You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
In this part of our ongoing series on negotiation skills, we will discuss how to overcome blockage in a negotiation.
Usually, we think of blockage in terms of stumbling blocks or obstacles to agreement.
But blockage can also be any impediment to creating maximum value.
In other words, we're not only interested in removing obstacles to a deal, but also in removing obstacles to a better deal.
Doing this successfully often requires thinking outside the box.
That is, thinking creatively.
So in this episode, we'll study overcoming barriers.
In particular, we'll focus on identifying stumbling blocks, exploring alternatives and moving towards agreement.
Recall that Peter, owner of Textacular, has been trying to buy Maxine's company Gamester as part of his strategy to roll up other small businesses.
His ultimate goal is to increase the value of his own operation so he can sell it to a larger company for a handsome profit.
In previous episodes, Peter had tried to acquire Maxine's company, but talks reached an impasse when Maxine wouldn't climb down from or reduce her price of 15 million.
In today's listening, Peter calls Maxine back to restart talks.
As you listen, focus on the language they use to remove obstacles to agreement.
Try to answer the following listening questions.
As usual, the answers will be posted in a few days on our website at www.businessenglishpod.com.
1.
How does Peter suggest restarting talks with Maxine?
Two, what does Peter identify as the main stumbling block to a deal?
Three what does Peter mean when he says it's not a question of growth for us, it's a question of survival?
Four, what is Peter's key insight that enables Maxine and him to overcome their blockage?
Hello, Maxine speaking.
Hi, Maxine.
It's Peter.
Peter.
How are you doing?
Fine, thanks.
Look, I've been thinking about our companies.
And if you're still open to the idea, I was wondering if we could get together to talk briefly about some other possibilities.
Uh, sure.
How about next Wednesday?
That'll be fine.
What time would be convenient for you?
So I've been thinking a lot and it seems to me that price is really the only stumbling block to a deal.
How do you mean?
The potential for a merger looks great.
We've got a great fit here.
And looking at the market, the overall strategy it demands is consolidation.
In my opinion, it's not a question of growth for us.
It's a question of survival.
The big players are certainly moving in fast.
But we've been through this before.
What are you driving at?
Well, just for argument's sake, why don't we flip it around for a second?
All right.
I'm listening.
If your company is worth 15 million, I was wondering what do you think your board might be willing to pay for ours?
Hmm.
Yours is a little smaller than ours.
Probably something like $12.5?
I think we might be on to something here.
You could be right.
We've certainly done all the footwork, and I'm convinced of the value of a merger.
Why don't you run it by your partners?
I'll do that, and get back to you next week.
Peter and Maxine have successfully explored an alternative that appears to remove the main stumbling block to their agreement.
Let's go through their whole discussion in detail to examine the language they use.
In the first section of the dialogue, Peter calls Maxine to start talks back up.
Peter, how are you doing?
Fine, thanks.
Look, I've been thinking about our companies.
And if you're still open to the idea, I was wondering if we could get together to talk briefly about some other possibilities.
After making a little small talk, Peter suggests restarting talks.
At this stage, he is quite vague or indefinite about what he has in mind.
He says he just wants to talk about some other possibilities.
This vagueness keeps a casual tone in the conversation.
That may also help to arouse Maxine's curiosity.
At the same time, Peter uses a lot of very indirect request forms, which has the effect of making his language very polite.
He says if you're still open to the idea, that is, if you are still willing.
I was wondering if we could get together briefly.
When restarting talks after an earlier failure.
Using such casual but polite language is a good strategy for getting a positive response.
Let's review some more useful expressions that we can use for starting the discussion back up.
I've been thinking, and I've come up with a different angle on everything.
I think I see things in a new light and I'd love to talk it over.
You are going to be very interested in the new developments, I think.
I think you'll be excited about this new approach.
I've got a new idea I'd like to run by you.
To come up with or see a different angle on something and to see things in a new light.
Both mean to look at things from a different point of view.
To run an idea by someone means to discuss it briefly.
Using these types of idiomatic expressions helps create a casual, informal tone.
Maxine agrees to talk on Wednesday.
As the dialogue fades back in, they are meeting in person.
What is the first thing that Peter brings up?
So I've been thinking a lot and it seems to me that price is really the only stumbling block to a deal.
First, Peter identifies the main stumbling block or obstacle to an agreement.
Before we can remove a barrier, we must mutually recognise it.
What are some more useful expressions for identifying obstacles?
Delivery date really seems to be what's holding us back.
The main issue is payment terms, from what I can tell.
At this point, the credit period seems to be the main bone of contention.
To be a bone of contention means to be a source of conflict.
After Peter has identified price as the main stumbling block, Maxine asks for further clarification.
How does Peter respond?
How do you mean?
The potential for a merger looks great.
We've got a great fit here.
And looking at the market, the overall strategy it demands is consolidation.
In my opinion, it's not a question of growth for us.
It's a question of survival.
Here Peter lays out his argument for a merger.
He has several points.
First, there's a great fit or match between his and Maxine's companies.
Second, the market is trending towards consolidation.
That is, smaller companies are merging or being bought up to form larger companies.
Third, this market demands or requires smaller businesses to follow the trend in order to survive.
As he puts it, it's not a question of growth for us, it's a question of survival.
In other words, the issue is not merely how to grow quickly, but how to keep the businesses alive.
But Maxine has heard this all before, hasn't she?
But we've been through this before.
What are you driving at?
Maxine agrees with Peter.
She sums up his statement by saying, the big players, or larger companies, are moving in fast.
That is, they are developing rapidly, and the competition is getting stronger and stronger.
But as Maxine puts it, she and Peter have been through all this before.
In other words, they have already talked about these issues before.
She wants to know what he is driving at.
In other words, what is the point he's trying to make?
What are you driving at is a way of drawing someone out, that is getting someone to be more specific and more direct.
Peter has been telling Maxine about his new idea one step at a time to warm her up to the idea.
But Maxine wants him to get straight to the point.
How else can we draw someone out?
I'm not quite sure where this is going.
Where are you headed with this?
Stop beating around the bush.
What are you saying?
What's the upshot?
To beat around the bush means to avoid talking about the main issue.
Upshot refers to the main details or main point.
After Maxine asks Peter to be more specific, he comes to his main new proposal, the reason he has asked her to meet with him today.
Well, just for argument's sake, why don't we flip it around for a second?
All right.
I'm listening.
If your company is worth 15 million, I was wondering what do you think your board might be willing to pay for ours?
Peter is thinking outside the box to explore alternatives.
He says, why don't we flip it around for a second?
This means, why don't we look at it from a completely different point of view?
What is Peter's suggestion?
He quite literally wants to flip around the role of buyer and seller.
If Maxime wants 15 million for her company, how much would she be willing to pay for his?
Exploring alternatives is really the heart of handling blockage.
This often means to see things in a new light or from a different point of view.
Let's go over some more phrases we can use.
How about we look at this from another angle?
Let's try something different.
What about putting this in a different light?
There might be another way to approach this.
Let's come at this from a different direction.
How much does Maxine say she would be willing to pay for Peter's company?
Hmm.
Yours is a little smaller than ours.
Probably something like 12.5?
I think we might be onto something here.
Here, Maxine makes a first tentative or careful offer, and Peter responds positively.
To be onto something means to be close to finding a solution or reaching a goal.
After we have successfully overcome blockage, the next step is to give a positive reaction to the new proposal.
Let's look at some other language we can use to move towards agreement.
You're right.
You have a point.
I think I can accept that.
I think we've made some progress.
I think I can find a way to solve our differences.
What is Maxine's point of view on Peter's new proposal?
She is cautious but optimistic.
You could be right.
We've certainly done all the footwork.
And I'm convinced of the value of a merger.
Why don't you run it by your partners?
I'll do that and get back to you next week.
Maxine is positive but careful not to commit.
She says, you could be right.
She points out that they've already done all the footwork.
Footwork refers to preparation work.
Maxine is referring to the fact that she and Peter have already researched a merger carefully, so they are prepared to move quickly to a deal.
The dialogue ends with Peter asking Maxine to take action.
He suggests she should run the proposal by her partners.
That is, she should ask them what they think about it.
Taking action is a critical step in removing obstacles.
After we see a way forward, we need to make a concrete or specific plan for the next step to take.
To finish off, let's review some more useful phrases we can use to take action.
Let's draft up a contract.
I suggest the next step is to get everything in writing.
Can you fax me a letter of agreement?
Please send me a detailed proposal by email.
Now it's your turn to practice the language we have studied in this episode.
First, let's review identifying obstacles.
Imagine you are in a discussion that has reached an impasse.
Based on the cues, identify the main stumbling block to agreement.
For example, if you hear... You might say something like...
The main issue is payment terms, from what I can tell.
Other useful language we can use to identify obstacles includes what seems to be holding us back is, and what seems to be the main bone of contention is
After each exercise, we'll play an example answer.
Are you ready?
Let's give it a try.
Holding us back.
Delivery date.
Example answer.
Delivery date really seems to be what's holding us back.
Credit period.
Bone of contention.
Example Answer At this point, the credit period seems to be the main bone of contention.
Price Stumbling Block.
Example Answer.
As far as I can tell, the only stumbling block to an agreement is price.
Now, let's go over some language for exploring alternatives.
You'll hear a series of cues that consist of jumbled or out-of-order phrases.
Repeat the sentence in the correct order.
For example, if you hear... You should say...
We'll play example answers after each exercise.
Are you ready?
Answer.
Let's try something different.
This from another angle.
How about we look at Answer How about we look at this from another angle?
From a different direction, let's come at this.
Answer Let's come at this from a different direction.
Another way to approach this.
There might be.
Answer There might be another way to approach this.
That's all for this episode on overcoming blockage, which is part of an ongoing series on negotiation skills.
We've studied restarting talks, identifying obstacles, drawing someone out, exploring alternatives, moving towards agreement and taking action.
There you'll find full transcripts, vocabulary explanations, review exercises, and study strategies.
Also sign up for our Learning Center to get access to a wide range of quizzes, listening activities and revision questions.
All that's at www.businessenglishpod.com.
Thanks for listening, and see you back soon.
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