Air travel
The worlds airlines make up to 20,000 price changes every day, so check price often over hours, not days.
Ring airlines and travel agents late or early in the day when business is quiet.
Bicycles
The best time to look for bargains is autumn, when shops make space for new stock.. January and February are also good because the sales are on.
Cars
Buy around Christmas when business is slow. You can make the dealer an offer. The best day to buy is Tuesday because it is the least busy (weekends and Mondays are the busiest days).
Start by offering 10 percent to 15 percent less then the list price.
Computers
Get at least three quotes.
Ask the realtor about its returns policy. Who pays for the computer to be returned to the shop if there is a problem?
Diamond rings
August is the jewellers slowest month so it may be a good time for deals. Christmas and near Valentines Day are the busiest.
Diamonds are not a good investment retailers can increase the price by as much as 100 percent.
Gym membership
Try at least three gyms, within 10 minutes of work or home. Book an appointment to visit and look around. Dont go during the business time of 5p.m. 7p.m. during the week.
Never sign up after one visit. Your second visit should be at a busy time. Ask other gym members lots of questions. Ask staff how many members there are.
From the Guardian
1. Read the article again and answer the questions.
a) Which parts of the day are best to ring airlines and travel agents?
b) Which is the best season to buy a cheap bicycle?
c) Which is the least busy day to buy a car?
d) Which is a jeweller's slowest month?
e) When is the busiest time to visit a gym during the week?
2. Underline the correct word or phrase in italics to make true definitions.
a) Up to 20,000 - is not less /more than 20,000.
b) Make space - create an area that is full /empty.
c) Around Christmas - after/about the same time as Christmas.
d) A good investment - get more /less money back later.
e) Sign up- join/leave.
f) Gym members - the people who work for /go to a gym.
Over to you
What were the last two big things that you bought? Where did you buy them? What things do you enjoy buying? What do you hate buying?
Unit 7 People
Booksellers
Level of difficulty ***
Before you read
Use a dictionary to help you underline the correct answer.
a) An unemployed person
i) has a job.
ii) doesn't have a job.
b) You get experience in something by
i) reading a book.
ii) learning how to do a job or activity.
c) You celebrate when
i) something good happens or it's a special occasion,
ii) something bad happens or it's a normal day.
Reading
Read this article adapted from the Observer and answer the questions.
The Book People
How do you sell books to people who never read? An unemployed man and a young mother found a new way to sell books and became millionaires. Fourteen years ago, Ted Smart was unemployed. He was 45 years old with a family. In the past, he had many different jobs. He was a salesman, a publisher and a photographer. He also lived in Hong Kong where he worked as a police officer. Seni Glaister was 21. She had a small baby. She had a little marketing experience in the US. Smart and Glaister decided to sell books to people who didn't go to bookshops.
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Smart and Glaister started a company called The Book People. Their company sells books to people at work in offices, banks, factories and schools. The sales people call at an office or factory six times a year. They leave some books at reception. The workers look at the books at work and decide if they want to buy any.The salespeople return a week later and collect orders and money from the workers.
The company now has about 2.5 million customers. It is valued at 35 £100 million. It sells 14 million books a year. Each year Smart and Glaister have a big party to celebrate their success.
From the Observer
1. In the article find four jobs and four places to work. Write them under these headings.
Jobs Places to work
salesman offices
2. Read the article again and answer the questions.
What job did Ted have in Hong Kong? police officer
Who had some marketing experience?
How old was Seni?
What does the company sell?
How often do the salespeople call at the offices and factories?
What do they have every year to celebrate their success?
Over to you
What other products could you selt to people at work? Would you like to buy things at work?
You could sell....
I would /wouldn't like to buy things at work because....
Unit 7 People
Young manager
Level of difficulty ***
Before you read
Underline the correct word to complete the sentences.
a) If you promote someone you give them a more /less responsible job at work.
b) An arrogant person thinks they are very important /unimportant.
c) A manager needs good /bad people skills.
d) A confident person knows that they can do a good /bad job.
e) An annoying person makes you feel happy/angry.
f) If something is horrible, it is very bad /good.
Reading
Read this article adapted from the Financial Times and answer the questions.
Too young to manage
There was a young manager who was brilliant and creative. His bosses thought he was very good. When he was 35, his company gave him an important new job. But after his promotion he was arrogant. He didn't listen to anybody. His new job didn't go well. He wasn't ready for the position. He had business experience, but he didn't have people skills. Companies often make this mistake. They promote ambitious young workers too quickly because they don't want them to leave the company. Often young managers get too confident. They don't have enough work experience. They need to do more things that are new to them. It is a good idea for managers to get experience before they are promoted.
It isn't easy to be a good manager. Young managers are not always bad. And experienced managers are not always good. But young people with bad people skills are very annoying. When an experienced manager does not listen, it is bad. When a young manager does the same thing, it is horrible. What can companies do? It is a good idea to promote people more slowly. Good jobs always come to good people in time.
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From the Financial Times
1. Number the sentences below in the order that the information appears in the article. Two of the sentences are not used.
a) Experienced managers are always good.
b) It is a good idea to promote people more slowly.
c) The company gave a young manager an important new job.
d) Companies want ambitious young workers to leave.
e) It isn't easy to be a good manager.
f) Some young managers are too confident.
2. Use the question words to complete the sentences.
Why Is How old Did What
a) was the manager? He was 35.
b)didn't his new job go well? Because he was
arrogant and didn't listen.
c) ..he have good people skills? No, he didn't.
d)..it easy to be a good manager? No, it isn't.
e) ..comes to good people in time? Good jobs.
Over to you
Is it a good idea to promote people when they are young or when they have experience? Can you think of any adjectives to describe old and young managers? In your country do people usually get promoted quickly or slowly?
Unit 8 Markets
Marketing an energy drink
Level of difficulty **
Before you read
Match the word or phrase to the correct definition.
1. buying habits a) the strength to do things
2. consumer b) how to advertise and sell a product or service
3. energy c) what you buy and how often you buy
4. marketing campaign d) someone who buys a product or service
Reading
Read this article from the Irish Times and answer the questions.
A new energy drink
It is very difficult to change people's buying habits after the age of 35. A lot of companies want to find customers in the 18-30 age group. This group often spends more money and buys more new products. Coca-Cola Ireland focussed on this age group for a new energy drink called BPM Energy. The market for energy drinks is large. BPM was the result of 18 months of product development. This included market research and consumer testing. Finally, the company decided that the
target group was men in the 18-21 age group.
The company organised a project team. It had people from many different departments including marketing, technical, finance and operations. They met regularly to discuss progress. Finally, they introduced the product. Coca-Cola Ireland had the biggest marketing campaign in its history. There was advertising on television, cinema, radio and the Internet. The company gave free samples and had in-store promotions. The product was unusual because it was developed just for the Irish market.
From the Irish Times
1. Are these sentences true or false?
a) It is easy to change people's buying habits after the age of 35.
b) The 18-30 age group spends more money.
c) There isn't a big market for energy drinks.
d) BPM was for women in the 18-21 age group.
e) The project team had people from different departments.
f) The product had a small marketing campaign.
2. Put these product development and marketing steps in the same order that they appear in the article.
advertise the product
do consumer testing
organise a project team
do market research
give free samples
introduce the product
Over to you
In your country what age group has the most money to spend? What products or services does this group usually buy? Can you think of any new products to introduce to this market?
Unit 8 Markets
