交通工程视听说英语教程录音材料第二单元Script unit 2.docx
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交通工程视听说英语教程录音材料第二单元Scriptunit2
Script
Unit2ContractNegotiation
Pre-listeningActivities
BusinessContractBasicsImportantPointstoRemember
WhenPuttingTogetheraContract
Ifyouspendenoughtimedealingwithcustomers,youwillatsomepointhavetodealwiththecontractsrelatedtotheserviceyouprovidetothosecustomers.
Atfirst,contractscanbeintimidating,butlikemostthingsinlifewanttogetabetterpractice,youwillbebetteratdealingwiththeseagreements.Thefollowingslideswon'tteachyoutobealawyer,buttheywillprovideyousomerealworldinsightsthatwillhelpyouwhenitcomestimetodealwiththecontract.Youwon'tbelievehowmanycontractsIhaveseencomeacrossmydesk,butdidnothavethepropersignatures.WhatImeanbythepropersignaturesisthattheclientwhoisgettingtheproductortheservicehassignedthecontract,andthepersonthatissupplyingthatproductorservicehasalsosignthesamecontract.
Youhavetohavebothsignaturesonthesamedocumentinorderforittobeacontract.Alotofsmartcontractsnowhavethiswordingbelowthesignatureline:
authoritytobindthecompany.Thiswordingservesasaremindertothepersonwhowasactuallysigningthecontractthattheymusthavetheauthoritytocommittothetermsofthecontractthattheywereabouttosign.Basicallytheclientbysigningitsays,yes,“IcanpayforthisproductorservicethatI'mabouttoreceive”,andthensubsequentlythecompanyrepresentativeisalsosaying,“Yes,Icandelivertheproductortheserviceasit’soutlined”inthecontract.Allcontractsshouldhavethesebasicelements:
Numberone:
Astartdate
Whenareyougoingtodelivertheproductortheservice?
Numbertwo:
Contractlength
Thiscanbeanydurationoftimefromaday,aweek,amonth,sevenmonthsorevenfouryears.
Numberthree:
Detailsoftheproductorservice
Thisitemcanneverhaveenoughdetail.Thegoalhereistomakesurebothpartiesknowexactlywhatistobedoneinthecontractrightdowntothefinestdetails.Itisimportanttomakesureeveryone'sexpectationsareabsolutelycrystalclear.
Numberfour:
Prices
Yes,itisimportanttolistoutthepriceyouarechargingfortheserviceforthepartthatyouareselling.Makingsurethatcontractdetailswhatisincludedisjustasimportantastowhatisnotincludedintheprice.Whenyouthinkprice,thinknumberofunits,value,frequencyandanyandalldiscounts,andforhowlongthatpricewillbeineffectyoumaywanttoofferdiscountsareincreasesinyourpriceifcertainconditionsapplysuchasacustomerwhobuysmorethanexpectedorlessthanagreedto.Keeptheseoptionsopenbecauseyouneverknowwhatwillhappeninthefuture.
Numberfive:
Paymentterms
Intheolddayswhenbusinesswasalocalexchangeofgoodsandservices,paymenttermsarepaidmuchcashwhenyouboughtorreceivedtheproductorservice.Asbusinessbecamemoreinternational,itbecameinconvenienttopaycash,forsay,shiploadofironore,sopaymenttermsbecamepartofthecontract.Paymenttermsandsurethereisatimelybalancebetweenthedeliveryoftheservicetothepaymentforsuchservice.Somecompaniescanaffordtoextendpaymenttermsforbiggerdealsbutsomeneedtobepaidimmediately.Whenyouarenegotiatingpaymentterms,ensureyoucanaffordtotermsyouagreeto,otherwiseyoumayfindyourselfoverextendedcreditwiseandnotbeabletoaffordtopayyouremployeesorotherkeyproviders.
Numbersix:
Mailingaddresses.
Inyourcontractmakesureyouhavethemailingaddressesofthatpersonwhosignedthecontractandthemailingaddressandnameofthepersonordepartmentyouweretosendtheinvoicesto.Sameappliesifyou'regettingpaidmakesureyourcustomerknowswheretosendthechecked,eitherwayyouwillsavealotoftimeinminimizingconfusion,ifyou’reatthistothecontract.
Numberseven:
Approvedsignatures.
Nowwe'regoingoverthisagainbutthisissimple.Makesurethepeoplewhosignedthecontracthavetheauthoritytocommittothetermsofthecontractwhenindoubt,askforproof.Don’twristdisappointmentorextracostbecauseyoudidn'tdothisstep.Whenitcomestocontractsandpromises,theonlyvalidpromiseisapromisethatiswrittenintothecontract.
While-listeningActivities
VideoOne
BusinessContractBasics:
ImportantPointstoRemember
WhenPuttingTogetheraContract
Everythingelseissimplewords,unspokenwordsarenotbinding,whichtheywere,butthatisnotthecase.Sothecontractorssaywewillpickupanddisposeofallaccessmaterial,getitinwriting,iftheclientsayswewillgiveyoumorebusiness,andifyoudeliverontime,havethemputthatinwriting.Itiseasytobelieveorhavefaithintheotherpartywhenyou'renegotiatingacontract.Youwanttotaketheirwordforeveryonewhohasgoodintentions,butsituationschange,peoplechange.Toensureeveryonerememberswhattheypromisedbyputtingitinwritingandincorporatingitintothecontract.Itisnaturalthatacontractwillcallbackandforthbetweenyourcompanyandyourclient,iseachpartyfinetuneswhattheywillagreetoandwhattheywantchangeoradjustedinthecontract.
Electronicallywrittencontractsfordocumentcanbeadjustedandoralteredwithouttheotherpartybeingtoldorbeingawareofit.Electronicallywrittencontractsordocumentscanbeadjustedandoralteredwithouttheotherpartybeingtold,orevenbeingaware,youcangetaroundredlineinWorddocuments,likeitornot,it'safact.Soyouhavetoguardagainstthispracticebyreviewingtheredlinecontractsthatcomebacktoyou.Mostpeoplewillconcentratetheirattentiononthesectionsthathavebeenredlined,butitisalwaysgoodpracticestoscantherestofadocumenttoensurenothingelsehaschanged.Onequickandeasywaytodothisistofirstensurethatyouhavethesamenumberofpagesinthecontract.
Secondlyyoucanscanacontractbylookingforthesamewordsatthebeginningandendsofeachline,andcomparingthemtotheoriginalandthered-linedversion.Asyoucanseeinthisexamplethewordsanyandagainstappearonthe3rdineightlinesasintheoriginal,alsowehaveballpointAthroughDinbothcopies,shecanbeprettysurethatthissectiononthecontracthasnotbeenaltered.Ifthatsectionhadwordsaddedorremovedandthewordswerenotlineupthesameway,thiswouldbeRBSwithgaspressurefunchangesaswell.
Everycontractwillhavesomechangesmadetoit,whenitdoes,bothpartiesmustagreetothosechanges.Thechangesneedtobeinitiatedbybothpartiesorthechangeisnotdeemedacceptedintothecontract.Thisprocedurealsostopsonepartyfrommakingchangesafterthecontracthasbeensignedandensurestheintegrityothercontractprocess.
Itisagoodideatoactuallywritesuchaclauseintoyourcontracttoensurethatbothpartiesunderstandthatallchangeshavetobemutuallyagreedto.Onewouldthinkthisisanobviouslie,butrealityhastaughtmequitedifferently.Hereisascenariotoconsider.JohnworksforasoftwarecompanyandJohngetspaidacommissionforeachofhissoftwaresales.Johnknowsthefullpriceofthiscompanysoftware,butJohnalsoknowshecansellmoresoftwareifhediscountsthepriceJohnmightnotreallyknowwhatitcostactuallyrightcellandsupportthesoftwarehiscompanyisselling.Allheknowsishegetspaidifhesells.SoJohn’smotivationsmaynotalignwithhiscompany'sobjectives.
Whenitcomestodiscountsomeproductsorservices,makesureeveryoneinyourcompanyknowswhatistheabsolutelowestpricethatisacceptable,yourunabusiness,notacharity.Don'tgiveawaythecompany'sprofitsbyaddingexcessivediscountsintoacontract.Whenyouarenegotiatingacontract,alwaystryingtokeepinopenmindnewapproachesandcharmstoacontract.
Itisnaturaltoimmediatelydismissanychangestoyourcontract,buttryandlistentonewapproachesinnewwayslookingatthebusiness.Sometimesthesenewideaswillcomefromyourclient,andyourcustomers,yourbestreactionisnottoreact,buttolistenandaskquestions,lotsandlotsofquestionsTrytounderstandwherethey’recomingfrom,ifyoulettheotherpersonexplaintheirposition,theirlogicandtheirreasonswhytheyareaskingforwhattheyareasking,youmightseeanopportunityorapproachthatyouneverthoughtitbefore,alwaysrespondthisway,“oh,allthat’sinteresting”.“Whyisthatimportanttoyouandoryourcompany?
Theworstcontractsaretheonesdoneinarush.Itiswellknownthatmostconcessionsandcontractsaredoneinthefinalhoursatthenegotiation.Dowhatyoucantoavoidhurriedtimeorsensitivesituationssuchassigningabunchofcontractsonthelastdayofthemonthorattheendofthequarter.Trytominimizethestrapsbynotsettingadeadlinetosignbyacertaindayoracertaintime.Ofcourseyouwillhavetoeventuallysignthecontract,butyoucannowpredictaheadoftimewhatissueswillcomeupinthenegotiationphase.Sodon’tbeatadisadvantageandleaveyourselfsomeextratimeandflexibility.Contractscanimpactbusinessesinmanyways,unlessyouonrunandmanageaone-personbusiness.Chancesareveryhighthatthecontractyou'reabouttosignwillaffectalotofpeopleinyourcompany.Peoplemaybehired,expensivemachinerypurchased,officespaceisrented,andbudgetschanged,andsoon.
Sonowisthetimetohandoveryourabout-to-besignedcontracttoatrustedpartyinyourcompany,ororganizationforthemtohaveareviewofthedeal.
Theymayhaveaperspectiveofourknowledgeaboutacertainsituationdoyouwerenotawareof.Thisinformationmayha