II. Английский язык делового общения

Unit 1

BUSINESS LETTER TERMINOLOGY

Laying out letters

Letters are perhaps the most important communication to get right because they officially represent your company or organization to the outside world. Your company will seem less attractive if your letters are not professional.

Writer’s address or company letterhead: at the top or in the top right-hand corner. The writer’s name is not at the top of the letter. Letterheads should be very distinctive. They should give your correspondents all the information they might need if they want to contact you: your company name, your address, your telephone and fax numbers.

Reader’s name, position and address: on the left. If you are writing to another country, write the country in the address.

Date: on the right. Various forms of the date are possible /In GB: 24 October 1997, in the USA: October 24, 1997/.

Opening salutation: use the name of the reader if you know it, without the initial. If you do not, write Dear Sirs to a company, Dear Sir to a man, Dear Madam to a woman or Dear sir or Madam if you do not know the sex of the reader.

Body of the letter: start a new paragraph for each new idea or subject. Leave a line space between each paragraph. Do not break words at the end of a line.

Closing salutation: Yours faithfully if you do not know the reader’s name. Yours sincerely if you do /US: Yours truly or Sincerely yours/.

Signature

Writer’s name and title /and position in the company, if appropriate/. A man uses the title Wr. The title Mrs. shows that a woman is married; Miss shows that she is unmarried; Ms shows only that she is a woman as many women nowadays, particularly in business avoid indicating their marital status

Block style is the modern style – all paragraphs start at the left-hand margin.

Punctuation: in modern business letters punctuation is not used in the headings and endings of a letter. Normal punctuation is used in the body of the letter.

Example of a letter:

30 Empire Drive

Manchester M6 2PQ

Mr. Graham Davis

Assistant manager

Transworld Freight plc

74 Dockside

Manchester M15 7BJ 8 March 1999

Dear Mr. Davis

I saw your advertisement for an Export Manager in the Daily Herald of 7 March and I would like to apply for the position.

I would be grateful if you could send me an application form and further information about the salary and working conditions.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours sincerely

Geoffrey Andrews /Mr./

Exercise 1. Name the parts of the letter written above and explain the words used in the letter.

Exercise 2. Rewrite these sentences as you would write them in a more formal business letter.

1. I’ll expect to you next week.

2. Could you give me some information about the job?

3. Could you send me your price list?

4. I’ll expect to receive the application form soon.

5. Could you see me this week?

6. I’ll expect to see you at the conference

Exercise 3. Find the mistakes /more than 10/ in the letter made by a temporary typist while the secretary was away from work.

Mr. O Jones

Household Designs Co Ltd.

22 High Street

Manchester M1 2BL

England

1. Bell

Transworld Freight plc

74 Dockside

Manchester 24st March 1999

Our ref : AB/ts

Dear sirs,

Further to our meeting of yesterday, I would like to place an order for 10 chairs (type c405678) . Can you supply them in blue or green and can you offer a discount?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

1. Bell

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions:

1. What is a letterhead?

2. Design the letterhead of your company.

3. What are the ways to address a man and a woman?

4. Why addressing a woman can sometimes be tricky?

5. What do you do if you do not even know what sex your correspondent is?

6. How should you address your letter if you are writing to a company, rather then to a named individual?

7. What is the right way to write the address of your correspondent?

8. What kind of salutation should you use if you know your correspondent?

9. What kind of salutation should you use if you do not know your correspondent’s name?

10. How would you begin your letter?

11. What courtesy lines would you add to your letter?

12. What are the parts of a business letter?

13. What is the American way of writing the date?

Unit 2

WRITING BUSINESS EMAILS

For most of us, sending and receiving email is simple and fun. We use it to communicate with friends and family and to converse with our contemporaries in an informal manner. Since email is part of the virtual world of communication, many people communicate in their email messages the same way they do in virtual chat rooms: with much less formality and sometimes too aggressively. However, there are some problems with writing emails. Because it is so easy, it is tempting to write in the same way as you speak. This is not a problem with emails between friends, but when you are sending an email for business, there are some important things to think about.

Be aware that electronic mail is often the preferred method of communication between job-seeker and employer. There are general guidelines that should be followed when emailing cover letters, thank-you notes and replies to various requests for information. Apply the following advice to every email you write:

Use a meaningful subject header for your email – one that is appropriate to the topic.

Always be professional and businesslike in your correspondence. Address the recipient as Mr., Ms. or Mrs., and always verify the correct spelling of the recipient’s name.

Be brief in your communications. Don’t overload the employer with lots of questions in your email.

Ditch the emoticons. While a :) or an LOL (laughing out loud) may go over well with friends and family, do not use such symbols in your email communications with business people.

Do not use strange fonts, wallpapers or multicolored backgrounds.

Sign your email with your full name.

Avoid using slang.

Be sure to proofread and spell-check your email before sending it.

When you’re dealing with employers, there is no such thing as an inconsequential communication. Your emails say far more about you than you might realize, and it is important to always present a polished, professional image – even if you are just emailing your phone number and a time when you can be contacted. If you are sloppy and careless, a seemingly trivial communication will stick out like a sore thumb.

5 top tips for writing emails for business

1. Always give your message a clear title by writing in the 'Subject' box.

2. Open your message with a greeting, e.g. 'Dear Ms Lee'. If you have spoken to the person before, it is probably acceptable to use his or her first name. However, if this is the first contact, it is best to use titles such as 'Mr.' or 'Ms.'. If you do not know if the recipient is a man or a woman, you can write their full name after 'Dear'.

3. Begin with a pleasantry. If you are replying to a message, you could say 'Thank you for your message.' If this is the first contact, tell them why you are writing ('I am writing to inform you about…').

4. Use complete sentences and don't forget to use words like 'please' if you are asking the person to help you.

5. Let the person know if you expect them to contact you by saying 'Please let me know…'.

Exercise 1. Improve the email.

Look at the email below. The writer has broken some important rules for business emails. Can you correct it?

To: Ms. Jones:

From: John Doe

Subject:

I just wanted to send a quick note to explain that the position we discussed yesterday is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I want to work at XYZ Corporation. Contact me if you need further information.

John Doe

Exercise 2. Read two emails and underline the expressions that mean the same.

Robert,

Thanks for your email asking for ways of reducing the sales force. Please find attached a Word document with a specific plans for this. Please let me know if you cant read this attachment. I’m copying Ruth Mitchell in on this. Do forward it to the rest of the board if you feel that’s appropriate. Looking forward to your reaction.

Best wishes,

Tina

Tina,

Thanks for your plans on reducing the budget of the sales department. I’d be grateful if you could send copies to Chris Jones of any emails you sent to me. With this email, you’ll find a Word document with my comments. Please let me know if for any reason you can’t open the document that comes with this email. I’m sending your proposals to all members of the board.

Greetings,

Robert

Exercise 3. Fill in the blanks.

Dear Mr. Jones:

First let me _____ for the meeting with me last Monday. I welcomed the opportunity to meet you and learn about your company. I hope that we will get again soon. I’ll be _____ to set up an appointment. ______ seeing you soon.

_________

Unit 3

JOB SEARCH CORRESPONDENCE

Resume

A resume is a personal summary of your professional history and qualifications. It includes information about your career goals, education, work experience, activities, honors, and any special skills you might have. A resume written for an entry-level position should not be over one page long.

Curriculum Vitae (CV, Vitae, or Vita)

Also known as a CV, Vitae, or Vita, in the United States a Curriculum Vitae is a detailed listing of your educational achievements, publications, presentations, professional activities and honors. Usually the vita does not include an objective statement, and formatting for the vitae varies by career. The curriculum vitae is longer than the resume; it is generally two pages or longer. They are most often necessary only if you are seeking a faculty, research, clinical or scientific position.

Scannable Resume

A scannable resume is a resume that can be scanned into a database. More and more companies are using this type of resume since it eliminates paperwork and cuts operating costs. The format of a scannable resume is different from a traditional resume in order to insure proper scanning. The content, however, is generally the same, although there is a greater focus on using nouns rather than verbs to describe your accomplishments.

The keys to writing a Resume or CV

If you are applying for a job with an English-speaking company, here are five important things to remember when writing your Resume or CV.

1. Keep your Resume or CV short. Try to put all of the most important information on two sheets of paper.

2. Use note form, not full sentences.

3. Give each section a heading, e. g. personal details; education & qualifications; work experience; key skills & achievements.

4. When talking about your achievements, use language which shows what you have done. Saying, ‘I have used English in my work' makes your experience sound up-to-date. Saying, ‘I used English in my work last year' makes it sound old.

When talking about your skills, talk about things which are important to the job. Use positive adjectives to show how good your skills are.

Exercise 1. Read the resume and answer the questions.

Andy Matthews

617-555-0392

EDUCATION BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 2003

Major: Health Sciences

Minor: Management

Participated in Youth Leadership Boston, a group dedicated to developing leadership skills through diverse programming.

Served as formal/social coordinator for my sorority program council.

Elected Vice President of Risk Management for Panhellenic, a group that oversees and coordinates educational programming for Harvard's Greek system.

Systems Abilities

• Microsoft Office

• HTML/Web Publishing

• WordPerfect

• PageMaker

1. What kind of job does Andy Matthews want to find?

2. What is the address of the sender?

3. What are the responsibilities of Andy Matthews?

4. What kind of personality he is (his interests, skills, achievements)?

5. What do you think about the person and his resume as a potential employer?

Exercise 2. There are different formats of resume. The main are Chronological and Functional. Where is functional resume? and chronological? What is the difference between them?

The chronological resume is organized by job titles with the most recent position listed first. For job seekers with solid experience and a logical job history, the chronological resume is the most effective. Career changers and those who lack formal on-the-job experience (like new graduates) find this resume the most difficult to write.

The functional resume rearranges employment history into sections that highlight areas of skill and accomplishment. The functional resume might be thought of as a "problem solving" format. The functional resume gives you latitude to "make sense" of your work history and match up skills and accomplishments that might not be obvious to the employer in a traditional chronological format. If any of the descriptions below apply to you, you may want to investigate the functional format:

• You have a "mixed bag" work history: no clear thread uniting positions held.

• You are a new graduate or entering the workforce. You must show how the skills you have used in the past (in volunteer or coursework) apply to the job you are seeking.

• Your job titles, such as such as "Administrative Assistant" or "Marketing Coordinator," do not clearly reflect the level of skills you used.

• You are making a career change – either changing industry (from Hospitals to Pharmaceuticals) or changing occupation (from Manufacturing Technician to Sales Representative.)

Exercise 3. Write resume of both types using the following notes:

1. Chronological

Name

Street City, Slate Zip – Phone – Email

JOB OBJECTIVE

Very concisely state what job you would like next

SUMMARY

• Write three or four bullet statements that summarize why you would be good at your job objective Each statement should be no longer than two lines

• Your statements should highlight your relevant strengths such as experience, skills, community service, and personality traits.

• Prioritize the statements in this section so the most relevant one comes first.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

20xx-present COMPANY NAME. City, State Job Title

- Write two or more bullet statements about the work you performed on this job and what you learned or accomplished that’s relevant to your job objective

- Quantify results of your accomplishments when possible and appropriate: refer to how you positively affected the organization, the bottom line, your boss, co-workers, or customers

- Mention on-the-job awards or commendations you received trial relate to your job objective

20xx-xx COMPANY NAME. City, State Job Title

• Write two or more bullet statements about the work you performed on this job and what you learned or accomplished that’s relevant to your job objective Follow the tips mentioned above

• Prioritize the statements under each Job Title section so the most relevant one comes first.

EDUCATION

20-xx – xxxx University City, State

19-xx – xxxx College, City, State

2. Fanctional

NAME

Street – City, State Zip – Phone – Email

JOB OBJECTIVE

Very concisely state what job you would like next

HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS

Write three or four bullet statements that summarize why you would be good at your job objective. Each statement should be no longer than two lines.

Your statements should highlight your relevant strengths such as experience, skills, community service, and personality traits.

Prioritize the statements in this section so the most relevant one comes first.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

KEY SKILL

• Write two or more bullet statements about employment or volunteer activities in which you used this skill.

• Quantify results of your accomplishments when possible and appropriate: refer to how you positively affected the organization, the bottom line, your boss, co-workers, or customers.

• Mention awards or commendations you received that required this skill.

• If you used this skill to solve problems, briefly describe the problems and results.

KEY SKILL

• Write two or more bullet statements following the tips mentioned under the first Key Skill section

WORK HISTORY

20xx – present ORGANIZATION, City State Job Title

19xx – xxxx OPGANIZATION, City State Job Title

EDUCATION

20-xx – xxxx University City, State

19-xx – xxxx College, City, State

Exercise 4. All skills can be described as basic and specific (techniques).

• Look through the list of basic skills and mark those you think you have. Then add some that are not in the list.

• Managing others, organizing, communicating, Convincing others, classifying, visualizing, fast learner, innovating, analyzing, driving, teaching, meeting deadlines, counseling, supervising, planning, writing.

• Make a list of your specific skills. Start with basic skills and then add something specific. Ex: Writing – Writing reports, writing business letters, writing instructions. Analyzing – analyzing computer data, analyzing financial reports.

• Choose your 10 best basic skills. If possible, write the related terms. Explain how you can apply them. Ex: Supervising –related terms: managing others, leading, organizing, directing – I can supervise team work, lead others to participate in … , managing a group to do… .

In your resume you should state your personal attributes.

• Look at the list of qualities, mark those you really have. Then add some that are not in the list

Careful, flexible, communicative, organized, persuasive, trustworthy, creative, sociable, persistent, humorous, energetic, honest, sensitive, easygoing, willing, imaginative, responsible, determined, loyal

• Write a short description of yourself (50 words).

• Try to write as many results as possible you achieved having skills and traits you’ve mentioned above. Ex: I can write articles and I’m rather creative so I edited university wall newspapers.

Exercise 5. Read what CV is and try to compose it.

Curriculum Vitae

A detailed, lengthy and structured listing of education, publications, projects, awards and work history. A curriculum vitae for a mid-career candidate may be as long as twenty pages. It works Best For job seekers with extensive academic and professional credentials applying for positions in education or research. Check with an advisor or others in your field if you are unsure whether a C.V. or a resume is expected.

WRITING A CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

A CV displays your academic credentials and accomplishments in greater detail than a resume. It is primarily used for positions in academia, research, and certain governmental agencies. It includes additional topics such as papers, presentations, memberships, etc.

NAME

Address

Phone Number

Email (Home, Business, or Both)

SUMMARY STATEMENT (Optional)

Discuss key strengths

EDUCATION:

Degree

Dissertation: Title & brief explanation

Graduate Institution, City, State

Degree, Major, Date of Graduation

Thesis

Undergraduate Institution, City, State

Degree, Major, Date of Graduation

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION (If applicable)

Type of License or Certification, Date Received

PROFESSIONAL/RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Typical Categories: Research/ Scholarly Activities, Teaching Experience, Consulting Experience, Other Related Experience, and other categories you may want to include)

TITLE, Date

Place, City, State

Description of activities, leadership roles-use strong action verbs

List in Reverse Chronological Order

ACADEMIC/RESEARCH INTERESTS

PUBLICATIONS

Use standard format

PAPERS PRESENTED

GRANTS/AWARDS

EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/VOLUNTEER WORK

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ABILITIES/SKILLS

Unit 4

RESPONSIBILITIES AT WORK

Exercise 1. Warm-up: agree or disagree with the following statements.

1. I enjoy my job.

2. I’ll probably stay in this job for many years.

3. I like having a lot of responsibility.

4. I work well in a team.

5. My job is typically done by men.

6. My job is typically done by women.

7. I think I was born to do this kind of work.

Exercise 2. Read the dialogue:

Elizabeth: What kind of work do you do?

Rachel: I guess you’d say I’m in training. I started out in computers…I was a programmer at first.

E: So you are in training now.

R: Ya.

E: What do you do exactly?

R: I’m in charge of training people in our company to use PCs.

E: PCs?

R: Personal computers. Everybody has a personal computer in their office. My job is to teach them how to put it to use most effectively for their particular job or function. I go from department to department, analyze their needs and then work out programs suitable to their kind of work.

E: So do you write programs?

R: Not anymore. I have four people under me who do that. I spend most of my time doing the actual training, and, all that goes with being the head of the department… meetings, hiring, all that sort of thing.

E: Do you ever travel?

R: No, I never travel.

E: How often do you go to meetings?

R: Much too often! We have departmental meetings every week and I meet informally with my staff at least twice a week.

E: Do you like this kind of work?

R: I like to contact with people. I never realized that I’d like teaching people so much…but on the other hand, it’s really frustrating work. I have to go to meetings every week, where I have to report every single thing we’ve done in our department. I don’t like it when I always have to keep pushing my staff to do things. I’m also the only woman in the department.

E: Do you think you’ll stay in this job much longer?

R: I don’t know. If something better comes along, I’ll probably take it.

Exercise 3. Find the words or expressions that mean the following:

1. I’m responsible for.

2. I do a particular job.

3. I do certain things for my job.

4. If something better is offered.

5. Every detail.

Exercise 4. How often does Rachel have to do the following:

1) travel;

2) meet with staff;

3) keep pushing staff;

4) go to departmental meetings;

5) do training.

Exercise 5. Read the second dialogue:

Elizabeth: What line of business are you in?

Frederick: I’m in sales.

E: And what firm do you work for?

F: Polycor. It’s a petrochemical company based here in Paris.

E: So, do you sell your products mostly to French companies?

F: Oh, by no means. We have customers all over the world.

E: Do you personally handle overseas customers?

F: Yes, I do in fact. It means I get to travel a lot.

E: How long have you worked for this company?

F: Let’s see, I guess it’s been ten years.

E: Do you like the work?

F: Well, the hours are pretty long, and of course I miss my family when I’m out of town. But all in all I think I was cut out for this kind of work.

Exercise 6. Find the questions which Elizabeth asks Frederick.

1. What kind of work do you do?

2. What line of business are you in?

3. Are you in charge of any other employees?

4. What firm do you work for?

5. Who do you report to?

6. Do you personally handle overseas customers?

7. Do you travel much?

8. How long have you worked for this company?

9. Is your work interesting?

10. Do you like the work?

Does Frederick like his job? What does he say to help you decide?

Exercise 7. Match the following words with their definitions:

1) team;

2) staff;

3) function;

4) line of business;

5) firm;

6) headquarters;

7) subsidiary;

8) hiring;

9) training;

10) to be cut out for;

11) to handle.

a) taking people on to work for your company;

b) a business organization, company;

c) a group of people who work together;

d) teaching someone a skill;

e) a particular kind of work or business;

f) to deal with, do as part of your job;

g) workers in an organization, company;

h) role in a company;

i) central office of an organization, company;

j) if more than half share-capital is owned by another company, called a holding or parent company;

k) to be naturally suited for.

Exercise 8. Role play:

You and your partner come from different companies and have both signed up for a Time Management seminar. You are waiting for the organizer to arrive. Find out what your partner does for a living.

Here are some details about your jobs:

Student A:

• secretary;

• import/export business;

• type letters and reports;

• send telexes;

• four hours a day on phone;

• boss: marketing manager;

• ten years in the same job.

Student B:

• sales representative;

• software firm;

• visit clients;

• attend meetings;

• go abroad;

• long hours;

• boss: sales manager;

• tired of job.

Exercise 9. Look through the names, positions and job responsibilities of different people and decide which of them correspond to each other.

Names and Job Titles Activities

1. Mr. Black ( clerk) prepare invoices

write reports

2. Miss Quest (Computer operator) write computer programmes

operate the computer

3. Mrs. Lion Typist) write reports

type letters

4. Ms. Frost (Receptionist) answer inquiries

welcome visitors

5. Mr. Sommer (Accountant) write computer programmes

use calculations

6. Miss Shiver (Secretary) operate the computer

write telexes

welcome visitors

7. Mr. Luckings (Manager) welcome visitors

write telexes

write reports

Exercise 10. Find the qualities from the list below necessary for:

a) a secretary;

b) an accountant;

c) a sales representative;

d) a manager.

active diplomatic methodical sincere

attentive disciplined realistic systematic

constructive energetic independent tactful

cooperative extroverted creative careful

well-read communicative

Exercise 11. Speak about your future job as you imagine it. Here are some useful phrases to describe it:

• I’ve chosen it as my future profession, because it’s prestigious job today;

• I have always dreamt to become a lawyer, economist, manager, etc.;

• to provide good living;

• to involve working indoors;

• to be quite intellectual, exciting, useful to society, well-paid, boring;

• to involve a lot of responsibility;

• good salary and prospects for promotion;

• opportunities to meet different people;

• good career prospects;

• good working conditions;

• friendly colleagues and considerable management;

• to prefer to choose a more rewarding and better paid job;

• for me the main attraction is not money but job satisfaction;

• to be of vital importance for the success and progress of our society.

Unit 5

COMPANY STRUCTURES

Most companies are made of three groups of people: the shareholders /who provide the capital/, the management and the workforce. The management structure of a typical company is shown in this organization chart.

Board of Directors

Managing Director

Senior management

Middle management

At the top of the company hierarchy is the Board of directors, headed by the Chairperson or the President. The Board is responsible for policy decisions and strategy. It will usually appoint a Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer, who has overall responsibility for the running of the business. Senior managers or company officers head the various departments or functions within the company, which may include the following:

a) Marketing;

b) Public Relations;

c) Information Technology or IT;

d) Personnel or Human Resources;

e) Finance;

f) Production;

g) Research and Development.

Whether you think these statements are true or false.

Exercise 1. Before reading the text about Philips, decide.

1. It is the world’s second biggest electronics company.

2. It has produced over 100 million TV sets.

3. It’s headquarters are in Amsterdam.

4. It was the first company to produce compact disks.

5. It provides the lights for famous landmarks such as London’s Tower Bridge.

THE PHILIPS STORY

The foundations of the world’s biggest electronics company were laid in 1891 when Gerard Philips established a company in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, to manufacture light bulbs and other electrical products. In the beginning, it concentrated on making lamps and by the turn of the century was one of the largest producers in Europe. In 1914, it established a research laboratory to stimulate product innovation. Philips continued to develop new and exciting product ideas like the compact disc, which it launched in 1983. Other interesting landmarks include the production of Philips’ 100-millionth TV set in 1984 and 250-millionth electric shaver in 1989.

THE PHILIPS COMPANY

Philips headquarters are still in Eindhoven. It employs 256,400 people all over the world, and has sales and service outlets in 150 countries. Research laboratories are located in 150 countries, staffed by some 3,000 scientists. It also has an impressive global network of designers. It’s shares are listed on 16 stock exchanges in nine countries and it is active in 100 businesses, including lighting, monitors, shavers and colour picture tubes. Royal Philips is managed by the Board of Management, which looks after the general direction and long-term strategy of the Philips group as a whole. The company creed is ’Let’s make things better’. It is committed to making better products and systems and contributing to improving the quality of people’s work and life. One recent example of this is it’s ‘genie’ mobile phone. To dial a number you just have to say it aloud. It’s web TV Internet terminal brings the excitement of cyberspace into the living room. And on travels around the world, whether passing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, walking across London’s Tower Bridge, or witnessing the beauty of the ancient pyramids of Giza, you don’t have to wonder any more who lit these world famous landmarks, it was Philips.

Exercise 2. Match the words from the text with their corresponding definitions.

1) an innovation; a) a planned series of actions;

2) a patient; b) main offices;

3) headquarters; c) the introduction of a new idea;

4) a location; d) a place or address;

5) a strategy. e) the right to make or sell an invention.

Exercise 3. Complete the company profile with either the present perfect or past simple of the verbs in brackets.

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY

William Colgate … /found/ the Colgate Company in 1806 as a starch, soap and candle business in New-York City. For the first hundred years, the company … /do/ all its business in the United States. However, in the early 1900s, the company … /begin/ an aggressive expansion programme.

That … /lead/ to the establishment of Colgate operations throughout Europe, Latin America and the Far East. In more recent years it … /set up/ set operations in Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Europe and China. Colgate-Palmolive … /become/ a truly global consumer products company, worth $8.7 bn and selling in more then 200 countries.

Colgate-Palmolive’s five main sectors of business are Oral Care, Body Care, Household Surface Care and Pet Nutrition And Health Care. In the area of Oral care, Colgate-Palmolive is the world leader in toothpaste. As a result of the company’s heavy investment in research and technology, it … /develop/ many successful toothpastes, rinses and toothbrushes. To strengthen it’s presence in professional products, Colgate-Palmolive … /buy/ the Ora Pharm Company in Australia and the dental therapeutics business of Scherer Laboratories USA in 1990. For many years, the company … /have/ a strong dental education programme in schools throughout the world and … /maintain/ a close partnership with the international dental community. Recently it … /create/ a web site for dental professionals.

The company … /always pay/ close attention to the environment. It … /already make/ great progress in the use of recyclable bottles and packaging materials.

Exercise 4. Read the texts about seven people talking about their work and decide which department each one works for.

1. Every six months we produce a report showing how the company is doing. This past week we’ve been busy with our accountants preparing the results that will be included in our next report.

2. I’m a member of a team of engineers and we’ve just finalised the design of our new portable computer. This model will be more powerful and more adaptable than our previous one. We are constantly looking for new ideas and experimenting with new products.

3. Before selling our latest product, our department must decide in which regions it will be the most successful and what types of consumers we want to reach.

4. Communication is a key aspect of my department’s work. We answer inquiries made by our customers and are also in contact with the press to inform them of our new products and changes within the company.

5. We’ve been having problems with the quality of certain electronic parts in our factories. So several members of the department have got together to talk about ways of improving some of our manufacturing techniques.

6. Our company is going through a difficult period and we have to reduce the number of employees in several departments and to review salaries throughout the organisation.

7. In today’s changing work environment, computer systems play an essential role in how the company is run. In our department we not only ensure that all systems are working properly but we also design and develop new applications to make it easier for our employees to exchange and share information.

The departments are:

a) Marketing;

b) Production;

c) Finance;

d) Public Relations or PR;

e) Research and Development or RD;

f) Personnel or Human Resources g Information Technology.

Exercise 5. Read the following conversation, which takes place at a conference.

Brian: How do you do? My name is Brian Robinson.

Joan: How do you do? I’m Joan Knight.

B: Who do you work for then?

J: I’m with Palmer Reece Group. You may have heard of us. We design and manufacture electronic equipment. I’m the Finance Manager.

B: I see.

J: How about you?

B: I work for a firm of kitchen designers. Kitchen interiors, mostly in private houses. I’m Area Sales Manager.

J: That’s interesting. Where are you based?

B: Our head office is in Colchester. We’ve got branch offices all over the country. Where is your head office?

J: We are in Midlands. In Leicester, actually. But I work in our London office. Have you been with your company long?

B: Fairly long. I’ve worked for them for five years now. Before that, I was a salesman for a department store. I must say, I prefer what I’m doing now. You get out and meet all kinds of people. And I enjoy all the driving too. Your company is pretty big, isn’t it?

J: I’d say so. Our turnover is almost 50 m. pounds. And we’ve got a work-force of over 1000. Yes, we are big.

B: My firm is much smaller. Our turnover is about 5m. pounds.

J: How about staff?

B: Oh, about 70 or 80 people – full-time staff, that is. We are a private company, by the way. Still family-owned. But I think we’ll go public in a few years’ time.

J: Really? Your firm must be doing well. We are a public company, of course. We have been for the last thirty years.

B: Ah, I thought I’d noticed your firm’s name when I was looking at the share prices recently in the newspaper.

Exercise 6. Working in groups of two or three, improvise a conversation similar to the one above. Before starting the conversation read the following:

1. Choose a company or a business organization. It may be real or imaginary.

2. Introduce yourself; say who you work for, what your position is in the organization and how long you have worked for it.

3. Give the following information:

a) what kind of business organization it is (e. g. private, public, sole trader, partnership)

b) it’s main business activities

c) location of head office, branches/subsidiaries

d) turnover, profits, size of work-force, etc.

4. Give any other information about yourself, your job and the organization.

Unit 6

RECRUITMENT

When a company wants to recruit or employ new people, it may decide to advertise the job or position in the appointments section of a newspaper. People who are interested can then apply for the job by sending in a letter of application or covering letter and a curriculum vitae or CV /US resume/ containing details of their education and experience. A company may also ask candidates to complete a standard application form. The company’s Human Resources Department will then select the most suitable applications and prepare a short list of candidates or applicants, who are invited to attend an interview. Another way for a company to hire is by using the services of a recruitment agency who will provide them with a list of suitable candidates.

Exercise 1. Read the dialogue which takes place during the interview at the TST Systems company.

- Good morning, sir.

• Good morning. Come in, please take a seat Mr. Klimenko. Tell me, how long were you in your last job with Alpha?

• Five years. I am only leaving because the firm is moving to Sevastopol, but I think a change will do me good.

• What do you know about our company? Have you got any questions to me?

• I know that this is a very promising company, so I’d like you to inform me what will be the major focus of efforts in the next few years?

• We plan to expand our activities on English-speaking countries, mainly on England, to buy equipment and technologies from them and run training programs here. We need a team of creative persons to make our company competitive in the world market.

• What responsibilities and obligations do you suggest during the first year?

• Well, first of all to be responsible for our contacts with English partners, to buy good equipment and generally be skillful in negotiations. You will have to travel very much. Besides, we are expecting a new fair in London soon and may be you will have a chance to go there.

• Yes, I see.

• So tell me what are your main strengths?

• I think they are: reliability, loyalty, energy.

• OK. How do you relieve everyday tensions?

• I am accustomed to work under pressure.

• Are you a leader, an entrepreneur by nature?

• Yes, I think so, because I make contacts with people very easily.

Exercise 2. Choose the questions that might be appropriate for an interview /resumes and application forms have been obtained/.

1. What is the best part and worst part of your present job?

2. How old are you?

3. Have you got children?

4. Describe your ideal boss.

5. What do you consider to be your greatest success and why?

6. What were your duties at your last job?

7. What is the most important to you about the job you are looking for?

8. What school did you finish?

9. What are your strengths for this position?

10. What are your weaknesses?

11. Have you got any special skills or qualification?

12. What worries you about the job?

13. Why should I hire you?

Exercise 3. Here is the list of some things you should do or avoid doing during the interview. Decide which are ‘Do’s and which are ‘Don’t’s:

• Learn ahead of time about the company and its product.

• Keep stressing your need for the job.

• Indicate, where possible, your stability and good safety experience.

• Stress your qualification for the job.

• Discuss your past experience and relations with your previous boss, criticize him if he was not your ideal of a boss.

• Express your ideas on compensation, hours, bonuses as quickly as possible.

• Try to be optimistic in your attitude.

• Choose your clothes for the situation carefully.

• Put on your best dress and use as much cosmetics as possible /for a woman/

• Recognize your limitations.

• Try to overcome nervousness and shortness of breath.

• Answer the questions, but try not to ask them.

• Arrive late and breathless interview, showing hat you are a very busy and active person.

Exercise 4. Read the text.

When you have found the job you would like to take, you write an inquiry letter /a letter of interest/ to the firm. This letter is rather formal in style and contains the certain points you must keep to. First state your reason for writing. Inquire if any positions are available and say which position you are applying for. It’s not bad to identify the source of the information (a person, a newspaper, including date, etc.) Second, describe your educational background and professional experience. Focus on those things from your resume that best relate to the position you are applying for. Third, say you are enclosing your resume and other supporting material. State your willingness to be interviewed. Say you are looking forward to hearing from them.

A good letter of application should contain facts the prospective employer wants to know, for instance what experience the applicant has, how useful he will be to the company. If he has held several positions, it would be advisable to submit all the information on past experience, certificates or degrees, special qualifications and possibly references.

This is the sample of the letter of application:

17 Princes St.

Edinburgh

August 3, 2002

Sales Recruitment and Training Manager

WT Avery Limited

21 Conduit St.

London W. I.

Dear Sirs,

In reply to your advertisement in today’s ‘Daily Telegraph’, I am interested in becoming a salesman for your company.

As you can see from the enclosed curriculum vitae, I have selling experience in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics – a very competitive field. However, I would like to change to industrial products since I believe they offer a greater potential. Your six months’ training scheme should certainly help me to devote the best of my ability to your company, particularly since my educational qualifications are higher than those you require.

My present position is subject to one month’s notice, after which I should be able to train in London and, if necessary, relocate to any part of the country.

As you request in your advertisement, I shall telephone you shortly to make an appointment for a personal meeting. Meanwhile I thank you for considering my application.

Yours faithfully,

Peter S. Ryder.

Enc. Curriculum vitae

Exercise 5. Try to write a letter of application, using some phrases from the list below:

• With reference to your advertisement in ‘The Times’ of Friday, January 4^th, I would like to apply for the position of … in your company.

• I recently heard from … that there is a vacancy in your accounts department.

• I am used to working on my own. I would like the opportunity to work on my own initiative and to take on a certain amount of responsibility.

• During training for my present job I took courses in marketing and sales promotion.

• In view of my qualifications, I would expect a salary of about …, with the usual fringe benefits.

• I am at present earning … per annum, plus expenses.

• I would prefer to discuss the question of salary at a personal meeting.

• The company, with which I am employed at present does not, I feel, offer me enough scope to develop my own ideas.

• Since my present position offers little prospect for advancement, I should prefer to be employed in an expanding organization such as yours.

Exercise 6. Read the following sample of a resume and compose your own, based on your personal data.

John H. Mill

38 Park Avenue, Ap. 15

New York, N. Y. 11298

Tel. (312) 493-8332

OBJECTIVE A position as a bookkeeper.

SUMMARY 12 years of experience in every routine work

in this field. Perfect knowledge of computers

And statistics.

QUALIFICATIONS Make up all kinds of financial reports,

balances and production planning.

EXPERIENCE FRISCO DOCKS, Inc.

1990-1995

San Francisco, California.

Deputy Chief of planning, Commerce Dpt.

In charge of account books, statements, new ideas on planning.

1990. SACHA Co, Ltd.

New York.

Accountant. Prepared accounts and balance sheets of every kind.

EDUCATION London school of economics.

London, Great Britain, Bachelor (ec.)

PERSONAL Arrived in the United States January,

1980. Married, one child.

REFERENCES Available upon request.

Exercise 7. Match the terms and the definitions.

1. A detailed written account of the duties and responsibilities which make up a particular job.

2. A public notice intended to call attention to something.

3. A written agreement between an employer and an employee.

4. Public or private organizations that help to find job vacancies.

5. A summary of one’s work experience and personal achievements.

a) advertisement,

b) contract of employment,

c) job centers,

d) job description,

e) resume.

Exercise 8. Translate into Russian. Pay attention to ‘it’.

1. Let’s look at the role of advertising. It is important for finding the best qualified people.

2. Could you help me with my resume? Sometimes it is difficult to decide what to stress and what to leave out. I know that it is standard practice to begin the resume with personal data. What about education? It is certainly my weak point.

3. It is quite possible that the information given in a resume invokes some doubt. You must verify the most important data. Ask for a reference; it is necessary for making your judgement more sound.

4. It is worth recalling that to get a job now it is not only important to be educated, have a number of skills, know how to sell oneself and know one’s own price, but it is also important to have professional qualification: the business experience, specific inter-personal skills, the ability to handle documents and equipment and the ability to build good relations with both superiors and subordinates.

5. Employment agencies can prepare a candidate for an interview, provide him with necessary information, but it is impossible to teach English during one conversation.

Unit 7

SETTING UP A BUSINESS

Many large businesses in the UK are public limited companies (plc), which means that the public can buy and sell their shares on the Stock Exchange. Examples include Marks and Spenser, British Telecom and the National Westminster Bank. The minimum share capital for a public limited company is 50,000 pounds, so many new businesses are likely to take one of the following forms.

Sole Trader or Sole Proprietor (UK)

The simplest way of starting a business, it does not need many formalities. You are self-employed and entirely responsible for all aspects of the management of your business. Any profits go to the owner, any losses are his responsibility as well.

Partnership (UK)

Two or more people starting a business together can set up a partnership. All partners are responsible for the debts of the partnership, and profits and losses are shared between them. The rights and duties of a partnership are regulated by laws and by a legal agreement made by the co-owners. The agreement states how much capital each partner has put in, how the profits will be shared, and how the business will be run between the two partners.

Private Limited Company (UK)

A company can be formed with a minimum of two people becoming its shareholders. They must appoint a director and a company secretary. If the company goes out of business, the responsibility of each shareholder is limited to the amount that they have contributed; they have limited liability. Such a company has Ltd (Limited) after its name.

In the US, business takes the same basic forms. However, American companies are registered or incorporated with the authorities in the state where they have their headquarters. The abbreviation Inc and Corp refer to such companies. To sell shares to the public they must apply to the Securities Exchange Commission.

Exercise 1. In pairs, decide which of the advantages and disadvantages below you should associate with the following forms of business. In some cases there may be more then one correct answer.

A sole trader a partnership a private limited company

Advantages

1. You have total control of your business/

2. There is a good way of sharing the pressure and work of starting a business.

3. The financial risks that you are taking are restricted.

4. You can increase your capital by selling shares.

Disadvantages

1. There is a danger that conflicts of personality could ruin your business.

2. It may be difficult to expand.

3. You may have to sell your possessions if the company goes into debt.

Exercise 2. Which of these forms, in your opinion, are likely to be small businesses? Try to explain your reasons.

1. Aerospace company. 7. Bakery.

2. Auto repair shop. 8. Bar, café, restaurant.

3. Computer manufacturing. 9. Hairdresser’s shop.

4. Computer games center. 10. Pharmaceutical company.

5. Dentist. 11. Chemist’s drugstore.

6. Dress-making establishment. 12. Law consultancy.

Exercise 3. Match the terms and the definitions:

a) A sole trader;

b) Assets;

c) Debt;

d) Bankruptcy;

e) Sole proprietorship;

f) Partnership;

g) Unlimited liability;

h) A self-employed person.

1. A person who is working for himself and is not the employee of someone else.

2. An individual acting in business on his own.

3. Full financial and legal responsibility for the operation of the business

4. Something that is owned by a person or company, such as money, a building, a car.

5. A sum of money borrowed from somebody and to be given back.

6. A firm owned by just one person.

7. A business owned by two or more co-owners.

8. The condition of being unable to repay the debts of the creditors.

Exercise 4. Make up sensible word combinations:

1) borrow a) assets 7) regulate g) a firm

2) invest b) business 8) run h) liability

3) lose c) capital 9) set up i) losses

4) own d) debts 10) share j) money

5) pay e) duty 11) state k) profits

6) raise f) enterprise 12) take l) rule

Exercise 5.Complete the conversation:

Alice: Hello, Jim. I’m glad you are not in a hurry and we have time to

talk. Can you give me a piece of advice?

Jim: Sure.

A: You know I’ve always been good at cooking. It interests me. I’m

thinking of starting my own business – a café.

J: It might be ___ . Are you going into this business by

yourself?

A: Yes, I’d like to be fully responsible for it, to make all the

decisions and control the profits.

J: Well, you should know that if you go into business alone it is

called ___. It’s very easy to ___. You needn’t ___. You decide on

___.

A: It sounds ___.

J: Wait a moment. I believe I have to tell you about ___.

A: What do you mean?

J: First of all, the most important risk is that ___.

A: So if the business fails, I have to ___, don’t I?

J: That’s what I mean. You can lose ___.

A: Well, it’s rather ___.

Words to be used: encouraging, disappointing, a good idea, sole trader, unlimited liability, lose personal assets, declare personal bankruptcy, form, consult a lawyer.

Exercise 6. Make up short conversations using the following model:

A: I’m thinking of starting / opening / setting up …

B: Really? What are you going to …?

A: I’d like to …

B: Now that you’ve told me about it, I think / guess …

Exercise 7. Speak on advantages and disadvantages of sole proprietorship using the ideas given below.

(+) (–)

SETTING UP few formalities few sources of capital

Little capital

PROFITS no need to share small, liability for losses

CONTROL full control little help, long hours,

“your own boss” “Jack of all trades”

DECISIONS free hand no advice or assistance

Exercise 8. Answer the questions.

1. Are you thinking of starting your own business?

2. What business do you want to start?

3. Who is going to make the decisions and control the profits in your business?

4. How many employees are you going to hire for your business?

5. Are you ready for unlimited liability?

6. What will you do, if your business fails?

7. Can you do books yourself?

8. Are you going to hire a bookkeeper?

Unit 8

RETAILING

Retailing is the business of selling products to the general public. Most retailers sell from shops or stores which are called outlets. Many countries have large retail chains which are organized nationally and sell a standardized selection of products. Their outlets are often in shopping centers /US malls/, where there is a large variety of stores in the same location.

Many large retailers operate from out of town locations with parking facilities, known either as hypermarkets /over 30,000 square metres/ or superstores /under 30,000 square metres/. They may be on a retail park, where there is a number of large stores.

Department stores such as Harrods in London are large shops which sell a large variety of products, usually from a city center location. As the name suggests, they are organized in departments, each with its own manager.

Exercise 1. Complete the passage using appropriate forms of the words:

Stock, deal, surplus, secure, market, model, order, control.

Sephora is a French beauty supermarket chain which has revolutionized the way that perfumes and fragrances are sold. Sephora operates in a _____ that has traditionally been served either by small exclusive perfume stores or by department stores. It _____ a wide selection of top products from beauty houses like Chanel and Estee Lauder. Two years ago the original founder of Sephora, Dominique Maldonnaud, was approached by the luxury chain LVMH /Moet Hennessy – Louis Vuitton/ with an offer to buy the company and one year later a _____was made. Today Daniel Richard, the new president, _____all aspects of the business. He has managed to _____the support of many of the big brands in the perfume business and has placed big _____with them. Sephora has ambitious plans for the future, and recently opened a store in New York.

Exercise 2. Read the text about the American company Wal Mart, the world’s largest retailer. Replace the words in italics with these words:

a) profits;

b) overheads;

c) niche;

d) range;

e) suppliers;

f) discount.

Wal Mart is already manoeuvring to bring its vision of retailing to the European consumer. In the United States the company operates stores that are often twice as big as their European equivalents and which sell a huge selection _____ of quality products at a significant price reduction.

_____. However, duplicating its success on the oldest continent may prove to be just as difficult as conquering the New World’s markets. Firstly, Europe with its limited space available for building new stores and its high operating costs _____ may make it more difficult for the company to produce the same positive financial results _____ that it has had in the US. In addition to that, it may be difficult to persuade companies that provide goods for retailers _____ o do business with them in the same way as they do in the US. But with its purchase of the British supermarket chain ASDA, Wal-Mart clearly wants to establish a particular market _____ for itself in Europe.

Exercise 3. Match words from A and B to make compound nouns.

A

a) goods;

b) power;

c) service;

d) margin;

e) figures;

f) free.

B

1) customer;

2) duty;

3) profit;

4) sales;

5) purchasing;

6) cosumer.

Exercise 4. Read the extracts below from Julian Richer’s book The Richer Way. What do you think of the company’s approach to customer service? What experiences have you had of good or bad service in shops?

RICHER SOUNDS

We train our staff to take responsibility. If a customer has a complaint, the first thing the sales assistant does is apologise, even if he or she knows nothing about the circumstances. Then they go on to sort the problem out.

Every month the three winning shops in our customer service competition, the Richer Way League, win a car for a month. Two get Bentleys and one a Jaguar SJS convertible. The car is their’s to use as they wish, we pay the petrol.

At Richer Sounds we hand out gold aeroplane badges for our ‘high flyers’ – staff who have performed above and beyond the call of duty, perhaps by giving exceptional customer service, or having a really brilliant idea.

Exercise 4. Read the text about a controversial customer service program at Safeway, a major American supermarket chain. Choose the best sentence /A-I/ from the list opposite to complete each gap.

A US GROCER”S EMBRACE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

Safeway launched its Superior Service Program about five years ago. Among its rules: Make eye contact with the customer, smile, greet him or her, offer samples of products, make suggestions about other possible purchases that could go with the items being bought, and accompany them to locate items they cannot find. ___1___ .

To encourage staff to follow the rules, Safeway employs an undisclosed number of ‘mystery shoppers’ whose job is to act like regular customers. ___2___.Workers who do well earn a chance at winning 500 dollars worth of company stock, and managers whose workers are extremely friendly can receive additional bonuses.

Those who are graded at having poor customer service skills are sent to a training program to learn how to be friendlier. ___3___ .

Corporate efforts to brighten the shopping experience – such as yellow happy-face stickers and “have-a-nice-day” slogans – have typically drawn mixed reactions. But few have caused as much angst among the sales staff as Safeway’s has. It has also had some unexpected side effects. ___4___ . There have been complaints by female workers in California who say that male customers have misinterpreted their friendliness and, according to some Safeway’s workers, the whole program is contributing to growing morale problems among the staff.

In recent interviews, half a dozen Safeway workers said the rigid implementation of the Superior Service Program has left some workers feeling so overstressed that they quit. ___5___ .

Some workers said they had been penalized for not smiling even though they felt they could not. One woman said she was marked down by mystery shoppers when she was going through a painful divorce.

The policy of leading customers to a product they cannot find also causes some problems, workers said. ___6___ . Lonely elderly people in particular, they said, sometimes seek to be accompanied for an extended period, even through their entire shopping list.

A. Safeway officials said they were not aware of any employee who had resigned because of the program.

B. The majority of customers seem to be very happy with the improved service.

C. Some cynical workers call it smile school; others call it clown school.

D. Some shoppers seem to enjoy directing workers around the store.

E. The sampling policy is being abused by some shoppers.

F. They believe the program has resulted in increased sales.

G. They grade workers on a 19-point scorecard, and the results affect the performance evaluation of the worker and his/her managers.

H. There have been debates on the internet and among customers about false and genuine friendliness.

I. It also includes thanking shoppers by name at the checkout by using information from their credit, debit or Safeway card.

Exercise 5. Combine a word from A with one from B to match each of the definitions below.

A B

Department shopping sales hunters pitch stores

Stock retail special bargain chains offers centers turnover

1. ___ a persuasive argument to sell a product.

2. ___ the rate at which goods are sold.

3. ___ sales promotions to attract the customers.

4. ___ shops with outlets in many locations.

5. ___ customers who seek the lowest orices.

6. ___ large shops, usually located in city centers, which sell a wide variety of products.

7. ___ retail facilities where customers have access to a variety of different stores in the same location.

Exercise 6. Fill the gaps with the suitable words:

Assortment, retailer, customer, wholesaler, discount, guarantee, channels.

A. ___ is the most expensive link in a chain between a producer and a customer.

B. ___ is an important link between a producer and a customer.

C. I can’t ___ you a good quality of service.

D. Usually a wholesaler has a large ___ of items.

E. A wholesaler doesn’t deal with a ___ , he deals with a retailer.

F. There are different ___ of distribution helping to bring goods to the market.

G. The department store gives a 30 % ___ on all Chinese shoes.

Exercise 7. Read the text about the layout of the supermarkets and discuss in pairs if it is logical.

This store, like all our other ones, follows a standard design. For example, the main entrance is on the left because our research has shown that customers prefer to enter stores on the left and then they have a natural reflex to move to the right.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are always just inside the entrance. This is important because it gives a healthy image to the store.

The meat counter, however, is at the back of the store. There are two reasons for this, the first one being that meat requires a storage and preparation area. The other is that meat is an item that shoppers come to buy regularly and having it here means that they will see many other products on their way.

Likewise, basic products are rarely positioned next to each other. In this store, for instance, the coffee is in the first aisle, about half way down on the right, whereas the sugar is over in the fourth aisle nearest the checkout.

Breakfast cereal is in the second aisle, and you’ll notice that the shelf at the top contains the lesser known brands. But the shelf just below it, which is at eye-level and generates the highest sales, is reserved for the more famous brands of cereals.

The four television screens that you can see above the demonstration area are showing various items that we are discounting at the moment. We have found that displaying products this way we can increase sales of certain items by as much as 900 %.

Unit 6

MARKETING

Marketing includes all the business activities connected with the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers. Producers must know why, where, for what purpose the consumers buy. Marketing research helps the producer to predict what the people will want. And through advertising he attempts to influence the customer to buy.

Marketing is the term given to all the different activities intended to make and attract a profitable demand for a product. This involves:

• Identifying consumer needs and wants in order to develop the product.

• Setting the price.

• Deciding on the best place to sell the product.

• Deciding on how best to promote the product.

These four factors are often referred to as “The Four Ps” or the marketing mix.

Exercise 1. Match the words with their corresponding definitions:

1) to exceed; a) a part or section;

2) a mission; b) a group of interested people;

3) an initiative; c) an important new plan with a particular aim;

4) a segment; d) an assignment or task;

5) an audience; e) to find out/ to discover;

6) a profile; f) to check at regular intervals;

7) to determine; g) to be more than;

8) to monitor. h) a description of the characteristics of

someone or something.

Exercise 2. Complete the passage with the following words:

Audience, determine, fragmented markets, monitor, profiles, buying decisions, segments.

As more and more industries are making products specifically adapted to particular ___1___ of the market, market researchers are being asked to conduct studies and to complete more detailed ___2___ or consumer groups. Broad classification based on sex, age and social class are not sufficient for companies operating in highly competitive and _____ ___3___. Questionnaires are carefully designed to ___4___ the exact needs and demands of consumers as well as establishing what affects consumer ___5___ _____ when they choose one product instead of another. Advertising campaigns can then be targeted to appeal to the identified ___6___ . Finally, marketing people must ___7___ the success of the campaign and modify it if necessary.

Exercise 3. Change the sentences using a comparative form of the adjective in brackets.

Example:

We have a very large market share in comparison to our competitors. (big)

Our market share is much bigger than our competitors”.

1. This year’s sales figures increased by only 1 % on last year’s figures.

This year’s sales figures are _ _ _

2. In recent years a few advertising laws concerning children have been relaxed. (easy)

Advertising to children has become _ _ _

3. Our products only cost a bit more than our competitors’ products. (expensive)

Our products are _ _ _

4. In comparison to the US, advertising laws in Europe are very complex. (complicated)

Advertising laws in Europe are _ _ _

5. We can see a small improvement in our market share this year. (good)

This year’s market share is _ _ _

6. It is interesting to learn other languages, but English is the international language of business. 9useful)

English is _ _ _

Exercise 4.Choose the necessary word and put it in the sentence:

To predict, to influence, to promote marketing, trends, distribution, marker research, product planning, consumer.

1. One of the aims of the market research is to indicate new ___ among people.

2. Advertising must ___ the consumer and make him buy the goods produced.

3. Often marketing is called ___.

4. In order to sell a new product, a producer has to consider how to ___ it.

5. The goods of this company are not sold very well, they must think about ___.

6. If you want to produce something new, you should start with ___.

7. A producer wants to ___ the trends and then tries to influence them.

8. ___ includes product development and pricing among other things.

Exercise 5. Read and translate the text about marketing.

As defined by the committee on definitions of the American Marketing Association, marketing is “the performance of business activities directed toward and incident to, the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer or user”.

Today discovering demand, managing demand, and physically supplying demand constitute the three major divisions of Marketing effort undertaken by many firms. Marketing management approached this status in the 1950”s when the General Electric Company enunciated a policy declaring that “marketing begins with he consumer”. By discovering and filling unmet wants, its marketing program was designed to produce what General Electrics could sell because customers had certain unmet wants. Subsequently, having what you could sell instead of trying to “high pressure” customers into buying what you have required provided the use of marketing research and environment “scanning” of conditions affecting business.

The key concept of market selection and product planning is the Product Life Cycle. It predicts that any product pass through various stages between its life and death ( introduction – growth – maturity – decline) . So companies can make better marketing decisions if they find out where each of their products stands in the life cycle.

Exercise 6. Look through the words below used to describe the market situation or some other sphere, connected with figures. Try to remember them.

Market movements

Go up go down hold firm fluctuate

Increase fall remain steady deteriorate

Rise decline remain stable get worse

Raise drop level off get better

Jump slump level out improve

Grow shrink

Expand contract

THE LAWYER AT THE FIRM

Vocabulary:

• I would like to be a … because it's a rather: prestigeous, well-paid, esciting, useful to society, intellectual … job

• To involve long hours and a lot of responsibility

• To provide good living

• Opportunities to meet different people

• The main attraction of the job is …

• To be of vital importance for the progress of our society

The traits of character:

Patient, ambitious, intellectual, well-educated, well-read, decisive, accurate, brave, courageous, attentive, active, creative, diplomatic disciplined, energetic, independent, realistic, sincere, systematic, tactful.

The skills:

The lawyer must possess: good communicative skills, eloquent speech, analytical mind, ability to communicate with people, to be a good psychologist, to speak fluent English, to operate the computer, to write telexes, to make quick decisions…

Текст

I have always dreamt to became a lawyer. This profession is of vital importance today in all spheres of our life. Many lawyers work at the firms and sometimes the lawyer is considered to be the second person in the firm's hierarchy.

The lawyer must help the top management in making all sorts of contracts: legal documents concerning sales, rent, insurance, taxation, etc. This job must be fulfilled professionally. The enterprise can suffer great losses as a result of mistake made by the lawyer.

He consults the director on all the legal problems /points of law/, changes in the legislation…

The lawyer is the firm's representative in court, defending it's interests. He is legally responsible for all the activities of his firm.

The lawyer helps to make legal agreements /contracts/ inside the firm / between the management and the employees /staff/, helps to solve the arguments, supervisors the correctness of the director's orders, looks after the working conditions and standards, hiring and firing the employees.

CHEQUES

Exercise 1. Read the text followed by the example of a cheque.

Anne Bell has an account at Bonds Bank. When she wants to pay money to someone, she writes a cheque. This is an order to the bank to pay money to someone from her account. You can write a cheque on anything (a man once wrote a cheque on a cow and the bank paid the money), but banks give standard cheque forms to customers who have accounts (account-holders).

Look at this cheque Anne paid into her account and give short answers to the questions. Some of the questions mean the same. Which ones?

1. Who wrote the cheque?

2. When did she write the cheque?

3. Who is the payee?

4. Who does Liz Shepherd work for?

5. Whose account number is 013378234 ?

6. At Which bank do Transworld have an account?

7. Who made out the cheque?

8. Who is the cheque made out to?

9. Who is the person receiving the money?

10. Who signed the cheque?

11. Who is the drawer?

12. Is 013378234 Liz Shepherd’s account number?

13. Each branch of Counts has it’s own number. What is the number of the Trafford branch?

14. Whose signature is on the cheque?

Exercise 2. More about cheques.

Today is the 23 March. Anne wants to pay Household Designs 100 pounds, but she only has 50 in her account. She will have enough money in her account next week, so she writes a later date on the cheque (eg 31 March). This is called post-dating a cheque. It is now a posr-dated cheque. The bank will not accept it before the date written.

Nick Dawson gave Anne Bell (the payee) a cheque for 10 pounds. Anne wanted to pay Tom Rowe 10 pounds. On the back of Nick’s cheque she wrote, ‘Pay Tom Rowe or order’ and then she signed her name. This is called endorsing a cheque. The cheque is endorsed to Tom Rowe. It is possible to endorse a cheque because of the words or order written on the front. This means the cheque is negotiable.

Some shops do not like taking cheques because the customer might be dishonest. Banks give most account-holders a guarantee card (also called a cheque card or a banker’s card) which they sign. The shop assistant compares the signature on the cheque and on the card and writes the guarantee card number on the back of the cheque. The bank guarantees payment (up to 50 pounds) even if the account-holder does not have enough money in his/her account at the time.

Exercise 3. Fill in the blanks:

• A … cheque has a later date on it

• You sign a cheque with your …

• The payee writes the number of the …on the back of the cheque so that the bank will definitely pay the money.

• You … a cheque when you sign your name on the back

• An order to the bank to pay money to someone is a …

TRANSPORTATION

Текст

Kevin Hughes arranged for the transportation of a consignment of machinery by rail and sea. The place of departure was Beeton and the destination was Norton. The cargo (the freight ) was 10 cases of machinery. The measurements of each case were 10 m by 2m by 1,1m, so the volume of the whole consignment was 220 cubic metres. Each case weighed 20 kilos, so the weight of the consignment was 200kg. The freight rate was 1.50 pound per kilo or per cu metre, whichever was the greater. The charge by volume was 330 pounds (220 m³ 1.50 pound) and the charge by weight was 300 (200k 1.50). However Kevin decided not to send the goods as conventional cargo because he could get a discount if he packed the goods in a standard sized container.

Exercise 1. Find the definitions for the following:

1. The place the goods leave from is the place of …

2. The place the goods are going to is …

3. A large box is also called a …

4. To put goods into boxes ready for travelling is to … them.

5. The … (size) of the consignment was 220 cu m.

6. Goods packed separately, not in containers , are called

7. This word has two meanings: (a) goods travelling from one place to another, (b) the cost of transporting goods from one place to another.

8. How heavy something is.

9. A large box of a standard size for transporting goods is called a …

10. This word means usual, regular, always the same.

Exercise 2. In pairs, ask and answer questions about the text, like this: Ask about the consignment.

P: What was the consignment?

R: Machinery.

Ask about:

1. The number of cases

2. The means of transport

3. The measurements of the cases

4. The volume of each case

5. The volume of the consignment

6. The weight of each case

7. The freight rate

8. The weight of the consignment

9. The charge by volume

10. The charge by weight

AT THE OFFICE

Exercise 1. Fill in the gaps:

Mr. Bridge is …about his new job. He is very …in his new job. His office is round the … .It is in fact …his house. It is … a well-paid job. Mr. Bridge isn’t a … man. His family is … large. With his new job he is going to … a big car. His wife is …it. She is going to buy … things for the house. In her opinion the house is not … .The furniture is … . The … is small for the food. She is … of nice things in the house. And Mr. Bridge is … of his wife. She is … a good mother. She is very pretty … . So his big car is going to wait.

(happy, corner, also, talking, too, fond, opposite, fairly, rich, against, to buy, cosy, modern, old-fashioned, fridge, such.)

Exercise 2. Fill in the gaps with the prepositions: in, at ,on, above, of.

Mr. Brown’s office is … Hope Street. It is right … the centre … Liverpool. It’s a nice room … the second floor … a large old building. Mr. Brown is … his room now. This is what his room is like. There are two desks and a table … the room. Mr. Brown’s desk is … the left of the window. There is a large map … Liverpool … the wall. … the right … the door there is a filing cabinet. There are lots … shelves … the wall with lots … books … them. …the far end … the room there is a TV set. There are nice curtains … the windows. There are a lot … people … the room now.

Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with : there is (are), it is, they are.

We are an international company. … five offices in the company. … in different cities. … ninety-five people in the five offices. … businessmen, sales executives and secretaries. The boss’s office is in London. … in Fleet Street…. Four directors in the company. … economists and trade experts. … several assistants as well. … of different professions. … a large office in Tokyo. … a lot of computers in each office. … of course photocopiers in each office. We are going to expand our exports.

MR HAWK’S OFFICE

Mr. Hawk’s office is at 10 Upping Street. It is in the business centre of the town in a hew building. The office is on the eighth floor. It is far up but there is a lift. So it’s easy to get there.

Mr. Hawk’s office is quite large. It is well furnished. There is a large desk in it. There is a comfortable chair behind the desk and two chairs in front of it. The furniture is all modern and at the same time it’s very simple. There is a telephone on the desk. It has an answerphone. There are some filing cabinets in the corner near the door. There are a lot of files in them. The window is on the right of the desk.

Miss Brown is Mr. Hawk’s secretary. Her office is next door to Mr. Hawk's. It is very small. There is a type-writer on the desk. Miss. Brown is typing letters. Some of them are ready.

Mr. Hawk is in his office now. He is busy. He is looking through business papers and going to dictate replies to his secretary.

Exercise 1. Ask questions about:

1. where Mr. Hawk’s office is;

2. how it is furnished;

3. where Miss Brown’s office is;

4. what they are doing now.

Exercise 2. Expand the following statements:

1. Mr. Hawk’s office is in the Upping Street.

2. The office is well-furnished.

3. Miss Brown is Mr. Hawk’s secretary.

4. Mr. Hawk is busy a the moment.

IN THE OFFICE

Jean works in an office in London. Five days a week she, she gets up very early in he morning, has a quick breakfast and then walks to Finsbury Park station. From there she goes to King’s Cross station by train. Then she gets a bus and goes to her office in Holborn. There she works as a typist. She types letters and accounts and other things for Mr. James. Jane likes her work and likes the other people in her office. There are three other typists and three clerks. There is also an office-boy. His name is Joe, and he takes the letters to the post-office, makes the tea and does other things like that.

At lunch time, Jean goes to a small restaurant near the office and sometimes she also goes to the shops. At 5.30 p.m. Jean’s office closes, and she goes home. She lives with her parents. They are quite old. Jean does not work on Saturday and Sunday. She usually stays at home on these days.

Exercise 1. Choose the right variant to complete the following statements:

1. Jean gets up early:

1. on Saturday and Sunday;

2. every day;

3. five days a week.

2. Jean gets to the office:

1. on foot;

2. by bus;

3. on foot , by bus and by train.

3. Jean works:

1. for Mr. James;

2. for the manager;

3. for the other people in the office.

4. She goes to the shops at lunch time:

1. to kill time;

2. to look at the shop-windows;

3. to buy food for dinner.

5. At the weekend Jean goes out:

1. never;

2. seldom;

3. usually.

Exercise 2. Choose the right answer to the questions:

1. Where does Jean work?

1. Finsbury Park;

2. King’s Cross;

3. Holborn.

2. What is Jean?

1. clerk;

2. typist;

3. accountant.

3. How many other people are there in the office?

a) six;

b) seven;

4. eight.

4. Who makes the tea in the office?

1. Jean;

2. other typists;

3. an office-boy .

5. Where does Jean have Lunch?

1. pub;

2. home;

3. a small restaurant.

6. What time does the office close?

1. 5.00;

2. 5.30;

3. 6.00.

7. Who does Jean live with?

1. her parents;

2. her own family;

3. alone.

8. What does she do on Saturday and Sunday?

1. visit friends;

2. goes to London;

3. stays at home.