Business English para Dummies Read Free

in an open-end fashion, “I read that you are planning to expand to Eastern Europe. Which of the countries do you want to focus on?”
    It is ideal if the sales representative can open a discussion with the customer’s favourite topic, says corporate consultant Klaus Spazier from Südbrookmerland near Emden. Which discussion topics the consumer prefers depends on his personality profile. The selling expert differentiates between the following customer types:
    • The emotional type: You can motivate him with just a few appreciative words. The premise , however, is that the praise is heartfelt and honest.
    • The vain type: He feels flattered when the sales representative mentions his accomplishments . He also likes to talk about status symbols.
    • The industry expert: He comes out of his shell when you deliver the latest news regarding his field of expertise.
    • The workaholic: He opens up when you drop a few words about his massive work volume and his major responsibility.
    Whichever type of customer you are dealing with, salespeople should always give their dialogue partners ample possibilities to talk about their favourite topics. It is advisable, however, to not let this conversation develop into gossip about other customers. Sales representatives that give in to such behaviour will themselves gain a reputation of not being trustworthy .
    Interposed questions on demand analysis it is advisable to effortlessly steer the opening of a conversation towards a demand analysis. An elegant way is to ask specific interposed questions, “Oh, you are planning to expand your product range – does your existing machinery suffice in that case?” Once the customer has answered all the essential questions, the next phase of the sales talk can begin with the fitting keyword, “Speaking of production costs, we have a very economical solution that should fit your needs perfectly. Do you know our…?”
    Palabras para recordar
    skilfully: competently, expertly, cleverly, capably, efficiently
    embarrassment: awkwardness, discomfort, distress, confusion, agitation
    to spoil: to ruin, to mess up, to destroy
    in the preliminary stage: in the introductory, beginning, or opening phase
    pitfall: trap, stumbling block, hazard, peril, danger, difficulty
    to reply: to respond, to answer back
    clumsiness: awkwardness, ungainliness, ineptness, gaucheness
    awkwardly: clumsily, inelegantly, gracelessly, amateurishly
    to land off the mark: to be off base or wide of the mark
    to put one’s foot in one’s mouth: to drop a brick, to drop a clanger, to put one’s foot in it
    is depreciated: is devalued, downgraded, reduced, diminished, or minimised
    stopgap: temporary substitute, fill-in, makeshift, last resort
    inexpertly: clumsily, ineptly, tactlessly
    to resort to: to fall back on, to turn to, to make use of, to bring into play
    remarkable: extraordinary, exceptional, outstanding, noteworthy, phenomenal
    upbeat fashion: optimistic, positive, confident, or cheerful way
    to pick up the thread: to develop a thought further, to spin a thought out, to expand on an idea
    lively: energetic, animated, enthusiastic, high-spirited, stimulating, exciting, active
    to commence: to begin, to start, to get going
    to facilitate: to help, to assist, to aid, to advance, to ease
    appreciative: grateful, thankful, enthusiastic, supportive, encouraging
    premise: idea, precondition, prerequisite
    praise: applause, acclaim, approval, acclamation, commendation
    vain: conceited, narcissistic, self-admiring, self-important, big-headed
    to feel flattered: to feel complimented, pleased, grateful, fawned-upon, or thrilled
    accomplishment: talent, skill, gift, achievement, performance, capability
    to come out of one’s shell: to loosen up, to relax, to become responsive
    ample: plenty of, more than enough, enough and to spare
    gossip: rumours, idle talk, hearsay, smear campaign
    to give in to: to succumb to, to give way to, to go along with
    to gain: to obtain, to get, to