Meetings and negotiations
Participate in and lead meetings and negotiations: set agendas, make proposals, bargain, handle deadlock and summarise agreements.
In this lesson you will
- Chair and participate in meetings
- Make and respond to proposals conditionally
- Reach and confirm agreement
Learn
Chairing: Shall we get started? ; The main aim today is… ; Let’s move on to item two. ; Can we come back to that later? ; To sum up what we’ve agreed…
Proposals and conditions: What if we…? ; We’d be prepared to… provided that… ; If you could…, we might be able to… ; That’s something we could consider on condition that…
Bargaining: That’s a little higher than we’d anticipated. ; Is there any flexibility on…? ; Our best offer would be… ; We can’t go below…
Deadlock and closing: Let’s look at this from a different angle. ; Perhaps we could meet halfway. ; So, to confirm: you’ll…, and we’ll… ; I’ll put that in writing.
Examples
- We’d be prepared to extend the contract, provided that prices stay fixed.
- Is there any flexibility on the delivery date?
- Perhaps we could meet halfway at 8%.
- So, to confirm: you’ll send the samples and we’ll place the order by June.
Vocabulary
agenda
a list of topics for a meeting
provided that
only if
flexibility
ability to change
deadlock
a situation where no agreement is possible
meet halfway
compromise
Practice
Moving on in a meeting:
Listening: A supplier negotiation
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Buyer: Thanks for coming. The main aim today is to agree terms for next year.
Supplier: Great. Our proposal is a 6% price increase, reflecting higher material costs.
Buyer: That’s a little higher than we’d anticipated. Is there any flexibility?
Supplier: We’d be prepared to reduce it to 4%, provided that you commit to a two-year contract.
Buyer: Two years is possible, if you could also guarantee delivery within ten days.
Supplier: Ten days is tight, but we could agree to twelve.
Buyer: Let’s meet halfway — eleven days, 4%, two years?
Supplier: Agreed. So, to confirm: 4%, two years, eleven-day delivery. I’ll put that in writing.
1.What was the supplier’s first proposal?
2.What condition did the supplier set for 4%?
3.What delivery time was agreed?
4.The supplier will confirm the agreement in writing.
Speaking
Role-play a negotiation (buying a used car, renting a flat, or agreeing a salary). Open, make a conditional offer, bargain, break a deadlock and summarise the agreement.
Writing
Write a follow-up email (120–150 words) confirming the terms agreed in a negotiation.
Lesson quiz
“Provided that” means…
Review
Key points
- Chairing phrases.
- Conditional proposals: provided that, on condition that.
- Bargaining diplomatically.
- Break deadlock; confirm agreement.
What you learned
- ✓ I can take part in meetings.
- ✓ I can negotiate.
- ✓ I confirm agreements clearly.
Grammar reference: Conditionals: zero, first, second and third