Unit 3
Business Negotiation
本单元结合国际经贸业务中的典型工作流程、工作场景概述国际货物买卖过程中商业背景调查之后的一个重要环节——“交易磋商”：
? 交易磋商概述：介绍交易磋商过程中典型的四个环节，主要涉及四个环节的
基本含义、内容和在整个过程中的地位与作用(Reading A)，为进行实际交易磋商提供理论指导；
? 口头磋商：根据业务需要，向贸易伙伴询问商品报价、提供报价、磋商分歧
和达成协议(Listening & Speaking)，学习实际磋商中的谈判技巧；
? 书面报盘与还盘：客户通过电子邮件向公司相关人员进行报盘，即商品的名
称、价格和样品等信息，公司对报盘进行还盘，指出需要进一步磋商部分，并提供具体建议(Reading A)
? 起草询盘和介绍信件：根据所给的信息，起草一份得体的询盘和接受信函
(Reading B & Writing), 熟悉交易磋商信函包括的一般内容和格式。
Unit Objectives
After studying this unit, you are able to:
? Understand the four basic steps in the process of a business negotiation ? Know the formats of enquiry, offer, counter-offer and acceptance ? Use the bargaining skills in business negotiation
? Draft and answer enquiry, offer, counter-offer and acceptance
1. Warming-up
Task 1
The following jeans picture is a sample for whole sales advertised in China Daily. Discuss with your partner what you will enquire of the seller when you plan to import them.
A price list Specification Quantity Samples Terms of payment Shipment
Task 2
Discuss with your classmates to find out what steps might be taken to reach a deal on
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importing the jeans above. Then, fill in the following boxes and explain why. Reading an advertisement for jeans
Negotiating about what they differ in
Confirming what they have agreed
Asking for detailed information of the jeans Sending a quotation of the jeans and samples 2. Reading A
Background Information
As a key part in international trade, business negotiation refers to the process in which a seller and a buyer negotiate the terms and conditions on trading specified products, and finally reach an agreement. It can be done orally or in writing. Normally, it comes when the company finishes its business background check on its potential business partner. The general
procedure of business negotiation is enquiry, offer, counter-offer, and acceptance. But it should be noted that in practice not all business negotiations go through the four phases.
Task 1
Before reading the passage, see how much you know about the business negotiation by answering the following questions.
1. Have you ever heard of the general steps in business negotiations? If so, list them in time order; if not, guess what they are. Suggested Answers
I’ve heard a little bit about the steps of business negotiations in Chinese. And after discussing with Tom, we finally nail down our version of the general steps in business negotiations. The first step is to ask general information about a product. I remember it is called “enquiry”; next is to give a reply to the so-called “enquiry”, which is mainly on the product’s price; the third step is called “counter-offer”; and the last one is to reach an agreement which means one party finally accepts the other’s conditions and terms.
2. What do we need to pay close attention to in business negotiations? Suggested Answers
We think all the four steps are very important. For example, if you are a buyer and want to make an enquiry about the product you are interested in, you should state clearly the name and specifications of the product in the letter. And if you want to buy a lot, you’d better tell the seller to quote you the best price. For the seller, he should reply the enquiry as soon as possible. When quoting the price, he is strongly recommended to make it clear that the price might fluctuate, especially in a turbulent market. When receiving the seller’s offer or quotation, you might find it impossible to
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accept. Don’t reject it rudely or give no reply because he might be your future business partner. When drafting a counter-offer, you should give good reasons for the part you disagree with and your new suggestions. As to the last step, “acceptance”, you’d better restate what you have agreed on to make sure there is no misunderstanding about it. It is much helpful, especially after several rounds of exchanges between you and the seller.
Text
General Steps in Business Negotiations
Generally speaking, business negotiations involve four steps: enquiry, offer, counter-offer and acceptance.
一般来说，交易磋商包括四个步骤：询盘、报盘、还盘和接受。
The first step is “enquiry”. When reading an advertisement in a newspaper, website or anywhere else, buyers may make requests for the information relating to their interested products like price lists, samples and terms of payment. Such a request is called “an enquiry”.
第一步是“询盘”。买方在报纸、网站或者其他地方看到一则广告后，可能会向对方索取有关自己感兴趣的商品信息，如价格表、样品、付款条件等。而这种索取信息的请求就被称为“询盘”。
After sending the enquiry, it comes to “offer”. An offer is the expression of the wish of the seller to sell particular goods under stated terms, including quantity, prices, shipment, terms of payment, etc. It usually follows an enquiry that is either written or oral.
在发出询盘后，买方就会收到“报盘”。报盘表达了卖方希望出售某种商品的条件，包括数量、价格、装运、付款条件等。它通常出现在口头的或者书面的询盘之后。
Offers can be classified into two types: firm offers and non-firm offers. A firm offer is usually a seller’s promise to sell specified goods or services at specified prices, and valid for a specified period, with packing, payment, etc. described clearly. Once the firm offer is accepted by the buyer within the validity, the seller is not permitted to revise or withdraw his/her offer and is obliged to enter into a contract with the buyer. In contrast, a non-firm offer is actually an offer without engagement which often contains reservation clauses like “ We make you an offer subject to our final confirmation.”
报盘可以分为两大类：实盘和虚盘。实盘通常是指卖方以指定的价格、有效期、包装、付款等内容销售某种商品或服务的承诺。实盘一旦在有效期内被买方接受，卖方就不准修改或者撤回其报盘，并有义务与买方签署合同。相比之下，虚盘实际上是一个没有约言的报盘，它经常包括诸如这样的保留条款：“此发盘须经我方最终确认。”
Next step is “counter-offer”. When an offer reaches the offeree, he/she may reject it and end the negotiation if he/she finds it impossible to reach an agreement. But usually he /she will carefully study the offer, and renew the received offer by altering or adding some terms and conditions. In such a case, the reply to the offer is called “counter-offer”.
下一步是“还盘”。当报盘送达受盘人，如果发现不可能达成一致，他/她可能会拒绝，
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从而终止谈判。但是通常他/她会仔细研究报盘，修改或添加一些条款和条件。在这种情况下，对报盘的回复称作“还盘”。
A counter-offer functions as both a rejection to the original offer and a new offer by the buyer. Consequently, the former offeror now becomes an offeree, and the former offeree turns to be an offeror. Normally, such exchanges might go through several rounds before a contract is signed.
还盘的作用既是对原始报盘的拒绝，又是买方提出的新报盘。因此，以前的发盘人现在变成了受盘人，而以前的受盘人变成了发盘人。通常，在最终签署合同之前，这种相互之间的交流可能要经历几个来回。
Last, we’ll discuss “acceptance”. When an offer arrives, the offeree might agree on all terms contained in the offer unconditionally, and an agreement will be reached between the two parties. In such a case, the reply to an offer is known as “acceptance”. Here, it should be noted that the word “offer” refers to both the original offer and the counter-offer in several rounds of negotiations.
最后，我们将谈谈“接受”。当报盘到达受盘人后，他可能无条件地接受报盘中的所有条款。这样，双方就达成了一致。在这种情况下，对报盘的回复被称作“接受”。这里需要指出的是，“报盘”这个词这里既指原始的报盘，也指谈判回合中的还盘。
involve
v. to include or affect someone or something
His reform involves the reorganization of several ministries in the government.
go through
to experience a particular process
You have to go through several rounds of interviews before such a big company recruits you.
agree on
to have or express the same opinion about something as someone else They agreed on a date for next round of negotiation in this meeting. Useful Expressions:
agree to do sth.:同意做某事 agree with sb.:同意某人
agree on/about sth.:就某事达成一致
Task 2
Read the passage, and match each step with the corresponding aspect. enquiry provide prices and shipment of the products offer reach an agreement between the two parties request for pricelists, samples and terms of payment counter-offer acceptance point out terms of payment and conditions that are unaccepted 4
Task 3
Read the passage again and tick off the facts mentioned in the passage. □ 1. definition of business negotiations □ 2. people’s attitudes toward an enquiry □ 3. legal consequence of a firm offer
□ 4. differences between a quotation and an offer □ 5. the possibility of rejecting an offer □ 6. how to make a counter-offer □ 7. the effects of a counter-offer
□ 8. definite number of offer and counter-offer rounds □ 9. format of writing an acceptance letter
Task 4
The reading passage has shown four general steps in business negotiations. Discuss with your classmates and decide which of the above steps is the most difficult and explain the reasons.
3. Listening
Task 1
Miss Chen of Pioneer Garment Factory, is talking with Mr. Addison, a potential customer from the US. Listen to the conversation and match the people with the correct information.
Mr. Addison Miss Chen
Script
Miss Chen: Good morning, sir. Can I help you?
Mr. Addison: Good morning. I’d like to know something about your latest blouses. Oh, by the way, I’m Tom Addison from Rocky Mountain Import & Export Co. Here’s my card.
Miss Chen: Glad to meet you, Mr. Addison. This is my card. I’m Chen Hong, sales manager of Pioneer Garment Factory. Have a seat, please! Mr. Addison: Thank you.
Miss Chen: I think you might be interested in the embroidered ones which are the newest models. Here are the samples. In fact, it sells well in Canada. Mr. Addison: Yes, they look really nice and fashionable.
Miss Chen: I’m quite sure they’ll find a ready market in your country.
Mr. Addison: I hope so. But I need to study them further. Could you give me your catalog and price list?
Miss Chen: Of course. Here you are.
Mr. Addison: I’ll contact you later. Thank you!
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? ? ? ? Rocky Mountain Import & Export Show the newest models of blouses Ask for the catalog and pricelist Sales manager