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Now, following on from our episode on hosting a site visit, we return to our friends at the railway tunnel to look at how you can present your products and services to potential clients.
Stanley Wang is a site agent for a railway construction project in western China.
He has just taken Matt and Paula, sales engineers from a small American company, on a tour of the tunnel.
Now, in the evening, Stanley and his boss, Bill Jong, are hosting a dinner for Matt and Paula.
The group is discussing possibilities for future cooperations.
In many countries and cultures around the world, informal occasions such as a friendly meal or a game of golf are more important to the sales process than a formal presentation in the boardroom.
And so in this episode, we'll be studying language for presenting our products in such casual situations.
In particular, we'll see how you can sell your products in relation to your customers' needs with a few soft-sell techniques.
As you listen, think about the following questions.
Answers will be posted in a few days on www.businessenglishpod.com.
First, were Matt and Paula able to go to the tunnel face, that is, the end of the tunnel?
Second, what is the main point of interest that Matt and Paula pursue in the discussion?
And finally, what are the advantages that Matt and Paula's device have over traditional surveying methods?
So what do you think, Matt?
Can you help us?
Well, let me turn the question around for a minute.
Okay.
One of the things that I heard today and it's kind of interesting is that you're dealing with a lot of groundwater.
Yes, indeed.
And I just wanted to get a clearer picture because I know that high-pressure water can be a big safety issue, not to mention the delays.
Absolutely.
The safety aspect is a priority, and obviously we'd like to minimize delays.
In the last week alone, we've lost nearly two days.
So, it's fair to say that accurate detection of groundwater is a big concern.
It certainly is.
Well, that's just what the vision sensor is designed for.
Yeah, we know.
It's one of the main reasons we asked you down.
And compared with traditional surveying methods, our unit has a few major advantages.
Uh-huh.
The sensor is wireless, so you don't have cables running around everywhere.
Definitely a plus.
Yeah, and this equipment is also much easier to operate than conventional systems.
You don't have to mess around with dynamite and heavy seismograph equipment.
Best of all, it will hardly affect work.
You can take a survey in less than 30 minutes, then just keep going.
That would certainly help.
So what would it take to run a test survey?
Well, actually, we brought all the equipment with us.
All we need is a drill and some accelerometers.
It sounds like Matt and Paula are well on the way to making a sale, doesn't it?
Let's study how they analyze the customer's needs and talk about their product's advantages.
We'll also look at some language from the customer's perspective.
For example, how to ask about benefits.
How does the dialogue begin?
Bill gets straight to the point.
So what do you think, Matt?
Can you help us?
This is a way of starting the discussion.
Basically, Bill is asking about the advantages to his company.
He wants to know what Matt and Paula's product can do for him.
There are many other possible phrases we can use to turn the discussion to business.
Well, let's get straight to the point.
Do you think your product has an application on our site?
We'd be very curious to learn more about the benefits of your device.
What kind of advantages does your system have over the one we're using now?
Now it's Matt and Paula's turn to reply.
Matt asks... Well, let me turn the question around for a minute.
Matt turns the question around to get more information from Bill and Stanley.
It's good sales to understand the customer's needs thoroughly before saying too much about our own product.
Matt first wants to give Bill and Stanley an opportunity to talk more about the challenges they're facing.
People love to talk about themselves and their work, so this is usually a very successful strategy.
What are some other ways to turn the question around?
Well, first, let me make sure I understand exactly what you're facing.
Let me just ask a couple of questions first.
We'd really like to hear more about your current setup.
Is it all right if I turn the question around?
Next, Matt wants to raise a point of interest.
That is, bring up an area of discussion that may lead to a sale.
One of the things that I heard today and it's kind of interesting is that you're dealing with a lot of groundwater.
Yes, indeed.
This is an example of a soft sell.
That is, Matt is not pushing the issue too hard.
He uses casual, relaxed language.
It's kind of interesting. to indicate that this may be a useful topic.
There are a lot of great phrases for raising points of interest.
Let's go over a few more.
I couldn't help noticing that you're using glass instead of plastic.
One of the things that stood out to me today was the steep slope that you're working on.
Well, as you said, it's cold out there below freezing, and we're really interested in what kind of seal you're getting from your current glue.
This may be a topic worth pursuing further.
Of course, the answer to the question, is groundwater an issue in the tunnel, is obvious.
Yes, indeed.
Matt is using the time-honored sales strategy of trying to get your customer to say yes as much as possible.
Next, he needs to ask for specifics.
And I just wanted to get a clearer picture because I know that high-pressure water can be a big safety issue, not to mention the delays.
Absolutely.
The safety aspect is a priority, and obviously we'd like to minimize delays.
Matt continues to say things that he's sure the customer will agree with.
At the same time he is confirming his suspicions, his ideas about what kind of challenges Stanley and Bill are facing in building the tunnel.
I just wanted to get a clearer picture is an excellent idiom for asking for specifics.
What other types of phrases are useful in this situation?
At this point, Matt and Paula know that they have targeted a major area of concern for the customer.
Voicing or putting that concern into words will confirm to the customer that they have evaluated his needs correctly.
So, it's fair to say that accurate detection of groundwater is a big concern.
It certainly is.
Again, Matt is using the soft cell.
Even though he's pretty sure his product is a perfect match, he uses relaxed, casual language.
It's fair to say, the softness of Matt's language makes it even easier for Bill and Stanley to agree with him.
The more the customer agrees, the closer Matt and Paula are to a sale.
What other kinds of phrases can we use to voice customer priorities?
So it sounds like this is a pretty major area of concern to you.
Would I be too far off the mark if I said this was an area where you would like to see some better results?
So I'd guess from what I've seen so far that this issue is quite important.
In the next part of the dialogue, Paula jumps in to discuss the benefits of their product.
Well, that's just what the vision sensor is designed for.
Yeah, we know.
It's one of the main reasons we asked you down.
When you're sure you've narrowed down a field of matching interests between your customer's needs and your product, it's time to start talking about benefits.
There are a number of phrases that we can use to say our product is a good match.
Well, I think our system really addresses a lot of these concerns.
I am really confident that we can help you out with this.
This sounds like a really good match to me.
But you still have to demonstrate your product's advantages over the competitor's products.
This is often called your value proposition the ways in which your product adds value, how it differentiates itself from the competition.
Let's listen to Matt and Paula do this.
And compared with traditional surveying methods, our unit has a few major advantages.
The sensor is wireless, so you don't have cables running around everywhere.
Definitely a plus.
Matt and Paula's product is for surveying, or scientifically examining, the tunnel.
It can see through rock to test for water or other problems.
Traditional tunnel surveying equipment of this kind requires the use of many cables, both electrical and data lines.
In a dark tunnel environment with machinery everywhere, this can be messy and difficult to deal with.
Matt and Paula's system, however, is wireless.
As Bill says, this is a plus or an advantage.
To make a value proposition for his product, Matt says.
Over traditional surveying methods, our unit has a few major advantages.
What are some other ways to talk about your product's advantages compared to the competition?
There are a few areas where we really have a leg up on the competition.
Compared to the competitor's product, we excel in three key areas.
In important ways, we have the best product on the market.
We're confident we can deliver the best value for money out there.
The idiom to have a leg up on means to have an advantage over something or someone.
Moving on in the dialogue, Paula makes a direct comparison with conventional or traditional systems.
Yeah, and this equipment is also much easier to operate than conventional systems.
Let's briefly study some more sentence structures for making comparisons.
You'll find that our Duraplex is stronger, safer and has better optical quality than traditional safety glass.
I'd bet my life you get a much stronger bond using our product in these weather conditions.
Not only that, but you'll find it's much more inexpensive.
We're talking about really significant savings.
In the remainder of the dialogue, Paula and Matt continue to expand on their product's value proposition by listing its advantages in detail.
Matt says that you don't have to mess around with that is deal with dynamite or heavy seismograph equipment.
Dynamite is a kind of high explosive and a seismograph is a device for measuring vibrations underground.
Paula goes on to explain that using their system will hardly affect work.
Traditional systems require a long time to set up and take down, but it only takes 30 minutes to conduct a survey with their sensors.
Bill, the railroad company manager, is very interested.
So what would it take to run a test survey?
Well, actually we brought all the equipment with us.
All we need is a drill and some accelerometers.
Bill wants to run a test survey.
He'd like to see Matt and Paula's product in action.
This is, of course, just what they were hoping for.
They have brought a demonstration system with them.
All they need are some accelerometers, which are instruments for measuring the acceleration rate of change of an object.
It sounds like Matt and Paula are getting close to a sale, doesn't it?
Now, let's practice some language we learned today.
First, we'll review raising a point of interest, since that is a key step in the sales process.
Imagine you're discussing possible cooperation with a customer over dinner.
You'll hear a series of cues, followed by a beep.
Each cue consists of a possible point of interest your customer may have in your product.
After each beep, use the language we studied today to make a sentence raising this point of interest.
For example, if you hear using steel instead of plastic, you can say I couldn't help noticing that you're using steel instead of plastic.
Other phrases you can use include.
One of the things that stood out to me is and we're really interested in.
Let's begin.
The depth of the water.
The wide temperature range.
Safety awareness.
Now listen to some example answers.
The depth of the water.
Answer.
We're really interested in the depth of the water.
The wide temperature range.
Answer.
One of the things that stood out to me was the wide temperature range.
Safety Awareness Safety awareness may be a topic worth pursuing further.
For the second practice, let's review some key phrases that we covered today.
You'll hear a series of sentences.
One word is blanked out with a beep.
Repeat the sentence, but say the missing word.
For example, if you hear, can you see where I'm, you'll say, can you see where I'm pointing?
This is a great way to revise key vocabulary.
Let's give it a try.
Well, let's get straight to the answer.
Well let's get straight to the point.
Is it alright if I turn the around?
Answer.
Is it alright if I turn the question around?
I'd like to get a better idea of what you are Answer.
I'd like to get a better idea of what you're dealing with.
So it sounds like this is a pretty major area of... for you.
Answer.
So it sounds like this is a pretty major area of concern for you.
Well, I think our system really...
There are a few key areas where we really have a up on the competition answer.
There are a few key areas where we really have a leg up on the competition.
That concludes this episode on product presentations.
We covered useful language for both the host and the guest during an informal sales discussion and we reviewed some important sales strategies, such as identifying priorities and getting your customer to say yes with a soft sell.
In the study notes for this and other episodes you'll find a complete transcript, exercises and vocabulary explanations.
Also, the Online Learning Center contains extensive language and listening review exercises.
That's all at www.businessenglishpod.com.
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