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Unit One. Face to face. Study objectives. The emphasis throughout is on encouraging you to consider and re-evaluate the social functions of English.
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Unit One Face to face
Study objectives • The emphasis throughout is on encouraging you to consider and re-evaluatethe social functions of English. • In business, it’s important not just to be efficient and do your job but also to look and sound friendly, confident, sincere and helpful… and not unfriendly, insincere, shy or unhelpful! • Maintaining a competitive edge in the business world differentiates you from the competition. The most important advice I can give you is to keep learning and enhancing your business and social skills to boost your success with etiquette.
1.1 First Impressions… • This section introduces the idea that, in business life, to a great extent, success in business depends on creating the right impression. Politeness and formality are often keys to achieving a desired communicative effect.
A good impression reflects your company’s image (no company wants its customers to think it’s unpleasant!). If you start off a relationship in a friendly, pleasant way, it’s likely to go on in the same way, which will be to everyone’s advantage. • Try to be: alert, distinct, friendly, confident, calm, honest, skilful, intelligent, nice, helpful, polite • Try not to be: sleepy, unclear, lazy, dishonest, clumsy, stupid, prejudiced, inefficient, nasty, unhelpful, rude
Business Introduction • Have you ever questioned your introduction skills? • If not, you should since making a proper introduction is a form of business etiquette and sets the tone for how others will perceive you. Learning proper introductions not only enhances your business savvy but boosts your self-confidence. • Making a proper introduction demonstrates your level of acumen and respect for others.
Introductions vary in degrees of formality. • Some situations call for formal introductions; some need informal ones. Some people seem to favor formal introductions to persons of “importance”, and others prefer short and informal introductions that can help create a light atmosphere. • Different situations require different expressions for greeting and introducing.
To avoid feeling socially awkward and to present a poised, polished, and professional image upon meeting and making introductions. Here are some points to remember when making business introductions in English-speaking Western countries: • Introduce people in business based on rank, not gender or age. • In business, the client, guest or visitor outranks the boss or co-worker and should be introduced first. • Women and men should stand when introduced. Always smile and maintain eye contact. • Shake a woman and man's hand the same, straight up and down. Extend a good, firm (not painful) handshake to exhibit respect, trust, and acceptance.
☺Treat business cards with respect. Take a moment to read them and carefully put them somewhere safe. ☺Address people by their first names only if they indicate that they want you to. ☺ Never use an honorific title such as Ms., Mr., or Dr. to introduce yourself.
How do you prepare for the first contact with a seller or broker/stranger? Break the ice The topics of common interest/small talk
What is ‘small talk’? • In most English-speaking countries, it is normal and necessary to make “small talk” in certain situations. • Small talk is a casual form of conversation that “breaks the ice” or fills an awkward silence between people. Even though you may feel shy using your second language, it is sometimes considered rude to say nothing. Just as there are certain times when small talk is appropriate, there are also certain topics that people often discuss during those moments.
Ending the small talk • If the small talk continues too long, you may want to change the subject to business matters. Here are some ways of doing it: • with someone you know well: Let’s get down to business. / Let’s get started. • with someone you don’t know well: Perhaps we could talk about the subject of our meeting. Shall we talk about the reason I’m here?
Step D • This step introduces some expressions that used when meeting someone for the first time, or meeting them again after an absence. Listen to the conversation and notice how the “small talk” develops. • Additional questions: ♫ What is Chris Grey’s job? ♫ What problem did Liz Jones meet ? ♫ Where does Miss Lucas live and where was she raised? ☼ He is Jenny Santini’s assistant. ☼ There was all this fog at Heathrow. We had to go by bus from there to London. So I didn’t get to my hotel till lunchtime, it was crazy. ☼ She live in Buenos Aires, but was raised in Mendoza.
Ways of communicating Spoken language Written language Body language
What is body language? Body language is one form of nonverbal communication (非言辞交际) without using words. Eye contact or gaze, facial expression, gesture (手势), and posture (姿势), or the way you stand, are different kinds of body language.
In this section, we focus on specific ways in which your non-verbal signals and body language may influence the way people see you. • For example: 1) your tone of voice; 2) your expression; 3) the noises you make; 4) your body language and the way you stand or sit; 5) your appearance
How are they feeling? happy
excited depressed
Good/ Well done!
Body language varies from culture to culture. show interest rude or disrespectful
crazy You have a phone call.
OK money zero rude
good / well done rude No.1
Yes No
France Russia Greet friends Other countries
What do people usually do when meeting? shake hands kiss embrace/hug bow touch noses China, Britain Russia, France, Arab Some western countries Japan, Korea Maori in New Zealand
Step B • Attention please: the people greeting the visitors are not all receptionists, some are people who happen to be in the office when the visitor arrives---a situation all members of the class may find themselves in. • Which person seems particularly impolite?
Step A • This short exercise makes you aware that first names and surnames are used differently in different countries. • There are no ‘correct’ answers to questions 1 to 6, but suggested answers to the last two questions are: 7c and 8c.
How to use people’s names in the conversation? • Surnames→This is polite and shows respect. It is usual to use surnames at a first meeting. E.g. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Rivera. • First names →This is informal and most frequently used with friends. It is used more easily in the US. E.g. Nice to see you, Steve. • Titles →People with a title are usually addressed by their title and their surname. E.g. Good morning, Doctor Smith.
1.5 Developing relationships • In this section, we also consider the different ways of talking to different kinds of people, depending on your relationship. • Particularly important in this section is ‘small talk’.
Step A • You will hear five short conversations between people who work in the same company. After hearing each conversation, discuss these questions with your partner: 1) What is the relationship between the speakers? 2) What are their jobs? 3) What are they talking about?
There are no definitive right answers to this exercise. • Suggested answers: • Tony and Bob have a cordial, informal relationship. Tony is an overseas sales rep and Bob is the Export Sales Manager. They’re talking about problems Tony encountered on a visit to a client in Copenhagen. • Mr. Allen is very friendly and informal but is superior to Barry and Susanna, who are new to the company. Mr. Allen is probably office manager and the other two are clerical staff. Mr. Allen is explaining who is who in the office.
3) Mr. Green behaves very much as Martin’s boss. Mr. Green is probably the transport manager and Martin is a driver. They are talking about Martin collecting someone at the airport. 4) Geoff is more experience and probably senior to Mandy. They have an informal relationship. They are probably commercial artists or designers. She’s asking him to evaluate some work she has done. 5)Tony is junior to Mrs. Lang, she is his boss and they have a fairly formal relationship. We can’t tell what their jobs are. They are talking about Tony having time off on Friday.
Step B • The issue of what topics are suitable when talking to strangers is quite complex, and rather personal. • Clearly there are no hard-and-fast rules about this, but probably politics and religions are no-go areas, and your own family might be too personal a topic to talk about at the start of the meeting. • Indeed the purpose of a social conversation with a new person is to discover what you do have in common, so that you can thenexchange experiences.
Step C • Role-play a meeting between two business associates. Imagine that one of you has traveled a long way to see the other. You only meet twice a year, but you’ve established a good relationship. • Attention: Don’t role-play the business phase of the meeting.
1.2 It’s a small world… • This section involves some essential vocabulary and a discussion based on a reading passage.
Step A • This step introduces some of the principles involved in forming nationality words. • It should be done in writing, as spelling is important here. • Answers: an Australian, a Canadian, a Dutchman or Dutch person, an Indian, a Norwegian, a Swede, a Brazilian, a Frenchman or French person, a Hungarian, a New Zealander, a Saudi Arabian, an American
