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ASSESSMENT SHEET (MANAGERS)
Give a score of 1-5 for each category: 5 = outstanding, I = needs improvement
Presentation
1 Was it interesting?
2 Was it clear?
3 Was it loud and clear enough? Was it varied in pitch or monotonous?
4 Was the pace too quick, too slow, or just right?
5 Was the language fluent, accurate and appropriate?
| Campaign concept Will it get the target audience's attention? Will it capture their imagination? Does it have a clear, effective message? Will it differentiate the product or service? Will it persuade the target audience to buy the product or service? Will the target audience remember the campaign? |
| umnttKitmmtn |
6 Did it impress you?
| TOTAL: 30 |
| As the leader of one of Focus's advertising teams, prepare a summary ol" your concept for your Managing Director. The summary will be used as a discussion document at a forthcoming board meeting. ■ф Writing file page 137 |
Was there enough eye contact?
TOTAL: 30
OVERVIEW?
Listening
Cultural awareness
□ Vocabulary Idioms Reading Cultural advice Language review Advice, obligation and necessity Skills
Social English Case study
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| Cultures Share our similarities, celebrate our differences. M Scott Peck, American author |
Visitors from China
QWhat do you miss most about your own country or culture when you go abroad?
фWhy is cultural awareness important for businesspeople? Give examples.
What is culture? Choose thefour factors which you think are the most important in creating a culture. Give your reasons.
| climate | language | historical events |
| institutions | arts | social customs and traditions |
| ideas and beliefs | religion | ceremonies and festivals |
| cuisine | geography | architecture |
QDo you think cultures are becoming more alike? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Give reasons for your answers. Think about:
• improved communications • global business
• cheap foreign travel • trading groups (such as the EU, ASEAN)
| exchanging business cards shaking hands kissing socialising with contacts small talk before meetings accepting interruption |
| 54j |
фHow important are the following things when doing business in your country? Are they: a) important b) not important or c) best avoided?
being formal or informal
punctuality
humour
giving presents
| Starting up |
being direct (saying exactly what you think) using first names
| Listening Cultural awareness |
фО 7.1 Listen to the first part of an interview with Jeff Toms, Marketing Director at the International Briefing Centre at Farnham Castle, Surrey. He talks about training courses which prepare people for doing business internationally. Complete the list of issues that he mentions.
Issues covered by the training course
• Awareness
• Practical issues of........................... 2 and........................... 3 overseas
• Dealing with..................................................... 4
• Schooling;.......................... 5 care; international security
• How to negotiate.......................... 6
• Communication
-telephone -e-mail -the................................................................ 7
• Presentation skills -the words you use -the 8you use
- how to deal with....................
and answers
- managing your.......................
фО 7.2 Listen to the second part of the interview. Jeff talks about the personality traits that help in doing business internationally. Which three personality traits does he consider to be important?
0О 7.3 Listen to the third part of the interview. Which two cultural aspects does Jeff mention and what does he say about them?
• Entertaining • Gift-giving • Hierarchy
• Time • Greetings • Dress
фWhich country would you like to visit on business? What would you like to know about the culture of this country before visiting? Think of some questions to ask. Use the topics listed above to help you. Add some others of your own.
QChoose the most appropriate word in the box to complete the idioms in the sentences below.
eye eye foot water water fire ice
I was thrown in at the deep......... P.V.d...... when my company sent me to run
the German office. I was only given two days' notice to prepare.
We don't see eye to....................... about relocating our factory. The Finance
Director wants to move production to the Far East, but I want it to remain in Spain.
I got into hot..................... with my boss for wearing casual clothes to the
meeting with our Milanese customers.
Small talk is one way to break the......................... when meeting someone for
the first time.
I really put my...................... in it when I met our Japanese partner. Because I
was nervous, I said 'Who are you?' rather than 'How are you?'
I get on like a house on........................ with our Polish agent; we like the same
things and have the same sense of humour.
When I visited China for the first time I was like a fish out of..............................
Everything was so different, and I couldn't read any of the signs!
My first meeting with our overseas clients was a real.......................... -opener. I
had not seen that style of negotiation before.
фО 7.4 Listen to eight people using the idioms from Exercise A and check your answers.
0Consider the context of each idiom in Exercise A and write down those which have:
a)a positive meaning....................................
b)a negative meaning...............................................
QMatch the idioms in Exercise A to the correct meanings a) to h).
a)given a difficult job to do without preparation..................... 1..................
b)quickly have a friendly relationship with someone............................................
c)feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation...........................................
d)say or do something without thinking carefully, so that you embarrass or upset someone
e)to disagree with someone........................................
f)an experience where you learn something surprising or something you did not know before
g)make someone you have just met less nervous and more willing to talk
h)to get into trouble.......................................
0Work in pairs or small groups. Discuss the following.
1What tips do you have for breaking the ice at meetings with new clients?
2Talk about a place you have visited which was a real eye-opener.
3Describe a situation when you
a)put your foot in it. c) got into hot water.
| Vocabulary Idioms] |
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| 56J |
b)felt like a fish out of water. d) were thrown in at the deep end.
QWork in pairs. Student A: read the articles A and В on this page. Student B: read the articles С and D on pages 142 and 146. Choose the two most interesting points about each country and tell your partner.
фRead your articles again and answer as many of the following questions as you can.
In which country or countries:
1do people talk in a lively way?..........................
| Reading Cultural advice |
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2do people ask questions about your personal life?.............................
3does the host invite you to comment on a previous conversation?
4do the hosts like to hear praise about their country?
5do people like gifts with your company logo?...................
6 is it important to give a more expensive gift to the most senior person?
7does your host open your gift immediately?....................
8is it a mistake to offer an expensive gift?..........................
9is it bad manners to refuse an invitation to a meal?..
10is it rude to refuse to sing when asked?..........................
11is it important to be punctual for lunch or dinner? ....
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12is it important not to offer food with your left hand?
QIn pairs, share your information with your partner so you can answer all the questions.
| 4" |
фWhat advice would you give a business visitor to your country? Give a short presentation. You could mention conversation, gifts, entertainment, appointments and business dress.
Article A: Italy
Lively conversation is common in Italy. Welcome topics of conversation include Italian architecture, art and films, sports (especially football), opera and praising the hospitality of the country! It is best to avoid criticising Italian culture, even if your Italian counterparts are doing so.
Article B: United Arab Emirates
Conversation
The hosts usually set the subject of conversation. They will normally begin with polite enquiries (How are you? How are you enjoying your visit? etc.). If others arrived before you, your hosts will often tell you the subject of the previous conversation and invite you to contribute.
Gift-giving
Don't give a business gift until you receive one. Your gift should be a well-known brand name. Gifts of alcohol or crafts from your own country are often good choices. Other possible gifts are fine pens, a framed print or picture, silver key rings or calculators. Avoid giving gifts showing your company's logo.
Hospitality plays a key role in Italian business culture. Regardless of how you feel, refusing an invitation of any kind may give offence. The business breakfast is almost unheard of. Rare exceptions may be found in the major cities. Business dinners involve only a small, exclusive group. If you are the host, check with your Italian contact before making any invitations. Lunch is still the main meal of the day in most areas of the country. It is usually served after 12:30 p.m. and often has many courses.
Giving gifts in the UAE is more complex than in other countries. This is partly because of the mixture of nationalities: each nationality has different tastes and customs. Also, nearly everything can be purchased in the UAE less expensively than elsewhere in the world. As a gesture of respect, your host is likely to open and carefully examine your gift in your presence. It is important that your gift is the best you can afford to avoid embarrassment.
Entertaining
Sharing a meal is considered the best way for people to get to know one another. Locals often entertain at home but they will accept a foreigner's invitation to a hotel or restaurant. Hospitality in the UAE is very important but should not be interpreted as future commercial success. There are local customs to be aware of, for example, it is considered bad manners to either eat or offer something with the left hand. Adapted from www.executive.com
Advice
We can use should and shouldn't to give or ask for advice.
You should learn a song to sing before going to Korea.
For strong advice we can use must or mustn't.
You mustn't refuse an invitation to dinner in Italy. It may cause offence.
Obligation / Necessity
We often use must when the obligation comes from the person speaking or writing.
We must buy a gift for our visitor.
We use mustn't to say something is prohibited or is not allowed.
You mustn't use a mobile phone in an aeroplane.
We often use have to to show that the obligation comes from another
person or institution, not the speaker.
You have to get a visa to enter the country. (This is the law.)
Lack of obligation / Lack of necessity
| Language review Advice, obligation and necessity |
don't have to and mustn 't are very different: don't have to = it is not necessary
page 153
J
QChoose the most appropriate verb. There are some situations where both
verbs are possible. Can you say why?
1Visitors must / should carry an identity card at all times when travelling.
2Passengers mustn't / don't have to smoke anywhere on the aircraft.
3All personnel should / must wear their badge while in the building.
4The visitors don't have to / mustn't enter the radioactive zone unless authorised.
5I think you should / must learn how to negotiate in Chinese. It would be a good skill if you had the time to learn it!
6My boss doesn't have to / shouldn't travel so much - he is looking ill.
7When going to a new country to do business, you should / must do some research on the etiquette and taboos of the host country.
8Monday is a public holiday. I mustn't / don't have to work.
фRead these notes on US business protocol. How does each piece of advice
compare with the situation in your country?
US business protocol
Timing
• You must arrive at business meetings on time. Only a 15-minute delay because of traffic problems is allowed.
Greetings and polite conversation
• You must shake hands during introductions.
• You don't have to make a lot of small talk. Americans like to get down to business quickly.
• You mustn't ask about a businesswoman's marital status. It is considered rude.
Business cards
• You don't have to exchange business cards unless there is a reason to get in contact later.
Smoking
• You mustn't smoke in many public spaces. Most businesses, cabs and many restaurants nowadays have a no-smoking policy.
Gift-giving
• Business gifts shouldn't be given until after the business negotiations are over.
• You mustn't give an expensive business gift. It may cause embarrassment.
Entertaining at home
• You should write a short thank you note to your host and hostess if you are entertained at their home.You don't have to give a gift but flowers or wine are appreciated.
From Dos and taboos around the world, edited by Roger E.Axtell
_58J
Q О 7.5 Listen to the conversation between two people who have recently met. What is wrong? How can it be improved?
QIn what business situations would you use the words and expressions below? Discuss your ideas with a partner.
| Congratulations! | 1 don't mind. | I'm afraid ... |
| Cheers! | Excuse me. | Please ... |
| Make yourself at home. | Sorry. | Could you ... ? |
| Help yourself. | It's on me. | That sounds good. |
QWhat would you say in the following situations?
1You don't hear someone's name when you are introduced to them.
2You have to refuse an invitation to dinner with a supplier.
3You are offered food you hate.
4You want to end a conversation in a diplomatic way.
5You have to greet a visitor.
6You have to introduce two people to each other.
7You offer to pay for a meal.
8You have to propose a toast.
9Your colleague has been made redundant, to You arrive half an hour late for a meeting.
ф О 7.6 Listen and check your answers to Exercise C.
| Social English |
QWhat can you say in the first five minutes of meeting someone? Choose the best answer a) to I) for each of the questionsi to ю.
1Is this your first visit to the Far East?
2Oh really. What do you do?
3How long have you been there?
4Have you been to Hong Kong before?
5Business or pleasure?
6How long have you been here?
7How long are you staying?
8Where are you staying?
9What's the food like?
Ю So, what do you think of Hong Kong?
a)At the Peninsula Hotel.
b)Nearly ten years.
c)No, I come here quite often.
d)No. This is my first trip.
e)I'm the Marketing Director for a small import-export company.
f)Business, I'm afraid.
g)Till tomorrow night.
h)A week.
i)I really like it. There's so much to do.
j) It's very good, but eating in the Peninsula can be quite expensive.
| OO |
7.7 Listen and check your answers to Exercise E.
фIn your opinion, which of these items of advice for a successful conversation are useful and which are not?
| 4 Be polite 5 Ask questions 6 Stay silent |
7Keep eye contact
8Be friendly
• Turn to pages 138 and 139 to play The social-cultural game.
Visitors from China
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Background
Toyworld is a profitable toy retailer based in Seattle, US, with subsidiaries in over 30 countries. Toyworld buys its products from suppliers all over the world.
Mr Lee Chung, head of a toy manufacturing firm based in Guandong, China, is going to visit the Toyworld subsidiary in your country. Mr Chung will be accompanied by his Export Manager, John Wong. The purpose of the visit is to get to know Toyworld's management better and learn more about the company. He may set up a joint venture with Toyworld if he has confidence in them and considers them to be a suitable partner. This is Mr Chung and Mr Wong's first visit to your company, and to your country.
Toyworld Senior Managers
Chief Executive
I
Managing Director
You are members of the planning committee for Mr Chung's visit. Read the documents. Then, plan a draft programme in small groups. After that, compare your ideas with the rest of the class and produce the final programme.
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V______________
| To... | Manager, Public Relations |
| From... | Chief Executive |
| Subject: | Mr Lee Chung's visit Date: 2 June |
Mr Lee Chung and Mr John Wong will arrive at 9.10 a.m. on Monday 20 June and leave on Thursday 23 June. When you prepare the draft programme, please schedule a meeting (morning or afternoon) during which we can discuss our business plans with Mr Chung and Mr Wong. Also, make sure that our visitors have opportunities to meet our staff and gain a complete understanding of our business.
The visitors will expect to have some basic information about Toyworld and to be offered activities which give them an understanding of the company. Please also arrange some social and cultural activities during their stay.
Above all, we do not want to make any cultural mistakes during the visit. We want Mr Chung and Mr Wong to leave with an excellent impression of our company and the way we treat foreign visitors.
To help you plan the visit, please could you attend the talk by Catherine Eng (an expert on Chinese business culture).