BUSINESSENGLISHORAL.doc

Table of contents
1.0 company operation and management
1.1 teamwork
1.2 internal communications
1.3 reducing production cost
1.4 reducing overheads
1.5 how to deal with a heavy workload
1.6 work environment
1.7 logistics
1.8 business ethics
2.0 human resources management
2.1 recruiting & selecting
2.2 employee training
2.3 career development
2.4 promotion
2.5 staff motivation
2.6 staff turnover
2.7 appraising and improving performance
2.8 pay and benefits
2.9 labor relations
2.10 work place safety and health
2.11 time management
2.12 managing stress
3.0 marketing
3.1 product development and price setting
3.2 product promotion
3.3 advertising
3.4 publicity
3.5 packaging
3.6 branding
3.7 customer service
3.8 keeping customers
3.9 distribution
4.0 business travel
4.1 travel and transport
4.2 travel and accommodation
4.3 domestic travel
4.4 travelling abroad

5.0 public relations and corporate hospitality
5.1 corporate culture
5.2 company image
5.3 corporate gifting
5.4 corporate sponsorship
5.5 dress code
5.6 entertaining business clients
6.0 company development
6.1 site location and relocation
6.2 going global
6.3 mergers and acquisitions and franchise
6.4 meeting competition
7.0 going digital and new patterns of work
7.1 e-business
7.2 setting up company website
7.3 internet marketing
7.4 flexible pattern of work
8.0 business meetings and conferences
8.1 staging a meeting/ conference
8.2 attending a meeting/ conference
8.3 giving a presentation
8.4 trade fairs and exhibitions

1.1 TEAMWORK
Do you like working in a team or on your own? Why?
I like working in a team, as the proverb goes: “two heads are better than one”. In a team, I can learn from my fellow workers, get help from them when I’m under pressure. And the most important thing is, I can learn to communicate with all sorts of people.
I prefer to work on my own. In a team, you often have to give up some individuality in order for the team to function as a whole. It doesn’t allow you to have independent thinking, and as group decision-making usually takes longer time, working in a team is not necessarily efficient.
Ho important is the central leadership of a team?
It’s very important. You need someone with managerial skills to lead within the team: he is able to see the big picture of the work going on, to engage others, coordinate interpersonal relationship and organize resources effectively.
Do you prefer to work in small teams or big teams? Why?
I prefer to work in a small team. A small team is more closely-knit; members know each other well and can cooperate with each other more effectively.
I prefer to work in a big team. You see, when you work with more people, you get a chance to listen to different points of view, to lean to see things in different perspectives. It’s also more challenging as you have to coordinate with more people.
Is it necessary for a team to have regular meetings? Why? Why not?
Yes, I think it’s absolutely necessary. Regular meetings can enable team members to keep track of work progress and it’s a means of considering information and making collective decisions.
No I think having meetings regularly is somewhat like a matter of routine. Its time consuming and meeting should take place only when necessary.

What’s important when evaluating the success of teamwork?
Mutual trust
Full co-operation
Mutual trust is the first secret of successful teamwork. When members share a trusting relationship they will feel free to express their view, understand each other’s capabilities and limitations, and communicate with each other timely. This helps to bring out the potentials, experience and creativity of the individual and create good work environment.
Full co-operation among team members has a direct impact on the success or failure of the team. When team members develop a strong awareness of cooperation, they would make collective efforts to achieve the common objectives and ensure a higher level of quality and workmanship.
On top of that, timely communication and decision making will also help to improve work efficiency.

Your company is offering a brief training programme on team building for line managers. You have been asked to help plan the programme. Discuss the situation together, and decide:
What issues should the programme focus on?
What kinds of activities should be included?
A: well, I think it’s a good idea that our company is planning to offer a training programme on team building for all line managers.
B: yes, we need to work out the focus of this programme.
A: in my opinion. We should, first of all, focus on issues like how to form an effective team and how to improve communication within the team. These are the most important things we need to consider when holding a training programme.
B: yes, I quite agree with you. To understand these issues is the pre-requisite of successful team-building. Besides that, how to nurture team dynamics should be another focus of our training programme, I mean, analyze and encourage the dynamics that drive team success and m minimize the factors that inhibit the healthy functioning of the team.
A: yes, only when all team members are motivated, can they give good performance in work.
B: so we can include in our prgrammme, the activities that help develop employee motivation and improve communication.
A: well, we can provide team building games, and outdoor activities that liven up the training sessions.
B: I am quite with you here; we can organise outdoor adventures like rafting, sailing and rock climbing. These events serve to increase personal awareness of abilities and complementary skills in your teammates.
A: it’s a very good idea. These exciting activities not only encourage team participation, problem solving and revitalize morale, they also add some fun and variation to our prgramme.
B: and in fulfilling their potentials, everyone in the team learns to understand other people’s capacities and learns to appreciate the impact of their traits on team dynamics.
A: yes, mutual understanding and mutual trust are indispensable to effective team building.

What are the characteristics of a good team?
Characteristics like mutual trust, co-operation, commitment, openness of expression among team members are essential to a good team. Besides, a team should also be clear about the common goals they aim to attain.
What might be the disadvantages of working in a team environment?
Sometimes, team membership requires you to give up some individuality in order for the team to function as a whole. Sometimes you feel your own contribution to the team cannot be measured, so you work less than you would individually.
Would you like to take part in a prgramme for developing teamwork? Why?
Yes, of course. It offers me opportunities to develop better interpersonal communication skills, and these are essential in my business career.
How might a company measure the success of a training programme?
To evaluate the impact of a training programme, we can see if the training has helped to address the issues in the work, to see if there’s any improvement in the work performance of the staff and if it encourages creative innovation and teamwork.
Do you think a company will always benefit from staff training? Why? Why not?
I think a company can benefit much from staff training. Through training, employees will have a better understanding of their work objectives, have greater commitment in their work, and acquire more practical working skills.

1.2 Internal communications
What are the methods of communication to staff in most companies?
The most popular communication methods include: face-to-face communication, e-mails, telephone, notice-boards, etc. nowadays, the internet is a very effective method of communication.
Do you think you are good at communication with your boss? Why? Why not?
Yes, I think I am quite good at communication with people. Whenever I have some new ideas or resentment about my work, I’ll talk to my boss face to face. I am very frank and open-minded, ready to accept different opinions. / (I am afraid I’m not really very good at communicating with people. you see, I’m not a very out-going person, and I feel so nervous every time I talk to other people, particularly my boss. )
Is it important to le your manager know your ideas about work? Why?
I think it’s very important. You see, I often make suggestions to my boss about internal development, and discuss areas I would like to improve on. In this way, I’m contributing to the overall improvement of the company. (Sharing with your boss your new ideas about work is very important. This is where you can really show your mettle. Most bosses appreciate such initiative and will respect you for that. )
What are the major benefits of corporate communication training?
It gives the employees a genuine sense of corporate citizenship, enhances mutual understanding and trust; and it promotes a strong corporate culture and a coherent corporate identity.

What’s important when communication management messages to the staff?
Overall purpose
Feedback on performance
First of all, I think it’s important to clearly state your overall purpose and expectations. In this way, employees know exactly what they should do to meet work requirements and to achieve performance excellence.
In addition to this, providing feedback on their performance is also important. On the managerial part, performance reviews help managers to keep track of possible problems in their own work. On the part of the employees, they get encouraged for their hard work and are given chances to correct mistakes made on the job.
Besides, managers should be more open in sharing information with their subordinates. They should let employees know in advance any proposed changes before they actually occur. This will enhance mutual understanding and trust.

Your company would like to introduce PowerPoint presentation training to all staff members. You have been asked to help co-ordinate the project. Discuss the situation together, and decide:
What are the main purposes of the training?
What kinds of items should be included in the training?
A: you see, our company is initiating a business PowerPoint presentation skills training plan for all staff members. It certainly is a very good chance to improve our communication skills.
B: yes. We all need to sharpen up our presentations techniques to communicate better with people.
A: I think we should aim to help out employees to learn to create more compelling engaging and dynamic PowerPoint presentations.
B: and to explore more convincing and effective ways to structure ppt presentations, and to revise the presentations to suit audiences of varied sized and purposes.
A: yes, I think it is also important to help our staff to learn how to adapt materials to the situation, how to use creative and unusual approaches in ppt presentation, how to be more persuasive and how to share fresh ideas with audiences in a more professional way.
B: yes, I am quite with you here. Training of this kind will certainly help staff members to advance their presentation to a new level.
A: I agree with you. But we need to work out the major content, otherwise, our training plan wont be effective.
B: you’re quite right; our workshop should be designed to look at everything from ways to get started, to structuring ideas and focusing on the key messages, practice its delivery and receive constructive feedback in business ppt presentation.
A: just a minute, I think we should write them down point by point. First of all, I think we’ll start with ppt presentation preparation, and in doing so, we need to know our audience so that our presentation is more adapted to them; second, we should concentrate on the issue of how to structure our ppt materials and …
B: right. Putting across a clear message is very important in delivering an effective business presentation. Presenters should also learn how to focus on the message so that they can get their message across clearly and memorably.
A: well, you see, I think what you call “presenters” are best called “communicators”. In doing business ppt presentation, it is important to create an interactive, question friendly atmosphere, and look for the audience reactions and respond to their signals.
B: that’s great, interaction with the audience.
A: have we covered everything?
B: oh, there’s one more point: raising confidence of the speakers.
A: right, some people get anxious, terrified, or even totally panic-stuck at the thought of giving a presentation.
B: a successful presenter is always confident. We should learn to build up self belief, learn to know that we have hidden resources that will rise to the occasion as required.
A: yes, with these essential skills, speakers can make their ideas come to life in the presentation.
B: I agree.

Do you think it’s important for staff members to learn PowerPoint presentation skills? Why?
Yes, presentation skills are important in every profession but are considered of prime importance in the corporate world. Presentation skills are essential drivers of our activity; they ably assist us in putting our ideas across to other people and win understanding from them.
Do you communicate with your colleagues often and how?
Yes, I often communicate with my colleagues, we share corporate information together. Exchange news and views. In most cases, we chat with each other, sometimes we email to each other.
Is dressing important for the ppt presenter? Why?
Yes, dressing should be given utmost importance, as the fist impression before the presentation is vital. The presenter should be neatly dressed to leave a good impression on the audience.
What do you think of humour in business presentation?
Laughter is necessary in world. Corporate humour helps to make your workload light and bosstes your energy level. And if you have a sense of humour, it helps to enhance atmosphere at the presentation and the audience will become more friendly and engaging.
How important is corporate ppt presentation?
A lot of business promotion depends on our day to day interaction with various people. Presentations are an integral part of it. Effective presentations are instrumental in promoting business and earn profits.

1.3 reducing production cost
Is it important to consult a cost accountant when starting a new project? Why? Why not?
Yes. It’s paramount in cost control. The cost accountant can prepare budgets and gives a prognosis for the project. His advice is essential in deciding whether to undertake or abandon the planned project.
In what ways is customer service related to cost reduction?
Customer service can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Good customer relationship helps to improve your company image and boost sales. As a result, large-scal