3. Several are this aspects situation to there

4. I this like to run through seven briefly points position explain that our just on

would

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.business englishpod.com 55

Successful Negotiations

Answers

Listening Questions

1) The basic source of disagreement between Maxine and Peter is price – Maxine

will not sell business for less than €15 million; Peter “can’t do better than,”

that is, can’t offer more than €11.5 million.

2) Maxine says that the market is going nowhere but up – that is, continuing to

expand – and she says that she’s got “tremendous value here – good people,

good products, and a solid business plan.”

3) Due diligence refers to doing careful research before a big purchase or other

major life decision.

Language Review

A. Useful Language

Clarifying positions

1. If I understand the position correctly, you are looking for better credit

terms, am I correct?

2. As we seeit, this is the position at the moment:

3. How do you see our objectives?

4. Can I just summarizeour positions as I see them?

Evaluating the position

Positive

5. Despite a couple points of minor disagreement, the arrangement under

discussionobviously has a lot to offer both sides.

6. Though there are still a couple of looseends to tie up, we feel

overwhelmingly positive about the compromise that we’ve reached.

7. This is a goodoffer – no doubt about it.

Negative

8. Honestly, this offer leaves a lot to be desired, in our point of view.

9. We’ve looked at the figures closely, and I can’t say that we currently have a

very high appraisalof this deal.

10.At this point, I think it’s really toughto see where the value is for our side.

B. Giving Reasons

1. Let me explain why we have reached this conclusion.

2. I also have to take into account many other factors.

3. There are several aspects to this situation.

4. I would just like to briefly run through seven points that explain our position

on this.

Online Activities – Flash Quizzes

(click above to open)

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.business englishpod.com 56

business englishpod

Online Activities:

M

P

3

P

o

d cast:

BEP 406 – Declining an Offer while Maintaining Goodwill

This episode will focus on declining an offerand what to do when someone

declines. It is part of an ongoing series on negotiation skills.

Negotiations don’t always go according

to plan. Disagreement is part of life. But

to build lasting relationships, coping

with failure is even more important than

celebrating success. So in this show,

we’ll examine a deal that does not get

completed. We’ll look at making a final

offer

as

well

as

expressing

dissatisfactionandregret. We’ll focus on

maintaining goodwilleven when talks

break down.

Peter is the owner of mobile phone ringtone and game provider, Textacular. He

is in discussions with Maxine about buying her company, Gamester. Eventually,

Peter wants to sell his business to a larger, regional service provider for a profit,

so he is attempting to roll upor buy other small companies to increase the value

of his business. But Maxine wants €15 million for her business, and Peter isn’t

prepared to pay that much.

As you listen, pay attention to how Peter makes a final offer, how Maxine

declines it, and how they both work to maintain goodwill.

Listening Questions

1) What are Maxine’s reasons for staying firm on price?

2) What does Peter say to justify not being able to pay more?

3) How does Maxine leave open the possibility for future cooperation?

© 2009 All rights reserved: www.business englishpod.com 57

Successful Negotiations