office topic

Office theme

START

time for a meeting

Cancel the meeting

01

ARRANGE NEXT MEETING

How to successfully negotiate during meetings

REACH AN AGREEMENT

PUT FORWARD THE CASE

CLARIFICATION PROCESS

AN ULTIMATE GOAL

ACHIEVE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION

Implement a desicion

time for a meeting

Cancel the meeting

01

ARRANGE NEXT MEETING

How to successfully negotiate during meetings

REACH AN AGREEMENT

PUT FORWARD THE CASE

CLARIFICATION PROCESS

AN ULTIMATE GOAL

ACHIEVE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION

Implement a desicion

If you would like to suggest an alternative meeting time:

• Tomorrow would be better for me.
• I think I’d prefer to make it at 3.30.
• Could you manage the day after tomorrow?
• Would love to meet — but not this week! I can manage on 16 or 17 of November, if either of those would suit you.
• Sorry, I am afraid I can’t make the meeting at 12.00.
• Let’s reschedule our meeting for next week.
• We were due to meet next Tuesday afternoon.
• Could we fix an alternative?

English

Chinese

• 明天對我來說會更好。
• 我想我更願意在 3.30 進行。
• 你能應付後天嗎？
• 很想見——但不是本週！ 我可以安排在 11 月 16 日或 17 日，如果其中任何一個適合你。
• 對不起，恐怕我不能在 12 點開會。
• 讓我們重新安排下週的會議。
• 我們原定於下週二下午見面。
• 我們可以修復一個替代方案嗎？

• Tomorrow would be better for me.
• I think I’d prefer to make it at 3.30.
• Could you manage the day after tomorrow?
• Would love to meet — but not this week! I can manage on 16 or 17 of November, if either of those would suit you.
• Sorry, I am afraid I can’t make the meeting at 12.00.
• Let’s reschedule our meeting for next week.
• We were due to meet next Tuesday afternoon.Could we fix an alternative?

Back

If you cannot be at the meeting and cannot suggest alternative time, then cancel the meeting:

• Sorry but the other members of my group have arranged for me to...
• Sorry but it looks as though I am going to be busy all day tomorrow. The thing is I have to...
• Unfortunately, I’ll have to cancel our meeting on Thursday.
• I’ll be unable to make the meeting.

• Sorry but the other members of my group have arranged for me to...
• Sorry but it looks as though I am going to be busy all day tomorrow. The thing is I have to...
• Unfortunately, I’ll have to cancel our meeting on Thursday.
• I’ll be unable to make the meeting.

• 對不起，我小組的其他成員已經安排我...
• 抱歉，但看起來我明天要忙一整天。 問題是我必須...
• 不幸的是，我將不得不取消週四的會議。
• 我將無法參加會議。

Back

Organize next meeting

• It might be a good idea if we could arrange another meeting to discuss a few things in more detail.
• I don’t know if we’ll be able to finish everything today.
• Could you meet up again, say, at the end of the month?
• Perhaps we could see each other again next Monday, as I’ll be back in London.
• Would there be any chance of you coming to us this time?

Chinese

English

• It might be a good idea if we could arrange another meeting to discuss a few things in more detail.
• I don’t know if we’ll be able to finish everything today.
• Could you meet up again, say, at the end of the month?
• Perhaps we could see each other again next Monday, as I’ll be back in London.
• Would there be any chance of you coming to us this time?

• 如果我們可以安排另一次會議來更 詳細地討論一些事情，那可能是個好主意。
• 我不知道我們今天能不能完成所有的事情。
• 你能再見面嗎，比如說，在月底？
• 也許我們可以在下週一再次見面，因為我會回到倫敦。
• 這次你有機會來找我們嗎？

You also need to agree on a meeting point and how best to get there:

• 你能給我一些方向嗎？
• 我會從機場乘坐出租車。
• 你會開車來嗎？
• 我會給你發一份谷歌地圖。
• 只需在接待處問我。
• 我的辦公室在三樓。

• Can you give me some directions?
• I would take a taxi from the airport.
• Will you be coming by car?
• I’ll email you a Google map.
• Just ask for me at reception.
• My office is on the third floor.

How to reach an agreement

It is very important to spend a little time thinking in advance what you ideally want from the negotiations and what terms you are ready to accept.

Intend

Tradable

Have to have

• I am willing to accept... if...
• I think we will have to agree to...
• It would be an alternative to....
• We can trade this against...
• A few things we can compromise on are...

• We must ...
• Our main concern is ...
• It is vital / cruccial that ...
• I refuse to accept ...

• Our intention is ...
• I would like to ...
• We might like to ...

• Essentially, what we are looking for is...
• Ideally, what we would like to do is...
• Basically, we are interested in...
• We have four basic requirements which are not really open to negotiation.
• We are however prepared to negotiate the terms of the...
• If you are prepared to do X, then we would be prepared to do Y.
• Our position is that we...
• It would/might be better to focus on...
• I’d prefer to... rather than...
• Our main aim should be to...
• The key issue here is...

Negotiations should start with prioritization. The following expressions will help you with this:

When you want to clarify the meaning

When you get distracted

• I’m sorry what did you say?
• Sorry, could you say that again?
• Sorry, what was your question?
• Sorry, I missed that last part.
• Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?
• Sorry, I’ve lost track of what you were saying.
• Sorry, I’ve forgotten the first point you made.
• Sorry, what did you say at the beginning?
• Could you say that last bit again?
• Sorry I missed the bit about...

• Could you explain that again using different words?
• Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you give me more details?
• Sorry, I still don’t understand. What do you mean?
• Sorry, could you repeat that again but much more slowly?
• Sorry, could you write that word down? I can’t really understand it.
• Sorry, I’m not really clear what you’re saying.
• Sorry I think I have missed the point.
• Sorry but I am not really clear about...

Clarifying goals

The discussion needs to clarify the aims, interests and points of view of both parties. Clarification is an integral part of the negotiation process. Misunderstanding can cause problems and barriers to a beneficial outcome.

Bringing negotiations to a mutually beneficial outcome

• I guarantee you that...
• I can assure you that...
• While you... I am afraid we cannot...
• Would you be willing to... ?
• Will you be able to guarantee... ?
• If we were to do X, would you then be willing to do Y?
• If you need to discuss this amongst yourselves or make a phone call, then perhaps we can have a break for 20 minutes.
• If we accept your prices, then we will have to raise our prices.
• If we agreed to that it would not be good for our business.
• If you can reduce your price by..., then we will...
• We must insist on delivery within the time stated and reserve the right to reject the goods should they be delivered later.
• What compensation will you pay if... ?
• We can offer a large variety of...
• We are able to quote you very advantageous terms.

This should be the ultimate goal of the negotiation. At this stage, alternatives should be considered and a compromise should be sought that benefits all stakeholders.

An agreement can be reached after taking into account the position and interests of both parties. It is important for all participants to keep an open mind to achieve an acceptable solution. Any agreement must be clearly marked so that both parties are aware of the decision.

Agreement

• We have covered a lot of ground in this meeting.
• Let me go over all the details again.
• Have we covered everything?
• Are there any questions?
• So far we have established...
• I would like to summarize as follows...
• Thank you for coming.
• Thank you for a fruitful discussion.
• I am very much looking forward to...
• OK, I think we have a deal.

implementation of a course of action

• Can you prepare a draft contract?
• I will draft an outline agreement.
• I will email you the agreement.
• Could you kindly email me the draft contract?