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Hope you are well.
I'm writing to you, yet again, in your capacity as "Answer Man."
One of our David English House teachers has just e-mailed me to see if I
have any more information on "university listening tests" which are to be
administered soon.
I have no information about any such tests. Do you? If so, could you
please let me know.
Thank you kindly.
Best regards,
Donna
Texts for retelling and discussion
1. Read the text and discuss it:
Business Etiquette & Entertaining
Developing strong working relationships with business partners is a key part of any
business strategy. Entertaining can be an effective tool in helping you develop and
deepen your business relationships, but only if done correctly.
Depending on the county where you are doing business, a personal relationship with
your client, supplier or prospective partner can be important. In Spanish culture, for ex-
ample, it is imperative to build up a personal relationship before doing business. In other
countries, such as Germany, a personal relationship is generally not required – trust in a
business’ capacity to deliver on its promises is more important than knowing the Manag-
ing Director personally.
If you are looking to develop a personal relationship based around trust, entertain-
ment is often the most efficient way. Whether dealing with clients or suppliers, taking an
individual away from the formality of a meeting place lets both of you loosen up, share
some of your personalities, and build mutual regard besides the purely professional.
If you have decided to entertain a client, partner or supplier, you’re assuming re-
sponsibility and need to prioritise their enjoyment and relaxation.
Even if you perceive the business relationship as one-sided – if you’re the ‘cus-
tomer’ in the relationship, for example – you should look after every detail to ensure the
individual has an enjoyable time. A poorly planned evening, or evidence of obvious cor-
ner-cutting on your part, is counter-productive. If you’re not going to commit to organis-
ing everything well and putting your guests’ enjoyment before your own, don’t bother.
Equally, avoid activities where there is no scope for someone to abstain or an activ-
ity that could be interpreted as controversial. Offending your guests will do more than
harming a personal relationship. It can also make you and your company look careless –
which is not a desirable trait in a business partner.
Достарыңызбен бөлісу: