2010年ESL之商务英语 07 Describing Brisk and Slow Business

07 Describing Brisk and Slow Business

GLOSSARY 1

banner – very good, better than expected or better than anything that hashappened before* It was a banner year for Charlie, who got perfect grades, found a great job, wonthe lottery 2, and fell in love.

to launch – to start a new project, program, business, or organization; to beginselling a new product or service* When did they launch the new marketing 3 campaign?

line – a group of related products with the same brand name* All the teenagers love this line of clothing.

to keep up with demand – to be able to produce or manufacture at least asmuch of something as people want to buy* During the long snowstorm, stores weren’t able to keep up with demand forflashlights, water, basic medicine, and canned food.

to fly off the shelves – to be sold very quickly and in very large quantities* The new Harry 4 Potter books flew off the shelves and the bookstore sold outwithin an hour.

to sing a different tune 5 – to have a different experience than before; to talkabout something that has changed very much* You think being a parent is easy, but you’ll be singing a different tune once youhave kids of your own.

foot traffic – the number of people who come into a store, restaurant, orbusiness; the people who walk in and out of a building* Our store would get a lot more foot traffic if we were on a busier street.

brisk – very fast and energetic, with a lot of movement and excitement* Does she always walk at such a brisk pace? I can barely keep up with her.

all the rage – very popular; something that everyone wants to do or have* This band is all the rage among the college students.

to beat down (one’s) door – to break a locked door so that one can enter aroom or building; a phrase used to describe people who want to do or havesomething very badly* In the early 1990s, students who majored in computer engineering hademployers beating down their door even before they graduated.

passé – no longer popular or fashionable; old-fashioned; outdated* When Meg realized that her clothing and hairstyle were passé, she decided 6 toget a makeover.

inventory 7 – the items that a company owns and is waiting to sell* How many boxes do we have in inventory?

to unload – to get rid of something, either by selling it or by giving it away,especially if it isn’t of very good quality* They need to unload their old house, but in this market it’s almost impossible tosell it for a decent price.

fickle 9 – changing one’s mind frequently, especially about what one does anddoes not like* Her boyfriend is so fickle! One day he says he loves her and wants to marryher, and the next day he’s flirting 10 with other girls at a bar.

to cry in (one’s) beer – to drink beer when one is very sad or depressedbecause one thinks the beer will make one feel better* Bartenders are used to seeing customers cry in their beer, and they often try tostart a conversation to help them feel better.

to pull up a chair – to sit down next to someone at a table and enjoy a meal,drink, or conversation with them* It’s great to see you! Please pull up a chair so we can talk for a while.

sob 12 story – a very sad story; an explanation of why a person is feeling sad* They spent all night sharing sob stories about their ex-boyfriends.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Clint mean when he says, “every product is flying off the shelves”?

a) The products are falling and breaking at the stores.

b) The products are being sold very quickly.

c) The products are being stolen by criminals.

2. Why isn’t Yao’s company doing well?

a) Because customers are dissatisfied with the product quality.

b) Because it doesn’t have a good inventory management system.

c) Because its products no longer meet the needs of the market.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

bannerThe word “banner,” in this podcast, means very good and better than expected orbetter than anything that has happened before: “The 1990s were a bannerdecade for the housing market.” The word “banner” also means a very large,rectangular, horizontal piece of paper or fabric 13 with writing and/or images on it,used to advertise or to announce the name of something: “In the parade, eachband carries a banner with its school name.” On a web page a “banner ad” is arectangular advertisement, usually at the top of the website, that one can click onto learn more about a product or service: “Do you think this banner ad will get theattention of potential customers, or should we make it more exciting?”

unloadIn this podcast, the verb “to unload” means to get rid of something, either byselling it or by giving it away: “They’re having a garage sale to unload all the junkin their garage.” The verb “to unload” means to take something out of a car ortruck: “Could you please help me unload the groceries?” Informally, “to unload”

means to vent 8, or to share negative emotions freely, usually letting anotherperson know that one is very angry: “Have you ever unloaded your feelings toyour boss and then regretted it the next day?” Finally, the verb “to unload” canmean to take the bullets or ammunition 14 out of a gun or another weapon: “Alwaysunload the gun before you put it away, just in case the kids find it.”

CULTURE NOTEBusiness owners want their businesses to grow, but sudden growth can “present”

(show) many “challenges” (things that are difficult to deal with). When business“takes off” (begins to do very well), the company’s existing “resources” (money,time, materials, and staff) are usually “insufficient” (not enough) to keep up withdemand.

When business takes off, a company usually has to “hire” (employ) additionalstaff members to manufacture the products or deliver the service, maintain goodcustomer relations, respond to “inquiries” (questions), and more. Then thecompany needs to hire even more staff members in human resources and otheradministrative departments to manage and train those new employees.

Growing companies also “struggle” (have difficulty) to “build up” (increase)inventory to keep up with demand. When customers suddenly want to buy moreof the product than before, the “warehouses” (large buildings where products arekept until they can be sold) quickly become “depleted” (empty). If the companycannot manufacture additional product quickly enough, potential customers maybecome angry when they aren’t able to buy what they want.

Finally, many companies struggle with their “cash flow” (the availability of moneyto cover immediate 15 expenses). This is especially true for companies that receivepayments long after they have sold the products. If customers have 90 days topay their “invoices” (bills), the company might soon find that it doesn’t haveenough money to pay salaries and continue to manufacture additional amountsof the product. Companies can usually get a “loan” (borrowed money) to helpwith their cash flow, but his requires careful “anticipation” (thinking about whatwill happen in the future) and financial planning.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – c

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 568: DescribingBrisk and Slow Business.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 568. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to become a member of ESL Podcast, andreceive a Learning Guide for each of our episodes. You can also support ourpodcast by making a small donation to help keep these audio files free for theworld.

On this episode, we are going to be talking about when business is good – whena company is doing well, when they are doing brisk business, a lot of business –and when they are doing not so well, slow business. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Clint: Anya! Long time no see. Let me buy you a drink. I’m celebrating.

Anya: Oh, yeah? What’s the good news?

Clint: My company has had a banner month. Since we launched our new line ofsoftware, we’re having trouble keeping up with demand. Every product is flyingoff the shelves.

Anya: Wow, that’s great news. Everybody I talk to is singing a different tune.

Foot traffic is down and business is slow – really slow.

Clint: That’s too bad. I thought that Yao’s company was doing brisk business.

Six months ago, he was selling a line of cell phones that was all the rage, andcustomers were beating down his door to get one.

Anya: That was six months ago. It’s a different story now. Those cell phonesare now considered passé, and he has inventory he can’t unload. You know howfickle the market is.

Clint: I’m sorry to hear that. How about you? How’s the travel business?

Anya: Why do you think I’m sitting here crying in my beer? Pull up a chair andI’ll tell you my sob story.

[end of dialogue]

Clint begins by saying, “Anya! Long time no see.” This is an old expressionwhich means it’s been a long time since we have seen each other. “Long timeno see. Let me buy you a drink.” Of course, if he’s buying her a drink thatmeans they’re in, usually, a bar and the drink will be a beer or wine, possibly aCuba Libre with a little bit of lime on top – yeah! So Clint says, “I’m celebrating.”

He’s happy about something; something good has happened and he wants tocelebrate.

Anya says, “Oh, yeah? What’s the good news?” Clint says, “My company hashad a banner month.” When you say you’ve had a “banner (something),” as anadjective, it means very good, better than expected. We often use this in talkingabout a company and how much it is selling, or how well is doing, but it couldalso be, for example, about a person: “Charlie had a banner year. He got goodgrades, he found a new girlfriend, and he won the lottery.” That would be quite ayear! Actually, he won the lottery and then got the new girlfriend, so if you’relooking for a new girlfriend just win the lottery!

Clint continues, “Since we launched our new line of software, we’re havingtrouble keeping up with the demand.” “To launch (something)” means to start anew project, a new program, maybe even a new business. In this case, Clint’scompany is starting – is starting to sell a new line of software. When we use theword “line” in talking about business products or services we mean they are agroup of related products. Sometimes we use this term in talking about the nameor the brand of a product, for example: “He likes the Guess line of jeans.” That’sthe kind of jeans – the brand, the name – the specific kind of jeans that he likes.

But in that line, usually there are several different products that are somehowrelated or similar.

Clint’s company is launching a new line of software, and they’re having troublekeeping up with the demand. “To keep up with (something)” is a phrasal verbmeaning to be able to reach something, to be able to do what you’re required todo. In this case, you’re able to keep up with demand. The “demand” is peoplewho want to buy things from you; it’s the willingness of people to buy yourproduct. There’s two parts in any business: there’s supply, which is what youproduce, and then there’s demand, which is what people want. So, Clint’scompany needs to keep up with the demand, or keep up with demand, meaning they need to make sure they have enough things to sell for the people who wantto buy them. He says, “Every product is flying off the shelves.” The expression“to fly off the shelves” (shelves) means to sell something very quickly. A “shelf” islike a flat area where you put things in a store so people can see them. Usuallythere are more than one shelf, so there are several shelves (the plural). “To flyoff the shelves” means to sell something very quickly, So Clint’s company isselling these pieces of software very quickly.

Anya says, “Wow, that’s great news. Everybody I talk to is singing a differenttune.” A “tune” is like a song; it’s music. “To sing a different tune” (tune),however, means to have a different experience than someone else, usually tohave a different experience because something has changed a lot. For example,Anya says that although Clint’s company is successful, other people she hastalked to – other businesses – are not successful. She says, for example, “Foottraffic is down and business is slow – really slow.” “Foot traffic” is the number ofpeople who come into a store or a business that come in to by something. So, ifthere are fewer people coming, there are fewer people buying, and thereforebusiness will be slow.

Clint says, “That’s too bad. I thought that Yao’s company (Yao must be thename of a friend of theirs) was doing brisk business.” “Brisk” (brisk) is anadjective that means very fast; often it means with a lot of energy, with a lot ofexcitement. When we use it to talk about business, however, we mean that theyhave lot of success, that they’re selling things very quickly. Clint says, “Sixmonths ago, Yao was selling a line of cell phones that was all the rage.” Whenwe say something is “all the rage” (rage), we mean it is very popular, somethingthat suddenly becomes popular and everybody wants to buy it. A few years agothere was a dance song called “The Macarena,” many years ago. It was all therage; everyone wanted to get this song. [Jeff sings]

Dale a tu cuerpo alegria MacarenaQue tu cuerpo es pa’ darle alegria y cosa buenaDale a tu cuerpo alegria, MacarenaHey MacarenaI’m very sorry about that; really, I am! Well, that’s what we mean by “all therage,” very popular. So, Yao’s company was popular six months ago in fact,customers were beating down his door to get one of these cell phones. “To beatdown (someone’s) door” is a phrase that means to do anything to get thisproduct. In this case, it means that the product is very popular, that all of thecustomers wanted to buy one of these cell phones.

Anya says, “That was six months ago. It’s a different story now. Those cellphones are now considered passé.” When we say something is “passé” (passé),with an accent mark over the “e” because it is a foreign word, we mean it is nolonger popular, it is old-fashioned; out of date, we might say. Anya says that Yaohas inventory he can’t unload. “Inventory” are the things that a company owns.

So if you makes cell phones, somewhere you have a bunch of cell phones inyour building ready to sell. That’s your inventory. “To unload,” in this case,means to sell. But “unload” can also mean to give something away, especially ifnobody wants it. To try to get rid of something is another meaning of unload.

“Unload” has other meanings as well, as does the word “banner” that we beganour dialogue with; look at the Learning Guide and you’ll find more explanations.

Anya continues, “You know how fickle the market is.” “Fickle” (fickle) means tochange your mind frequently, especially about what you like and don’t like. Oneday I like popcorn 16, the next day – eh – I don’t really want any. I’m fickle; I changemy mind a lot. Anya says “the market,” meaning people who are buying things orbusiness in general is fickle – it changes quickly.

Clint says, “I’m sorry to hear that. How about you? How’s the travel business?”

So apparently 17 Anya is in the travel business: airlines, railroads, that sort of thing.

Anya says, “Why do you think I’m sitting here (here in the bar) crying in mybeer?” The expression “to cry in your beer” means to drink beer or alcoholbecause you are sad or depressed 11 and you think that the beer will make you feelbetter. So, “to cry in your beer” means to be sad and to try to make yourselfhappy by having a beer. Anya says, “Pull up a chair and I’ll tell you my sobstory.” “To pull up a chair” literally 18 means to take a chair and put it next tosomeone to talk to them. More generally, it means sit down and listen tosomeone who is going to tell you a story. So you pull up a chair when you areabout to listen to a story, and if someone says “pull up a chair,” they mean listento my story. Her story is a sob (sob) story. “To sob,” as a verb, means to cryvery emotionally; a “sob story” is a sad story, something that would make youcry: “The girls spent all night talking about their sob stories related to their exboyfriends.”

Something you might want to do over a beer!

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Clint: Anya! Long time no see. Let me buy you a drink. I’m celebrating.

Anya: Oh, yeah? What’s the good news?

Clint: My company has had a banner month. Since we launched our new line ofsoftware, we’re having trouble keeping up with demand. Every product is flyingoff the shelves.

Anya: Wow, that’s great news. Everybody I talk to is singing a different tune.

Foot traffic is down and business is slow – really slow.

Clint: That’s too bad. I thought that Yao’s company was doing brisk business.

Six months ago, he was selling a line of cell phones that was all the rage, andcustomers were beating down his door to get one.

Anya: That was six months ago. It’s a different story now. Those cell phonesare now considered passé, and he has inventory he can’t unload. You know howfickle the market is.

Clint: I’m sorry to hear that. How about you? How’s the travel business?

Anya: Why do you think I’m sitting here crying in my beer? Pull up a chair andI’ll tell you my sob story.

[end of dialogue]