We take a further look at negotiating. You can watch the video or
just listen to the audio.
LIN:..so that's our offer. We think it's a fair one, with
advantages for both sides.
VICTOR: Yes, well, we're prepared to consider your offer Ms
Chan, if you can accept some conditions.
SUE: And subject to consideration by the board.
JOHN: What are the conditions?
VICTOR: Well, firstly the price you're proposing. Would that be
variable depending on currency fluctuations? The issue is that we're in an
unstable environment at the moment - the exchange rate could affect us
negatively.
JOHN: Us too!
VICTOR: True, but the problem is that we're tied to the U.S.
dollar.
LIN: We could consider hedging against currency in both
directions.
SUE: That would be acceptable.
VICTOR: Another problem we may have is that of supply. Our
customers often need supply at short notice. If we do get large orders, we need
to guarantee delivery - so we need to stockpile. The difficulty there is the
capital outlay. How would you feel about a partial offset against our sales?
JOHN: You mean a loan.
VICTOR: I suppose so.
SUE: Would you be agreeable to a deferred payment? We can
provide security of course.
LIN: I think that would be acceptable. Unfortunately, I would
need to get Board approval for it.
SUE: Of course.
VICTOR: Then I think we might have a deal!
LIN: In principle.
JOHN: Time to celebrate!
In negotiations, it's usual for each side to have conditions that make the
deal better, or safer for them. A condition is a change in the terms of a
deal which is necessary before one side or the other agrees.
Notice that Victor uses language carefully.
He doesn't say 'we agree to your offer', he says 'we're prepared to consider
your offer'.
He is signaling to the other side that there is a chance for agreement by
using the word 'consider', which means 'think about'.
He then makes this conditional by saying 'if you can accept some
conditions'. In English, using the word 'if' in this way is called a
conditional.
Victor is saying 'We can consider your offer if you can accept some
conditions.' One part of the sentence is conditional on, or depending on the
other.
The negative is also true. If they can't accept the conditions, Victor can't
consider the offer.
Notice that Sue adds: 'subject to consideration by the board'. 'Subject to'
is another type of conditional phrase. She means 'We can agree if the board
agrees.' 'Subject to' is a legal phrase meaning 'only if', or 'only after'.
There are a number of expressions you can use when giving a condition. Try
them after me:
...subject to the board's agreement.
...conditional on the board's agreement.
...providing that the board agrees.
...as long as the board agrees.
...on condition that the board agrees.
Let's look now at Victor's first condition.
When Victor is talking about conditions - he is exploring various scenarios
- or things that could happen.
Notice that he explains what the problem is... He says 'The issue is that
we're in an unstable environment.'
'The issue' means the problem, or the thing that needs discussing.
Practice with Victor some ways of introducing a problem.
The issue is the exchange rate.
The problem is the exchange rate.
The difficulty we have is with the exchange rate.
One thing that could happen is that the exchange rate, the amount of money
you can exchange in one currency for another, may change. Notice that Victor
uses the words 'would' and 'could'.
'Would' is like a conditional. One thing might result in another thing
happening.
The exchange rate might change.
Victor is talking about the price for their product. He asks 'would that be
variable depending on currency fluctuations'. 'Fluctuations' are changes. We
can express this another way: 'If the currency changes, will the price
change?' 'Could' is used to express a possibility - something that might
happen.
Victor says 'the exchange rate could affect us negatively'. Notice that you
can say something will affect you negatively - it will have a negative, or
bad effect, or positively - it will have a positive , or good effect.
What is Lin's response to this first condition, or concern of Victor's?
Like Victor, Lin is being careful. She uses the word 'consider' rather than
just agreeing. She's waiting until the whole deal is clear.
We can give both questions and answers using these 'could' and 'would'
phrases. Practise them after Lin and Victor.
Would you consider hedging against currency?
Would you agree to hedging against currency?
We could consider hedging against currency.
We could agree to hedging against currency.
Sue comments: 'That would be acceptable'. 'Acceptable' simply means 'able to
be accepted'. They can agree to this solution. Practise with Sue some
phrases you can use to agree, and disagree, to conditions.
That would be acceptable.
We can agree to that.
We would be agreeable to that.
That wouldn't be acceptable I'm afraid.
I'm afraid we can't agree to that.
We wouldn't be agreeable to that.
Notice that to 'agree with' someone, is to think they are right. To 'agree
to' something, is to accept a proposal.
What is Victor's second condition? Let's see.
You might use the phrase 'how would you feel about' something if you think
it may be a difficult condition for the other side to accept. Sue puts this
proposal a different way.
Sue uses the phrase 'would you be agreeable'. 'Would you be agreeable to a
deferred payment.' A deferred payment is when you pay later for something
you buy. Lin thinks this condition is acceptable, but she makes it
conditional on Board approval by saying 'I would need to get Board
approval.' Notice the stress on 'would'. Practise some phrases you can use
for this type of condition.
That would have to have Board approval.
The Board would need to approve that.
That would be subject to Board approval.
Sometimes conditions depend on other conditions. One side might say, 'we
agree to your condition if...'
So it's very important when negotiating to listen for words that signal a
condition: words like 'if', 'could','would', 'provided' or 'providing', 'as
long as' and 'subject to'.
And words that might signal a problem, such as 'problem', 'unfortunately',
and 'however'.
Notice that even at the end, they are being careful about what they say.
Lin agrees 'in principle'. This means they have agreed on terms among
themselves, but as she needs Board approval, she can't authorise the
agreement right now.
And right now we've reached the end of today's program. See you next time on
the Business of English.
story notes
Yes, well, we're prepared to consider your offer
Ms Chan, if you can accept some conditions.
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| Notice that Victor uses language carefully.
He doesn't say 'we agree to your offer', he says 'we're prepared to
consider your offer'.
He is signalling to the other side that there is a chance for
agreement by using the word 'consider', which means 'think about'.
He then makes this conditional by saying 'if you can accept some
conditions'. In English, using the word 'if' in this way is called a
conditional.
Victor is saying 'We can consider your offer if you can accept some
conditions.' One part of the sentence is conditional on, or depending on
the other.
The negative is also true. If they can't accept the conditions, Victor
can't consider the offer. |