BEP 172 – Meeting with a Vendor (Part 3)（在线收听）

This is the third of a three-part Business English Pod series on discussing a proposal with a vendor.

Meeting with a vendor to discuss a proposal is partly about getting information and partly about negotiating a good deal. Your conversation is like a dance in which you and the vendor are trying to get the most out of a possible deal. You need to come out of the meeting feeling confident about the vendor’s abilities and sure that you are getting as much as possible at the best possible price.

Last week, we looked at how to show concern about cost, introducing topics with tact, and showing tactical hesitation. In this episode, we’ll focus on the negotiation phase. That will involve highlighting concerns, getting concessions, and making a counter-proposal. We’ll also look at how to set criteria for evaluation and how to maintain momentum at the end of a meeting.
In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Steve, who wants to hire a vendor to run language training, and Karen, whose company has bid on the project.

Listening Questions

1. How does Karen respond to Steve’s concern about cost?
2. What changes to the proposal does Steve suggest?
3. What will probably happen next?