You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, my name's Edwin Oldfield.
For today's lesson, we're going to focus on the classic sales approach to selling products and services.
This approach is based on explaining the features, attributes and benefits of your products using the fab technique.
The fab technique is useful for people working in the manufacturing and retail trade, anyone who has to present products.
In particular, we'll look at how this approach can be applied in the merchandising business.
Merchandising is the trade name for businesses involved in the design and manufacture of clothing and household items.
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In the dialogue we rejoin Marco and Francesca on their trip to a fashion trade show in the US.
Their company, Viva, has just created an exciting new line of clothes.
With the help of their American partner Foxtrot, they are hoping to get a couple of big sales contracts with US department stores.
The listening takes place in the Foxtrot showroom.
We'll hear Francesca speak to a potential customer Bill, who is a buyer for Bancrofts, a retail chain store that targets professional women.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
The answers will be posted in a few days on our website.
One, what is the key feature of Viva's fall colors this year?
Can you name some of the colors?
Two, why is the Viva Professional line more expensive?
Three, as described in the dialogue, what are the main benefits of Viva's clothing line?
Francesca, this is Bill Tyler from Bancrofts.
Hi, Bill.
It's great to finally get a chance to meet you.
Here's my card.
Thanks.
The pleasure's all mine.
So, Bill, let me show you our fall line.
Here's the catalog.
And we've got samples of everything over here on the rack.
I really love the colors.
Yes, our colors are much warmer this year.
We think we're setting a trend there.
Lots of ginger, apple red, ivory, and this one we call French Roast.
Very nice.
And look at the embroidery on these blouses.
Aren't they lovely?
Uh-huh.
Very current.
Exactly.
With this line, we're aiming for something that is both classy and fashionable, yet practical and very wearable at the same time.
Mm-hmm.
All of our customers will tell you that easy to wear is a hallmark of Viva.
Looks like you did a good job.
Thanks.
We've got marvelous designers.
The price points on these skirts are rather high, aren't they?
That's part of our Viva Professional Special Edition.
A little more upmarket, but you can't beat the value for money.
Well, what materials are you using?
On the professional line, it's washable wool.
We use an Australian supplier.
Very high-tech.
Durable and easy to care for, too.
Uh-huh.
This definitely fits the lifestyle of the Bancroft woman, don't you think?
Well, I must say, I'm very impressed.
Here, let me show you more.
Look at the range of outfits you can put together.
Take these slacks here.
They go brilliantly with just about any of the tops in our line.
Francesca does a good job of selling Viva's products to Bill.
To persuade Bill to buy, she describes the features, advantages, and benefits of Viva's fall line.
Let's look at the language she uses in detail.
What happens at the beginning of the dialogue?
Adriana, Francesca's American partner, introduces Bill.
Then Francesca begins her product presentation by showing Bill Viva's fall catalog.
So, Bill, let me show you our fall line.
Here's the catalog.
And we've got samples of everything over here on the rack.
The first thing Francesca does is to introduce the product, in this case, a line of clothes.
Clothing manufacturers typically have a different line or selection of clothes for each season spring summer, fall and winter.
Other products also come in lines, which just describes specific parts of your product range.
For descriptions of the vocabulary words catalog, samples, and rack, please check out the study notes for this episode.
To start talking about her product, Francesca says, so, Bill, let me show you.
What are some other useful phrases for introducing your product?
Have a look at this.
I'd like to show you the new addition to our product line.
We're really excited about this one.
Here, take a look.
I think you're going to love this.
At first glance, what is it that Bill likes about Viva's Fall line?
I really love the colors.
Yes, our colors are much warmer this year.
We think we're setting a trend there.
Lots of ginger, apple red, ivory, and this one we call French roast.
Very nice.
Francesca is describing features of her product.
This usually refers to physical characteristics.
For clothing, colors are important features.
In Francesca's case, she believes Viva's colors are going to set a trend, that is, establish a fashion.
In retailing, especially with clothes.
Colors are often described by comparing them to things like ginger, a type of spice, apple red or ivory, the color of elephant tusks.
What are some other useful color terms?
Let's listen to some more examples of people describing colors.
We have a variety of red shades, ranging from a brilliant scarlet and a deep ruby to a vivid crimson and a lighter ginger.
Ranking from darker to lighter, our greens include olive, jade, emerald, and lime.
There are many shades of blue in our line, including cobalt, navy, ice, and periwinkle.
We have a variety of off-whites, ranging from these straw and butter colors to this one we call sandy and the next one lemon, which is almost yellow.
Different kinds of black include ebony, ink, and jet.
Basically, you should practice recognizing synonyms of the main colors such as red, blue, and green.
After you finish listening, refer to the study notes for a full list of color terms in today's show.
You can look each one up on the internet to see an example of the actual color.
What happens next?
Francesca moves from talking about features to describing advantages.
And look at the embroidery on these blouses.
Aren't they lovely?
Uh-huh.
Very current.
Exactly.
With this line, we're aiming for something that is both classy and fashionable, yet practical and very wearable at the same time.
Embroidery means patterns, such as flowers made with thread on cloth.
Her blouse is a woman's shirt.
Here, Francesca is still talking about features, the decorations on the cloth.
But in the next line, she talks about the style of the line.
It is classy, sophisticated and smart fashionable, yet practical and wearable all at the same time.
As Francesca says, easy to wear is a hallmark or distinguishing characteristic of Viva.
With Francesca's discussion of styles, she is now moving into advantages.
Advantages answers what strong points to the features of the product create for customers.
For example, hard is a feature, but durable or hard to break is an advantage.
Styles provide advantages to customers who want to present themselves in a certain way.
Style is an important part of selling many types of products.
What are some other ways to describe styles?
This is a modern version of 1920s Bohemian.
Our dresses are simple yet feminine.
We're aiming for a design that is simultaneously romantic and urban.
This is a very natural and casual look, yet sophisticated as well.
For descriptions of unfamiliar vocabulary, please check out the study notes.
Next in the dialogue, Bill asks a specific question about part of the line.
The price points on these skirts are rather high, aren't they?
That's part of our Viva Professional Special Edition.
A little more upmarket, but you can't beat the value for money.
Well, what materials are you using?
On the professional line, it's washable wool.
We use an Australian supplier.
Very high-tech, durable, and easy to care for, too.
Bill is curious about a particular part of the line, the Viva Professional Special Edition, because the price points are higher, that is, it is more expensive.
Francesca explains that Viva Professional is more upmarket, that is, it targets people with more money.
The material is a special washable wool, which refers to wool that you can clean in a washing machine.
The fabric is durable and easy to care for. durable, washable and so on are also advantages.
Can you think of more?
Let's listen to some examples.
This model features a robust construction.
One of the great advantages of this product is its portability.
It's got really eye-catching packaging.
The product employs sophisticated technology.
I think you'll find it's very user-friendly.
Again, refer to the study notes for a full list of vocabulary, including definitions and examples.
Finally, how does the dialogue end?
This definitely fits the lifestyle of the Bancroft woman, don't you think?
Well, I must say, I'm very impressed.
Here, let me show you more.
Look at the range of outfits you can put together.
What is happening in this part of the dialogue?
In retailing these days, we are concerned with creating and appealing to a lifestyle.
The Bancroft stores appeal to women who are professional and busy.
Women who are always on the go.
This is their target market.
Francesca talks about how the advantages of Viva Clothing wearable washable durable fashionable, versatile would provide benefits to bankrupt shoppers.
So benefits are advantages to a specific customer or group of customers.
Unlike features, benefits can change depending on who is buying the product.
Using FAB to sell means skillfully portraying the advantages of our products and their features, and describing how these advantages provide a benefit to a specific customer.
When customers see benefits to them, they will buy.
Let's practice that.
Listen to some sample sentences explaining the benefit of products.
The portability of our system gives you unsurpassed flexibility.
The eye-catching packaging enables you to sell more products faster.
Its robust construction ensures that this machine will stand up to the toughest environments.
The high-tech design of this computer allows it to work underwater.
The unit is very compact, which makes it easy to transport.
As you can see, gives you, ensures you can, enables you to, allows it to and makes it are several ways to explain how advantages are linked to benefits.
Now it's your turn to practice.
Imagine you are describing a new product that your company has just produced.
It's a high-tech new kind of cell phone.
You're trying to sell the phone to a customer who will need to use it in remote areas at construction sites.
You'll hear a series of cues which consist of an advantage and a benefit.
Link the advantage to the benefit.
Using some of the language we have studied, such as helps you to ensures you can.
Are you ready?
Let's give it a try.
Durability, withstand a large range of temperatures.
Sophisticated technology, connect to the internet anywhere in the world.
Compact design.
Easy to carry with you anywhere.
Now listen to some answers.
Durability.
Withstand a large range of temperatures.
Answer.
Its durability enables it to withstand a large range of temperatures.
Sophisticated technology.
Connect to the Internet anywhere in the world.
Answer.
It's sophisticated technology ensures you can connect to the Internet anywhere in the world.
Compact design.
Easy to carry with you anywhere.
Answer.
Its compact design makes it easy to carry with you anywhere.
Before we finish, let's review the key useful language for describing benefits.
You'll hear a series of sentences, in each phrase one word is missing, replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence, saying the missing word.
The unit is very compact, which... it easy to transport.
Answer.
The unit is very compact, which makes it easy to transport.
The eye-catching packaging... you to sell more products faster.
The eye-catching packaging enables you to sell more products faster.
The portability of our system gives you unsurpassed flexibility.
The portability of our system gives you unsurpassed flexibility.
That's all for this episode on classic product presentations.
We've seen how describing our products in terms of features, advantages and benefits to the customer can help us sell.
And we've studied vocabulary for describing colors, styles and advantages of various kinds, as well as language for explaining benefits.
Remember to review the study notes.
There you'll find language review exercises, a complete transcript and vocabulary explanations for this and other lessons.
To find more ways to improve your English, visit our online learning center at wwwbusinessenglishpodcom.
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