UNIT ONE SOCIALIZING IN BUSINESS

1.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
1. Is there any difference between formal and informal language?
2. Read the following questions and mark your answer:

DOs and DON’Ts

Business manners make a major impression on colleagues, employees and customers but
sometimes, there’s only a subtle difference between saying “the right thing” and ”the wrong
thing”. Read the following situations and decide which is right and which is wrong:

1. When you want to intrude on a colleague’s time, you say:

a. May I have a moment of your time?
b. Are you busy right now?

2. When you want to smoke:

a. Light a cigarette in a bathroom or corner.
b. Look for a smoking sign, or leave the premises to light up.

3. When you accidentally use profanity:

a. Please, excuse my anger.
b. I know I shouldn’t say things like that, but being late makes me so mad.

4. When you are wondering when to start eating:

a. Start eating when you are invited to do so.
b. “Dig in” at the table before others begin their meals.

5. When you are wondering how to address someone you just met:
a. Repeat his or her entire name slowly and ask for the proper form of address.
b. Use a first name unless you’re in a social setting or meeting a peer.

6. When you are running out of time during an appointment:

a. Offer to make an additional appointment for further questions or comments.
b. Summarily end the meeting or anxiously look at the clock.

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9. When you want to make a personal comment to a colleague:
a. Ask to speak to the individual privately.
b. Raise the issue during a meeting.

10. When you enter a room:

a. Place your items on the individual’s desk unless he invites you to do so.
b. Stand until the other individual sits down.

11. When you hear a rumor:

a. Listen politely and without comment.
b. Repeat the rumor or harangue the individual for spreading the rumor.

12. When a conversation partner is not paying attention to you:

a. Stop the conversation entirely or bring public attention to the individual’s behavior.
b. Offer a “mini-pause” of a few seconds, followed by a warm nod of the head or a smile.

13. When you are trying to decide how to dress:

a. Dress casually.
b. Dress in approximately the same style as you expect the individual you are meeting to
dress.

14. When you are visiting someone and you must pass a reception desk:
a. Walk by the receptionist without acknowledging her.
b. Ask permission to go ahead, even if you know the direction to the individual’s location.

15. When you take your coat off in someone’s office:

a. Ask where coats should be hung, even if you notice a hook on the wall.
b. Drape it over the back of your chair.

1.2. Reading

Business Manners / Business Etiquette Around the World

The prospect of committing a faux pas in front of your peers, boss or clients is enough to make
you blush. A case of the hiccups or giving a presentation with your zipper down will haunt you
for the rest of your career.
The odds of making a social misstep increase when you travel abroad. U.S. workers making
business trips to other countries often find themselves trying to put their best foot forward but
instead end up stepping on the toes of their hosts.
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Don't always clean your plate

The dinner table is the perfect venue to commit a well-intentioned gaffe. Nancy Mitchell of
The Etiquette Advocate trains clients on business protocol and etiquette. One of her clients
recently admitted that he offended a Chinese business associate on his first trip to Beijing. The
business associate invited him to dinner on the first night of the visit. His research taught him
that in China, he shouldn't discuss business at such an early stage of his trip, so he went to
dinner confident about his efforts to keep the conversation on learning more about China and
his host's family.
As the evening progressed, the American politely ate every bit of food on his plate, even as the
courses continued and he was full. When the evening ended, the host's warmth had disappeared
and he gave the visitor a cold goodbye.
The next morning he found out from a co-worker that in China, cleaning your plate means you
weren't given enough food. Several helpings of food signal that the host wasn't generous to his
or her guest.

Don't get caught off guard

American travelers can often find themselves in awkward situations through no fault of their
own. Asking, "How are you?' can get some surprising responses for Americans, says Elisabetta
Ghisini, author of "Communicating the American Way." Americans will normally respond to
that question with something quick and cheerful, such as "Fine!" or "Good. How are you?"
"But if you happen to be traveling to Eastern Europe, such an upbeat attitude would be out of
place -- 'I'm surviving' or 'Terrible' are perfectly acceptable options," Ghisini says.

Other rules of etiquette American business travelers might find quirky can be found in "Cross-
Cultural Selling for Dummies" by Michael Soon Lee. Among them:
- You shouldn't give a Chinese person a clock as a gift. This can be viewed as an unlucky
action signaling someone's death.
- Knives don't make good gifts in Japan as they can be seen as symbolic of cutting ties with the
recipient.
- In New Zealand, a common greeting between two people is to rub or touch noses.
- In Middle Eastern countries, you shouldn't use your left hand for greetings or to hand
someone an object, as the left hand is seen as unclean.
Before you head overseas to woo a client and make some important contacts on behalf of your
company, do your homework. Buy some books about etiquette and search online for tips. Some
countries even have government-sponsored Web sites that tell visitors what to expect. Perhaps
your best resource is friends or colleagues who have visited the country because they can give
you advice based on their experiences.

1.3. Language focus: The Noun

The Noun

Study the following nouns from the text; can you detect any difference?

Business – businesses: His business is buying and selling shoes. – There are different types of
businesses.

Introduction – introductions: The introduction of the book is interesting. – He made the

introductions.
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People – peoples: People think he is a successful businessman. – Peoples in Asia are different
from peoples in Europe.

Manner – manners: He has a self-confident manner. – You should study business manners.

Silence – no plural: Silence in the room!

Countable nouns
Form: Sg./ pl.: office/ offices; businessman/ businessmen
Determiners for Countables: the article (a, an, the), the numeral (one, two etc.), some, many,
several, a lot of etc.

Uncountable nouns
Form: They have only one form: milk, tea, coffee, information, news, trouble etc.
Determiners for Uncountables: little, a little, some (of), much (of), enough, the, no, zero article
Ø, any, more, most (of the), a lot of (the), some, all (of) the, a great/ small amount of, a bit of
(informal), a piece of, a loaf/ slice of (bread), a lump of (sugar) etc.

Use:
a lot of - in positive sentences: I have a lot of work.
much – in negative sentences and questions:
There isn’t much work to do. Have you got much work to do?
some – in positive sentences and in questions when the expected answer is
‘yes’: I have some good news. Would you like some tea?
any – in negative sentences and questions:
He didn’t make any progress. Is there any good news?
no – in negative sentences with a positive verb:
He has no experience at all.

Uncountable nouns:
Materials/ substances: oxygen, petrol, bread, chocolate, cheese, cream, gold, snow,
wind
abstract nouns: heat, science, mathematics, economics, love, hate, happiness, advice,
experience, fun, help, health, information, knowledge, progress, weather, work
nouns that are uncountable in English but are often countable in other languages:
accommodation, music, equipment, furniture, homework, luggage, rubbish

Rule: Uncountables + Vb. in the sg.: Mathematics is important.

Always take a verb in singular: information, homework, advice, intelligence, wisdom, money,
luggage, knowledge, justice, nonsense, news, furniture, politics, economics, phonetics,
measles, sugar, bread, butter, fruit, gold, silver, jam, honey etc.
The plural is suggested by adding: three pieces/ items of… several/ many pieces of…

Always take a verb in plural: glasses, clothes, scissors, pants, trousers, scales, goods, premises,
savings, outskirts, grounds, compasses, scales, spectacles, scissors, earnings, funds, manners,
savings, stairs, contents, wages
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Foreign plurals
analysis – analyses formula – formulae
crisis – crises focus – foci
datum – data index – indices
memorandum – memoranda index - indexes
phenomenon – phenomena

Choose the correct form of the noun in the following sentences:

1. Do you have any experience/experiences of working in marketing?

2. How many people/persons/peoples will be participating in the meeting?
3. The accident happened because the workers were not wearing protective
clothing/clothings.
4. Our son cannot join us on the trip because he has a lot of homework/homeworks to do.
5. The clerk could not give any information/informations about the company profile.
6. We all like the new office furniture/furnitures.
7. Jane has got cold/a cold. She must have caught it from me.
8. It will cost a lot to repair the damage/damages caused by the flood.

1.4. Functions
a. Identifying yourself

Hello, I’m… from…

Hello, my name is…I work for…
Hello, let me introduce myself, I’m…I’m in charge of// I’m responsible
for… Hello, first name+ surname…I’ve got an appointment with…

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b. greetings when you meet someone for the first time

First greeting Reply to the greeting

Neutral How do you do? I’m (very) pleased/
delighted to meet you.
It’s (very) nice to meet you.
Informal How do you do? Nice/ good to meet
you.
Hello. Nice to have you with us.
Hi. Pleased to meet you.
How do you do? It’s (very) nice to meet
you too.
I’m pleased to meet you too.
Nice/ good to meet you too.
Pleased to meet you too.

c. Introducing people

Phrase of introduction Relevant information

Neutral Mr. X, I’d like you to meet Y a colleague of mine.
May I introduce Y
I’d like to introduce Y From…
Our Marketing manager.
Informal Can I introduce He’s with…
This is… A friend of mine.
I want you to meet… He’s over here on business.

d. Greetings

Greeting Follow-up enquiry Reply Specific enquiry Reply

Hello. How are you? Very well, How was your Very good.
Hi. How are you doing? thanks. holiday? Very
(Good) How are things? Not too How was the trip? interesting
morning. How have things bad. How did the meeting Very well/
(Good) been? Fine, go? fine.
afternoon. Is everything okay/ thank you. How did you enjoy Very much.
all right? the film?
How’s everything
going?

Greeting people you see less frequently

You have met them several times before

Neutral I’m very pleased to meet/ see you again.
It’s (very) nice to meet/ see you again.

Informal Good/ nice to see you. Good to meet you again.

Great to see you. Pleased to meet you again.