Part 8: Negotiating - 30 - English at Work negotiates the best deal

They're £4 per unit

They are good quality ones

The company in France that was called earlier has called back

Let's hope they're making an order

Laser technology isn't cheap… hmm, I see… Well, thanks for calling back, bye

Everything OK, Anna?

Not really

One of the companies that was cold called has rung back

Good, good

But they don't want to place an order

They say we're too expensive

So you let them go

Didn't you negotiate with them

Oh, was I meant to

I wasn't sure what to say

Having trouble, Anna?

Don't worry, I'm sure that I can help

Negotiating is my thing

"Negotiating is my thing" What is he like

Mind you, he has won a Pear Salesman of the Year award so he must be doing something right

Are you sure, Tom?

Don't you want to negotiate your own deals

I owe you one Anna after you saved my bacon with Mr Socrates the other night

And besides you and me

Come on you two, get a move on, Europe is waiting for us

Custard cream anyone

No thanks

Right, you need to call that French company back and ask them what kind of price they are willing to pay

And then say that's fine

No, Negotiate, Say "I don't think we can go that low"

"I don't think we can go that low"

If they want a bigger discount, tell them they will have to buy more stock

More stock, bigger discount

Yeah. And if you still can't agree a price, tell them "I'll meet you halfway"

Meet halfway, that means going to Paris

No, halfway on the price

That line always works for me

I sold a load of plastic pears that way once

So that's "I'll meet you halfway"

Thanks Tom, I'm really impressed

You… you

Am I, really

What? I was going to say, you really do know your stuff – despite what other people say

What? Uh?

Right, I'm off to make that call right now

Good luck Anna and well done Tom

Nice to hear him give some useful advice but will it work?

Let's remind ourselves of the phrases he suggested Anna uses when negotiating a sale

What kind of price are you willing to pay

I don't think we can go that low

If you buy more stock, I can offer you a bigger discount

I'll meet you halfway

Let's see how Anna has got on

Success! They've agreed to buy 5,000 Imperial Lemons

Brilliant I knew you would be great

Did those killer lines of mine work

Sort of – but when I said what price were they looking to pay, they said the full price

As long as I send them the contract today so I'd better go and get an envelope and post it as soon as I can

Oh great

Tom...Tom …can you come over here to the stationery cupboard and get an envelope from the top shelf for me

Yeah, suppose so… I'm coming

Oh, Tom, why did you do that

It won't open… it's locked… help, help

Help, help, help

Uh oh This should be interesting

How are they going to explain being locked in the stationery cupboard

Until next time, Bye

Let us out! We're stuck