. Action Organized the other members of the group Contributed an idea Encouraged others to say something Tried to get everyone to come to an agreement Summarized what other people had said Evaluated other people s ideas Asked people to explain what they meant Made everyone laugh Tried to smooth out problems Was rude about other people s ideas Distracted the group by talking about something else Interrupted other people to state my own ideas Did something else while everyone was talking Didn t listen to other people s ideas Didn t talk in English Number of times EVALUATE YOUR PERFORMANCE! Where are most of the ticks? If they are all in the top half of the questionnaire, then you can congratulate yourselves: you are a generally helpful and work in a co-operative group! Well done! If there are some ticks in the bottom half, then you need to think carefully about how you can co-operate better in a group and be more considerate of the feelings of each member of the group. If all your ticks are in the bottom half, well...! Perhaps you had better ask yourself if you really want to learn English! 186

187 ACTIVE VERBS The following is a list of action words to use in your resumes and cover letters. Absorb Accelerate Access Accomplish Accrue Acquire Achieve Act Activate Adapt Address Adjust Administer Advertise Advise Advocate Affirm Aid Alert Align Allocate Analyze Apply Appraise Approve Arbitrate Arranged Assemble Assess Assign Assist Attain Authorize Award Begin 187

188 Brief Bring Broadcast Budget Build Calculate Campaign Certify Chaired Change Chart Check Choose Clarify Classify Coach Collaborate Collate Collect Combine Communicate Compare Compile Complete Comply Compose Compute Conceptualize Conclude Condense Conduct Confer Configure Connect Conserve Consolidate Construct Consult Contact Continue 188

189 Contribute Control Convert Convey Convince Coordinate Correspond Counsel Critique Cultivate Customize Decide Declare Decline Decorate Dedicate Define Delegate Deliver Demonstrate Depreciate Describe Design Determine Develop Devise Diagnose Direct Dispatch Dispense Distribute Document Draft Edit Educate Emphasize Encourage Enforce Engineer Enhance 189

190 Ensure Establish Estimate Evaluate Examine Execute Expand Expedite Explain Fabricate Facilitate Finance Focus Forecast Formulate Foster Fund Furnish Gain Generate Graduate Greet Guide Handle Help Hire Host Identify Illustrate Implement Improve Improvise Increase Index Influence Inform Initiate Innovate Inspire Install 190

191 Institute Integrate Interact Interview Introduce Investigate Itemize Join Justify Launch Learn Lecture Led Lessen Lift Link Listen Maintain Manage Manipulate Map Market Measure Mediate Merge Mobilize Modify Monitor Motivate Negotiate Observe Obtain Open Operate Order Organize Originate Outpace Outperform Participate 191

192 Perform Persuade Plan Prepare Present Prevent Printed Prioritize Process Produce Program Promote Propose Prospect Prove Provide Publicize Purchase Pursue Qualify Run Rate Reach Receive Recommend Reconcile Record Recruit Reduce Refer Refocus Regulate Reorganize Repair Replace Report Represent Research Reserve Resolve 192

193 Respond Restore Restructure Retrieve Review Revise Revitalize Schedule Screen Search Secure Select Send Serve Share Seize Showcase Simplify Solve Sort Specialize Specify Sponsor Staff Standardize Start Succeed Suggest Summarize Supervise Supply Support Surpass Survey Sustain Target Teach Test Track Trade 193

194 Train Transact Transcribe Transform Translate Transmit Transport Tutor Unite Update Upgrade Use Utilize Validate Value Verify View Volunteer Watch Weigh Witness Write Yield Management Communication Financial Helping Developed Influenced Calculated Related Planned Persuaded Computed Guided Organized Helped Planned Led Executed Directed Managed Adjusted Supervised Motivated Budgeted Serviced Assigned Reasoned Solved Referred Directed Developed Accounted Rendered Coordinated Recruited Audited Attended Analyzed Created Appraised Cared Prioritized Negotiated Researched Sensitivity Delegated Arbitrated Analyzed Listened Hired Arranged Prepared Spoke Fired Mediated Detailed Directed 194

195 Recommended Reconciled Accuracy Perceived Evaluated Merged Speed Intuited Administered Obtained Allocated Understood Contracted Wrote Administered Maturity Produced Interpreted Quantified Team work Controlled Enlisted Developed Mentored Research Creative Teaching Detail Clarified Innovated Influencing Approved Surveyed Developed Persuaded Validated Interviewed Created Briefed Retained Investigated Imagined Informed Executed Inspected Designed Encouraged Dispatched Gathered Planned Communicated Responded Synthesized Conceptualized Advised Followed - through Examined Synthesized Guided Implemented Diagnosed Integrated Coached Enforced Reviewed Abstracted Instructed Responsible Organized Generated Explained Tolerated Evaluated Perceived Enlightenment Met deadlines Critiqued Memorized Stimulated Arranged Perceived Discriminated Invented Time management Collected Intuited Enthusiasm Varied Wrote Visualized Adapted Routine Interpreted Sensitivity Adopted Memorized Extrapolated Humored Facilitated Judged Decided Fashioned Coordinated Collected Recognized problems Shaped Developed Compile You can expand your skill list by using some of the following headings: Artistic Skills Writing Skills Leadership Skills Investigative Skills Performing Skills Reading Skills Interpersonal Skills 195

196 LIST OF REFERENCES (Список використаної літератури) 1. Business Spotlight [Text] Р Cook, A. American Accent [Text] : A Guide to Speaking and Pronouncing Colloquial American English / A. Cook. Second edition. Barron s, p. 3. Greenbaum, S. The Oxford Grammar [Text] / S. Greenbaum. Oxford : Oxford University Press, p. 4. Hadfield, J. Classroom Dynamics [Text] : Resource Books for Teachers / J. Hadfield. Oxford : Oxford University Press, p. 5. Jeffries, A. Clockwise advanced [Text] : Classbook / A. Jeffries. Oxford : Oxford University Press, p. 6. Leibling, L. The A-Z of Learning [Text] : Tips and Techniques for Teachers / L. Leibling, R. Prior. Taylor & Fransis e-library, p. 7. Phillips, D. Longman Complete Course for the TOEFL Test [Text] : Preparation for the computer and paper tests / D. Phillips. A Pearson Education Company, p. 8. Seymour, D. 700 Classroom Activities [Text] / D. Seymour, M. Popova. Macmillan, p. 9. Swan, M. Practical English Usage [Text] : Third edition / M. Swan. Oxford : Oxford University Press, p. 10. Sweeny, S. Communicating in Business [Text] : Second Edition : Students Book / S. Sweeny. Cambridge University Press, p. 11. Watcyn-Jones, P. Vocabulary 1 : Games and Activities [Text] : New Edition / P. Watcyn-Jones. Pearson education Ltd, Penguin Books Ltd, p. 12. Watcyn-Jones, P. Vocabulary 2 [Text] : Games and Activities / P. Watcyn- Jones. Pearson education Ltd, Penguin Books Ltd, p. 13. Wood, N. Business and Commerce [Text] : Workshop / N. Wood. Oxford : Oxford University Press, p. Electronic Sources (Електронні ресурси) 1. http// www. americanaccent.com 2. http// 3. http// 4. http// 5. http// 196

197 ACCOMPANYING LITERATURE (Список рекомендованої літератури) 1. Cotton, D. Market Leader [Text] : Practice File / D. Cotton, D. Falvey, S. Kent. Madrid : Longman, p. 2. Doodale, M. The Language of Meetings [Text] / M. Doodale. Brighton : Commercial Colour Press Ltd, p. 3. Hindle, T. Making Presentations [Text] / T. Hindle. Dorling Kindersley, London, p. 4. Mccarthy, P. Presentation skills [Text] / P. Mccarthy, C. Hatcher. Sage Publications, p. 5. Mackenzie. I. English for Business Studies [Text] : A Course of Business Studies and Economics Students / I. Mackenzie. Cambridge University Press, p. 6. Brieger, Nick. Test Your Professional English [Text] : Accounting / N. Brieger. Penguin English, p. Grammar Reference Books (Граматичні довідники) 1. Eastwood, John. Oxford Practice Grammar [Text] / John Eastwood. Oxford : Oxford University Press, p. 2. Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use [Text] : A self-study reference and practice book for intermediate students / Murphy Raymond. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, p. Dictionaries (Словники) 1. Англо-русский словарь по экономике и финансам [Teкст] / под редакцией проф., д-ра экон. наук А. В. Аникина. СПб. : Экономическая школа, с. 2. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English [Text]. Pearson Education Limited, p. 3. Tuck, A. Oxford Dictionary of Business English. For Learners of English [Text] / A. Tuck. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 491 p. Electronic Sources (Електронні ресурси) 1. http// 2. http// 3. http// 4. http// 197

198 5. http// 6. http// 7. http// 8. http// Audio Sources (Аудіоресурси) Listening extra. Miles Craven. Cambridge University Press, CD 1, CD 2. Disk 1: Your name please (Telephoning and personal details) Nice to meet you (Introduction) Disk 2: I hate my job (Job interview) It really works (Meetings and negotiations) Next stop Mars (Presentations) A Car of the future (Presentations) 198

199 SUBJECT INDEX The number after each of the words / phrases refers to the page where they appear. Application letter 42 C Charts 106, 165 Checklist 32, 69, 117 Company structure 94, 95 Covering letter 65 CV 59, 63 D Documents 59, 63, 65, 67 E 67 Etiquette 27, 30 G Graphs 108, J Job hunting 39, 59 Job interview , 159 M Meetings 125, 128, 133, 151 Messages 18, 19 Minutes N Negotiations 141, 153 P Presentation 72, 77, 84, 86, 93, 105, 161 Q Quiz 68 R Resume 59, 61 Role-plays A 199

200 S Scale for evaluating the presentation skills 184 Selection procedure 53 Staff 55 T Telephoning 15, 155 Text U Useful vocabulary for topic areas Virtual meeting 146, 148 Visual aids 105, 164 Written follow-up 68 V W ПРЕДМЕТНИЙ ПОКАЖЧИК А Анкета працевлаштування 42 В Віртуальні збори 146, 148 Г Графіки 106, 108, Д Додатки 155 Документи 59, 63, 65, 67 Е Електронний лист 67 Етикет переговорів 27, 30 З Засоби наочності 105, 164 Зустрічі 125, 128, 133, 151 І Інтерв ю 156, 157, 159 Л Лексичний мінімум за темами

201 О Опитувальний листок 32, 69, 117 П Повідомлення 18, 19 Працевлаштування 39 Протокол зборів Р Резюме 59, 61 Рольова гра С Структура компанії 94, 95 Супроводжувальний лист 65 Т Телефонування 5, 155 Текст Тест 32, 69, 117 Ш Шкала оцінювання навичок презентації

202 Навчальне видання АНГЛІЙСЬКА МОВА ДЛЯ ДІЛОВОГО СПІЛКУВАННЯ ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Навчальний посібник для організації практичних занять і самостійного вивчення дисципліни Укладачі: Дорда Світлана Володимирівна Миленкова Римма Володимирівна Клочко Лариса Іванівна Технічне редагування І.О. Кругляк Комп ютерна верстка Н. А. Височанська Підписано до друку Формат 60х90/16. Гарнітура Times. Обл.-вид. арк. 8,06. Умов. друк. арк. 12,63. Тираж 30 пр. Зам Державний вищий навчальний заклад Українська академія банківської справи Національного банку України 40000, м. Суми, вул. Петропавлівська, 57 Свідоцтво про внесення до Державного реєстру видавців, виготівників і розповсюджувачів видавничої продукції: серія ДК, 3160 від Надруковано на обладнанні Державного вищого навчального закладу Українська академія банківської справи Національного банку України 40000, м. Суми, вул. Петропавлівська, 57