Business lunches are an enjoyable way to do business - but they can be complicated. What should you talk about? Is it better to be formal or informal? How important is it to listen?
How can you have a good business lunch? Mark Addison works for an advertising agency. He says that it is important to remember that business lunches are also business meetings. He thinks that it's a good idea to keep things formal the first time that you meet someone. But you don't have to talk about business all the
time. Addison says, You can't talk about work for two hours, so it's a
good idea to have some other topics to talk about.
It is also important to listen. Sandra Hughes, who manages a PR company, says, I have lunches with clients who open their mouth to order and don't close it until the bill is paid. It can be very boring if someone dominates the conversation and talks non-stop.
What other things are important for a successful lunch? If you don't know what to do, then watch what your host does. If they have a starter then you can, too; if they drink water, then you do, too. Choose food that is easy to eat. You can enjoy the conversation without worrying about how to eat the meal.
From the Guardian
1. Choose the correct alternative.
a) Something that is complicated is
i) difficult to understand. ii) easy to understand.
b) A topic is
i) a phrase. ii) a subject that you talk about.
c) At the end of the meal you pay
i) the client. ii) the bill.
d)Someone who talks a lot about uninteresting things is
i) charming. ii) boring.
e) If someone dominates a conversation they
i) talk all the time. ii) don't talk.
f) The host is the person who
i) invites you to lunch, ii) you invite to lunch.
g) If you worry about something, you are
i) relaxed, ii) nervous.
2. Use words from the text to complete the sentences.
a) When you meet someone for the first time, it's better to keep things.
b) It isn't necessary to talk aboutall the time.
c) ..is important - don't talk all the time!
d) Order something that is.. to eat.
Over to you
Write a list of three things you do and three things you don't do at business lunches in your country. Compare your list with a partner.
Do Don't
I usually shake hands with I never talk about my family
the host.
Unit 6 Sales
Mail order entrepreneur
Level of difficulty ***
Before you read
Match the word or phrase to the correct definition.
1.entrepreneur a) money needed to start a company
2. warehouse b) clients buy from the same company again and again
3. catalogue c) book with photographs and information about products
4. customer loyalty d) someone who starts a new company
5. start-up costs e) not together
6. separately f) a large building to store things to sell
Reading
Read this article adapted from the Financial Times and answer the questions.
So you want to be a mail order entrepreneur?
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Mall order makes shopping easier -for the customer that is. It is possible to buy flowers, furniture, books, chocolates and many other products by post. The company sends customers a catalogue, and they can choose products without leaving their home. Johnny Boden is the chairman of the mail order clothing company Boden. He says that mail order companies 'process the customer's order, get the item from the warehouse, check the colour, size, etc., deliver it to their
homes and arrange returns if necessary'. In shops the customer does all these things.
Is it easy to be a mail order entrepreneur? The disadvantage is that the start-up costs are high. You need stock to sell and computers to process orders. You also need a lot of employees. However, mail order does have advantages. A mail order company can operate from almost any place. Charlie and Caroline Gladstone moved from London to Scotland and started Pedlars clothing company. Mr and Mrs Gladstone wanted to work from home. They wanted a better quality of life
and to operate from a low-cost location. Mr Gladstone and Mr Boden visited the US separately. They saw that mail order was a popular business with good
customer service. Mr Gladstone believes that customer loyalty is important. A successful mail order company provides a personal experience, like a good shop.
From the Financial Times
1. Put the six activities that a mail order company does into the correct order.
a) process the order
b) arrange returns, if necessary
c) send the customer a catalogue
d) deliver the product
e) check colour and size
f) get the products from a warehouse
2 Complete the chart with the present simple or the past simple
| Present Simple | Past Simple |
| Send Get Need Deliver Sell | Started Moved Saw Visited Wanted |
Over to you
Do you buy products from mail order companies? What other goods or services do you think would be good to sell by mail order?
Unit 6 Sales
Buying almost anything
Level of difficulty ***
Before you read
Write the words and phrases below under the correct heading.
gym membership, a sale, a dealer, a retailer, a diamond ring, a jeweller, an offer, a bicycle, a deal
| Things to buy | People who sell things | Buy things at a cheaper price |
| Gym membership |
Reading
Read this article adapted from the Guardian and answer the questions.
