You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Welcome back to Business English Pod.
Today's show is the second part of a two-part series on making, rejecting and accepting suggestions.
In the first episode, you practiced making suggestions.
In this episode, we'll look at appropriate ways to reject and accept suggestions.
As you'll remember, the listening takes place at a sports shoe company called Stratos.
You'll be listening to Karen, a marketing manager.
Meet with three members of her team Charles, Sven and Miguel.
They're choosing a celebrity spokesperson for a new product.
Celebrity means a famous person.
Here, spokesperson is someone who gets paid to be in an advertisement for a product.
Okay, as you listen, pay attention to how the speakers accept or reject each other's suggestions.
Okay, now let's talk about who we want to use as a spokesperson for this product.
Let's go around the table.
Shall we use a sports star or someone else?
Sven, what do you think?
Well, one possibility would be to use a famous overweight business executive or CEO.
Someone who is really successful.
Sorry, can I come in here?
Yes, go ahead, Miguel.
That's a good idea, but I'm not sure it would work.
Why not?
Well, for one thing, our customers want to be fit, not fat.
Well, then what do you suggest?
Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star, like we usually do.
If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
You know what I mean?
We could try getting Rooney.
Or Nadal.
Good suggestion.
But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest.
Oh?
First off, our target markets are in the UK and the US.
We need someone who both Americans and Britons really like.
Secondly, our target customer is kind of special.
I've got a suggestion.
Go ahead, Charles.
It's just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it's normal to be heavy?
American football, for example.
Heavy, but agile.
Overweight, but strong and fast.
You know what I mean?
Right, I can see what you mean.
What do others think?
Yes, that might be worth trying.
Okay, but what about the UK?
Who are we going to use on this side of the Atlantic?
Hmm, let me think about this.
Shall we try to find someone in golf?
That's popular in the US and in the UK.
That way we can kill two birds with one stone.
That's not a bad idea.
Yeah, I think that's worth trying.
Here's another good idea.
Let's study the dialogue to learn about accepting and rejecting suggestions.
First, we'll talk about rejecting suggestions.
When rejecting suggestions, it's important to avoid hurting people's feelings.
Let's think back to Karen and her team in the dialogue.
During their discussion, what language do they use to reject suggestions they don't like?
First, Listen to Miguel reject Sven's suggestion.
Sorry, can I come in here?
Yes, go ahead, Miguel.
That's a good idea, but I'm not sure it would work.
Miguel interrupts politely.
Can I come in here?
Then he says, that's a good idea, but I'm not sure it would work.
This is a good and careful way of rejecting a suggestion.
Later, Karen rejects Miguel's suggestion.
If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
You know what I mean?
We could try getting Rooney.
Or Nadal.
Good suggestion.
But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest.
Karen's way of rejecting Miguel's suggestion follows the same form.
First, she praises the idea.
Good suggestion.
Then, she politely rejects it.
But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest.
Here, adding to be honest to the sentence makes it even more polite.
You can add to be honest to almost any rejection.
You can also use frankly speaking or to be frank the same way.
Let's practice those together.
Good suggestion.
But frankly speaking, I can see one or two problems with that.
That's a good idea, but I'm not sure it would work to be frank.
To reject suggestions, you can also say... I'm not really sure about that.
And... Do you think so?
So, now you've learned ways to make suggestions and ways to reject suggestions.
Next, we'll look at ways to accept suggestions.
Karen and Miguel like Charles' suggestion, don't they?
Charles wants to use a sports star who is heavy but agile.
Agile means quick and skillful.
Let's listen again.
It's just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it's normal to be heavy?
American football, for example.
Heavy, but agile.
Overweight, but strong and fast.
You know what I mean?
Right, I can see what you mean.
What do others think?
Yes, that might be worth trying.
Right, I can see what you mean.
And yes, that might be worth trying are two ways to accept suggestions.
What else can you say?
Okay, let's do that.
That's not a bad idea.
Yes, I think that would work really well.
Good idea.
Great idea.
Okay, so today you've learned many ways to reject and accept suggestions.
Now, before we finish today's show, let's look at an idiom Karen uses at the end of the listening.
Hmm.
Let me think about this.
Shall we try to find someone in golf?
That's popular in the US and in the UK.
That way we can kill two birds with one stone.
To kill two birds with one stone is an idiom that means to do or accomplish two things at one time.
You can say that way we kill two birds with one stone, or that will let us kill two birds with one stone.
For example.
Hmm, what if I find one person to do both Charles and Miguel's jobs?
That will let us kill two birds with one stone.
Now let's practice what we've learned.
First, let's go over rejecting suggestions politely.
You'll hear a series of suggestions, each followed by a beep.
After each beep, use a polite phrase to reject the suggestion.
For example, if you hear, what if we cut the sales training budget?
You can say, well, I can see one or two problems with that idea.
Or, well, I don't know.
Are you ready?
Let's give it a try.
What if we hold a meeting next week?
I think we should buy new computers.
Let's try to hold the training in a pub.
How'd you do?
Listen to some examples to check your answers.
What if we hold the meeting next week?
Answer That's a good idea, but I'm not sure if it would work.
I think we should buy new computers.
Answer Do you really think so?
I'm not so sure about that.
Let's try to hold the training in a pub.
Answer Frankly speaking, I can see one or two problems with that idea.
Now, let's practice accepting suggestions.
After each beep, use a phrase to accept the suggestion, like okay, let's do that, or that's not a bad idea.
How about we all go on an outing together next weekend?
What if we hold a party to increase morale?
We're wasting a lot of time.
Is there any way we can hold fewer meetings?
How did you do?
Listen to some examples to check your answers.
How about we all go on an outing together next weekend?
Answer Great idea!
What if we hold a party to increase morale?
Answer yes, I think that would work really well.
We're wasting a lot of time.
Is there any way we can hold fewer meetings?
Answer that's not a bad idea.
It's always a good idea to go back and practice again.
This time substitute different language to build fluency.
In this unit learned appropriate ways to accept and reject suggestions.
We've also reviewed useful idioms.
Thank you for listening.
