Lesson Introduction: Making suggestions in a meeting is never an easy task, especially when your boss is very critical. In today’s lesson, we’re at a sales meeting; the numbers are down, the boss wants solutions, and he wants them now! In this podcast, learn some great English phrases to help you in your next sales meeting.

A: All right, people. We’re holding this meeting today because we’ve got to do something about our
sales, and we need to do it NOW! I want concrete solutions. How do you intend to drive sales...Roger?
B: Well, in fact, we’re the most expensive in the market, so maybe we need to lower our prices to
match the competitors?
A: Lower our prices? Not very creative. It’ll never fly with Swan. What kind of thinking is that? Geez.
Anybody else have a better plan? Natalie?
C: Um, perhaps, um, a sales promotion. Maybe a two-for-one offer, or something like that!
A: What? That’s the same thing. Bad idea. Really bad idea. Dammit people come on! Think! The
CEO will be here any minute.

D: Do we have any ideas yet?
C: Yes Mr. Swan, we were kind of considering a two-for-one offer to get more competitive.
D: A two-for-one promotion? Hmm. I kind of like the sound of that. It sounds like something we should
consider.
A: Yeah, exactly. Just what I was thinking! In fact,that’s a brilliant idea! I’m glad we thought of that.
Very creative.

concrete solutions   a real or specific solution to a problem
drive sales  increase sales
in the market  in the industry
to match the competitors  be the as good as or better than others companies in the same industry
will never fly  will not work, will not be approved
promotion  something done to make people aware of a product
be here any minute  will arrive very soon
to consider  thinking about
brilliant   excellent
competitive  as good as or better than others of the same type
win sales  make sales sucessfully
sales strategy   plans for a company’s sales activities
sales cycle   the process a customer goes though when deciding to buy a product
to outsell   to sell more than others
customer loyalty  when a customer buys the same brand over and over