2011商务英语中级口语精讲班讲义第一讲61

1.            Communication Skills: the importance of understanding cultural differences when working in an international environment

2.            Management: how to run a meeting successfully

--First of all, we must set the agenda for the meeting, without which we don’t even know what the meeting should cover. Then such a meeting would be a total waste of time and effort.

--Besides, making some preparations is also essential.  For instance, a white board, markers, a projector, a flipchart, a laptop computer, a laser pointer and so on are often needed during a meeting.  Also all the documents needed in the meeting should be photocopied well in advance. As an icing on the cake, coffee and refreshments are also welcome.

--Last but not least, the secretary should keep minutes during the meeting for future reference. Also feedback from the participants can also be collected afterwards.

3.            Company Growth: the importance to a company of controlling expansion

--First of all, too rapid expansion can lead to exhaustion of the company’s financial resources.  Business history is full of ambitious companies wishing to make it big, only to end up in cash-strapped situations.  You know, these companies rarely recover as they are totally starved for cash.  Without enough cashflow, even playing salaries becomes a major problem. 

--Besides, controlling expansion will not lead to excessive purchase of equipment when business is good.  Many companies happily plan on the expansion of their manufacturing bases when there seems to be enough demand in the market. Whenever unexpected events take place, however, the demand can vanish quickly, leaving the new equipment idle in the plants. In order to be rational in equipment purchases, good order forecasting is often necessary.

--Also if the company expands at too fast a clip, product quality may suffer as well.  This might not seem to be a problem when there is enough demand.  But if the corporate image is tarnished due to defective products, the firm is bound to fail in the long-run.

4.      Company Growth: how to balance company growth with production capacity

1. rational purchase of equipment. 2. production forecasting, including unexpected events. 3. staff training, in order to enhance awareness.

5.            Company Growth: how to ensure that company growth proceeds at the optimum rate

6.            Company Growth: the importance of finding a foothold in international markets for a company