Тема 7: business meeting: discussing contract terms

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

To cooperate – співпрацювати;

To take up – обговорювати;

To offer – пропонувати;

To be in demand – користуватись попитом;

Reply – відповідь;

Acceptable – прийнятний, який підходить;

To settle – залагоджувати, вирішувати (про проблему);

Signing – підписання;

To dispatch – відправляти;

To reduce – зменшувати, знижувати;

Overestimated – завищений;

Reasonable price – помірна ціна;

To be heavy with – бути завантаженим (роботою, замовленнями тощо);

Draft Contract – проект контракту;

Schedule – графік, таблиця;

To afford – дозволяти собі, давати;

To speed up – прискорювати;

To pass on to – переходити до;

To be sophisticated – бути неправдивим, сфальсифікованим;

To be reliable – бути надійним;

Exercise 1. Give synonyms to the following words:

1. to offer

2. to take up

3. reply

4. to settle

5. acceptable

6. schedule

Exercise 2. Match the words with their definitions:

Price - to be busy with some work

To sign - too high price for you

Overestimated - money to pay for some purchase or service

To be heavy with - to put your signature under some document

Exercise 3. Read and learn the following useful expressions for a discussion about the contract terms:

DISCUSSING CONTRACT TERMS

(Useful expressions)

• We’d like to do business with your firm. – Ми б хотіли встановити ділові стосунки з вашою фірмою.

• We are ready to cooperate with you. – Ми готові співпрацювати з вами.

• What shall we take up? – Що ми будемо обговорювати?

• Let’s proceed with … - Давайте перейдемо до …

• Please, inform us of … - Будь ласка, поінформуйте нас про …

• We have a few problems to discuss. – У нас є декілька проблем, які потрібно обговорити.

• What’s your idea of … - Яка ваша думка з приводу …

• What do you offer? – Що ви пропонуєте?

• How will deliveries be made? – Як буде проводитись доставка?

• In … (three) lots. - …(трьома) партіями (частинами).

• If you don’t mind, … - Якщо ви не заперечуєте, …

• We can (can’t) agree with you. – Ми погоджуємось (не погоджуємось) з вами.

• In what currency will the payment be made? – У якій валюті буде проводитись оплата?

• Our equipment is in great demand. – Наше обладнання користується великим попитом.

• The project is a top priority one. – Цей проект є пріоритетним.

• We’ll give our reply tomorrow. – Ми дамо відповідь завтра.

• As far as I remember … - Наскільки я пам’ятаю, …

• You are quite right. – Ви абсолютно праві.

• It is acceptable to us. – Це нам підходить.

• I suppose it will suit us. – Я вважаю, це нам підійде.

• The problem has been settled. – Проблему вирішено.

• We can meet these delivery dates. – Ми можемо виконати ці строки доставки.

• We’ll have the contract pepared for signing. – Наш контракт готовий до підписання.

Exercise 4. Complete the following sentences:

1. I’m glad you are not in a hurry and we … today.

2. Our manager would like to … with you.

3. You prices on these items are overestimated. That’s why we …

4. The number of your new products have come to our market, so we’d like …

5. … , we’ve discussed this item at our previous meeting.

6. We are interested in cooperation, because our goods …

7. Our firm must pay a lot of money for delivery, that’s why we’ll … tomorrow.

8. We have settled all the questions and now …

Exercise 5. Work in pairs: read, translate and dramatize the following dialogues:

DISCUSSING A DRAFT CONTRACT

• Let’s proceed with the discussion of our Draft Contract for the delivery of chemical equipment. What shall we take up today?

• We’ve finished with the prices but there are some comments on the delivery dates and guarantees.

• Is there anything you don’t like about the delivery schedule? The dates are the shortest we can afford.

• But the project is a top priority one. We would ask you to speed up the deliveries.

• All right. We are always ready to cooperate where we can, but we can’t give our final reply before we get the manufacturer’s consent.

• How long will that take?

• About 2 weeks.

• All right, we’ll look at this again later.

• Then let’s pass on to the guarantee clause. You are aware, that the equipment we offer you is highly sophisticated, reliable and easy to run. It’s in great demand, you know.

SIGNING A CONTRACT

• We have a few problems to discuss. First comes the problem of delivery terms. As far as I remember you prefer FOB terms.

• You are quite right.

• These terms are acceptable to us.

• What’s your idea of a FOB price?

• It’s 1200 pounds per unit. If you buy on FOB terms then the price will be 1300 pounds.

• Well, I suppose FOB terms suit us. But will you give us a discount if we buy say 50 machines?

• In this case we can give you a 10% discount.

• So, the problem has been settled. When can you deliver the machines?

• Well, we can dispatch the machines in 2 equal lots of 25 machines each. We can promise to deliver the first lot in April.

• And can the second lot be delivered in July?

• Yes, I think we can meet these delivery dates.

• Fine. It seems to me we have settled all the problems and can sign the contract now.

Exercise 6. Work in three groups: fill in the blanks in the replies of the dialogues, read, translate and reproduce these dialogues in roles for the rest two groups.

N 1:

• What shall we … today?

• Please, … us of the delivery dates.

• The … will start in May, I think.

• Could you … the delivery time?

• I think we can reduce it.

• How will deliveries be made?

• In …at a three month interval.

N 2:

• What shall we … first?

• Prices, if you don’t .

• We can’t agree to … . They are overestimated.

• We are ready to grant you a … .

• Well, and in what … will the payments be made?

• I think in US dollars.

N 3:

• Let’s … to the guarantee clause.

• Did you see our model? How did you like it?

• It’s very good. What about the price?

• We sell this model at … . The quality is excellent and it is in … .

• All right. We are always ready … with you. We’ll give you our final … tomorrow.

Exercise 7. Work in pairs. Choose the situation you like and make up your own dialogue:

PROBLEM 1:

• You are a representative of the company, which wants to buy the transporting equipment. Your partners offer you to deliver the goods up to the end of the year. Such terms do not suit you.

PROBLEM 2:

• You are signing the contract with some firm, but you’d like to discuss the question of price. You want to get a discount.

PROBLEM 3:

- You are a representative of the Ukrainian firm. Your firm wants to make business with some English firm. You can offer your future partners to sell the transporting equipment at a very low price in two lots.

LEARN THE ADDITIONAL MATERIAL:

MAIN BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

1. Agency agreement – агентна угода;

2. Agreement, Contract – угода, контракт;

3. Air bill – авіанакладна;

4. Amendment (to a contract) – зміни (до контракту);

5. Appendix (to a contract) – додаток (до контракту);

6. Supplement (to a contract) – додаток (до контракту);

7. Bill of Lading – коносамент;

8. Certificate of Quality – сертифікат якості;

9. Contract for Delivery – угода про доставку;

10. Covering Letter – супровідний лист;

11. Customs Declaration – митна декларація;

12. Export License – експортна декларація (дозвіл на експорт);

13. General Conditions of Delivery – загальні умови доставки;

14. Import License – імпортна декларація (дозвіл на імпорт);

15.Insurance Policy – страховий поліс;

16.Invoice – рахунок-фактура;

17. Letter of Credit – акредитив;

18. Order, Release for Shipment – дозвіл на відвантаження;

19. Road Bill – автодорожна накладна;

20. Schedule of Delivery – графік доставки;

21. Shipping Specifications – відвантажувальна специфікація;

22. Way Bill – транспортна накладна.

MARKING

1. With Care! – Обережно!

2. Top – Верх;

3. Bottom – Низ;

4. Do not Turn over – Не перевертати;

5. Contract № O – Контракт №;

6. Order № O – Замовлення №;

7. Case № O – Ящик №;

8. Place № O – Місце №;

9. Case Dimensions – Вимір тари;

10.Gross Weight … kgs – Вага брутто … кг;

11.Nett Weight … kgs – Вага нетто … кг;

12.Denomination – Найменування;

13.Numerator – Нумератор;

14.Keep Dry – Зберігати у сухому місці;

15.Glass – Скло.