1find out as much as possible about your audience.
2introduce yourself (name, position, company).
3start with a joke.
4outline the structure of your talk.
5vary the tone of your voice
6refer to your notes as often as possible.
7use clear visual aids.
Skills
Presenting your company
8summarise your main points.
^ 3.4 Listen to a presentation about Òàãà Fashions. Complete the chart. Òàãà Fashions
Where is the head office[9]
Cordoba, Úðàò
What does it sell?
Who are its customers7
Annual turnover?
Annual net profits?
Number of stores: in Spain?
in other European cities?
Strengths?
Future plans?
(^i 3.4 Listen again. Which of the suggestions in Exercise A does the speaker follow?
ôThink about your company, or any other company you know. Study the Useful language below, and use the headings in Exercise  to help you prepare a presentation about it. Then work in pairs. Make a presentation about the company. Ask questions after your partner's presentation.
Useful language
Ending the presentation
To conclude, I want to tell you about our future plans. Finally, a few words about our new project. Thanks very much for listening to my talk Thanks for coming to my presentation.
Background
Valentino chocolates are made in Turin. They are luxury products with a unique taste, and have won many international awards.
Expansion
T he company has expanded rapidly over the past ten years. It now has almost 300 employees, 75 company-owned shops, and a turnover of ˆ90 million. However, in the last two years, sales growth has slowed down and costs have risen. This has caused a fall in profits.
Oas Listen to this excerpt from a board meeting. Make notes under the four headings below
Chart 1: Vaientino's main products (as a % of turnover)
exclusive handmade chocolates
hocolate dvinks
9iscuits and cakes
Valentino's owners have set aside ˆ1.5 million to invest in their company so that it continues to expand and becomes an international business. Here is an excerpt from a company profile that a business journal did recently:
Valentino can continue to grow, but only if it develops new products and finds new markets.
So, the problem is: how should Valentino invest the ˆ1.5 million? Chait 2 lists the ways in which it could do that.
I
Chart 2: Investment options
Option
Cost
Benefit
Buy new machinery
ˆ200 ÎÎÎ
End the delays caused by the old machines Dreaking down
Invest in more research and development
ˆ200,000
Develop new products such as a low-fat chocolate drink, new biscuits/cakes
Buy out a loca1 competitor
ˆ1.5 million
Reduce local competition
Set up a factory in the US
ˆ1.3 mill.on
Manufacture chocolates in a major new market
Finance a market survey and research trips to the US
ˆ100,000
Assess the market potential for Valentino products Contact agents
Invest in an existing group of cafis
ˆ500,000
Become a partner in cafes which sell and promote Vaientinc chocolates
Set up online sales
ˆ150,000
Increase sales and profits
Buy a new fleet of cars
ˆ500,000
Increase motivation of the sales staff
You are directors of Valentino. Meet to discuss your investment plan.
1 Work in pairs. Decide how to spend the ˆ1.5 million. Prepare a presentation of your investment plan, with reasons for your choices
2 Meet as one group and present your ideas.
#
3 As one group, agree on a final investment plan.
Writing
As a direc tor of Valentino Chocolates, write a proposal document to your CEO in which you:
• list the investment options you have chosen;
• give arguments for each option, as well as cost and anticipated benefit.
The beginning has been written for you.
Writing file page 131
Investment plan
Objectives
Ãî soive our current problems and enable Valentino to become a competitive international business, we propose an investment of ˆ1.5 million.
Strategy and implementation
The Board of Directors has agreed the following investment plan:
Bevision
A Careers
Complete this text with the best word for each gap, a), b) or c).
Laura has always been ambitious. She is still at secondary school, but she has
already...................... 1 on a career plan. She knows exactly what she wants. She
does not dream of..................... 2 a fortune, she just wants to work for one of the big
IT companies and.................... 3 research in informatics.
'Some people just want to.................... 4 a lot of money,' she says. 'For me, that's
not a top priority. Of course I'd like to make a good................. 5, but whal's really
important is to..................... 6 a job that I love. What I want more than anything else
is to work for a dynamic company that's strong on R&D and that can............... 7
attractive career opportunities.'
1a) thought b) decided c) followed
2a) making b) moving c) taking
3a) work b) make c) do
4a) win b) do c) earn
5a) life b) live c) living
6a) have b) make c) work
7a) take b) offer c) improve
Decide which of these sentences
a) talk about ability
b) make a request
c) make an offer.
1She can stand up for her needs. é
2Would you check this employment contract for me, please?
3Hello. Could I speak to Mr Babadjanian, please?
4I'm afraid he's not in at the moment. Can I take a message?
5Would you like to talk to his personal assistant?
6If Arno phones, tell him to call back tomorrow, would you?
7Can I make a phone call?
8I left Westbury because I couldn't see any future with them
9Would you like to take a break? to I can't attend all meetings.
Match the pairs of sentences which could go together in telephone conversations.
1I can't get through to them, I'm afraid. a) Would you like to leave ïåã a
message?
2I'm afraid Mrs Lopez isn't here at the moment. b) I'm on 072 445 2397.
3If there's a problem, he can call me back. c) Did you say 14 or 40:
4Her number has changed. Hold on, please d) Their phone's always
engaged.
Vocabulary
Modals
Skills
5Sorry, I didn't catch the number. e) I'll put you through.
Unit A Revision |
Turn to the Fast-Track Inc. Case study. Go through the job description on page 12 and the profile of the second candidate, Tadeusz Vajda, on page 13. Then choose the appropriate phrase from each pair in the box to complete Tadeusz's letter of application below.
As regards
At the end
want
look forward
However
Finally
would like
wait
sincerely
About
In addition
faithfully
With reference
But
ul. Garb?rska 75 90112 Lodz Poland
Fast-Track Inc. 377 West Main Street Boston, MA 02116 USA
16 March
Dear Sir or Madam,
........................... 1 to your recent advertisement on our Intranet, I
........................... 2 to apply for the position of Sales Manager for Central
and Eastern Europe.
I have been working as Fast-Track Regional Manager for the south of Poland for five years During this period, I focused on developing sales, so tnat they increased by 12%.
............. 3,1 also gained extensive experience of sales and of
managing teams in a wide variety of industries in Poland and in neighbouring countries
........................... 4 my academic background, I have a degree in financial
engineering from the University of Krakow.
........................... 5,1 am bilingual in Polish and English and I know the region
extremely well, as I have travelled freguently throughout Poland and other central European countries.
believe that this combination of practical experience and qualifications makes me an ideal candidate for the Warsaw post. I............................ 6 to hearing from you.
/ours............................ 7
Î
Writing
TMjda
T. Vajda
ôNow study the profiles of the other two candidates on page 13. Write a letter of application for one of these candidates.
Selling online
Complete the sentences with the words that are hidden in the grid horizontally and vertically.
Â
A
R
â
ò
L
À
R
E
X
T
À
L
À
Ò
N
P
è
R
Ñ
í
À
S
Å
D
Ñ
D
D
G
Ñ
À
N
ñ
Å
L
R
E
s
À
Ð
Ð
R
À
V
Å
S
S
T
N
R
Å
F
è
N
D
P
f.
N
D
Å
L
L
N
A
ñ
D
Å
Ò
À
L
S
Ò
T
è
ê
Â
è
L
Ê
N
ñ
N
S
Å
R
V
Ñ
Å
R
H
T
è
N
Z
N
W
Y
À
Â
1 If the goods you require are out of........................ it means they are not
available.
2 A....................... is a price reduction often expressed as a percentage of
the original price.
3 Because of cybercrime, many people do not like to give their credit-card online.
4 Customers who are not satisfied can...................... the goods within a
week.
5 I am afraid we cannot give you a...................... if you cannot produce a
receipt.
6 A....................... is something that you buy for a price that is lower than
normal.
7 If we do not receive the goods within the next three days, I am afraid we shall have to our order.
8 Interest-free...................... is an arrangement by which you buy goods
now and pay later, at no extra cost.
9 It is difficult for small tr?ders to compete with larg? companies which buy and sell in
Þ Like traditional retailers, online businesses have to provioe a gocd after-
sales .........................
è We.......................... all our goods from our central warehouse in Toulouse.
12 Unfortunately, the goods we....................... from SRB are below the usual
quality this time.
For each of the sentences below, one or two options are correct. Cross out any option that is incorrect or does not make sense.
l No e-commerce service......................... mislead the consumer by giving false
information or too little information.
Vocabulary
Modals
a) mustn't b) should c) has to
Unit A Revision |
2 Online retailers....................... give warnings about material that may be
unsuitable or inappropriate for children or other consumers
a) don't need to b) have to c) must
3 Customers...................... print out or save all information about the online
transaction.
a) should b) shouldn't c) mustn't
4 E-retailing services....................... be difficult to use, otherwise customers will
be discouraged.
a) shouldn't b) don't have to c) need to
5 Any advertising on the website...................... conform to the standards of the
National Advertising Authority.
a) must b) has to c) shouldn't
6 The retailer....................... deliver within 30 days if the consumer agrees.
a) shouldn't b) mustn't c) doesn't have to
7 Customers...................... do business only with online retailers who are
certified safe.
Vocabulary
a) don't have to b) should c) need to
Companies
Complete the sentences below with words from the box.
1 I am pleased to report that the financial...................... of our company has
been excellent........................ was ˆ24 million, an increase of eight
...................... on last year, while........................ rose by 7% to §1.9 million.
2 Although the market place for our products continues to be highly
........................ we have increased our market........................ to 19 per cent.
As a result, our....................... has risen to S2.1.
3 Unfortunately, we had to close down our Antwerp...................... which has
Present simple ana present continuous
meant a 2% cut in our..........................
Complete the text below with the appropriate present simple or continuous form of the verbs in the box.
employ
want
open
own
grow
interview
Our company is among the ten largest in the country. We already..................... 1
SANWA International, the successful chemicals company. In addition, we
...................... 2 to break into the new consumer markets of Central and Eastern
Europe. For example, we...................... 3 a new subsidiary in Bratislava next
month. That is why this week I...................... 4 candidates for the top jobs in
Slovakia. We....................... ' well over 3,000 people, and this numbei
...................... 6 all the time.
Vocabulary
Verb and noun
combinations
Listening
The Innovation Works Reading
Three great ideas Language review Past simple and past continuous Skills
Successful meetings Case study Fabtek
OVERVIEW
D □
□ □ □ □
Eureka!
Archimeoes (287-212 ecj, Greek matnematician
Which of the following statements do you agree with? Which do you disagree with? Why?
1There are no new ideas.
2Most of the best ideas are discovered by accident.
3Research and development is the key to great business ideas.
4There is nothing wrong with copying and improving the ideas of others.
5The best way to kill an idea is to take it to a meeting
What should companies do to encourage new ideas?
Match the word partnerships (1-6) with their explanations (a-f).
Verb anH noun combinations
to offer a larger variety of goods
to dc or provide something that
necessary
to do something when you get the chance to do it
to make an important discovery or change
to start selling goods or services in a new area
to make somebody look or feel more important
Read this extract from a talk by the head of a Research and Development Department. Then fill in gaps (1-6) with the correct form of a word partnership from Exercise A.
Great ideas are generated in different ways. Sometimes an idea may simply be when a company fofcAMf^.afm.[10]
to....................... [11], to offer more choice to
existing customers. Or a great idea could allow a
company to...................... [12] which was closed to
it before.
Companies which are prepared to spend a lot on
R&D may...................... [13] by having an original
idea for a product which others later copy, for example Sony and the Walkman.
On the other hand, some products are developed in response to customer research. They come
from customer ideas. These products are made to
..................... [14], to satisfy consumer demand. Or
the product does something similar to another product, but faster, so it saves time. Some people will buy new products because the product
...................... [15] - gives them a new, more
upmarket image.
Other people will buy any 'green' product which
...................... 7 waste or....................... 8 the
environment, even if it is more expensive.
If an idea is really good and the product
...................... 9 a gap in the market, it may even
...................... 10 an award for innovation.
Î.1 Now listen and check your answers to Exercise B. Listen carefully to the last part, and complete the new word partnerships in gaps 7-10.
Choose the coreet answer for these questions in small groups.
1 'Brainstorming'is:
a) a new way of dealing with business correspondence.
b) a technique to help people produce a lot of ideas.
c) a lively discussion among academics.
2 If something happens 'out of the blue', it happens:
a) suddenly, when nobody expects it.
b) whenever it is necessarv.
c) after a lot of preparation and planning.
3 eBay is:
a) a website through which business people can network.
b) a famous travel agency's website that specialises in adventure holidays.
c) a website where people buy and sell goods worldwide.
0 4.2 Kate Pitts is Head of the Innovation Wcks at Reading University. Listen to the first part of the interview, and decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).
1 The Innovation Works was set up to help the university interact with students more effectively.
2 Business people can use the Innovation Works for problem-solving and team-building.
3 They use special wallpaper that people can draw and paint on.
4 Not all people have a chance to speak during their brainstorming sessions.
5 They encourage people to look at problems from different points of view.
0 4.3 Listen to the second pari and answer these questions.
1 What is the main difference between the two tvpes of innovation Kate Pitts mentions?
Listenir;
The Innovation Works
Kate Pitts
2 What are two reasons why she thinks eBay is particularly effective?
Discuss these questions.
1What examples of great business ideas do you know?
2What makes a business idea a really great idea? Brainstorm as many points as vou can. For example
It results in an inrredse- m sake, and profit.
Work in groups of three. Make quick notes in answer to the questions below about your article.
Student A: Read article l.
Student B: Read article 2.
Student C: Read article 3.
1What industry sector is the article about?
2What is the great idea?
3What makes the idea unusual?
4What problem does this idea solve?
5What are the benefits of this idea?
Three great ideas
Student A Student  Student Ñ
M "ion Dollar Homepage
1lp.tff.0pf. 4dvertjsin$
n
5 ............. ..............
Ask your partners the five questions in Exercise Ü and make notes as you listen.
Article 1
Ferrari attraction
20 the dealership could bring in close to $100,000 a month in admission fees as well as selling 20 30 cars a month, of wnich a little 25 mure than half ar» used models. Trices for the cars range from $170,045 for a Ferrari F430 coupe to $254,150 for a ol2 Scaglietti. 30 An analyst observed that it was interesting that people were paying to enter a car showroom, while General Motors almost had 35 to pay people to cumo to its dealerships.
by Bernard Simon
The Penske-Wynn car dealership in Las Vegas had a problem when it opened About l,o00 people a day were trooping in to admire the Ferrari and Mas^rati sports cars parked or the showroom floor. Staff spent as much time on crowd control as selling car®
The dealership began charging' a $10 entrance fee to anyone not intending to buy a car or not bringing one in for service.
With about one-fifth of the daily visitors claiming to be prospective buyers,
FINANCIAL TIMES
Article 2
PepsiCo's sweet taste of success
by Anita Jain
It all goes to plan, Florida's sweetest and juiciest oranges will soon grow in Punjab.
5 Farmers in the northern Indian state grow mostly wheat and rice. However, four decades uf intense cultivation have Þ led to a sharp drop in the underground water level and marie the soil poorer.
Because of this, the farmers joined with the 15 state government and PepsiCo of the USA to experiment with planting different varieties of citrus fruit from Florida and 20 California, whose soil and weather are comparable
with those of the Punjab.
For PepsiCo and other Western food companies 25 this kind of initiative is the key to long-term competitiveness in one of the world's fastest-growing consumer markets. 30 'The government wants diversification, the farmers want higher income, ard the company wants local availability of citrus,' said 35 PepsiCo India's executive director of sxports.
A quarter of Punjab State's agricultural revenues could ;ome from cit- 40 rus by 2015, local officials estimate
F1NANCIAI TIMES
Article ç
Million Dollar Homepage
20 of months ol intense media coverage, he bid sold about $40u 000 worth of pixels.
Because of its high traffic and low prices, his site 25 was in great demand among companies thai, needed advertising space, including The Times newspaper and Yahoo In late 30 January 2006, the last pixels were sold, and Tew became a millionaire.
Tew knows that this idea will only work once, 35 but he says he has learnt a lot about business, and he is already working on his next venture.
by Kate Mackenzie
Twenty-one-year-old Alex Tew was looking for ways to raise money for his university studies. In August 5 2005, he had what he called the pcrfect idea': 'simple, catchy and cheap'. He opened a one-page website, divided it into a million pix- 10 els (or dots), and sold the space as advertising. He sold his pixels for one dollar each, the minimum purchase being 100 pixels. 15 Tew spent the money generated by the first sale on promoting his website, the 'Million Dollar Homepage' After a couple
FINANCIAL TIMES
Discuss these questions in pairs.
1 Would you pay to visit a car showroom, or any othei showroom? Why (not)?
2 What projects are your government and global companies working on together?
3 What are the pussible advantages and disadvantages of governments and global companies working together on projects?
4 Why do you think Alex Tew's idea received some criticism?
Study these examples.
a) Our company was selling products online long before all its competitors. (past continuous)
b) We were trying to produce a new design when suddenly we had a great idea. (past continuous) (past simple)
c) Last year, we spent a lot on advertising and so attracted lots of new customers. (past simple) (past simple)
Now read through these rules.
We use the past continuous to talk about something that was going on around a particular time in the past, as in example a). We often use the past continuous to describe an action which was already in progress when something else happened, as in example b). We use the past simple to talk about actions or events that we see as completed, as in example c). page 121
Read the first part of the Max Factor story and complete it with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
In many parts of the world, Max Factor has become a famous brand of cosmetics. Yet few people know that Max Factor who was born in Poland in 1877, is also the name of the inventor of those cosmetics. Apparently, it was
while Max...................... [16] (worked/was working) as an apprentice to a
pharmacist, mixing all kinds of potions, that he...................... [17] (developed/
was developing) an interest in cosmetics.
He....................... [18] (lived/was living) in Moscow when he....................... [19]
(opened/was opening) his own shop, selling a range of handmade cosmetics.
Now complete the second part of the story with either the past simple or the past continuous of the verbs given.
The story goes that one day, some members of the Russian nobility
...................... 1 (notice) the beautiful make-up worn by some travelling
theatre actors who...................... 2 (perform) for them. So they
...................... 3 (appoint) Max Factor the cosmetic expert for the royal family.
In 1904, Factor..................... 4 (emigrate) to the USA. He...................... [20]
(create) a new kind of make-up for cinema actors in Los Angeles, where he
...................... [21] (live). By the time he....................... [22] (introduce) his
P?st simple and past continuous
products to the public, all major actresses...................... [23] (visit) his salon
Successful meetings
Which of the following do you agree with? Why?
Asking for comments
What do you think? How do you feel about this?
Changing the subject
Let's move on now to... The next item on the agenda is ...
Clarifying
What do you mean by...? Sorry, I don't quite understand.
Summarising
OK, let's summarise. Right, let's recap
Agreeing
I think you're right. I (totally) agree
Disagreeing
I don't know about that. (I'm afraid) I don't agree.
Interrupting
Hold on (a moment). Can I say something?
Î
4.4 Listen again. Tick the expressions which Inge, the chairperson, uses.
1Can we start, please? Pf
2The purpose of this meeting is to decide the date of the launch. □
3Katharina, what do you think? □
4OK, let's hear a few more views. □
5Nadia, how do you feel about this? □
6You're right, Katharina. Let's get back to the point. □
7OK everyone, I think on balance we agree... □
8I want us to talk about sales outlets now. □
4.4 Listen to the meeting again and complete these extracts.
Katharina I'm in ....fyy.QUJ.'........ 1 of February or March. There's a gap in the
market for our products. Why wait any longer? Inge ... Kenneth, what's your opinion?
Kenneth Mmm, I.................................................... 2 about February. It's a bit
early in the year. I...................... 3 we....................... in May or
June. People go on holiday then.
Nadia ... The price should be nigh I'd say, at least £50.
Katharina .................................................. 5 a minute. I thought we were
talking about the launch date, not about promotion or price.
Inge ... Which outlets do you think we should target?
Julia .......................................................... 6 we should start with the
specialist stores. That's where most swimmers buy theii goggles.
Inge What................................................................................... 7 by
specialist stores, Julia?
Useful language
CHAIRPERSON
Beginning the meeting
Can we start plea.ce? Right, let's begin.
Stating the aim
The main aim of the
meeting is to... The purpose of th.s meeting is to...
PARTICIPANTS
Giving opinions
I think...
I'm in favour of...
Making suggestion 5
Perhaps we shouid... We could...
Fabtek is a small company based in Hamburg. It has produced a revolutionary type of fabric called Protean.
Î 4.5 Listen to an excerpt from a company presentation and complete the fact sheet about Protean. Use up to three words each time.
PROTEAN FACT SHEET
PROTEAN'S MAIN FEATURES
Made from fibres...................... 1
nylon and polyester; can be made
very thick, or so thin that it can let
some...................... 2 through.
It is very soft to the touch, and also
Can be made in any...................... 4.
FABTEK S FUTURE PLANS
•
Fabtek believes that Protean has great
•
Wants to increase sales by
...................... 6 other manufacturers
to produce new products with Protean
•
Already has a licensing agreement
with Azra, a...................... 7 which
has created some...................... 8
using Protean
1 'Dazzle' - A range of shoes for young women
Selling points:
• Light and comfortable adapt to the shape of a person's foot
• Their colour can be changed ^^^^^ at any time
• Shiny, smart and very durable
2 Protean steering wheel
Selling points:
• Better grip for drivers
• Safer than all other steering wheels
• Very pleasant to the touch
• Low production costs