OXFORD BUSINESS ENGLISH SKILLS

JEREMY COMFORT "

with YORK ASSOCIATES ~
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
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ISBN 0 19 45 7065 7
C Oxford University Press
First published 1997
EIghth Impression 2004
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Language focus Time expressions and tenses
Past time
sometimeago
lastyear
in tl,('past
back ill 1978
Recent time
overtile lastfewyears
recently
since 1992
Present time
currently
at tile momi"'1t
now
at present
The past simple
The past simple is used to indicat e fini shed t ime:
Sizejoined the company in 1994.
Regular verbs for m the past simple byadding -ed to t he verb stem.
The -ed ending can be pronounced in three different ways:
It / announced /Id/ started Id! ordered
Irregular vcr bs form the past simple in a number of ways. It sometimes
helps to group t hem by sound:
buy - bOllght oucb - caught te,/Ch- taught
The present perfect
The present perfect is used when the t ime is unfi nished or not stated.
lt is formed with ' law/has+t he past part iciple:
He }lIl S resigned.
Theyhaveret ired.
The au xiliary have/hasw usually contr acted in spoken English:
'He's just started:
'They'veulreadyleft .'
The present simple
The present simple is used to report on current status:
It currently stands at 180.
Heisretired 'IOW.
Don' t forget to pronounce the -s in the thi rd person:
It stands.
Helives.
2 Complete these sent ences. Use the time exp ression to hel p you choose the
cor rect tense of the ver b: past simple, present perfect , or presen t simple.
Check your answers in the key on page 58.
a Some t ime ago, we (sell) the company.
b Recently, we (invest) a lot in new equipment.
c The cur rent head count (stand) at 2S0.
d Since last year, we (increase) our PR budget.
e In 1985, he ( retire) from the company.
W HAT IS TH E POINT? \}
Language knowledge
J t
GEOff MAXWElL
Hello awl welcome to Standard
Electronics. I'm GeojJMaxweil, the
Factory Afanl lger if! chargeoft},e
piant you'llbeseeing foliay. '
Outline/Main parts
J've di, idt,dmy presentation into[ourptlrfs/seetio1lS.
They are . . .
TIresubject can be looked at WIder tilefol/owing
hmdings: . .
We ca" bmll.; this drea dOM' it/tothefol/owitlgfie/ds:
Firstly/first of111/ ...
Secotltlly/t1Jell /",'xt _..
Thinlly/alld then wecome to...
Fi nally/lastly/last ofall . "
Questions
Fdbe g/tld to allSwer any questions at tile end ofmy talk.
If )'01/ '1IH'' tllly questions. pft'tlsefeel fn'e to interrupt.
Pleaseinterrupt tilt' if then's sometlli"g w1lich needs
clarifying. Other wise. there'Ilbe ti mefilr discussion at
theend.
t,lik
presentation
paper (academic)
specch ( lIsllully t cl pllblicall/ t iel/ Cl.')
subject ofmy
focus
topk
Title/Suhject
I'll like to ttllk (toYOIl ) today about .. .
I'mgoil/g to present the recent ...
explain ollrposition 011 ...
briefyou 0 11 ..
inform)'/lllll/mllt . ..
describe ...
Greet ing, name, posi tion
Good morning. My IIlI mc's (.. ). I'm theFlew Finance
Manager.
Ladiesand gentlemen, It'sa ll honour to have ril e
opportunity to mlclresssuch d distinguished audience.
Good morning. Let me start bysayiflgjllsr a few words
about ",YOl\l/l background. l started Ollt in ...
\fe/come toStandardElectronics. I knowl've mersome
of yOIl, bill justfor thebmcfit of thosc 1haven't, my
1IlTme's ( .. . ).
Language focus Introducing yourself and your tal k
Length
I shall only take (.. . J minutes afyour time.
Tplan tobebrief
This sho/lld01l1y I,l st (... J minutes.
Purpose/Objective
Wearehere today to decide .,.
Ilgret' .. .
learn about ...
Reference to the audience
I call SCt' "WIly of }'OII arc . . .
I know YOII"'e all travelled a IOllg "'ay.
rOil at/look as "lOlIgll you'l't/reani this before.
The purposeof thistalk is to updatey OIl 011
Pllt YOII ill the picture
about . ..
gi\'e yOIl thebaccground
to ...
This talk isdesignedfo Iact as11 sprillgl"'llrdfordiscussion.
starf fht' /lIl ll rolling.
14 USIT T W O
a You are going to hear twelve ext racts from the int roduct ions to two
presentations-one internal, one external. As you listen, decide which
presentation each extract comes from and complete the tabl e. The first one
has been done for you. Check your answers in the key on page 59.
Presentation
Internal: to colleagues ,11 a
budget meetin g
Externa l: to delegates at a
professional conference
Extract
"
2 Complete thi s present ation introd uction wit h words from t he list. Check
your ans wers in the key on page 59.
talk about look at points of view
questions brief finally
hear act as go along
Good afternoon and thank you for ma king the effor t to be here with us
today. My na me's Ruche! Rawlins and I'm responsible for public affairs.
What I'd like to do today is a our recent corporate
campaign. Thi s b talk will hopefully,, _
a springboard for discussion. I' m going to d the
corporate campaign from three e : firstly, the custome rs;
secondly, the finan cial insti tutio ns; and f , the
sha reholders. If you have any g . jusr interr upt me as I
h , Your poi nt of view may well be different, and we'd like
to I from you.
MA KI!'G A ST ART IS
Language knowledge
r
GFOFF MAXWELL
'Ami that brings me tothefinal part
ofthis short introduction,
The items on the left are extract s from Geoff"s pr esen tation. Mat ch each
one with a sentence on the right whi ch mean s the same. The first one has
been done for you. Check your ans wers in the key on page 59.
a OK, let's start with theIn passing. let me tell r ou about a
b Anyway.I'U leave the histor y press repor t.
there. 2 So, we come to the last part of my
c So, let's turn now to a brief introduction.
overview of our main markets. 3 To start wit h the history then.
cl By the way, you may have seen
the story in the news.
e Anyway, let me get back to wha t I
was saying about new market s.
f And that brings me to the final
part of th is short introd uction.
g So, before I go on, are there any
questions?
4 That covers the histor y.
5 To come back to the poi nt I was
making.
6 Let's stop here and see if there are
any questions.
7 So, we can go on to a surveyof
our principal markets.
20 US I T TtlRf f
m 2 You are going to hear sixextracts from another presentation about cutting
costs. The speaker uses a variety of words and phr ases to link the points he
is making. As )'ou listen, identifythe linked ideas. The first one has been
done for you. Check your answers in the keyon page S9.
a I raise salesin major outlet s
b healthy margins 2 no change in sales
c not the only ones 3 losing money
d point -of-salecompetition .. competitor has dosed plant
e launch newpacket size 5 over-hasty reactions
f initiatives have failed 6 aggressivediscounting
LoS1

MWIN"
3.,0r.M.
Language focus Linking ideas
Sequenci ng/Ordering
firstly secondly.. . thirdly. ..
then next finallyllastly.
iet's start with .
let's move/go on to...
nowwecometo .
that brings us to .
let's leave that...
that covers...
let's get back to. ..
Giving reasons/ca uses
therefore
so
asaresult
that's why
Cont rasting
but
however
Comparing
similarly
in thesameway
Contradicti ng
infact
actually
Summarizing
tosum up
in brief
in short
Concluding
inconclusion
toconclude
Highlighting
inparticular
especially
Digressi ng
bytheway
in passing
Givi ng examples
forcxample
for instance
suchas
Generalizing
usually
generally
as a rule
3 Link t he ideas in these sentences byadding an appropri ate wor d or phrase.
Compare your answers with the key on page 60.
a That was a good meeti ng. (By theway... )
Did I tell you about the ma tch last night?
b Our competitors are becoming stronger.
One of them, Falcon, has a joint venture wi th a Japan ese firm.
c I' ve divided this into two parts.
The issue of profit-sharing.
The question of share option schemes.
d This rear we have lost ma rket share.
We expec t to remain No. 1in the market.
e There are some vital factors to consider.
The ri sk of a take-over bid.
f Falcon has reduced its costs by relocati ng.
\Ve must consider cutti ng the cost of our premises.
g We've had a difficult year.
We've still made a healthy profit.
h We expected to lose money in the Far East.
Th is was our most profitable market.
The yen dropped against th e dollar.
\Ve made considerable profits on the exchange ra te.
There have been some failures on occasions.
\Ve have been very successful.
LINKING THE PARTS 21
Language knowledge
DN. lINUEN [Version I]
'Nex t slide. In the American part of
thesurveyit was[ound that... '
UR L1l'1o' OES (Version 2)
' Ho'eam sec in this /lext slidt' theresults
from thvAmerican part of thesun'er.'
l ook at the differences between writt en and spoken lan guage. Then read the
ext racts from Dr Lind en's presenta tions, a-cl below, and deci de which are
written language and which are .... poken language. Find examples in each
ext ract to support your answers. Check your answers in the key on pageel .
Written language
long sentences
complexvocabulary
complex argument s
impersonal style
Spoken language
shorter sentences
simpler vocabulary
simpler arguments
personal style
a You can see here, 35% of the group uf managers classified as participative
reached senior mana gement posit ions. On the other hand. 74% of the more
indivi dualist ic ma nagers achieved senior management status.
b An individualistic style appears to be closely associated with rapid car eer
path progression. whereas a group or parti cipat ive st yle, despit e its evident
attractiveness 10 all members of staff. is correlated with a relati vely slow
career progression .
c Although lip service is paid 10 th e concept of participative management .
their real perceptions of leadership qualit ies completely contradict this
view. 11 can be further seen that such surveys .. .
d So, we find there is a massive contradiction. Good managers arc supposed to
be participative-. to ma ke sure th ey consult und discuss. Good leaders are
supposed to be strong indi viduals - able to make dec isions on their own.
m 2 You arc going to hear a point from another pr esentation. delivered in three
diffe rent styles. As )'ou listen . complete the tabl e. Check your answers in the
keyon page et .
26 UNIT FOUIt
read or spoken?
distan t or human?
spontaneous or prepared!
personal or impersonal?
a b c
Language focus Personal and impersonal styles
Active and passive forms
The passive is formed with the verb tobe +the past participle. It is less personal than the active.
Tense
present simple
present continuous
present perfect
past simple
future
Active
I think
we arc discussing
the boss has said
John called a meeting
I will refer to this later
Passive
it is thought
it is being discussed
"---- -
it has been said
a meeting was called
this will be referred to later
Personal pronouns
Active verbs use more personal pronouns:
I think. ..
Weareworkingon.. .
Becareful not to overuse 1. We is a good alternative
for talking about companies:
Wewill launch theproductill June.
Reference to the audience
As I'm su re you know.. .
We have al/ experienced. . .
You may remember. . .
AsI'm surewe'd allagree...
Everydaylanguage
Using slang and everyday expressions can make an
impact on the audience an d add drama:
H.'here'sthe caring sideofemploymentgone? I'll tell you
where. It'shiding behind a damned set oftargetsand
objectives- that's where it is.
r
You need to know your audience very well to use this
kind of language.
3 Make these sentences more personal by using the active not the passive.
Check your an swers in the keyon page 61.
a The issue of restructuring was discussed.
w, _
b Money is being directed into the wrong accounts.
The Finance Manager _
c The agreement will be signed later this month.
Both companies _
cl It has been found to be rather unreliable.
e It is reported that shares are due to rise.
The press _
THE RIGH T KIND OF LANGUAGE 27
H U S IT FI V E
3 Make these sentences tr ansitive. The first one has been done for you.
Check your answers in the keyon page 62.
a Our salaries have remained constant for fiverea rs.
The company salaries et the same level.
b The temperature in the building has fallen.
The caretaker the temperature in the building.
c Interest rates have risen over the last two weeks.
Banks their interest rates.
d Product ion has stayed the same for some time.
The company product ion at the same level.
e The average age has decreased in the company.
Recruiting policy the average age.
4 Weoften use noun phrases instead of verbs to describe trends. For
exampl e:
Prices haverisen considerably.
There has been aconsiderablerise in prices.
Change the following sentences to include a noun phr ase. Compare your
answers with the key on page 63.
a The market has expanded slightly.
b Prices are going to fall drama tically.
c Ou r export sales collapsed suddenly.
d Sales are increasing steadily.
e Salaries havedropped gradually.
f Profits will certainlyrisesignificantly.
'Ourexport salescollapsed sl/ddenly.'
Presentation practice
1 Design and present some effect ive visuals on the information below.
Nike Inco rpora ted
Foundation: 1972
Employees: 45 ( 1972); 6,500 ( 199 2)
Sales: $3.2 million ( 1972) ; $3.4 billion ( 1992)
Share price: $5.50 (1980) ; $fi5.00 a share ( 1992)
1991: profit increase ~ 15%, sales increase - 13/(1
Total world-wide revenue
foo twea r: $2.62 billion (77(o)
apparel: $628 million ( 18%)
other: $ 162 million (5%)
2 Design and present visual s to communicate the following messages.
a An employer's desire to introduce TQM (Total Quality Management ).
b Adecision to ban smoki ng throughout the building.
c An an no uncement of a competition for the most successful sales person.
\' ISl]A L A I DS ) ;
Language knowledge
J O A N ~ A BROOKES
' So, before wemoveon todiscuss
these matters, let me just summarize
the main issues. Firstly. .. secondly. ..
t!lirdly... So, I suggest we take things
in that order.. . Beforewestart, are
there allY questions you'dliketoask?'
EEl You are going to hear the final part offour different presentat ions. As you
listen, decide whic h presentati on each extract comes from, and complete
the table. Check your an swers in the key on page 65.
Language focus Endings
Presentati on
The Sales Presentat ion
(by a salesman to a group of prospective customers)
The Welcome Presentation
(to a group of visitors to a plant )
The New Idea Presentation
(to a group of managers)
Th e Mot ivation Presentation
(by a Perso nnel Director to a gro up of new employees )
Ext ract
Signalling the end
That brings me to theendof my presentation.
Thatcompletes my presentation.
Before I stop/finisll. let mej ust say. ..
Tuat covers all1wantedtosaytoday.
Summarizing
Letmejust run overthekey pointsagain.
I'll briefly summarize themain issues.
To swn up.. .
Briefly .
Concluding
As you can see. thereare some verygoodreasofl s.. .
111 conclusion. ..
I'd like toleave yOll with thefollowing thought/idea.
42 UNIT SEVE:-<
Recommending
50, 1wouldsuggest that we...
I'dliketopropose. .. (more formal)
In my opinion, theorlly wayforward is.. .
Closing
Thankyouforyourattention.
Thank youfor listening.
I hope you will havegained an insight into. ..
Inviting questions
I'dbegladtotry and answer any questions.
So. let's throw it open toquestions.
AllY questions?
Language focus Asking and answering questions
Polite questions and answers
Direct quest ions
Do you have any plans fora flewproduction plant ?
Where do you plan to locateit?
Could/Can you tell me...
I'm interested to know. .
I'd like to know.
AI'>:SWERS
Goahead/Please do/Certainty.
That'sagood question.
That's interesting.
Anegative stateme nt question is looki ng for the
answer'no':
H.,e haven't won the contract, have we?No, it doesn't look
like it.
I wasn't a success? Not much ofone.
We aren't going to make it on time, arewe?I'm afraid not.
lf t hc answer contradicts t he statement, t he wor d
actually isoften used:
The plant'sgoing to close, isn't it?Well, actually, I've j ust
heard the company isemploying more staff.
Clarifying a quest ion
If I understand you correctly, you aresayitlg/asking...
I didn't quite catch that.
Could you goover that again?
I'm not sure what you'regetting at.
if/whether. . .
what/where/elc. . .
about . . .
ifI askyou
telling me
Q UESTIONS
Do you mind
Would
Statement questions and answers
QU ESTIONS
All the space was bookedfor an October launch . . ?
(question intonat ion)
It worries me that we don't have allYreplacements in the
pipeline. {)ncsn'r it w()fry you lOO?
AN SWERS
A positive statement question is looking for the
answeryes':
It'sgoingtobelate, isn't it?I'mafraidso.
Yl HI'vegot problems with the assembly?Yes, a few.
The suppliershave done theirjob. /s that right?Yes, asfar
as I know.
Avoiding givi ng an answer
Perhapswe could deal with that later.
Can we talk about that on another occasion?
I'm afraid that 's not my field.
I don't have thefigures with me.
I'm sureMr (... ) could answer that question.
That '5 interesting, but I'd prefer not to answer that today.
Checking the quest ioner is sat isfied
Doesthat answer your question?
Is that clear?
May wego on?
EiiI 2 You are going to hear six questions. Listen and choose the best response to
each question. Check your answers in the key on page 65.
a
1 No, of course not.
2 Please do.
3 No, that's a prohlem.
b
1 Well, actually, it's confident ial.
2 Yes, I do.
3 Certainly.
c
1 You could say so.
2 That's right.
3 I'd prefer not to.
cl
1 I need a break.
2 I don't need a break.
3 That's a good idea.
e
I No, they aren't.
2 You're wrong.
3 Actua lly, some are at headquar ters .
f
I Any moment.
2 That' s a difficult question.
3 That's interesting.
QUESTION TIME 4 7
Communication skills
Answer Key
Unit 1 What is the point?
Overall
Awareness of youraudience (Who are they?What are t heir needs or
interests? What do they expect from you?)
Clea r objectives (10 inform, persuade, welcome, ctc.)
System
Planning - have a dear st ruc ture and a sense of timing
Organization - have clear connect ions between the differen t parts or ideas
Information - ma kesure what you say is interesting and relevant to your
audience
Impact - make sure you have a strong int roduct ion and conclusion
Delivery
Clear, simple, and fluent
Use of nat ural spoken language
Use of pauses for emphasis
Body language
Use of strong, clear gestures for emphasis
Good eye contact with the audience
Positive, confident, and relaxed ma nner
No distracting gest ures
Visual aids
Clear and simple rnesssages
Efficient, professional use ofequi pment
3 Overall
She doesn't seem aware of the needs or interests of her audience.
Her objectives are not dear.
System
She is obviously not prepared.
Her presentation is unstructured an d confusing.
The information is not organized logically, or linked clearly.
She does not give much useful infor ma tion.
She has not thought about timi ng.
There is no strong introduction or conclusion.
Delivery
She hesitates a lot.
She reads from a paper (badly).
She refers to herself negatively.
She uses specialist language.
ANSWER KEY [peges e-c] 57
Hod}' language
Her gestures are not linked to her speech.
She does not maint ain eye contact with her audience.
She does not appear confident.
She has so me di stract ing gestures.
v isual aids
She has a screen bu t does not use it.
Language knowledge a back in 1982 (finished)
b since that dat e {uufinished}
c some time ago (fi nished)
d over the last few years (unfinished)
e now ( present)
f over the same per iod (unfinished )
g last year (finished)
h ten years ago (finished )
in 1985 (finished )
since then (unfinished )
2 a sold
b have invest ed
c stands
d haveincreased
e ret ired
3 a back in the cigluics
b at the moment
c since January
d last month
e over the last few yea rs
5 l'd've liked to speak for lon ger on this subject, but I' m afrai d I haven't got
enough t ime. However, l'dtlike to say a few words abo ut future prospect s.
This year, we' ve had some major problems; next year, we' ll face even more
severe ones. This is cert ain, as the market' s becoming even more
compet it ive.
, would like can be used here for emphasis.
58 A NSWf.R K EY [pages Scro]
Unit 2 Making a start
Communication skills 4 Geoffonly includes a reference to the audience.
5 Geoffi nd udes all the items in the checklist.
Language knowledge Internal presentation : a, d. f. g. i, I
External presentat ion: b, c, c, h. j , k
2 a talk about
b bri ef
c act as
cl lookat
e points of view
f fina lly
g questi ons
h go along
hear
3 a 2 e I
b 3 f 3
c 2 g 3
d 3 h 3
4 a I'm delighted f sect ions
b I take care g don't hesitat e
c Mypurpose is h a chance
d go th rough in more depth
e di vide
Unit 3 Linking the parts
Communication ski lls 4 It is not at all clear what Geoff is talki ng about and there seems to be no
organizat ion behind his talk.
5 Point 1: Histor y
Point 2: Main markets (and Mauton news story)
Poi nt 3: People
Language knowledge a 3 e 5
b 4 f 2
c 7 g
6
d 1
2 a 3 d 1
b 6 e 2
c 4 f 5
ASSWER KEY [pages 13-20 ) 59
Communication skills
60 A N SW f.II. KfY [pages 21-51
3 (ot her answers are possibl e)
a That was a good meeting. Bythe way, did I tell you about the match
last night?
b Our compet itors are becomi ng stronger. For example/In particular, one
of them, Falcon, has a joint venture with a Japanese firm.
c I've di vided t his into two parts: firstly, the issue of profi t -sharing;
secondly. the question of share option schemes.
cl This year we have lost market share. However, we expect to remain No. 1
in the market.
e There arc some vital factors to cons ider. for example/in particular. the
fisk ofa take-over bid.
f Falcon has reduced its cos ts byrelocat ing. Similarly. we must consider
cutt ing the cost of our premises.
g We' ve had a difficult year, but we' ve still ma de a healt hy profit.
h We expected to lose money in the Far East. In fact/Actually, this was our
most profitable market.
The yen dropped against the dollar. As a result, we made cons iderabl e
profits on the exchange rate.
J There have been so me failures on occasions. However, as a rule, we have
been ver y successful.
Unit 4 The right kind of language
Advantages ofreading It presentation
Ther e is little hesitation
It may be easie r la follow the topi c because ther e are fewer di st ractions
Th e speaker feels more confident
Disadvantages ofrending apresentation
No eye con tact with t he audience
Written English is more complex and often difficult to understand
Th e ton e is more impersonal
The delivery is less spo ntaneous
Th e phras ing is less natural, so it's di fficult to listen to
The reader often speaks too quickly
3 VasimJ 1
Eye contact - no eye contact with the audience
Language - complex (writte n), long sentences, few pauses, impersonal
Ma nner -. closed, uninterested
Vers ;"" 2
Eye contact - good eye contact with audience
Language - simpler language. shorter sentences, more pauses, more
personal
Manner - open , int er ested
Language knowledge Spoken language: a, cl
Written lan guage: b, c
2 a read; distant; prepared; impersonal
b spoken; distant; prepared; impersonal
c spoken; human; spontaneous; personal
3 a we discussed the issue of restructuring.
b The Fina nce Ma nager is directing money into the wrong accounts.
c Both compa nies will sign the agreement later th is month.
cl I have found it rat her unreliable.
e The press reports that shares are due 10 rise.
4 a Areduct ion in worki ng hour s is favoured.
h He was forced to resign.
c The money has been transferred via the bank.
cl An aut umn sales campaign is being planned.
e The new Research Depart ment will be reorgan ized bySusa n.
5 1 cl
2 f
3 g
4
5 h
6 c
7 a
8
9 e
10 b
Presentation practice (ot her versions are possi ble)
I' d like to tal k today about t he costs and benefits of introducing job
sharing. What I aim to do is to provide the necessary information for us to
make a dec ision within the next two months. I have divided my talk int o
t he following parts: firstly, we' ll look at the financial implications; then ,
we' ll turn to working practices; and finally, we'll look at socia l effects.
So. let' s start with t he financial implications. We have carr ied out a detailed
st udy of personnel and associated costs. And we have seen that, from a
payroll point of view. 10% of staff choos ing to job share will mean no
act ual increase in direct salary cos ts. However, we need to be aware that
there will be additional costs in administer ing salaries.
ANSWER KEY [pages 26-9] 6 1
Communication skills
4 a There has been a slight expans ion in the market.
b There is going to be a dramat ic fat! in prices.
c There was a sudden collapse in expor t sales.
cl There is a steady increase in sales.
e Ther e has been a gradual drop in salaries.
f Ther e will cert ai nly be a signi ficant r ise in profits.
Unit 6 Body language
Eyecontact
Main tain good eye contact with different people in the audi ence.
Don't just look at one person.
Facial expression
Use facial expressions (e.g. smi les) to em phasize your feeli ngs.
Hands
Use your hands to emphasize what )'OU say.
It is safer to keep hands out of pockets - in some cult ures this shows
di srespect .
Hold a pen or poi nter if you fed more comfortablc-. hut don't pla y wit h it.
Movement
Don' t stand completely still c- a little movement bet ween table and board, or
between notes and aud ience, is more interesti ng.
Don ' t move around too mu ch, or the audience may watch you instead of
listeni ng to you!
Posture
Tr y to keep your po st ure upright but relaxed.
Look st raight ahead , not down at the floor or up at th e ceiling.
4 Version 1
Gener al appearance:
Stance and posture:
Ha nds - position:
Hands - gestures:
Eye contact:
Facial expression:
Movemen t:
Version 2
Ge neral appearance:
Stance and postur e:
Hands - posit ion:
Hands - gestures:
Eye contact:
Facial expression:
Movement:
scruffy
hunched
in pockets
no helpful gestures
none
depressed
static- several nervous gestures
smart
upr ight
visible and act ive
clear, hel pful gestu res
a lot
concerned, enthusiast ic
dynamic
ANSWER K EY [pages j a-z] 63
5 a These cost curs are goi ng 10 caux considerable pain.
b We need to draw up a plan of actjon. 1have put some ideas on the boa rd.
c ~ a r e ~ of the measures we could consider. There are broadly
three approaches.
d Eirst, we could accept the gill and ~ staff drastically. Secondly, we
could fight an d hope to achiew Mlmeredu cti on in the level of the cuts.
Or thirdl y, and ~ is what 1support, we coul d put forward an alterna t ive
proposal. Now. thi s wou ld...
Language knowledge Emphasize: c. d. c. h
Minimize: a, b, f g
2 (ot her answers are possible)
a This has been an ext remely/a very good year.
b We have had a fairly difficult time/q uite a difficult t ime.
c We have seen an abso lutely/a totally disas trous decline in our profits.
d It was quite/fairly easy to achieve our objectives.
e The announcement was completely/ tot ally unexpected.
f I' ve got some very/ext remely bad news.
3 (other answers arc possible)
a We tend to sec things differentl y. Maybe your experience is a little bit
limited.
b To some extent , you' re right. But perhaps we might consider the
long-term view.
c There's just a little bit of time. Perhaps we might discuss this question now.
Presentation practice
Communication skills
64 AN SWER KF.Y [pages jz-ao]
(other versions are possible)
The trouble \...-ith business today is that nobody has any time at all.
Companies have drastically redu ced their workforccs so that far fewer
people have to do the same amount of work. To some extent, th is means
that managers don't see what is happening around them. They need their
time to just work through their regular tasks, and they have absolutely no
time to take on new initiatives.
Time for reflection is very important . Decisions taken now not onl y affect
today's business, they can also have a significant influence on business in
the long term. It seems that st rategy is too often the concern of just senior
mana gement . when it needs to be the concern ofeverybody in the company.
Unit 7 Finishing off
Tti efirwl part oflilt' presentation should inclu de:
a clear signal that )'OU are about to end
a brief, clear summary of what you have said
a conclusion or recommendation (if appropriat e)
an invi tation for questions, to make comments, or star t a discussion.
4 \ 't'rsi on I
Asignal to end
Version 2
Asignal to end
A summar y
A recomme ndation
An invitation for qu estions
5 Signal to end:
Summar y:
Recommendat ion :
Invitation for ques tions:
So, before we move on to discuss ".
3 personnel
Tofollowthe same order in discussion.
Before westar t, are there any questions you'd
like to ask?
Language knowledge
Communication skills
Language knowledge
a The Mot ivation Presentat ion
b The New Idea Presentation
c The Welcome Presentat ion
cl The Sales Present at ion
2 d. b.c.c;a
3 a n d 3
b 5 c 4
c I f 2
Unit 8 Question time
Hatltiling questions
Welcome the question
Listen ca refully tu the quest ion - don't int er rupt
Take time to think before you answer
Check you have understood the qu estion - reph rase or clari fy if necessar y
Reply positively- be brief and clear
Accept cr iticism positively
After your answer, check that the questioner is satisfied
a any real future?
b not such great sales
c are n't }' ou worried?
cl new products in other areas
e when will it be read}'?
f ask Ton)'
g will it be ready for launch date?
h yes
2 " 2
h I
c 2
cl 3
e 3
f I
ANSWER KF. y [pages 40-71 6S
Language knowledge
66 A N SWF.R KEY {pages 48- 531
3
A: Excuse me, could I interrupt?
B: Of course.
A: I'd like to ask )'OU about next year 's promotion campaign.
B: Sure. what exactlywould you like to know?
A; Well, could you tell me at this stage ,... hethcr you have fixed a budget ?
8: We've got a meeting next week to decide. l'Illet you know straight
away. if that's OK.
A: Sure, that'l l be li ne.
b
A: May I ask a qu...'slion?
B: Go ahead.
A: woul d you mind tellin g us when you're going to retire?
H: Not at all. I'm plan nin g to stop work just after Christ mas.
A: Oh good! We'd like to invite y OLl to our Christmas party, Can you
come?
H: when is it?
A: It's 011 t he 24th fro m seven onwards.
8: That sounds fine. I' ll look forward to it.
c
A: Are there any ques t ions!
B: Yes, I wonder if you have considered any other options!
A: I'm not sure what you're getting at .
B: Well, you know, other possibilities such as relocating to a chea per
area.
A: I see what you mean. Yes,of course we've looked at all the options
an d we think th is is the bes t one.
K: But sur ely relocation would be better for t he stam
A: I'm afraid that's all we have time for now. Perhaps you'd like to talk
about that later.
Unit 9 Putting it all together
a The first thing 10 be said about t hese product s is that t hey' re I'cry
divers e. \Vdl, let 's lake our premium export lager, Hohenbrau. Now thi s
product has always been positioned at the-top end of the market. It has a
high price an d it's onlyavailabl e th rou gh selected retai l outlets.
Altogether. it's IllIiteexclus ive.
0 " tileOIlier hand, our Rut tcr 's hitter has an CtI tirdydifferenl
personality. It's br ewed in a t radit ional way. We put a lot of ma lt into it,
which gives it a rich golden colour. As far as I know, it's always been sold
at a medium price and is available through most supermarkets.
So, as you can see. th ese are two verj-differem products. One an
up-market Ccrrnan-r ype Pilsener, the other a w ry English bitter. One
point for discussion. then , is whe the r we should ma intain such
diffe rent products in our range.
Let's 11101'1:' on to marketing, and I onl y wan I to ra ise one issue.
b The third element is the people / .. . and primarily here, I mea n the
brewery workers IUlIlthe management. / One of the things that shocked
me when I first joined \Vestwood was this ... / organization chart. It's like
something from the last century. / Do you rea!izethere are ten layers
between the shopfloor workers and t he Managing Director?I ln my
view, this makes the company slow and unresponsive. / I hwwthere are
many good things about wcstwood, I but our image is much the same as
it was in, say, the times of Queen viaoria-. a very traditional,
paternalistic employer. I Well, the very least we need to do is discuss
whether th is image is appropriate for the late 20th century, / let alone
the2l st.
A:-/S\v ER KEY [pagc sj ] 67
Language knowledge
Language knowledge
68 TAPESCRJ PT
Tapescript
Unit 1 What is the point?
PETER BLAKE
As yOll all know, the brewery was bought back in 1982 and, as I'm sure
you're all aware, thcre've been some major changes since th at date. I'd like
to focus on some of these changes and the effect they've had on the way the
brewery works.
Some ti me ago, the newowners an nounced a new st rategy for growt h. This
stra tegy had some specific targets - bo th tu rnover and profit s had to
increase a lot. These objectives have led to some very majo r cha nges,
especially in the areas of production and marketing.
On the prod uc t ion front, we sta rted by red ucing the workfor ce by 5<Y;J, but
in fact , over the last few years it has droppe d furt her, so that it now stands at
just 180, nearly 20% less than ten years ago. Over t he same per iod, we have
invested heavily in new plant an d equipment. As an indication, last year we
spent nea rly E1 million on new vats. I'd also like to ment ion the recen t
appointment of Geoff Stone, our new Prod uct ion Manager. He has a wealt h
of experie nce in the hrewing ind ustr y and J think we' ve already seen the
sort of influence he can have on the product ion side of t he business.
1also ment io ned ma rketi ng. It may su rprise you to know that ten years ago
wesrwood had no marketing depart ment . There was Gordon Peters, the
Commercial Direct or - he's reti red now- hut otherwise th er e was no real
mar ket ing orientation. In 1985, we recrui ted Pamela Taylor as Ma rketi ng
Manager an d si nce th en she has built her depart ment into a ma jor force in
t he co mpa ny. It's currently act ive in several areas - notably on the PRfro nt,
especially in the local community, and also in sales promotions with a
number of rece nt campaigns in loc al pubs to promote our beers.
Right , I' ll sto p there. That should help you to un derstand some of t he
recent changes at the brewery befo re we go on to talk ahout. ..
Unit 2 Making a start
a My name's Cordon Macrcaughton. I'm the new Finance Manager and I
hope you won't give me too hard a time!
b Ladie s and gentlemen. It's an honour to have the oppo rtunity of
address!ng suc h a dis t inguished audience.
c The subject of my paper today is a critical analysis of the effects of a low
carbohydrate diet on ...
d I'd like to tel l you today about the implicat ions of our recent survey in to
po tent ial cost savings.
e Myaim is to update you on recent research findings and to draw some
tentative conclusions.
f This talk should serve as the springboard for a discussion of the benefits
and drawbacks of these savings.
g I plan to take only ten minutes of your t 'le this morning.
h During the next half-hour, you will hear about a wide range of research.
I've divided up my presentation int o three parts; firstly, we'll lookat the
level of savings which we need to make; secondly, I'll run through the
options open to us; and, finally, I'll be presenting my recommended
course of action.
The subject can be looked at under two headings: firstly, the definition of
this kind of diet; and second ly...
k Wc have ten minutes allotted for questions following the presentat ion.
I Feel free to interrupt me at any time.
Inte rnal presentation: a, d, f, g, i , I
External presentation: b, c, e, h, j, k
Unit 3 Linking the parts
Language knowledge 2 a There are some very good reasons for cutting costs. In particular, the fact
that we are actually losing money at the moment.
b Now, as a rule, we operate on healthy margins of around 20-25%, but
recently we've been forced into aggressive discounting.
c Now, I'm not saying we're the only ones who are suffering. For example,
our main competitor, Triton's, has already closed down one of its plants .
d Let's consider the recent point-of-sale competition. The main aim here, by
the way, was to raise sales in ou r major outlets.
e The marketing department launched a new packet size a fewmonths ago.
However, sales have hard ly taken offat all.
f Both these initiatives have failed. So, in brief, we have been over-hasty in
our reactions to the harsher economic climate.
Unit 4 The right kind of language
Language knowledge 2 a The research indica tes a failure to recognize the importance of
psycholog ical factors on the part of many ofour members. It is highl y
significant that most managers failed to identify this as a critical clement
in both the making and implementation of decisions.
b It may come as a shock to you to realize that many managers fail to
recognize the psychological factor as important. In my view, it is highly
significant that we, as a profession, have no t really understood how
important this factor is in hoth short-term and long-term success.
c The prob lem is we've forgotten tha t ou r employees are human. We treat
them like machines. We give them targets and expect them to get on with
it. Where's the caring side of employment gone? I'll tell you where . It's
hiding behind a damned set of targets and objectives - that's where it is!
TAP ESC RI P T 69
Language knowledge
Language knowledge
70 'fAPESC IUPT
Unit 5 Visual aids
f R A ~ C E S C A HO CCA
I thought it would be useful to look at some figures for a moment. Let's
sta rt with turnover. As you can see on this graph, I' ve plotted two lines. The
solid one represents the group's turnover, an d the bro ken one the sales
generated byour subsid iary in Germany. The figures have been converted
into dollars and are shown on this axis in thousands.
OK, let' s look at the group's turnover first of all. Five years ago, it stood at
$1.1 million. It rose steadily over the following five years and now stands at
S1.45 million. Now, we have done some forecas ts for the next five years and
we anticipate a flauening out at around s1.5 million as pr ice compet ition
becomes more and more fierce.
Fortunately, the figures for our German subsidiary are even better. we
started this subsidiary nearly ten years ago. In the early years, growth was
gradual and we reached sales of$400,UOUfive years ago. This represented
just under 30% of the group's turnover. Over the last five years, the
German market has continued to grow steadily and our turnover is now
around 5600,000. Unlike our group forecasts, we anticipate some further
significant growth and have projected sales of$750,000 in another five
years, represent !ng 50%) of the group's to tal turnover. So, as you can see, the
German operation is vita l to our future.
Unit 6 Body language
a I think we have to get this into perspective. It's just a minor problem. It's
nothing serious.
b I'd like to make a suggestion. Perhaps we could consider moving our
production northwards.
c I'm afraid we can't get away from it. Our pitifully low quality levels are
threatening the future of this company.
cl I've got to say that l've never heard such a ridiculous argument. There is
no way we can consider taking this sort of action.
c There's one more point I' d like to make. It' s absolutely essential we make
money on this product.
f We've got a litt le bit of a problem here. Perhaps it's not central to our
business, but I tend to think we should talk about it briefly.
g ln a way, I would say th is is quite important . On the other hand, I rea lize
we've got quite a full agenda today.
h Before we go any fur ther, let me say this has been an extraordinary year,
and we've seen some truly remarkable achievements.
Language knowledge
Language knowledge
Unit 7 Finishing off
a Well, thank you for listening. That brings me to the end of this
presentation. Before I leave you to get on with your work, I'd just liketo
say how glad we are to have you with us, and I wish you a very successful
and happy time here at Sinton's. Thank you.
b So, before I stop, let me just run over the key benefits. Firstly, flexibility:
it'll work anywhere. we've triallcd it extensively and the results arc
excellent. Secondly, price: as you've seen, it's going to be highly
competitive. And lastly, innovation: this is really a breakthrough in the
field. Now, I'm sure you've got lots of questions, so fire aW<ly.
c So, ladies and gentlemen, that completes my brief introduction. Seville's
is a fascinating company, and hopefully you'll get to know us better as you
go around the plant. So let me hand you over to Caroline, who's going to
be showing you around.
d That brings me to the end of my presentation. I realize that many of you
already knew something about our company. Hopefully, I've filled in
some of the gaps. As you can see, we've got an impressive displayofour
products here. \Vhy don't you come and get some hands-on experience?
Unit 8 Question time
SAMAKTHA O'NElLL
So that brings me to the end of my presentation. I'd be glad. to answer any
questions.
QUESTIONER 1
I was interested to hear what you had to say about our medium-range
product. Do you think it has any real future?
SAI'>IANTIIA O'NETLL
Certainly I do. However, we can't expect the same level of sales as we've
generated over the last ten years. wouldn't you agree?
QL'ESTTONER I
rsuppose so, It worries me that we don't have any replacements in the
pipeline. Doesn't it worry you too?
SAMANTHA O 'NEILL
well, that's difficult to say. It's true we haven't come up with a replacement
for the 843. On the other hand, as I pointed. out, we have new products in
the pipeline in other areas.
QUESTIONER 2
On that subject, I'd like to ask you about the CII product. Can you tell us
how much longer before it's ready for production?
SA.\1ANTHA O'1\EIL1.
That's not really my field. Tony should be able to give you an idea about that.
QUESTIO:-lFR 2
Right, I'll talk to him after the meeting.
QL:ESnONER 3
Sarnantha, could I ask you about the production delays on our new AIS
product?
TAPESCRIPT 71
SA M ANT U A O ' NEIL L
Please go ahead.
QU ES TIO:>: IO K 3
Well, as you know, we've put together a fairly large-scale advertisi ng
campaign. Allthe space was booked for an October lau nch... ?
SAMA:-ITHA O ':-OIOILI .
Don't worry. we'll be ready fur the launch dale. There an: one or two
technical problems, hUI they won't delay us much longer.
QUESTIONER 3
That's good 10 hear.
2 a May I ask you a ques tion!
b Do you mind telling me where you got those figun.' s?
c I suppose you're in town for ,I week. Is that right?
d Don't yOll think we need to take a break?
c All the job losses arc in the plant, aren't the y?
f Could I ask you when you're going to leave?
Unit 9 Putting it all together
Language knowledge JOA :-O S A B RO OKE S
a The first th ing to be said about these prod ucts is tha t they're very di verse.
Well, let's take our premium export lager, Hoh enbrau. Now this product
has always been positioned ar the top end of the rnarket.It has a high price
and it's only available through selected retail outlets. Altogether, it's quite
exclus ive.
On the other hand, our Rutter's bitter has an entirely diffe rent personality.
It' s brewed in a traditional way. We put a lot of malt into it which gives it a
rich golden colour. As far as I know, it's always been sold at a medium price
and is available through most supermarkets.
So, as you can sec, these ar e Iwo very different products. One an up-market
German-t ype Pilscncr, the other a very Engli sh bitt er. One point for
discussion then, is whe ther we should maintain such different products in
our ra nge.
Let 's move on to marketing, and I only want to raise on e issue.
b The th ird clement is the peo ple ... and pr imarily here, I mean the br ewer y
wor kers and the mana gement. One of the things that shocked me when I
first joined westwood was this ._. organi zati on char t. It's like somet hi ng
from the last cent ury - do you reali ze there are ten layers between the
sho p-floor wor kers and t he Managing Director! In my view, this makes the
company slow and unresponsive. I know there are many good things abo ut
\ \ 'C'St wood, but our image is much the same as it was in, say, the t imes of
Queen Victoria - a very tr adi tional, patern alist ic employer.
Well, th e very least we need to do is di scuss whet her th is image is
appropriate for the late 20t h century, let alone the zlsr.
7 2 TAP ESCIUPT
Version :l
Video Transcript
Unit 1 What is the point?
JOANNA BROOKES
l'm sorry I'm a bit late ... um ... I'm not exactly sure how 10 start this ... urn
... I suppose I should start by telling you something about the brewer y ... It' s
old of course, very old, and ... urn ... And it was founded in 17, 1778, yes, I
think that's right. So it's a very old brewery and ... urn ... we use tradit ional
production methods and the products themselves are very, very old ... urn
... as you can see, and we have an imper ial stout which is very, agai n vcry
t radit ional, and it's described as dark, immense, rich with a depth ofburnt
fruit iness, this beer is anideal nightcap. Imperial stout is 50% stronger than
any of the other beers in the export premium range ... the re ... urn ... Oh, we
also do a lager, we also make a lager which is Euro pean, a European type
beer and, well, sales have increased a lot over t he last year.
Of course, we were a fami ly firm wel l, in fact, we still are a family firm. As
you know t he present owner is Ben wcstwood ... urn ... There was a take-
over bid ... urn ... I' m not exactly sure when, but it was resisted, and ... urn ...
we con tinue to run as a family firm and this is important for the corporate
image. well, in fact this is why we're here today to discuss the corporate
image and decide if we, well, it needs to change. We also have horses ... you
may have seen them del ivering the beer to the local pubs? Yes?
Yes, yes ... urn ... production has actually dropped a little over the last few
years, although profits have actually held up and that' s someth ing we need
to discuss ... I mean can we actually continue as a sma ll, independent
brewery?
Anyway, that's about it. So ... um ... that is the ma in question today. So I
don' t know whet her that helps at all, but it's all I can thi nk of really, so I, I'll
leave ... I'll leave ... I think that's that, so I'll leave it there, OK?
Unit 2 Making a start
GEO FF MAXWELL
Right , the tour. I' ve got some overheads here to give you a pict ur e of ... Oh
well, never mind, we'll manage without. Anyway, I' ll tell you somethi ng
about the plant we'll be having a look around. [ don't know how much you
know about us. Perhaps some of you have been here before?
Anyway, I'll start by telling you a bit about the plant so that later you can ...
urn ... ask ques tions ... and it shou ld help to unders tan d the process. So,
here we are in the main bui lding ...
VIDEO TRANSCR IPT 73
Version 2
Version :t
Version 2
74 V I DEO T RANSCRI PT
GEOF F MA XWELL
Hello and welcome to Sta ndard Electronics. I' m GeoffMaxwell, t he Factory
Manager in charge of the plant you' ll be seei ng today. I know some of you
have come a long way today so we aim to ma ke your tour both interest ing
and worthwhile. Before we start t he lour, I'd like to give you a brief
presentation about the company - this will help to put the production side
of the business into context.
My tal k will last about 15 minutes an d I'll be using the flip chart. Now
there's qui te a lot to cover, so I'd be gra teful if you'd hold any quest ions unti l
the end of my talk.
As you call see, I've di vided up my presentat ion into three main parts.
Firstly, we' ll fun briefly through the h isto ry of the compa ny. Secondly, I'll
tell you something about our ma in markets - this is import an t in
understanding the production process. And finally, I'll come to the people -
ou r most imp orta nt asset.
OK? Let's start with the history. Standard started out as a privat e limited
com pany when it was first established in 1935 ...
Unit 3 Linking the parts
(i EOFF MAXWEL L
In any case, I' ll ... um ... I' ll tell you something about the plant so that later
you can ... ask questions ... and it should help to understand the process ...
so, here we are in the main building. Not much of a buil ding. Anyway, we've
been based here for more than fifty years, one ofthe country's best -loved
engineering firms. Anyway, it started back in 1943 when there was a nee d
for high quality connections. You know, the sor t Britain's famous for.
What we use is a process called pre-pr iodine electrostat ic coating. In this
process we apply ...
G EOF F MAXWELL
... important in understanding the prod ucti on process. And fina lly, I'll come
to t he peopl e - our mos t important asset. OK, let' s start with t he history.
Now don't worry! I'm not going to give you a history lesson. just a few key
dates. Stan dard started out as a pri vate limited ...
.. went publi c. So we've had a pr ett y eventful 60 years or so. Anyway,
I' ll leave the history there. If you're interested, you'll find more about
Standard in this pretty brochure. Youshould find one of them amongst all
the other bits of paper our PR people love to give out. So, let's turn now to a
brief overv iewof our main markets. If you look at t his chart, you' ll see our
slice of the pie, which in the European ...
Version 1
Version 2
Bythe way, you may have seen the story in the news today about our main
competitor, Manton. It seems they're going to bring out a new product
which could seriously infringe the copyright ...
So, we'll have to wait and sec how the market reacts. Anyway, let me get
back to what I was saying about new markets for Standard. I think wc have
to say that ...
Nobody really knows what the next century will bring. What's for sure is
yOll need people who can adapt quickly. And that brings me to the final
part of this short introduction to Standard, and that is to talk about our
people. As1said, they arc our most important asset. Our total world-wide
headcount ...
We've even sponsored a group to sail around Britain. So, before I go on, are
there any questions about our personnel policy?
Unit 4 The right kind of language
DR Ll'!':DES
The significance of these figures incorporating data from multicenrre
studies cannot be underestimated. Next slide. In the American part of the
survey it was found that success in business can be correlated directly with
leadership styles.
An individualistic style appears to be closely associated with rapid career
path progression, whereas a group or participative style, despite its evident
attractiveness to all members of staff, is correlated with a relatively slow
career progression. Next slide. This is further illustrated in my next slide
which shows the results of another survey into senior management
attitudes.
Although lip service is paid to the concept of participativc management,
their real perceptions of leadership qualities completely contradict this
view. It can he further seen that such surveys ...
DR UI'DE'"
Wecan't really afford to ignore these results. The survey was one of the
most extensive of its kind and covers a wide range of corporations ... \Ve
can see in this next slide the results from the American part of the survey.
This survey was based on interviews carried out with senior managers in
200 corporations. Youcan see here ... 35%) of the group of managers
classified as participativc reached senior management positions. On the
other hand, 74% of the more individualistic managers achieved senior
management status. So, I think the conclusion is self-evident. If you want
to reach the top of American companies, you have a much better chance if
you adopt a fairly autocratic, top-down approach.
What is important here is not to dismiss the last ten years. Ten rears in
which the value of participative management has been preached ... No,
what we must do is to better understand the motivation of senior
management.
VIDEO TRASSCRIPT 75
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76 "IDEO TRANSCRIPT
If we look at thi s next slide. we can sec the results from an other survey into
senior management att it udes. This shows how managers firstly evaluate
the quali ties of a good manager ... and seco ndly, how they evaluate the
qualities of a good leader. What is quite dear is that managers are supposed
to be sensitive, adapta ble, and cooperati ve while leaders need to be
decisive, dynamic, and single-mi nded.
So, we find there is a massive cont radic tion. Goud mana gers are supposed
10 be participati ve -. to make sure they consult and discuss. Good lead ers art'
supposed to be st rong indi viduals - able to make decisions on their own.
Unit 5 Visual aids
/OASr.;A HROOKES
So, we need to think about the products. Our premium export lager is
descr ibed as a German-brand,..d Pilscncr with an above average alcohol
content ... urn ... it's positioned at the top end of the market and is only
available through selected merchants and retailers.
Anywa y, I'm sure you're all familiar with that product ... urn ... Our high
malt bottled bitter. Rutter 's. is described as a t radit ional west Country
bitter wit h a very dark colour and thick consistency ... urn ... It has a high
price for a bottled bitter ... um ... and is available through all major
supermarket cha ins and offl icences.
As you can see, production in 1984 was around the 245.000 bottles and
then during the next five years men..ascd steadily ... fi ve years ago the
annual outpUI reached 480,000 bottles there. as you can sec ... and as you
can see the figures stayed at that sort offigure until last year when th ey
dipped to 460,000 there, as you can sec.
JO AN S A BROOK E S
Avery important . perhaps Ihe most importan t , clement in our cor porate
ident ity, is our product ran ge. Th e first thing to ht' said about this product
range is that it's wry di verse. well, let's take our premium export lager,
Hohcnbrau. Now this product has always been pos itioned at the top end of
the market . lt has a very high pri ce, and is on ly availabl e through specialist
retail outlets. Altogct her, it's quite exclusive.
On the other hand, our Ruu cr's bit ter has ,111 ent ircly different pcrsonalit y.
It's brewed in a traditional way. Wt' I'll! a lot of malt in it which gives it a rich
golden colour. And, as far as I know, it's at a medi um price and sold
through most supe rma rkets.
So. as you can see, these are two very different product s. One an up-market
Gerrnan-t ype Pilsencr, the ot her a very English bitter. Our problem is we' re
110 longe r sure about what sort of brewer y we are ... Anyway, let's leave the
product s for a momen t, and tu rn to our recent reco rd on the product ion
side.
Version 1
Version 2
Version 1
To make sure we're all in the picture, I've prepa red a graph which illust rates
our production record over the last twelve years. As you can sec, we're only
going to be look ing at bottled beer product ion. Now, twelve years ago, we
had an annual output of 245,000 bott les - as you can see. Over the next six
to seven years, product ion grew steadily and reached 480,000 way back in
1990. Those were the easy years. It seemed all we had to do was to turn up at
work, produce the beer, and the beer would sell itself.
The last five years have been quit e different. Produc tion flattened out to
around 4HO,OOO for four years, and then, more worryingly, dropped to
460,000 last year. So, thi s is the background to our meeting today. we can
no longer sit back and let the well-establis hed na me ofwesrwood do the
work for us ...
Unit 6 Body language
D R Ur-;DEK
These cost cuts are going to cause considerable pain. we need to draw up a
plan of action. I have put some ideas on the board ... These are some of the
measures we could consider. There are broadly t hree approaches. First, we
cou ld accept the cuts and reduce staff dras tically ... Secondly, we could fight
and hope to achieve some reduction in the level of the cuts. Or th irdly, and
this is what I support, we could put forward an alternative proposal. Now,
th is would mean we have to or ganize ...
[Ht llN D EN
These cost cuts arc going to cause considerable pain. Wc need to draw up a
plan of action. I have put some ideas on the board ... These arc some of the
measures we cou ld cons ider. There are broadly th ree approaches. First, we
cou ld accept the cuts and reduce staff drasti cally. Secondly, we could fight
and hope to achieve some reduct ion in the level of the cuts. Or thirdly, and
this is what I support, we could put forward an alternati ve proposal. Now,
this would mean ...
Unit 7 Finishing off
rOANNA RROOKF: S
Yes, yes ... urn ... product ion has actually dropped a littl e over the last few
years, although profits have actually held up ... urn ... and that's something
we need to di scuss ... I mean, can we actually con tinue as a small
independent brewery?
Anyway, t hat's about it, so ... um ... that is the main question today ... urn ...
so ... I don't knowwhet her t hat helps at all, but it's ali i can think of realty,
so I, I'll leave ... I'Illeave ... 1think that's that ... so ... l'lllcave it there, OK?
VI DEO TRANSCRIPT 77
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78 VIrJ EO T RA S SC RI PT
10,.\:'>1"-,\ BIH)OKES
SO, before we move on to discuss these matters, let me just su mmar ize the
main issues as I see them. First ly, on the product side. there's the question of
diversity of product range. Secondly. on the marketing front, we need to
review our dist ribut ion net wor k. And thirdly. on the personnel side, we
need to look at the sort of employe r we are, and want to become. So. 1
suggest \\'C look at things in that order: product. dis tr ibu tio n, and people.
Hopefully th is will help LIS to agree on a clear way forwa rd. Right . before we
start, are there any questions you'd like to ask?
Unit 8 Question time
QU EST IOS I' R I
You seem to have completely igno red the question of male dominat ion of
top management post s. Don't you thi nk yOUT results arc almost ent irely due
to the fact that there are practically no women in senior positions in
American companies!
OR L1:-OD EN
I di d not address the quest ion of gender becau se it was not my purpose to
address it, No doub t it wo uld be interesti ng to di scuss it on another
occasion.
Q UES TI O NE R 2
Dr Linden! If YOLl don't mind me aski ng, co uld you tell us how the
responde nts assessed difficult concepts such as indiv idualism?
IlR UNPEN
Well it is not important, but if you want to know, just a moment, ... yes, as I
thought ... we used the Belbin personality test to position respondents.
QUrcSTIO:-JER J
Dr Linden. could I ask you how the sun'eys were set up? Ynu know, did rbcy
use a cont rol group?
P R Ll XDF.:-J
! believe they used a contro! group. Th ese weren' t my surveys, you know, I
can' t tell you the details.
QU ESTIO NE R 1
You seem to have completely ignored the question of male domi nation of
top management posts. Don't you th ink you r results a rc almost ent irely du e
to the fact that there are practically no women in sen ior posi t ions in
American companies?
UR L1NIHN
I thin k that's a very interesting point. I'm afraid I didn't have time to
address t he question of gender itself, because I was mainly concent rat ing on
the question of management style. However , I feel sure that this aspect
wo uld be worth d iscuss ing at length on anothe r occasion .
QUEST I O :-.l E R 2
Dr Linden! If you don't mind me asking. could rou tell us how the
respondents assessed difficult concepts such as indi vidualism?
IlR ( . I SDE S
Of course. I suppose you' re referring to the second survey I mentioned?
Well. I'll just check. if! mar ... yes ... as I thought. we used the Rclbin
personalit y test in ord er to posit ion respondents. I think that you' ll find
that this is a fairlystandard psychologi cal test with such management
surveys. Arc there any more quest ions you would like to ask about the trial?
QU E ST I O N E R 3
Dr Lindcn, could I ask you how the surveys were set up ?Youknow, did
they use a cont rol group?
I) R lISU E:"l
I thi nk I see what you mean. You' re interested in the procedu re followed for
the surveys?
Q Ul'STlONF.R J
That' s right.
HR I.ISDEN
I'm afraid that's really outside my field, I mysclfwas not involved in
carryingout the surveys. However, I can give you the references afterwards,
if they would be helpful.
QUFSTl O N E R 3
Thank you.
Unit 9 Putting it all together
JOASNA BKOOKF.S
Good morni ng. Some ofyou may know me better than others, so let me
just brieflyintroduce myself. My name's loanna Brookcs. and I'm in charge
of Public Relation s for westwood Brewery, As you may know, thi s is a
relatively new post, and its creation reflects t he Board's concern over our
posit ion and image in the market . So, one of my first tasks is to define a
d ear company identity for wcstwood. one that wilt carry us forward into
the next century, For this reason , I haveasked you all to join me here tod ay
tu hear your views on a way forward for Westwood. Some of you have been
with the brewery for many years, others not at all, so before we start I'd like
to ou tline three main aspects which I sec contr ibuting significantly to the
brewery's ident ity.
The first aspect is the products, the second our markets and distribution in
part icular, and the thi rd keyclement is our people. So, let's just spend the
next fewminutes reviewing these three elements ... and please, interrupt
me if you have anyquestions or point s you'd like to raise as we go along.
So, the products. Arguably.the most important element in our cor porate
identity is our product range. The first thing to be said abo ut these
products is that they' re verydiverse, Well, let's take our premium export
lager, Hohcnbrau. Now thi s produ ct has always been positioned at the top
end of the mar ket. It has a high pri ce and it 's onl yavailable through
selected retail outlets. Altogether, it's quite exclusive.
V IU l:() T RASSCR I I'T 79
80 V ID EO TKA:-lSCR IPT
On the othe r han d. our Rutter 's bitter has an entirely different personality.
It' s brewed in a t raditional way. We put a lot of malt into it which gives it a
rich golden colour. As far as) know. it's always been sold at a medium price
and is available through most supermarkets.
So, as you can see. these arc two very different prod ucts. One an up-market
Germa n- type Pilsener. tbc other a very Engl ish bitt er, On e point for
disc ussion then. is whet her we should maint ain such different product s in
ou r range.
Let 's mo ve on to marketing. and I onl y want to raise one issue. It's
connected with the product s really. It seems to me it' s going to be ver y
difficult strengt heni ng westwocd's identit y in the market when some of
our beers are only available through specialist outlets.
QUF.STlONEK I
Excuse me, if you don't mind me saying. J th ink you'll find t here are very
good reasons fur restricting the channels for some of our beers.
10AK"'-A
Tha t's interesti ng you should say so and I look forward to hea ring more
about that in our discussion s. Perhaps .....e can leave it that there arc
probably \'Cry good prod uct reason s why. but that these may conflict with
the promotion of the tota l company image, Would you agree?
QU ESTI O:-< ER I
That 's certa inly tr ue.
I O A ~ " ' A
So. that covers two of the elements which I th ink we need to discuss. The
third clement is the people ... and primarily here. l mean the brewery
workers and the management. One of the things that sho...ked me whe n I
first joined Westwood was this ... organization chart. Ifs like something
from the last (CnIUr)' - do you realize there are ten layer-, bet ween the shop-
floor workers and the Man agi ng Director! In my view, th is ma kes the
company slow and unresponsive. I know there arc man )' goo d t hings about
Westwood, hu t our image is much the same as it was in. say. the times of
Queen Victoria - " very traditional . pat ernalistic employer.
well. the ver y least we need to do is discuss wheth er thi s image is
appropriate for the lat e 20th cent ur y, let alone the 2 Ist. So, before we move
on to discuss these matters.J et r nc just summarize the main issues as I see
them. Firstly. on the product side. there's the qu est ion of di versity of
prod uct range. Secondly. on the marketi ng front. we need to review our
dist ribut ion network. And thi rdly,on t he personnel side. we need to look
at the sor t of employer we are and want to become.
50, I suggest we loo k at things in that order: product , dist ribut ion. and
people. Hopefully this will help us to agree on a clear way forward. Right,
before we start. are there any questions you'd like to ask?