personalities to persuade others», he says. «That doesn’t come out in e-mails, and video conferencing is limiting. They may also want to influence people outside of the meeting. A lot of lobbying goes on before and after meetings. That’s why eyeball-to-eyeball is so important. We still don’t fully trust the technology even though it’s been around for a while. We prefer to talk behind closed doors».
We also read body language to pick up the atmosphere, he says. «We walk into a meeting and pick up the feel of what the other people are thinking. We watch how Y reacts to what X is saying. You can’t do that by videoconference. Most of us don't have the self-confidence to believe we can build the sorts of relationships we need with clients and suppliers down the wire. Business travel won’t decrease for that reason. It’s a shame because at the moment we’re burning out an awful lot of people».
From the Financial Times
1.Are these statements true or false? Explain your answer.
1) Businesspeople are travelling more than ever before.
2) Management consultants travel less than other businesspeople.
3) Most people think that using the Internet is as good as meeting face-to-face. 4) Body language is more important than what people actually say.
5) Business travel will decline in the long run as people use the Internet more and more.
2.Choose the best alternative to complete these statements.
1.Sophistication is when people have a lot of ignorance about something.
a)knowledge, experience and understanding of something;
b)interest in something;
c)ignorance about something.
2.If X has an impact on Y, it has
a)no influence on it;
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b)a connection with it;
c)an effect on it.
3.A road warrior is a kind of
a)soldier;
b)transport employee;
c)business person.
4.A time zone is an area of
a)an airport where you can see the times of flights;
b)a building where there is a public clock;
c)the world where it is the same time in all places.
5.Something that is global
a)is round or spherical;
b)happens or involves things all over the world;
c)is full and complete.
3.Find words in the article that are the opposites of these expressions.
a)slow and low key
b)infrequent
c)irregularly and with great effort
d)illogical
e)rational
f)fresh, rested and ready to work
4.Choose the correct sense for the expressions in italics.
1.«The question is why all the technological gadgetry has failed make a dent in the amount of business travel?»
a)a hollow area in a surface;
b)a reduction.
2.The answer seems to lie with a simple statistic
a)not tell the truth;
b)be found in.
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3.Facial expressions, body language, eye contact – these are all key conduits,
a)channels of communication;
b)pipes.
4.Without them you can’t get past first base
a)get beyond the first stage in a negotiation or discussion – an expression taken from baseball;
b)get beyond the base of something – an expression taken from building houses.
5.It’s tough to bond over the Internet
a)use a type of financial investment;
b)make close contact with someone.
6.A lot of lobbying goes on before and after meetings
a)meeting in hotel lobbies;
b)attempts to influence people and their decisions.
5. What is the key message of the article? Choose the best alternative.
A. Videoconferencing will eventually take over from face-to-face meetings.
B. Business meetings will always be necessary because people prefer to meet face-to-face.
C. Airlines face a difficult future as business travel declines.
6. Answer the questions in writing.
a)When someone says that more than 90 percent of human communication is non-verbal, what exactly do they mean? Do you agree? Why / Why not?
b)Is it a good idea to combine business travel with leisure? For example, would you stay in a place after a meeting or a job interview to have a few days’ holiday? Why / Why not?
7. Translate the article in writing.
8. Make a review of the article.
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UNIT 3
MARKET CHANGE
VOCABULARY
1. Choose the best word or phrase to fill each gap.
Our company makes wooden garden furniture – mainly tables and chairs. Sales are much higher this year because we have spent a lot on (a) (selling / distributing / marketing). First we did a survey about customer (b) (wants / needs / uses). Then we redesign all our (c) ( products / benefits / services) to include the special (d) (goods / profits / features) that people want. Our (e) (presenting / promotion / persuasion) included a competition in all the major gardening magazines where the prize was a set of our furniture. Most importantly we’ve made sure all our (f) (prices / costs / charges) are very competitive because our customers want value for money.
2. Complete each sentence by writing the correct word in each gap.
1.We advertised on TV, but that’s not enough. We need a whole new marketing con…
2.We need to tell customers about the special ben… that our service provides.
3.Our company is market-ori… Everything we do is about giving buyers what they want.
4.The pac… doesn’t only protect the goods – it advertises them too.
5.I’ve been a m…k…r for many years and I know how to promote any product.
6.People in different parts of the country buy different things, so p…e is one of the four Ps of marketing.
3.Answer the questions in writing.
1.Does the way a soft drinks company advertise its products encourage people to buy them?
2.Do you think people prefer to buy «healthy» drinks these days? Why / Why not?
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Read the article from the Financial Times.
Marketing: Investors Adapt to Consumer Trends
By Jenny Wiggins
When the world’s biggest soft drink company starts changing its marketing tactics, investors should ask why. Coca-Cola, which has traditionally promoted itself via the Coke brand, using slogans such as «Coke is it», now wants to inform consumers that Coke is not the only drink it sells. Its most recent campaign, called «Make every drop count», says: «You’ve always known us as Coca-Cola, the soft drink. Now it’s time you knew us as Coca-Cola the company».
The television, print and Internet advertisements in the UK come at a time when consumers are ditching foods and drinks that are perceived as unhealthy (such as sugary fizzy drinks and salty crisps) for products that appear to offer some kind of health benefit.
Coke is using the new campaign to impress upon consumers the fact that it sells all kinds of drinks, including bottled water, juices and teas. The campaign is important for the company, because it risks losing money if it does not sell the kinds of drinks consumers now want to buy.
Analysts say that growing demand for healthier kinds of foods and drinks is not a fashion, but a long-term trend that increasingly affects corporate profits.
Companies which benefit are those that already produce the kinds of products consumers want, or companies that are taking steps to adapt existing products. These include Danone, the French company, as well as Swiss food company Nestle, which has made nutritional foods a core strategic focus.
Companies that do not meet consumer needs are suffering. In March, Asda took the juice drink Sunny D (previously known as Sunny Delight) off its shelves after finding that customers did not want to buy it.
From the Financial Times
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