Part Ⅰ Situational Dialogues

Practice 1

Task 2: Simulated situational conversation.

（A: Frankie Moore；B: Diana Johnson）

A: Good morning. This is Frankie Moore from Hong Kong Bio Paint. May I speak to Mr.Wilson?

B: I'm sorry. He is not in at the moment. This is Diana Johnson from PR Department. May I help you?

A: Yes, thanks. We are a manufacturer of interior paint in Hong Kong, and I am very glad to have Mr.Wilson's card during the China Coating Show (CCS) this August in Shanghai. However, in the show I was so busy that I had no time to talk with him for more details.

B: Well, but he is out of office to visit customers.

A: I'm just checking about your usage situation. Are you using a great amount of interior paint? If yes, which brand takes the major part?

B: Well, as far as I know we are using quite a lot of interior paint from Nippon Paint.

A: So, may I know which types, please？For many types from Nippon Paints, we have the similar types to well-match, such as odorless paint, anti-bacteria paint. But our price is more favorable.

B: I'm sorry that I do not know the details. You should check with Mr.Wilson.

A: OK, thanks anyway. I will email Mr.Wilson about the details. Could you inform him of my calling when he comes back?

B: Sure.

A: Thank you very much.

B: You're welcome.

Practice 2

Task 2: Simulated situational conversation.

(A:Li Ming,B:Mr.Moore)

A: Welcome, Mr.Moore. I'm Li Ming. It's my pleasure to show you around the factory.

B: Thank you, Mr.Li. That'll be most helpful.

A: That is our office block. We have all the administrative departments there. Down there is the R&D section.

B: I see. How much do you spend on research and development each year?

A: About 3%-4% of the gross sales.

B: That is good. What's the building opposite us? The warehouse?

A: Yes. We keep a stock of the faster moving items so that urgent orders can be met quickly from stock.

B: How big is your factory?

A: It covers an area of 55,000 square meters.

B: Wow, it's much larger than I expected. When was it founded?

A: In the middle eighties, with a registered capital of two million yuan. We'll soon be celebrating the 30th anniversary.

B: Congratulations! How many employees do you have here?

A: 250 in the workshop and 38 in the office. We're running on three shifts. Well, here we're at the production shop. Shall we start with the assembly line?

B: That's fine.

A: Mr.Moore, please put on the helmet and the jacket, for the concern of safety and hygiene.

B: Yes, right.

A: Now please watch your step. Here you can see the filling, capping, labeling and packaging are all done by machine.

B: That's good. How about the reject rate?

A: The reject rate is normally less than 2%. All products have to go through five checks in the whole manufacturing process.

B: How about the monthly output?

A: 100,000 units per month now and 2,000 more from next month after we upgrade some equipment.

B: That is impressive.

Practice 3

Task 2: Simulated situational conversation.

(A: Mr.Wilson, B: Mr.He)

A: What is your company's main product?

B: Our leading product is Bono Olive Oil. It sells fast in many big cities all over China and has recently been exported to America.

A: What is your annual production of olive oil?

B: We produce more than 250,000 tons every year.

A: Are there any other products in your company?

B: Yes, besides olive oil, we also produce other edible oils, eggs, vegetables and animal food to meet the market demand.

A: How many departments are there in your company?

B: This stock company consists of seven departments: Production, Purchasing, Finance, Auditing, Investment & Securities, Marketing, and R&D.

A: How many employees do you have?

B: We have 600 staff in all so far. 35% of them have a Bachelor's degree.

A: Good. You see, we're interested in establishing a joint venture with a Chinese partner. It seems your company is one of our choices. But one more thing I'd like to know is your financial standing.

B: I can assure you that we have a sound financial standing. You can consult our bank — Standard Chartered Bank, Guangzhou branch,or our local chamber of commerce. I believe you'll find us trustworthy and reliable.

A: Good. May I ask about your capital?

B: Yes, our registered capital is 30 million yuan. We were listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange a year ago, and presently we have a market capitalization of 60 million yuan. Last year our net profit was 10 million yuan.

A: That's impressive. Thank you for your information. I'll share it in the next board meeting.

B: Not at all. I have a feeling that there are bright prospects for us to cooperate in this field. We look forward to hearing good news from you.

Part Ⅲ Workplace Practice

Ⅰ. Complete the following dialogue.

Dialogue A:

A: Why are these factories on the black list of our company?

B: Because they are dishonest. We will never do business with them. Now let me brief you on the black list.

A: Are you sure you have time? You told me you had to deal with the correspondence first.

B: Well, I am done with that. A few companies asked for our new product samples by correspondence. They want to cooperate with us. I have asked a courier to deliver the samples to them.

A: They want to cooperate with us because the competition is becoming more and more cut throat.

B: Yes. If two companies cooperate by setting up a deal, they become more powerful to compete with other companies. OK, now let us look at the black list.

Dialogue B:

A: Hi, my name is Steven. I am a Finnish car dealer.

B: I am Nancy. Nice to meet you. I own a domestic car factory in Thailand.

A: Actually I have heard a lot about your factory. You have just set up a joint venture with an Italian company. Is that right?

B: Oh, yeah. Personally, I think cooperation is very important. So I have been looking for opportunities to cooperate with European companies and maintain good business relations with them.

A: I agree. Cooperation is important. That is how we maximize profits. If you continue to do business with other European companies in the future, let me know if you need any help from me.

B: Thank you. Maybe I will need you to act as a middleman.

Dialogue C:

A: Please have a seat, Mr.Bruno Simon. My name is Cathy Smith. My secretary Lily told me you own a multinational in Singapore, right?

B: Yes, Miss Smith. I have been seeking cooperation in overseas market. That is why I came to China.

A: Great. Actually we have been in partnership with a few multinationals in Singapore, and we'd been honored if we could cooperate with you.

B: Well, I like Chinese people. Chinese people always prioritize everything to manage time well.

A: It's important to prioritize. After all, time is money. Mr.Simon, if we cooperate, I hope we can have an excellent rapport with each other.

B: Yeah. Besides, let us do our best to make cost reductions.

Ⅱ. Translate the following dialogue into English.

A: Hello, Mr.Smith. Nice to see you again! Please come and sit down.

B: Thank you. I'm so glad to see you again. I had a look yesterday. The pamphlet gives a good introduction of your company, and now I have some knowledge of your export business.

A: Is there anything you are particularly interested in?

B: Yes, there is. But the price of some items is much higher than usual.

A: This price list is only a guideline. If you order in bulk, the price will be lower. Why not have a look at our samples first? Considering the good quality, you will find the prices rather attractive.

B: Surely we will talk about the price later. Hmm, I can feel the good quality.

A: This is our newly developed product. Would you like to see it?

B: Why not?

A: It has only been on the market for a few months, but it is already very popular in Europe. So the product will find a ready market in your country.

B: Good. Now I have a feeling that we can do a lot of trade in this line. We wish to establish business relationship with you.

A: Your desire coincides with ours.

B: I will share with my colleagues about your company and we will decide an order as soon as possible.

A: That sounds good! And I will make a reasonable offer as I receive your enquiry about certain goods.

B: I hope everything is smooth.

A: I hope so, too.

Ⅲ. Make a short speech (3 minutes).

Good morning, everyone. My topic today is how to establish business relations and I hope my speech will be of some help to you. To establish business relations with the prospective traders is the first important step in international trade. No customer means no business. For a newly established company, to have a worldwide business contact will guarantee its larger business scope and turnover.

In international business, both the importer and the exporter are usually separated by thousands of miles. If either of them wants to open up the market overseas or to sell or buy something from the other party, first of all, they have to find out whom they are going to deal with. Instead of finding the real partner by themselves, they usually have the following channels to know each other:

·Banks;

·Chambers of Commerce in foreign countries;

·Commercial Counselor's Office;

·Fairs, Exhibitions&Expositions held both at home and abroad;

·Advertisement;

·Internet.

The information you have obtained about your customers through the above mentioned various channels make it possible for you to communicate, especially in writing, with the new counterparts in the hope of establishing a business relationship. In writing such a letter, you usually include such information as your purpose of writing, the nature of your company and the scope of your business.

But don't rush into any business! You need to know whether your corporate partner is reliable and trustworthy. Before the conclusion of the first transaction, you are advised to make the necessary status inquiries, which means to get the written information concerning the financial position, credit, reputation, and business methods of the other firms. To acquire such information, you can consult relevant banks, the Chamber of Commerce or other enquiry agencies. Such communication must be kept in “strict confidence” and “in good faith”.

Traders must not only do everything possible to consolidate their established relations with firms having previous business but also develop and revitalize their trade by searching for new connections from time to time. It's important for traders to know how to approach new clients and take caution while entering into new business.

That's all for my speech. Thank you.

Ⅳ. Make a workplace interpretation (3 minutes).

A: I had a visit yesterday and found some of the exhibits fine in quality and beautiful in design. The exhibition has successfully displayed to me what your corporation handles. I've gone over the catalogue and the pamphlets enclosed in your last letter and got some ideas of your exports. I'm very interested in your silk blouse.

B: 您的眼光真好。我们的丝绸产品以质量好而文明，是我们传统的出口商品之一。丝绸女衫颜色明艳，图案漂亮，深受海外朋友喜欢，需求量一直很大。

A: Very good. I have a feeling that we can do a lot of trade in this line and we'd like to establish business relationship with you.

B :我们也希望能开展合作。

A: Concerning our financial position, credit standing and trade reputation, you may refer to our bank, or to our local chamber of commerce or inquiry agencies.

B: 谢谢您提供的信息。您知道，我们是个国有公司，我们一直和其他各国在平等互利的基础上开展贸易。双方建立业务关系是互利的，我相信这会给我们双方带来利益。

A: That sounds good. I'll send a fax home. As soon as I receive the definite answer, I'll give you a reply.

B: 那时我们会尽快报价。我希望我们能开展大量业务。

A: So do I.

B: 到时我们一定给你们最低的价格。

A: Thank you.