Business Correspondence Glossary

apologize verb	say "sorry"
approach noun	method or style of doing something
attitude noun	outlook on life
by invitation only	only those who are asked to come will be allowed in
commence verb	start
complimentary adjective	free
concerns noun	problems, issues
confidential adjective	private
conscientious adjective	cares about quality of work
contribution noun	individual effort or support in a group
convenient adjective	suitable, favourable, makes life easy
cooperation noun	the act of working together
coordinator noun	person who organizes something
dedication noun	a lot of effort put into something
dependable adjective	can be trusted
disregard verb	ignore, pay no attention to
do not hesitate phrase	don't wait
dropped verb	fell to a lower amount
effective adjective	produces a positive response
efficient adjective	performs well
enclosed adjective	included inside
encouraged verb	persuaded or inspired
enquire (BrE) inquire (AmE) verb	looking for information
extravaganza noun	exciting and rare event
formal adjective	following set requirements
grateful adjective	thankful
guarantee verb	promise
impact noun	effect
indicates verb	shows
invoice noun	document detailing purchases and money owed
latest adjective	most modern
lay-off verb	take a job away from an employee (when employee is not at fault)
notice noun	document that indicates a change or event
outstanding balance adjective	money still owed
pleasure noun	enjoyment
postpone verb	delay until later
preferred customer	buyer who comes back often
present verb	award something to someone
professional adjective	exhibits suitable behaviour on the job
profound adjective	deep
punctual noun	always on time
reach me verb	find and talk to me
records noun	files that keep track of business matters
regarding verb	being about
regret verb	feel bad
reliable adj	dependable
replacement noun	someone who fills the position of another
representative noun	a person who acts on behalf of another person, company, policy...
resignation noun	the act of leaving a job position
respected adj	considered good and honest
retirement noun	a permanent leave from the workplace (usually due to aging)
senior staff noun	employees who hold high positions or have been working at the same place for a long time
severance noun	money paid to make up for a separation
sharp adverb	exactly (in reference to time)
skyrocketed verb	went up higher very quickly
stock noun	share in ownership
struggle verb	work at with difficulty
sufficient adj	enough
support noun	financial help
T.B.A	To Be Announced
versatile adj	with a variety of skills and abilities
welcome adjective	(happily) permitted to do something

Negotiations in English

One of the most important skills anyone can hold in daily life is the ability to negotiate. In general terms, a negotiation is a resolution of conflict. We enter negotiations in order to start or continue a relationship and resolve an issue. Even before we accept our first jobs, or begin our careers, we all learn how to negotiate. For one person it begins with the negotiation of an allowance with a parent. For another it involves negotiating a television schedule with a sibling. Some people are naturally stronger negotiators, and are capable of getting their needs met more easily than others. Without the ability to negotiate, people break off relationships, quit jobs, or deliberately avoid conflict and uncomfortable situations.

In the world of business, negotiating skills are used for a variety of reasons, such as to negotiate a salary or a promotion, to secure a sale, or to form a new partnership. Here are a few examples of different types of negotiations in the business world:

• Manager and Clerk: Negotiating a promotion
• Employer and Potential Employee: Negotiating job benefits
• Business Partner A and B: Making decisions about investments
• Company A and Company B: Negotiating a merger
• Customer and Client: Making a Sale

The Art of Negotiating

Negotiating is often referred to as an "art". While some people may be naturally more skillful as negotiators, everyone can learn to negotiate. And, as they often say in business, everything is negotiable. Some techniques and skills that aid people in the negotiating process include:

• Aiming high
• Visualizing the end results
• Treating one's opponent with respect and honesty
• Preparing ahead of time
• Exhibiting confidence

Throughout this lesson, we will review important techniques and skills to learn before negotiating. We will also examine certain tactics your opponents may use at the negotiating table. These pages are designed to prepare you for for negotiating in English in the business world, but they will also help you achieve your goals in everyday life.

Vocabulary

Word Part of speech	Meaning	Example Sentence
alternatives noun	other options	We can't offer you the raise you requested, but let's discuss some other alternatives.
amplify verb	expand; give more information	Could you amplify on your proposal please.
arbitration noun	conflict that is addressed by using a neutral third party	We're better to settle this between us, because a formal arbitration will cost both of us money.
bargain verb	try to change a person's mind by using various tactics	We bargained on the last issue for over an hour before we agreed to take a break.
bottom-line noun	the lowest one is willing to go	I'll accept a raise of one dollar per hour, but that's my bottom-line.
collective adj	together	This is a collective concern, and it isn't fair to discuss it without Marie present.
compensate verb	make up for a loss	If you are willing to work ten extra hours a week we will compensate you by paying you overtime.
comply verb	agree	I'd be willing to comply if you can offer me my own private office.
compromise verb	changing one's mind/terms slightly in order to find a resolution	We are willing to compromise on this issue because it means so much to you.
concession noun	a thing that is granted or accepted	I think we can offer all of these concessions, but not all at once.
conflict resolution noun	general term for negotiations	It is impossible to engage in conflict resolution when one of the parties refuses to listen.
confront verb	present an issue to someone directly	I confronted my boss about being undervalued, and we're going to talk about things on Monday.
consensus noun	agreement by all	It would be great if we could come to a consensus by 5:00 P.M.
cooperation noun	the working together	I have appreciated your cooperation throughout these negotiations.
counter proposal noun	the offer/request which is presented second in response to the first proposal	In their counter proposal they suggested that we keep their company name rather than creating a new one.
counterattack verb/noun	present other side of an issue	Before we could start our counterattack they suggested we sign a contract.
counterpart noun	person on the other side of the negotiations	I tried to close the discussions at noon, but my counterpart would not stop talking.
cordially verb/noun	politely	In the past I have had little respect for that client, but today she spoke cordially and listened to my point of view.
demands adv	needs/expectations that one side believes it deserves	They had some last minute demands that were entirely unrealistic.
deadlock noun	point where neither party will give in	When the discussions came to a deadlock we wrote up a letter of intent to continue the negotiations next week.
dispute noun	argument/conflict	I was hoping to avoid discussing last year's dispute, but Monica is still holding a grudge.
dominate verb	have the most control/stronger presence	Max has such a loud voice, he tends to dominate the conversations.
entitled adj	be deserving of	My contract says that I am entitled to full benefits after six months of employment.
flexible adj	open/willing to change	We have always been flexible in terms of your working hours.
haggling verb	arguing back and forth (often about prices)	We've been haggling over this issue for too long now.
hostility noun	long-term anger towards another	I want you to know that we don't have any hostility towards your company despite last year's mixup.
high-ball verb	make a request that is much higher than you expect to receive	I'm planning to high-ball my expectations when I open the discussion.
impulse noun	quick decision without thought or time	I acted on impulse when I signed that six-month contract.
indecisive adj	has difficulty choosing/making a decision	They were so indecisive we finally asked them to take a break and come back next week.
leverage noun	(bargaining power) something that gives one party a greater chance at succeeding over another	We have a little bit of leverage because we are the only stationary company in town.
log-rolling verb	trading one favour for another	After a bit of log-rolling we came to an agreement that pleased both of us.
low-ball verb	offer something much lower than you think the opponent will ask for	I was expecting my boss to low-ball in the initial offer, but he proposed a fair salary increase.
mislead verb	convince by altering or not telling the whole truth about something	They misled us into thinking that everything could be resolved today.
mutual adj	agreed by both or all	The decision to call off the merger was mutual.
objective noun	goal for the outcome	My prime objective is to have my family members added to my benefits plan.
point of view noun	person's ideas/ thoughts	From my point of view it makes more sense to wait another six months.
pressure verb	work hard to convince another of an idea	He pressured me to accept the terms by using intimidation tactics.
proposal noun	argument to present	While I listened to their proposal I noted each of their objectives.
receptive adj	open to/interested in an idea	His positive body language demonstrated that he was receptive to our suggestions.
resentment noun	anger held onto from a previous conflict	Mary's resentment stems from our not choosing her to head the project.
resistance noun	a display of opposition	We didn't expect so much resistance on the final issue.
resolve verb	end conflict, come to an agreement	Before you can resolve your differences you'll both need to calm down.
tactics noun	strategies used to get one's goals met	There are certain tactics that all skillful negotiators employ.
tension noun	feeling of stress/anxiety caused by heavy conflict	There was a lot of tension in the room when George threatened to quit.
trade-off noun	terms that are offered in return for something else	Lower payments over a longer period of time sounded like a fair trade-off until we asked about interest charges.
ultimatum noun	a final term that has serious consequences if not met	His ultimatum was that if I didn't agree to give him the raise he asked for, he'd quit today without two week's notice.
unrealistic adj	very unlikely to happen	It's unrealistic to think that we will have all of our demands met.
victory noun	a win	We considered it a victory because they agreed to four of our five terms.
yield verb	to give in to another's requests	The client will only yield to our conditions, if we agree to work over the holiday weekend.

The Negotiation Process

It's time to negotiate! Here are a few golden rules to successful negotiations:

1) Always try to negotiate for at least 15 minutes. Any less than that and it is unlikely that either party has had enough time to fairly consider the other side. Generally, the size or seriousness of the negotiation determines the amount of time needed to negotiate it. Setting a time limit is a good idea. Approximately 90% of negotiations get settled in the last 10% of the discussion.

2) Always offer to let the other party speak first. This is especially important if you are the one making a request for something such as a raise. The other party may have overestimated what you are going to ask for and may actually offer more than what you were going to request.

3) Always respect and listen to what your opponent has to say. This is important even if he or she does not extend the same courtesy to you. Do your best to remain calm and pleasant even if the other party is displaying frustration or anger. Remember some people will do anything to intimidate you.

4) Acknowledge what the other party says. Everyone likes to know that what they say is important. If the other party opens first, use it to your advantage, by paraphrasing what you have heard. Repeat their important ideas before you introduce your own stronger ones.

5) Pay attention to your own and your counterpartner's body language. Review the chart below to learn how to interpret body language during the negotiations. Make sure that you aren't conveying any negative body language.

Language to use to show understanding/agreement on a point:

• I agree with you on that point.
• That's a fair suggestion.
• So what you're saying is that you...
• In other words, you feel that...
• You have a strong point there.
• I think we can both agree that...
• I don't see any problem with/harm in that.

Language to use for objection on a point or offer:

• I understand where you're coming from; however,...
• I'm prepared to compromise, but...
• The way I look at it...
• The way I see things...
• If you look at it from my point of view...
• I'm afraid I had something different in mind.
• That's not exactly how I look at it.
• From my perspective...
• I'd have to disagree with you there.
• I'm afraid that doesn't work for me.
• Is that your best offer?

Body Language	Possible meaning
Avoiding Eye Contact	Lying Not interested Not telling the whole truth
Serious Eye Contact	Trying to intimidate Showing anger
Touching the face/fidgeting	Nervousness Lack of confidence Submission
Nodding	Agreeing Willing to compromise
Shaking the head/turning away	Frustrated In disbelief Disagreeing with a point

Markus Opens the Negotiations It's finally lunchtime and Markus and Louis meet as planned. Markus offers for Louis to speak first, but Louis declines: Markus: Thanks again for agreeing to meet today. I really appreciate you taking the time during your lunch. Louis: Okay, well, let's get started. I'd like to resolve this as soon as possible so we can get back to work. Markus: Great. Okay, well, if there's anything you'd like to say first, please be my guest. Louis: Oh, no, I insist you go first. After all, you're the one who asked to meet with me. Markus: Very well then. First of all I want you to know that I am fully aware of the challenges you have faced in running this company in the last few years. I understand that the poor weather last year ended up costing you and all of the local landscape companies a lot of money. However, I think you realize that I am unsatisfied with my current salary. I've been with Landscape labourers for 5 years now and there have been many other years that were profitable. Despite how much your business has grown, I'm making less than a dollar more than I was the day I started. Louis: You're lucky to have a job in these times. Markus: Yes, and I'm very thankful that you have employed me all this time, especially during the slow seasons when the company is struggling to make a profit. It means a lot to me to have that stability, which is why I have remained loyal to your company. Louis: You haven't had much choice but to remain loyal, Markus. There are no jobs out there. Markus: Well if you don't mind, I'd like to finish what I have to say and then you can let me know what your position is. As a matter of fact, there are a few companies hiring right now in our area. These are not all necessarily companies that I would be interested in working with. For example, you and I both know that I would never want to work for a company such as Powell Designs. I'd much prefer to be associated with a company like Landscape Labourers because we do a good job. Having said that, I took the liberty of calling a few other local companies to find out what type of salary packages they offer to their foremen. Louis: Foremen? I don't have a foreman. I never have. It's not my style. Don't forget, you're a contract labourer just like the rest of the crew. Markus: Yes, I thank you for bringing that up. Besides deserving a higher salary, one that is competitive with local companies, I also think that I deserve a new title. You and I both know that the crew looks to me as though I am a foreman, even though I don't have the title. Louis: You don't have the title, but you also don't have the responsibility. It's a lot of work being a foreman. Markus: Exactly. And you can't say that you haven't noticed me coming in earlier than the others and leaving later. I also designate jobs to all of the crew members each morning and call suppliers when needs arise. These are duties of a foreman, am I right? Louis: I suppose. But a foreman also helps solve conflicts that arise within a team, and deals with customer complaints. You always pass those things on to me. Markus: I agree with you on that. However, I would be willing to take on these extra responsiblities, should you offer me a foreman position at a rate of $25.00 per hour.