UNIT 11 MEETINGS

11.1 Taking part in a meeting.

A. Discuss these questions:

- What seems to be happening in each photo? What do you think the people might be talking about? In the first picture I think they are talking about the finances of the company, in the second one they’re in a recess talking about some pending business, the third one they’re talking about a project they want to make.

- Which of these meetings would you feel most comfortable taking part in? The first one because they are in a meeting room.

- Which of them is most unlike the meetings you have attended? Why is this the case? The second one because they are in a little table talking and that’s not the best option.

- How long do you spend in meetings in an average week? I don’t work.

D. Discuss these questions:

- What “golden rules” can you suggest to make sure meetings are successful? You need to listen everyone’s opinion and share different points of view.

- What advice would you give to someone who feels too shy to speak their mind at meetings? There’s no reason to feel yourself shy, you just need to listen what people say and give an opinion because if you don’t talk, if it’s like you weren’t there.

11.3  Different kinds of meetings

B. What kind of meeting is the best way of dealing with each one?

a) a one-to-one meeting of two of the people involved

b) a meeting of four or five of the people involved

c) a meeting of about ten of the people involved

d) a meeting of everyone involved

e) no meeting: one person should decide what to do and then inform everyone by phone or by sending out a memo

1. A large, influential customer continually pays late. Your sales manager and credit controller have politely and repeatedly complained but this hasn’t made any difference. The time has come to decide what to do about this.  A one-to-one meeting of two of the people involved.

2. In a small factory the older workers are ignoring safety rules and encouraging the younger ones to do the same. Some of these rules may be excessively cautious and the older workers’ production rates are very good.  A meeting of four or five of the people involved.

3. In a medium-sized factory, groups of workers operate as teams. One group has been getting poorer results than the other teams and verbal warnings have had no effect. A meeting of about ten of the people involved.

4. The firm is having a bad year and it will probably be necessary to make five members of the office staff redundant. The normal policy is “last in - first out”. A meeting of four or five of the people involved.

5. Someone has been leaking information about your firm’s product to your competitor. It may be a member of your staff or one of your preferred suppliers. A one-to-one meeting of two of the people involved.

6. The board requires a report on your department’s long-term plans over the next ten years. No meeting: one person should decide what to do and then inform everyone by phone or by sending out a memo.

7. The territories covered by your sales force have been unchanged for ten years. A revision of the boundaries might make the team more efficient. A meeting of everyone involved.

8. There is to be a company picnic next month and everything has to be planned and organized. A meeting of everyone involved.

11.4 We need to have a meeting

Look at these opinions about meetings. Put a tick ✔ beside the opinions you share and a cross x beside the ones you disagree with.

1.     The purpose of most meetings is to decide when the next one will take place.  x

2.     A meeting is a group of people who can decide nothing alone and who decide together that nothing can be done.  x

3.     It’s better to send everyone a memo about a new procedure that to have a meeting about it.  x

4.     Meetings help everyone to feel personally involved in decision-making.  ✔

5.     It’s better for the boss to make a decision that to have a meeting.  x

6.     The most important person at a meeting is the chairperson.  x

7.     The most important piece of paper at a meeting is the agenda.  ✔

8.     Most meetings are unnecessary, they’re just a way of making people feel important.  x

9.     It’s better to talk to each person individually than to call them all together for a meeting.  ✔

10.  A meeting may be the only chance the members of a group actually have to see each other face-to-face.  ✔

11.  Meetings lead to better decisions, because of the exchange of information and ideas.  ✔

12.  You can never rely on the person who takes the minutes to tell the truth about what actually happened at a meeting.  ✔

13.  More time is wasted during meetings than during any other business activity.  ✔

QUESTION UNIT 11: HOW WOULD YOU HOLD A MEETING TO ORGANIZE SOCIAL EVENTS (A COMPANY PICNIC, A DEPARTMENTAL PARTY, A GROUP SOCIAL EVENING, A CLASS EXCURSION, A CONGRESS?)

To organize an event you have to plan it, set some goals and be sure what are your stategies for success. Then you have to design the event with the purpose to catch people’s interest, for example, in the meeting you can present a video or some pictures about the idea of the event, this way people is going to like it. After that you can write everything about the event: what are the activities, how is going to be designed the menu (food), etc.

Then it’s time to promote it, you can write an article for a newspaper, magazine or a newsletter or contact a radio station or some TV channel.

This way your event is going to be successful.

UNIT 10 MARKETING

10.1 The marketing mix

A . Make a list of seven products (goods or services) that are produced or provided in your city or region.

1.- Sierra azul water

2.- Dulce de mango

3.- Blown glass

4.- Cinepolis

5.- Suburcabos

6.- Universidad del Golfo de California

7.- Machaca burritos

B. Discuss these questions about some of the products you’ve listed:

• What competition does each product face?

This local products have a lot of competition against USA products because we are in a touristic place.

• What is the image of each product?

-       Sierra azul water is 600 ml botted water.

-       Dulce de mango is a very delicious candy made with mango (obviously).

-       Blown glass is made on “the glass Factory” , it has a lot of colors and shapes.

-       Cinepolis is a famous movie theather here in Cabo.

-       Suburcabos is a bus company that goes to Cabo San Lucas to San José del Cabo.

-       Universidad del Golfo de California is an important university here in Cabo which has very good careers.

-       Machaca burritos are made with onion, chile, tomato and the famous shredded meat called machaca.

• What is the image of the company that produces it?

All of these are local products, so what they want to announce is quality, taste and an excellent image.

C. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the words on the list.

1. What is “the marketing mix”?

The marketing mix consist in “the four Ps”: providing the customer with the right PRODUCT at the right PROMOTION , presented in the most attractive (PRICE), and available in the easiest way (PLACE).

2. What is a “product”?

A product is not just an assembled set of components: it is something customers buy to SATISFY a need they feel they have. The IMAGE and the DESIGN of the product are as important as its specification.

3. What is “price”?

The product must be priced so that it COMPETES effectively with RIVAL products in the same market.

4. What is “promocion”?

The product is presented to customers through advertisement (e.g. TV, COMMERCIALS, RADIO SPOTS, NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS, POSTERS, packaging (e.g. design, LABELS, MATERIAL), publicity, P.R (PUBLIC RELATIONS) and personal selling.

5. What is “place”?

Your product must be available to customers through the most cost-effective channels of DISTRIBUTION. A consumer product must be offered to END-USERS in suitable retail OPPORTUNITIES, or available on HIRE PURCHASE or by MAIL ORDER.

6. What is meant by “ S.W.O.T.”?

A firm must be aware of its STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES and the OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS it faces in the market place.

D. Which of these opportunities and threats do firms in your regions face in the next two to three years?

·      Competition from other local firms, or from other regions.

·      Rise or fall in demand.

·      New technology

10.2  Advertisment and commercials

B. Study the advertisement on the next page and discuss these questions.

• What exactly is the product being “sold”?

Ice cream, maps and guides, vacation trip.

• How well does each ad succeed in the four stages of “AIDA”?

Very well

• What kind of customers is each advertisement directed at?

General costumers.

• What is the “Unique Selling Proposition”?

They make you be interested in the product and the things they have.

• What changes would have to be made to the style or tone of the ads to make them suitable for your country?

None.

• Which is the “best” ad, do you think? Why?

The ice cream ad because everyone likes them! J

C. Show the ads you have cut from magazines and newspapers to the members of your group.

• Target customers:

Tourists and locals

• The USP of the product:

Better quality and a lower price than the competition.

• How the ad works in terms of the four stages of “AIDA”

They use them to draw attention and the posters look like a nice place to visit.

• How the style would have to be changed for other markets

They could be a little more serious.

10.3 Promoting products and brands

A. Which of the following methods are used to promote each of them?

Brochures, catalogues, leaflets, word of mouth.

- Which methods would probably not be suitable?

Sports sponsorship, packaging.

1. Can you name ten well-known brands wich are their competitors?

Coca-Cola – Pepsi

Kellogg’s – Nestle

McDonald’s – Burger King

Kodak – FujiFilm

Swatch – Omega

IBM – Microsoft

American Express – Visa

Sony – Panasonic

Mercedes-Benz – Cadillac

Nescafe – Café el Marino

• Name another five famous global brands. What products are they connected with?

LG – Whirpool

Google – Yahoo

Motorola – Nokia

Nike – Adidas

Chanel – Louis Vuitton

2. Here are five famous luxury brands.

• Dunhill

• Louis Vuitton

• Cartier

• Montblanc

• Lacoste

What are they famous for? Why do people pay so much money for these brands?

Because people like the quality of the products and they would pay anything just to get them.

10.5 Marketing your own region

A. How much of this information is relevant to marketing your own region?

It is very relevant to know how many people come from other countries because according to their culture we can have an idea about who they are and this way we can satisfy their needs.

B. Decide:

• Who are your potential consumers?

Americans and Canadians.

• What are the main features and benefits of your product?

Excelent service, modern infrastructure.

• What are the main features and benefits of your competition?

Perfect geography ubication, excelent infrastructure.

• What is the “unique selling proposition” that makes your product special?

I think it’s people who give support to the product and it makes the product something different.

• How can you inform customers about your product?

Internet, TV, radio, newspaper.

• What positive points about regions should you stress?

It’s an important touristic city.

• What misconceptions about your product should you try to correct?

Cabo San Lucas is a very safe city.

LINKS UNIT 8 & 9

Problems, problems

When we have your own business, problems come with it. We can have problems everyday and we have to deal with them, this way we learn about them.

Weshould have the ability to resolve them because if we haven’t, our business can fail.

We have to make sure problems go away, not just ignore them or avoid them, To solve a problem we got to see how it started, then try to think in different solutions and apply them, this way we will completely eliminate it. Finally, we have to make sure it won’t happen again, and the most important thing: we have to be prepared for anything.

A problem-solver’s guide

We have big problems in our business, we consult our colleagues to see if they can do something to solve them but we have to solve problems by ourselves, it is not enough to hire specialist to solve them because then you won’t know how to deal with them. What we have to do is stop looking for experts and start to analize problems carefully so we can find a solution.

These links have information about traveling, for example: reserve in hotels, motels and luxury resorts, flights around the world, rent a car, buy some vacation packages.

Then we can see a map of North America, in it we can see some countries like Canada, Greenland, USA, Mexico, Alaska, Cuba, Bermuda, etc. Also we can see flags, geography, climate, natural resources, population, social statistics and political system of each country.

Then we have the IATA airport codes shown in alphabetical order by city name, every code has three letters, it has the codes of every city around the world.

Finally we have a list of elementary, middle and high schools of the Bethlehem Area School District.

QUESTION: Unit 9. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TRAVELLED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY (OR ANOTHER PART OF YOUR COUNTRY) WHAT DID YOU DO THERE?

I traveled to Puerto Vallarta five years ago.

The first day I went to the hotel, it had all: a little mall, a coffee shop, a restaurant, an Internet cafe, so I decided to visit each place.

The second day I went to the beach and had a meal there.

The third and last day, I went to walk in downtown and I went shopping. I bought a lot of things.

UNIT 9 VISITORS AND TRAVELLERS

9.1 Did you have a good journey?

Look at the illustration and discuss these questions:

- What is each person doing? She’s waiting for someone. They are looking for someone. They are introducing themselves.

- What is going to happen next? They are going to find the person they’re looking for.

- Have you ever been in any of the situations shown? No, I haven’t

- When was the last time you travelled to another country (or another part of your own country)? What did you do there? I traveled to Puerto Vallarta five years ago. I went to the beach, I walked in downtown and I went shopping in the mall.

D. Look at these situations and decide:

- Who would you speak to in each case to get the information you require?

- What exactly would you say in each situation?

1.- You’ve heard that flight BZ 431 is delayed.

I would ask the flight attendant why the flight is delayed or if there is a solution.

2.- You want a rail ticket to Manchester.

I would speak to the comptroller and I would buy a ticket from him.

3.- You want to reconfirm your seat on flight TR 998.

I’d speak to the flight attendant and I’d tell him/her: “I’d like to reconfirm a seat on flight TR 998, please”.

4.- You want a plane ticket to Bangkok.

I would tell the flight attendant “I’d like to buy a ticket to Bangkok, please”.

5.- You’re in a hurry to get to the airport.

I’d take a cab and I’d tell the taxi driver I want to get to the airport.

6.- You’ve arrived at the airport 3 hours before your flight.

I’d just sit and wait.

7.- You have 3 minutes before your train leaves.

I’d speak to the comptroller and I’d ask him where the gate is to take the train.

8.- You’ve heard that the 17.55 train has been cancelled.

I’d ask the comptroller: “Is there another train in the next schedule?”

E. Discuss these problems with your partners and decide:

- What action would you take in each situation?

- Who would you speak to?

- What exactly would you say to that person?

1.- You arrive in good time at the airport but discover that you have lost your ticket. The ticket clerk says your name is not on the computer?

Could you check again, please? My name may not be spelled right on the computer. If you still can’t find it, could I speak to your supervisor, please?

2.- You find that your travel agent has entered the wrong check-in time on your itinerary and you have missed your flight. Your hosts are meeting you at the airport buy by now they will be on their way there.

I’d call my hosts and I’d tell them my travel agent made a mistake in the itinerary, I’d offer them an apology.

3.- You are a non-smoker but the only seat available on the plane is in the smoking section. After take-off you find that your neighbor is a chain smoker and he doesn’t speak English.

I’d speak to the air hostess and I’d tell him/her I want another seat.

4.- You arrive at an airport in a foreign country expecting to be met but there is no one there to meet you. You have a meeting in a couple of hours in the center of the city.

I’d take a taxi immediatly.

5.- Your train has missed the connection and now you’re going to be an hour late for your appoinment. You have only five minutes to find a phone and make one call.

I’d borrow the phone from someone and I’d make a call to my client. I’d tell him I’m going to arrive late because there’s a problem in the train.

6.- You’re seeing off a visitor. You arrive at the airport for his/her flight home and discover that the check-in desk for his/her flight is closed. You go to Airport Information. They tell you that airline is on strike.

I’d tell him/her that he/she can look for another airline.

F. Decide:

- Which of the advice would you recommend to someone who is coming to your country?

· Use traveller’s cheques not cash.

· Find out which parts of the city are unsafe at night and avoid them.

· Never agree to transport anything for a stranger.

- Which of the advice would you yourself follow when visiting a foreign country?

· Photocopy the information page of your passport and store it in a safe place in case your passport is lost or stolen.

· Keep your hotel key with you when you leave the hotel, if possible.

· Keep your passport, tickets and other important documents with you.

9.2 Hotels and accommodation

C. What kind of hotel would you prefer to stay in if you were on a business trip?

In a business hotel.

How is a business hotel different from a holiday hotel?

A business hotel is very luxurious, it is ubicated near malls and exclusive places for business people. A holiday hotel is for people who are looking for fun and relax, specially on vacations, they have a lot of facilities, for example: spa, swimming pool, restaurant, etc.

9.3 Local knowledge: You are the expert!

1. How much do you know about your own city? Can you answer these questions:

- Where could a visitor go on a free day, or at the weekend?

On weekends people can go walk in downtown to see the stores, or go to the disco at night

- When are the museums and art galleries open?

I don’t know.

- How can a visitor get tickets for a concert or show?

People can buy a ticket in the auditorium or in specific stores.

- Where can a visitor rent a car?

In a leasing.

- Which restaurants serve typical local dishes?

In Pancho’s, La Casa Country, Mi Casa.

- Where can a visitor buy local specialities to take home?

In craft stores.

- Where does the bus to the airport leave from and how long does it take?

In downtown there are some private transportations to go to the airport, it takes 30 minutes to arrive.

3. Make a list of some famous local names: people who are well-known in your country but may be less well-known abroad.

2 national politicians: Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Felipe Calderón.

2 local politicians: Marcos Covarrubias, Arturo de la Rosa.

2 historical figures: Miguel Hidalgo, José María Morelos.

2 TV personalities: Chabelo, Chespirito.

2 movie stars: Gael García, Salma Hayek.

2 entertainers or artists: Vicente Fernández, Yuri.

2 big names in local industry or commerce: Telmex, Soriana.

9.4 Eating, socializing and telling stories.

1.- Think of three stories you can tell. Think of an amusing, frightening, surprising or embarrasing experience you have had…

… on a journey by car, plane, train or bus

… in a hotel

… while having a meal

… while meeting or looking after a visitor

… at work

1.     I’ll never forget the day when I went to Puerto Vallarta, it was raining a lot and I was in the back seat of the car, suddenly I saw a lot of water coming through the window, the water wasn’t stopping! Then I looked in my suitcase and I found a towel, finally it stopped but I got wet!

2.     In our last day in a hotel in La Paz I left in the bathroom my favorite bracelet, I was keeping my stuff in my suitcase. Then we left the hotel and we came back to Cabo. When I arrived home I remembered I left my bracelet in the room! A few days later I found it on my sister’s bag, I got surprised!

3.     One day we were having a meal in my house, my little sister was eating in her little chair, suddenly, for no reason, she threw me the plate in my face and I got covered by sauce and soup. That was embarrasing!

UNIT 8 DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

UNIT 8  DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

8.1 What seems to be the problem?

A. Look at these pictures:

- What do you think has happened? They had a problem.

- What are the people going to say? They are upset and worried.

- What would you do in each situation? I would organize my time and my things.

C. Discuss these questions with your partners.

- What problems have you had in your work or work experience that led to complaints or apologies? None, because I haven’t worked.

- What is the worst mistake you’ve made in your work or work experience? None. What happened? How could you have avoided it?

8.2 We all make mistakes – sometimes!

A. You work in the buying department at Zenith Internacional. You have just got back from holiday. While you were away Max, the 19-year-old son of your director, was in charge of your office…

This is a note you left for Max before you went away:

Max, while I’m away please place an order for 45 x 100 metre reels of 40mm MCL88 cable from Uniflex SpA in LaSpezia, Italy. All the details are in the files.

This is a repeat order – just copy the previous one and charge the dates.

and this is a note that Max has left to you:

MCL 88 cable ordered as you instructed. You’ll be pleased to know that the price has gone down since your last order! And Uniplex seem to have moved from La Spezia to Pisa.

Their new address is:

Uniplex srl, viale Dell’Industria 131,

56100 Pisa

Best wishes,

Max

P.S. Hope you had a good holiday!

ð What do you think may have happened? What should you do?

The order didn’t show up because the name of the company was not correct. I would make a call to the company and I would apologize about the mistake he committed.

D. Draft a fax or e-mail to Uniplex and other to UNIFLEX, which you could have sent instead of phoning or visiting them.

From: Zenith International                                                                      01/02/11 

To: Uniplex srl

Re: Apologize

Last week I placed an order for 45 x 100 metre reels of 400mm MCL88 cable. I sent the order to the wrong company. I would prefer to cancel it. We are very sorry about the mistake.

We offer our most sincere apology.

Sincerely,

Leticia Valdiviezo.

From: Zenith International                                                                           01/02/11

To: Uniflex SpA

Re: Our order

We wish to place an order for 45 x 100 metre reels of 400mm MCL88 cable for next two weeks.

Sincerely,

Leticia Valdiviezo.

8.3 Complaining and apologizing

B. Complete each sentence. Then decide what to write in your reply to each as if it were your fault in each case.

- We are concerned that the order we placed by letter on 8 June may have got lost in the post. Could you please check if the letter has arrived?

- The order has not yet arrived at our warehouse, even though we received advice of shipping from you ten days ago. Would you please wait until the order arrives?

- According to your scale of charges the price of a single room with bath is $55 including tax. However, on checking my account later I discovered that I was charged $69.50 per night. Will you please correct the mistake?

- Our order was for 80 boxes containing 144 items each. Each box we have opened so far contains only 100 items. Will you please send us the missing items?

D. Look at this information and decide what other excuses you can add to the list below.

If things have gone wrong, the person you’re talking to will want to know the reasons.

He or she may assume that someone (or everyone) in your firm is to blame and that they’ve been:

-       Inefficient

-       Clumsy

-       Slow

-       Careless

-       Impolite

-       Forgetful or unhelpful

-       Distracted

-       Irresponsible

-       Useless

If you don’t want to accept responsibility or blame another person, you could offer an excuse. For example:

-       A clerical error

-       A computer error

-       A shortage of staff

-       System failure

8.4 Friday afternoon: Delivery problems

Decide what you are going to do:

- What will you tell Mr. Robinson? I will wait for the order.

- Will you telephone Ocean View, fax, e-mail or send them a letter? Send an e-mail.

- What will you say or write? I would accept his apologize.

C. Discuss these questions:

- How do you prefer to deal with problems: face-to-face, by phone or in writing? Why? Face-to-face because I think it is the best way to say what you feel.

- Is it better to take the blame, or to blame someone else for your mistake? To take the blame because I made the mistake, I’m the only guilty.

- Is it always best to tell the truth when someone is at fault? Why/Why not?

No, because the person who is guilty has to confess his or her fault.

8.5 Only the best is good enough…

Which do you agree with and which do you disagree with?

-“Customers will pay top prices for a high quality product.” Agree

- “Customers generally prefer a low cost product.” Agree

- “Nobody’s perfect – we all make mistakes sometimes.” Agree

- “In every firm there are some people who aren’t interested in improving the quality of the products.” Disagree

- “You can’t rely on workers to produce high quality goods unless someone supervises their work all the time.” Agree

- “A company can’t influence its suppliers’ manufacturing methods.”  Disagree

- “It’s easy for big companies to force small suppliers to obey their rules”  Agree

C. Discuss these questions:

- What are your reactions to each of the documents? I’d be surprised.

- What other kinds of goods or services could such documents be used with? In Universities, banks, etc.

- Would customers in your country like to receive documents like these? Yes, they would.

- What are the advantages of ensuring customer satisfaction and encouraging customer loyality? The customers are comfortable with the company and it would have more customers.

- Why is customer loyality important to a firm? Because, that way, the company can grow up every day and can offer a better service.

- What other methods can be used to promote customer satisfaction and loyality?

A phonecall

8.6   Monday morning: After-sales problems

Discuss these questions:

- How do you, as a customer, deal with bad service or after-sales service? I wait until I have a solution, it’s just matter of patience.

- Suppose someone complained about your service or alter-sales service: how would you deal with this? I would propose a solution and I would make a deal with the customer.

- Does anyone in the group have any “horror stories” of cases of particulary bad alter-sales service? No, they don’t.