ESL商务英语: ESL Podcast 304 – A Potential Partnership Meeting

ESL Podcast 304 – A Potential Partnership Meeting

GLOSSARY

synergy – the additional success, money, power, energy, and other good things that happen when two or more people or organizations work together instead ofseparately* This team has great synergy.  The members of the team are able to do moretogether than they could have done alone.

to have (something) in mind – to be thinking about something; to considersomething; to have an idea about something* Hans has a trip to Chicago in mind for his summer vacation.

core capability – something that a company is very good at doing, and thatmakes it better than other companies; a company or person’s main skills andabilities* This bank’s core capability is getting small businesses the money they need togrow quickly.

to complement – to have some characteristic or quality that makes somethingelse better, stronger, or more successful* Jenny and Damian decided to open a restaurant together.  Her experiencemanaging businesses complements his experience cooking in restaurants.

partnership – a relationship where two or more people or organizations sharethe ownership of a business or project* The project is a partnership between the World Bank and the World WildlifeFund.

mutual benefit – an advantage for both of the people or organizations that areinvolved in something or affected by something* When a bee uses flowers to make honey, there’s a mutual benefit because thebee gets to eat and the flower gets to reproduce.

to think along the same lines – to think in the same way; to think the samething; to have the same idea* The president works with people who think along the same lines as he does.

to pull (something) off – to make something be successful; to make somethingwork; to be successful in doing something* Even though Iago came to school two hours late, he didn’t get in trouble.  Howdid he pull that off?

to dominate – to be stronger than anyone else; to be the leader; to be the bestat something* Our company has dominated the computer software industry for the past twenty years.

preliminaries – introductory discussions or topics that aren’t really related to themain topic or event* During the interview over lunch, they discussed all the preliminaries whileeating, and when the desserts came, the director offered Theodora a job.

business model – the structure of a business; the way that a business is organized to work and how it will spend and make money* This company must have a very good business model to be able to deliverpackages so quickly.

perspective – point of view; opinion; the way that one person views and thinks about something* Santiago, will you please share your perspective on the economic situation inthis country with the rest of the committee?

to approach – to initiate contact with someone; to begin a conversation withsomeone* My brother approached us about a new investment opportunity, but we don’thave enough money to invest right now.

to be under the impression – to have a certain idea about something, based onsomething that happened earlier; to believe that something will be a certain way* I’ve always been under the impression that you liked the opera, and that’s why Ialways suggest going to operas with you!  Personally, I don’t like the opera.

concrete – specific; detailed; solid; not vague* Sheldon has two concrete reasons for not wanting to live in Southern California:

he’s scared of earthquakes and he doesn’t like the air pollution.

proposal – a written or spoken suggestion or recommendation for doingsomething; a plan* The director told me that if I want a foundation to give me money for thatproject, I’ll need to write a good proposal.

in writing – written; not spoken; on paper* The company offered Antonio a good job, but he’s waiting to get the offer inwriting before he celebrates.

full consideration – all of one’s attention when one is deciding whether or not todo something* Many teenagers give full consideration to the decision of whether they’ll go tocollege.

______________COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  What does Flavio say about creating a partnership?

a)  That it will benefit his company.

b)  That it will benefit Marcia’s company.

c)  That it will benefit both companies.

2.  What does Marcia mean when she says, “Let’s get beyond the preliminaries”?

a)  She wants to get into the specific details of the partnership.

b)  She wants to win the preliminaries of the competition.

c)  She wants Flavio to think along the same lines as she does.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to pull offThe phrase “to pull (something) off,” in this podcast, means to make somethingbe successful: “Henrietta pulled off the campaign, but it required a lot of hardwork.”  The verb “to pull” means to hold something in one’s hands and move itcloser to one’s body: “That bad child pulled the dog’s tail.”  The phrase “to pull(someone) over” means for a police officer to turn on the colored lights on his orher car so that car in front of him or her parks on the side of the road: “Wynonawas pulled over yesterday for speeding on the freeway.”  The phrase “to pull(something) up” means to hold the waist of one’s pants or skirt and lift up, so thatit is higher on one’s body: “Rolando forgot to wear a belt today, so he had to pullup his pants every few minutes.”

to approachIn this podcast, the verb “to approach” means to initiate contact or begin aconversation with someone: “Giles decided to approach the professor by writinga letter describing why he wanted to work in the professor’s laboratory.”  Theverb “to approach” also means to come physically closer to something: “As weapproached Disneyland, the children became very excited.”  The verb “to approach” can also mean to come closer to something in time, so that there is less time separating you from doing something: “As Christmas Day approaches,people are very busy buying presents and getting ready for the celebration.”  Averb that sounds similar, “to reproach,” means to criticize someone, or to say thatsomeone is doing something wrong: “The mother reproached her child for lying.”

______________CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, there are many ways for businesses to form.  The mostbasic way is a “general partnership” or “partnership,” where two or more peopleor organizations create a new business.  They “share the ownership,” meaningthat each person has part of the business.  The owners are “liable” for thecompany, meaning that are responsible for the company’s “debts” (the money itowes to other people and organizations).  If someone “sues” the generalpartnership, meaning that the company is taken to court, then the owners areresponsible for the results of the “lawsuit” (the case in court).

If the business is small and simple, a general partnership is probably okay.  But ifthe business grows and has a lot of debt or “risk” (the probability that somethingbad will happen), then the owners usually need to look for a different way toorganize the business.

Some of these companies are organized as “limited partnerships,” where thereare one or more “general partners” and one or more “limited partners.”  A“general partner” has all the responsibilities described for a general partnership. A “limited partner” has “limited liability,” and cannot be entirely responsible for thecompany’s debts and lawsuits.  A limited partner is responsible only for a part ofthe debt, related to the size of his or her initial “investment” (the amount of money that the limited partner gave to help start the business).

Finally, a “limited liability partnership” lets all of the owners have limited liability. Limited liability partnerships are usually chosen when all of the owners want tobe involved in “managing” (leading) the company.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 304: A PotentialPartnership Meeting.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 304.  I’m your host, Dr.

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

Visit our website at eslpod.com and download a Learning Guide for this episodethat contains all of the vocabulary, definitions, sample sentences, additionaldefinitions not found on the podcast, cultural notes, a comprehension check, anda complete transcript of everything we say on this episode.

This episode is called “A Potential (or possible) Partnership Meeting.”  It’s adialogue between Flavio and Marcia about two companies that may try to workwith each other.  Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Flavio:  Thanks for meeting with me.

Marcia:  It’s my pleasure.  We’re eager to hear your ideas about our companies doing business together in the future.

Flavio:  Well, I wanted us to meet because I think our two companies can creategreat synergy. Marcia:  I agree.  What do you have in mind?

Flavio:  We seem to have core capabilities that complement each other, and Iwant to see how we can create a partnership that would be to our mutual benefit.

Marcia:  Yes, that’s why I’m here.  I think we’re thinking along the same lines.

Flavio:  Good.  I’m glad to hear that.  If we can pull off a partnership, we couldreally dominate the market.

Marcia:  Yes, I think that’s true, too, but let’s get beyond the preliminaries.  Whatkind of business model do you have in mind?  

Flavio:  Well, that’s why I wanted to meet with you.  I’d like to get yourperspective on that. Marcia:  I see.  When your company approached us about working together, wewere under the impression that you had some concrete ideas to present.

Flavio:  Oh, we do.  I just wanted to get your suggestions before we present aformal proposal. Marcia:  Let’s do this.  Why don’t you send me a proposal in writing and I’ll makesure that we give it our full consideration.

Flavio:  We’ll do that.  Thanks for your time.

Marcia:  Don’t mention it. [end of dialogue]

The dialogue begins with Flavio saying to Marcia, “Thanks for meeting with me.” Marcia says, “It’s my pleasure,” which is a polite way of saying I am happy tomeet with you.  Marcia says that her company is “eager,” or wants to very muchhear Flavio’s ideas about how the two companies can do business together, or towork together, in the future.  Flavio says that he wanted to meet because hethinks their “two companies can create great synergy” (synergy).  This has become a popular term in the business world in the last 10 or 15 years. “Synergy” is when you have two or more people or organizations workingtogether, and because they work together they have more success, more money – other good things happen because they are cooperating with each other – they are working together.

Marcia says, “I agree,” and then asks Flavio “What do you have in mind?”  To“have something in mind” (mind) means to be thinking about something, to havean idea about something.  If your friend says to you, “I need a new car,” and yousay to him, “What do you have in mind?” and he says, “I want to buy a newHummer, just like Arnold Schwarzenegger.”  A “Hummer” is a big car; really it’s amilitary vehicle that they sell as a car.  I don’t know why anyone needs such alarge car, but people buy them.

Flavio says, in answering Marcia’s question about what he has in mind, that thetwo companies “seem to have core capabilities that complement each other.” The word “core” (core) means most important here – things that are central,things that are vital, essential.  “Capability” is the ability to do something, so “core capability” refers to a company or a person’s most important, or main, skills andabilities – what the company is good at, we might say.  To “complement”

(complement) means to have some characteristic that makes something elsebetter or stronger.  For example, if you are good at math and I am good atlanguage, then together we could start a school to teach math and language. Our skills – our capabilities – complement each other.  You can think of“complement” like the word “complete” – it completes; it matches well.  There’s another word that sounds the same – “compliment” with an “i” in the middle – thatmeans a nice thing; to say a nice thing to someone.  To say to a woman “that’s abeautiful dress you have on,” that would be a “compliment.”  You should only say that to you wife or girlfriend, of course!  That’s “compliment” with an “i"; this is “complement” with an “e."Flavio says, “I want to see how we can create (or make) a partnership that wouldbe to our mutual benefit.”  A “partnership” is a relationship where two or morepeople or organizations or businesses work together to try to do something incommon – they’re both going to work together to create a new product.  “Mutual”

means for both you and me.  “Benefit” is an advantage, a good thing, so “mutualbenefit” means that both of the organizations – both of the companies, in this example, will get something good from this partnership.

Marcia says, “Yes, that’s why I’m here.  I think we’re thinking along the samelines.”  To “think along the same lines” means to think in the same way, to havethe same idea.

Flavio says, “Good.  I’m glad to hear that.  If we can pull off a partnership, wecould really dominate the market.”  To “pull off something,” or to “pull somethingoff,” is a two-word verb – a phrasal verb – that means to make somethingsuccessful, to work at something and have a success, to have it go as you want itto go.  We often use this word when we think it might be difficult to do something. “I hope we can pull this off” – I hope we can be successful because it might bedifficult.  To “pull off” has a couple of different meanings; take a look at ourLearning Guide today for some additional explanations.

Flavio says they could “dominate the market.”  To “dominate” means to be, in this case, the one who is the strongest, who is the leader, who is the best atsomething.  To be stronger than anyone else is to “dominate” everyone else.

Marcia says, “Yes, I think that’s true, but let’s go beyond the preliminaries.” “Let’s go beyond,” here, means let’s talk about more than just the preliminaries. The “preliminaries” are the introductory comments or topics; they don’t talk aboutthe main topic.  “Preliminaries” are things you first, and then you talk about the most important things.  So, Marcia wants to talk about more than just thepreliminaries; she wants to talk about the main ideas. She asks Flavio, “What kind of business model do you have in mind?”  A“business model” is a structure of a business.  Usually we use this to talk abouthow the business will make money.  Many Internet companies in the late 1990s did not have a good business model – they did not know how they were going tomake money.

Flavio responds by saying, “Well, that’s why I wanted to meet with you.  I’d like toget your perspective on that.”  Your “perspective” is your point of view, youropinion, the way you think about something.

Marcia then says, “I see,” meaning I understand.  Then she says, “When yourcompany,” Flavio, “approached us about working together, we were under theimpression that you had some concrete ideas to present.”  When Marcia says thecompany “approached” them, she means they began the contact – they were thefirst ones to go to the company to begin a conversation about something.  Marciasays her company was “under the impression,” meaning they had a certain idea– a certain belief about what was going to happen.  To be “under the impression”

is often used when your idea is wrong: “I was under the impression he was goingto be here at 10:00.  It’s already 10:30, and he is not here” – my initial impression– my first thought was wrong.  Marcia says that her company thought thatFlavio’s company had some “concrete ideas.”  “Concrete” means, in this case,specific – detailed.

Flavio says, “Oh, we do.  I just wanted to get your suggestions before we presenta formal proposal.”  A “proposal” is a recommendation or a plan about doingsomething in the future.

Marcia says, “Let’s do this,” meaning this is what we want to do.  “Why don’t yousend me a proposal in writing,” meaning written down on a piece of paper, notjust in a conversation.  Put it in writing – put it on a piece of paper, “and I’ll makesure that we give it our full consideration.”  “Our full consideration” means we willlook at it very carefully – we will think about it very carefully.

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

[start of dialogue]

Flavio:  Thanks for meeting with me.

Marcia:  It’s my pleasure.  We’re eager to hear your ideas about our companies doing business together in the future.

Flavio:  Well, I wanted us to meet because I think our two companies can creategreat synergy. Marcia:  I agree.  What do you have in mind?

Flavio:  We seem to have core capabilities that complement each other, and Iwant to see how we can create a partnership that would be to our mutual benefit.

Marcia:  Yes, that’s why I’m here.  I think we’re thinking along the same lines.

Flavio:  Good.  I’m glad to hear that.  If we can pull off a partnership, we couldreally dominate the market.

Marcia:  Yes, I think that’s true, too, but let’s get beyond the preliminaries.  Whatkind of business model do you have in mind? Flavio:  Well, that’s why I wanted to meet with you.  I’d like to get yourperspective on that. Marcia:  I see.  When your company approached us about working together, wewere under the impression that you had some concrete ideas to present.

Flavio:  Oh, we do.  I just wanted to get your suggestions before we present aformal proposal. Marcia:  Let’s do this.  Why don’t you send me a proposal in writing and I’ll makesure that we give it our full consideration.

Flavio:  We’ll do that.  Thanks for your time.

Marcia:  Don’t mention it. [end of dialogue]

The script for this podcast episode was written by Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We’ll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 2007.