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闻名，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.
Unit 15 Offer and Counter-offer
Part Ⅰ Situational Dialogues
Practice 1
Task 2：Simulated situational conversation.
A：What is your quotation for the TV set Model TG787？
B：It cost US$ 250 per set. The prices are subject to our final confirmation.
A：Do you have a minimum ordering quantity？
B：Yes，the minimum quantity is 1，000 sets. What’s the quantity you’re likely to take？
A：6，000 sets. It’s an attractive quantity，isn’t it？I hope you’ll quote us on your best terms.
B：How soon do you want the goods to be delivered？
A：Early October.
B：Just a minute. Now we offer your firm for 6，000 sets at 210 per set FOB Guangzhou，to be delivered in early October.
A：How long will you leave your offer open？
B：It’s valid for three days.
Practice 2
Task 2：Simulated situational conversation.
A：Good Morning.
B：Good Morning.
A：I am quite interested in the bicycles you make.
B：Thank you. We really appreciate that.
A：Your products are very good. But I’m a little worried about the prices you’re asking.
B：You think we will be asking for more？
A：That’s not exactly what I had in mind. I know your research costs are high，but what I’d like is a 15% discount.
B：That seems to be a little high. I don’t know how we can make a profit with those numbers.
A：We said we want 2，000 pcs over a three-month period. What if we plan orders for a year，with a guarantee？
B：If you can guarantee that on paper，I think we can discuss this further.
Practice 3
Task 2：Simulated situational conversation.
（A：Mr.Green，B：sales representative）
A：I’m Mr.Green. long time no see.
B：Nice to meet you.
A：What types of booths are available？
B：You are lucky. We have all types of booths available；including standard booth，premium booth，island booth and corner booth.
A：Yeah！I am really lucky. We can choose what we like this time. How much are they？
B：Well，we charge differently according to its type. The starting charge is RMB 2，980 per square meter，and the minimum size is 9 square meters.
A：How much is the island booth？
B：Since you are our old customer，we offer a 10% discount.
A：Sounds acceptable．Does the price include meals during the show or other items？
B：Meals are not included in the price. But each booth is equipped with raw space，carpeting，boarding，one cabinet，two flap seats，three spotlights，one socket and one company signage.
A：OK，I see. Is raw space available to reserve？
B：Yes. It is RMB 2，680 per square meter. The minimum area is 12 square meters.
A：I prefer a standard booth. Is it possible to change the cabinet into a table？We need a table better.
B：Let me think. This is not our usual practice. But I will try. I don’t think it is a problem.
A：How do I pay for that？
B：A down payment of 35% of the total amount should be paid by the Exhibitor under the contract upon signing of the contract. And the balance shall be paid no later than August 25，2019.
A：OK！I’ll sign the contract form right now.
Part Ⅲ Workplace Practice
Ⅰ. Complete the following dialogue.
A：We sent you an inquiry for your radios last week.
B：Yes. Our offer is RMB 300.00 per set of tape recorder，FOB Tianjin.
A：USD 28.50 per piece，CIF Shenzhen.
B：The price is much higher than what I have expected.
A：How long will you keep the offer firm？
B：The firm offer is valid for 5 days.
A：How about the validity of the offer？
B：The offer is subject to your reply reaching here before 11 o’clock tomorrow morning.
A：For the terms of payment，what is your regular practice？
B：We usually accept payment by L/C.
A：When is the earliest possible time of delivery？
B：Mid February，I think.
A：What about the quantity discount？
B：We allow a 15% quantity discount for orders of more than 1，000 pieces.
Ⅱ. Translate the following dialogue into English.
A：We are interested in your sweaters in catalog No.4562. Could you offer us your most competitive price for this item？
B：USD 28.50 per piece，CIF Shenzhen.
A：Oh，it is much higher than what I have expected.
B：You know that our products have good quality. Considering the quality，I should say the price is reasonable.
A：No doubt that yours are of high quality，but still，there is keen competition in US market.
B：So far our products have stood competition well. The very fact other clients keep on buying speaks for itself.
A：OK，could you make a 5% reduction？
B：Well，in order to close the deal，I accept.
A：I’m glad that we have settled the price.
Ⅲ. Make a short speech（3 minutes）.
Good morning，ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our department. In selling a product，there is something that you need to pay attention to. Firstly，you should make a high offer at the beginning of the negotiation and try your best to achieve your best aim through negotiation. Reducing your price step by step will make a good impression on the other party. Secondly，make no compromises in the matter of prices at the beginning of negotiations. Remember never to make compromise in the matter of prices at the beginning of negotiations or you will lose other advantages，such as the product’s quality，the firm’s experience and credit，and other conditions of the transaction being of benefit to you. Thirdly，make no concessions on price at once when the importer doesn’t accept the offer. Only by knowing the causes of the buyer’s disapproval of the offer can you make a new offer acceptable to them or make some other arrangements.
Ⅳ. Make a workplace interpretation（3 minutes）.
Lee：早上好。
Sam：Good morning，Mr.Li. Are you ready for the quotation？
Lee：是的，我方报每个玉米篮子3美元，欧洲主要港口到岸价。有效期为5天。
Sam：Well，the price is much higher than what I have expected. Chinese bottles sell well in French market. The main reason is that the price is very favorable. Could you give me a discount？
Lee：对于数量超过6000的订单，我们给予15%的折扣。
Sam：6，000 pieces！You see，this is only our trial order. And if the first lot of the goods is good and well sold，we’d like to place regular orders in the future.
Lee：非常感谢，但是很抱歉我们不能更改公司的定价原则。
Sam：Thank you for your offer. I will talk to my general manager to see if it is possible to increase the quantity to get the discount.
Lee：非常感谢您的努力。
Sam：By the way，what is your usual practice in payment terms？
Lee：我们通常采用信用证支付。
Sam：When is the earliest shipment you can make？
Lee：恐怕要到五月底了。
Sam：Fine，thank you. I’ll call you as soon as possible.
Unit 16 Negotiations
Part Ⅰ Situational Dialogues
Practice 1
Task 2：Simulated situational conversation.
Jane：I’ve agreed on price，quality and quantity． The next thing I’d like to bring up for discussion is packing．
Mike：Yes，As this is the first time we have done business with you，we’d like to hear what you say concerning the matter of packing.
Jane：Very well. Different articles require different packing. As for shirts，we use a polythene wrapper for each，ready for window display.
Mike：Good. As you will probably know，your shirts will be in competition with many others in our market. Wrapping that catches the eye will certainly help us push the sales.
Jane：Yes，of course.
Mike：Therefore，the wrapping should be attractive as well as of good quality. You must have thought of that，I’m sure.
Jane：You can rest assured that our packing will be on a par with that of other competitors，if not better.
Mike：I’m glad to hear that. And what about the protective packing during transit？
Jane：That will be packed in dozen to one carton，gross weight around 20 kilos.
Mike：Good！What type？
Jane：Cardboard cartons，with stenciled shipping marks.
Mike：I see．Alright. We agree to cardboard cartons for outer packing.
Task 2：Simulated situational conversation.
Lucy：Can you ship this batch of cottons within five or six weeks？
Mr.Wang：What kinds of cotton are they？May I see your list？Ah，machine prints.
Lucy：Yes，mainly prints. There are a few plain as well. Here they are.
Mr.Wang：I see. And the quantities？
Lucy：200 rolls of each. Make it 200 rolls for each sample.
Mr.Wang：How many rolls altogether？
Lucy：Twenty prints and five plain. That makes 5，000 rolls in all.
Mr.Wang：Six weeks，did you say？
Lucy：Yes，five to six weeks.
Mr.Wang：We could manage the plain rolls in six weeks. The prints might be put off to eight weeks.
Lucy：Eight weeks？We can’t wait that long.
Mr.Wang：That’s the best we can do just now，I’m afraid.
Lucy：Couldn’t you make it seven weeks for the prints？
Mr.Wang：What about taking the prints in two shipments，two thousand rolls in seven weeks，and the remainder a week later？
Lucy：That might be acceptable. I shall have to cable our Beijing office to get their approval. You can definitely supply in the time you’ve given me，I suppose.
Mr.Wang：Yes，I’ll see that you get those deliveries. Shipping by “S.S.American” as usual，is that all right？
Lucy：That’s right.
Practice 3
Task 2：Simulated situational conversation.
A：If you have nothing special to point out，we’ll have the sales contract made out tomorrow.
B：Good.
A：By the way，the contract should be written in both English and Chinese，and both versions should be equally valid.
B：Of course. Each of us keeps one original and two copies.
A：Then I’ll come along tomorrow to put my signature on it.
B：That’s fine.
（The next day）
A：Here it is. I should say it’s all right this time.
B：Perfect.
A：Now shall we sign it？
B：Of course. This is what we’ve been waiting for.
A：I truly believe we’ll have a further cooperation in the future.
B：So do I.
A：By the way，I hope you can deliver the goods duly since any delay in shipment would cause us no small difficulty.
B：You may rest assured that shipment will be made within the time limit stipulated in the contract.
A：Why not go and have dinner together？Just to celebrate our successful cooperation. There is a very nice restaurant near our company.
B：That would be fine.
Part Ⅲ Workplace Practice
Ⅰ. Complete the following dialogue.
Mr.Huang：What kind of packing do you plan to use for this consignment of goods？
David：Cartons. Is that okay？
Mr.Huang：I’m concerned about the possibility of jolting，squeezing and collision that may take place when these cases are moved about.
David：Well. What I can tell you is that we’ve got an excellent record on making deliveries to our customers.Besides，all our cartons are lined with shock proof cardboard and are wrapped up with polyethylene sheets.
Mr.Huang：In that case，I guess I can rest assured.
David：Well，I guess you can say that. The safety of packing is something we always pay a lot of attention to.
Mr.Huang：You’re right. But wouldn’t it be safer to use wooden cases？
David：We surely can if you want us to，but the charge will be much higher.
Mr.Huang：It wouldn’t be worth the trouble in that case，would it？Let’s still use cartons.
David：Sure，no problem. As I said，cartons are good enough for goods like this. You don’t have to worry about it.
Ⅱ. Translate the following dialogue into English.
Jack：Mr.Anderson，how are you going to ship the goods？
Bruce：Oh，we usually send that kind of quantity in part shipments.
Jack：I am afraid part shipment is not an option for us. The goods are seasonal，so they must be shipped all at once.
Bruce：Oh… We thought part shipment would be fine. It is very difficult to book so much shipping space on the same ship.
Jack：If the goods can’t arrive on time，we will miss the Christmas season！
Bruce：We understand that. Unfortunately，shipping space is quite scarce right now.
Jack：If you can’t get hold of a direct vessel，could you please ship it by air？
Bruce：Air freight costs more and will affect your retail price.
Jack：In that case，we may agree to have our goods transshipped.
Bruce：Transshipment is a good solution！We’ll contact our shipping company and arrange for transshipment via London.
Jack：Thank you. I’d appreciate it if you could guarantee the date of shipment.
Bruce：Of course！By all means.
Ⅲ. Make a short speech（3 minutes）.
Good morning，everyone. Welcome to our department. When concluding a deal，a contract should be signed between two parties，and certain preparation should be made. Evaluation of the country of a potential partner is the first step in implementing profitable import or export plans. Second，it is vital to learn as much as possible about potential partners or clients before doing business with them. The relevant information may be obtained by writing to the references provided by the counterpart or by employing a consulting firm. Third，negotiation requires specialized skills，communication ability，team spirit，etc. If you expect your negotiation team to be successful，qualified negotiators must be carefully chosen. They should be familiar with international trading process，experienced in dealing with foreign customers and quick in making wise decisions.
Ⅳ. Make a workplace interpretation（3 minutes）.
Tom：我们把合同草案带过来了，请您过目。
Mike：All right. I don’t think there is any problem.
Tom：你对合同的措词有什么意见？
Mike：The wordings are really idiomatic. I’m very satisfied with it.
Tom：对一些需要解决的问题我们基本达成了协议。
Mike：Both of our parties have made a great effort.
Tom：是的，该是我们签合同的时候了。
Mike：I’ve been looking forward to this moment.
Tom：现在请确认后签名。
Mike：Done. Congratulations.
Tom：我们双方都有两份合同。一份中文的。一份英文的。你们保留这两份吧。
Mike：Thank you very much. I think the contract will bear fruit in no time，and I hope our continuing cooperation and further extension of our trade relations.
Tom：这也是我所想的。让我们为谈判的成功，为我们未来的合作成功干杯！
Mike：Cheers！