Unit 6. Entertaining

I. Lead-in

• Suggest different forms of entertainment in general rather than in a corporate context. Continue the list:

  • shows

  • concerts

  • night clubbing

  • _________

  • _________

• Which of them can be the subject of corporate entertaining?

• Is it right to spend enormous sums of money on the best clients in order to ‘keep them sweet’?

• When is a gift a bribe?

• To find out how ‘open to persuasion’ you are, try the following test:

What’s your Price?

1. One of the suppliers tendering for a contract with your company invites you out for lunch at a top-class restaurant to ‘talk things over’. Do you

1. insist that you cannot be bought and remove the supplier’s name from your shortlist?

2. politely refuse, saying that you never mix business with pleasure?

3. take advantage of the situation by ordering a more expensive meal than you usually have?

2. You have been asked to choose a venue (=place) for your company’s annual conference. The manager of one of the hotels you are considering mentions that there could be a week’s holiday in it for you and your family. Do you

1. report him to his regional manager?

2. smile and point out that free holidays are not a condition for winning the contract?

3. gratefully accept a large en suite room with minibar and a view of the bay?

3. The father of an applicant for a post in your company sends you a Rolex watch and a case of expensive champagne for Christmas. Do you

1. send them back with a note saying: ‘Thanks, but no thanks’?

2. return the watch, drink the champagne and forget the name of his son?

3. give his son the job immediately and ask him if he has any other children looking for work?

II. Study the vocabulary

to do a deal - заключать сделку

to establish a relationship – устанавливать связи

to ‘size up’ a potential business partner – определять потенциального партнера по бизнесу

joint venture – совместное предприятие

an associate - компаньон

relationship building – установление отношений

corporate hospitality – корпоративное гостеприимство

corporate sponsorship – корпоративная поддержка, спонсорство

cultural awareness – осведомленность о культуре

avoidance of misunderstanding – избежание непонимания

cross-cultural training – межкультурная коммуникация

to facilitate – содействовать, способствовать

social interaction – социальное взаимодействие

small talk – светская беседа

to undervalue – недооценивать, преуменьшать

gaffe – оплошность, ошибка

economic decline – экономический спад

steep decline – резкий спад

reveal - обнаруживать

cost control – ценовой контроль

to enter the corporate dictionary – войти в корпоративную лексику

shareholder - акционер

conglomerate – корпорация (большая организация, состоящая из различных компаний)

to spend run wild – тратить в огромных количествах

to retain the client – сохранить клиента

venue – место встречи, сбора

to gain a new client – найти нового клиента