D： I'd like to get the ball rolling（开始）by talking about prices.
R： Shoot.（洗耳恭听）I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
D： Your products are very good. But I'm a little worried about the prices you're asking.
D： （chuckles莞尔） That's not exactly what I had in mind. I know your research costs are high， but what I'd like is a 25% discount.
R： That seems to be a little high， Mr. Smith. I don't know how we can make a profit with those numbers.
D： Please， Robert， call me Dan. （pause） Well， if we promise future business――volume sales（大笔交易）――that will slash your costs（大量减低成本）for making the Exec-U-ciser， right？
R： Yes， but it's hard to see how you can place such large orders. How could you turn over（销磬）so many？ （pause） We'd need a guarantee of future business， not just a promise.
D： We said we wanted 1000 pieces over a six-month period. What if we place orders for twelve months， with a guarantee？
R： If you can guarantee that on paper， I think we can discuss this further.
Robert回公司呈报Dan的提案后，老板很满意对方的采购计划；但在折扣方面则希望Robert能继续维持强硬的态度，尽量探出对方的底线。就在这七上七八的价格翘翘板上，双方是否能找到彼此地平衡点呢？请看下面分解：
R： Even with volume sales， our coats for the Exec-U-Ciser won't go down much.
R： We could take a cut（降低）on the price. But 25% would slash our profit margin（毛利率）。We suggest a compromise――10%.
D： That's a big change from 25！ 10 is beyond my negotiating limit. （pause） Any other ideas？
R： I don't think I can change it right now. Why don't we talk again tomorrow？
D： Sure. I must talk to my office anyway. I hope we can find some common ground（共同信念）on this.
D： Robert， I've been instructed to reject the numbers you proposed； but we can try to come up with some thing else.
D： I understand. We propose a structured deal（阶段式和约）。 For the first six months， we get a discount of 20%， and the next six months we get 15%.
R： Dan， I can't bring those numbers back to my office――they'll turn it down flat（打回票）。
D： Then you'll have to think of something better， Robert.
Dan上回提议前半年给他们二成折扣，后半年再降为一成半，经Robert推翻后，Dan再三表示让步有限。您知道Robert在这折扣缝隙中游走，如何才能摸出双方都同意的数字呢？他从锦囊里又掏出什么妙计了呢？请看下面分解：
R： How about 15% the first six months， and the second six months at 12%， with a guarantee of 3000 units？
D： That's a lot to sell， with very low profit margins.
R： It's about the best we can do， Dan. （pause） We need to hammer something out （敲定）today. If I go back empty-handed， I may be coming back to you soon to ask for a job. （smiles）
D： （smiles） O.K.， 17% the first six months， 14% for the second？！
R： Good. Let's iron out（解决）the remaining details. When do you want to take delivery（取货）？
D： We'd like you to execute the first order by the 31st.
R： Let me run through this again： the first shipment for 1500 units， to be delivered in 27 days， by the 31st.
D： Right. We couldn't handle much larger shipments.
R： Fine. But I'd prefer the first shipment to be 1000 units， the next 2000. The 31st is quite soon —— I can't guarantee 1500.
D： I can agree to that. Well， if there's nothing else， I think we've settled everything.
R： Dan， this deal promises big returns（赚大钱）for both sides. Let's hope it's the beginning of a long and prosperous relationship.
今天Robert的办公室出现了一个生面孔――Kevin Hughes，此人代表美国一家运动产品公司，专程来台湾寻找加工。接洽的加工产品市运动型“磁质石膏护垫”，受伤的运动员包上这种产品上场比赛，即可保护受伤部位，且不妨碍活动。现在，我们就来看看两人的会议现况：
R： We found your proposal quite interesting， Mr. Hughes. We'd like to weigh the pros and cons（衡量得失）with you.
K： Mr. Robert Liu， we've looked all over Asia for a manufacturer； your company is one of the most suitable.
R： If we can settle a number of basic questions， I'm confident in saying that we are the most suitable for your needs.
K： I hope so. And what might be the basic questions you have？
R： First， do you intend to take a position in（投资于……）our company？
K： No， we don't， Mr. Liu. This is just OEM.
R： I see. Then， the most important thing is the size of your orders. We'll have to invest a great deal of money in the new production process.
K： If you can guarantee continuing quality， we can sign a commitment for 75，000 pieces a year， for five years.
R： At U.S. $1000 a piece， we'll make an average return of just 4%. That's too great a financial burden for us.
K： I'll check the number later， but what do you propose？
R： Here's how you can demonstrate commitment to this deal. Make it ten years， increase the unit price， and provide technology transfer.
Robert在前面的谈判最后提出签约十年的要求，Kevin会不会答应呢？如果答案是否决的话，Robert又有何打算？他一心为公司的利益打算，极力争取技术转移地协定，而对方会甘心出让此项比金钱更珍贵的资产吗？请看以下分解：
K： We can't sign any commitment for ten years. But if your production quality is good after the first year， we could extend the contract and increase our yearly purchase.
R： That sounds reasonable. But could you shed some light on（透露）the size of your orders？
K： If we are happy with your quality， we might increase our purchase to 100，000 a year， for a two-year period.
R： Excuse me， Mr. Hughes， but it seems to me we're giving up too much in this case. We'd be giving up the five-year guarantee for increased yearly sales.
K： Mr. Liu， you've got to give up something to get something.
R： If you're asking us to take such a large gamble（冒险）for just two year's sales， I'm sorry， but you're not in our ballpark（接受的范围）。
K： What would it take to keep Pacer interested？
R： A three-year guarantee， not two. And a qualilty inspection（质量检查）tour after one year is fine， but we'd like some of our personnel on the team.
K： Acceptable. Anything else？
R： We'd be making huge capital outlay（资本支出）for the production process， so we'd like to set up a technology transfer agreement， to help us get off the ground（取得初步进步）。
行至此处，谈判都还算是在和谐的气氛下进行，双方各自寻求获利的方案。但针对技术转移这一项，Robert所提的保证和要求能否消弭Kevin心中的顾虑，而今此谈判终露曙光呢？以下对话即为您揭晓：
K： If we transferred our technical and research expertise（技术与研究的专业知识）， what would stop you from making th esame product？
R： We'd be willing to sign a commitment. We'll put it in writing （书面保证）that we won't copycat（仿冒）the Sports Cast within five years after ending our contract.
K： Sounds O.K.， if it's for any “similar” product. That would give us better protection. But we'd have to interest on a ten year limit.
R： Fine. We have no intention of becoming your competitor.
K： Great. Then let's settle the details of the transfer agreement.
R： We'll need you to send over some key personnel to help us purchase the equipment and train our technical people. How long do you anticipate that will take？
K： A week to put the team together， three weeks to train your people. If so， when do you estimate starting production？
R： Our first production run（一批的生产）should be one week after our team finishes its training. But I'd like your team to stay a full week after that， to handle any kitches that pop up（处理突发的事件）。
K： Can do. Everything seems to be set， Robert. I'll bring in a sample contract tomorrow. If you like， we can sign it then.
Botany Bay是家生产高科技医疗用品的公司。其产品“病例磁盘”可储存个人病例；资料取用方便，真是达到“一盘在手，妙用无穷”的目的。此产品可广泛使用于医院、养老院、学校等。因此Pacer有意争取该产品软硬件设备的代理权。以下就是Robert与Botany Bay的代表，Mark Davis，首度会面的情形：
M： Mr. Liu， total sales onthe Medic-Disk were U.S.$ 100，000 last year， through our agent in Hong Kong.
R： Our research shows most of your sales， are made in the Taipei area. Your agent has only been able to target the Taipei market（把……作为目标市场）。
M： True， but we are happy with the sales. It's a new product. How could you do better？
R： We're already well-established in the medical products business. The Medic-Disk would be a good addition to our product range.
M： Can you tell me what your sales have been like in past years？
R： In the past three years， our unit sales have gone up by 350 percent； profits have gone up almost 400 percent.
M： What kind of distribution capabilities（分销能力）do you have？
R： We have salespeople in four major areas around the island， selling directly to customers.
M： What about your sales？
R： In terms of unit sales， 55 percent are still from the Taipei area. The rest comes from the Kaohsiung， Taichung， and Tainan areas. That's a great deal of untapped market potential（未开发的市场潜力）， Mr. Davis
Robert说明Pacer在行销与技术上的基础后，终于取信了Mark， 也为此谈判迈开成功的第一步。在谈判佣金鱼合约期限这类议题之前，Robert想先确定一些条件，包括独家代理权与Botany Bay所能提供的协助。你知道Robert运用了哪些技巧，才不会让Mark以此作条件来威胁Pacer让步？我们看看Robert怎么说：
M： Mr. Liu， what kinds of sales do you think you could get？
R： Well， to begin with， we'd have to insist on sole agency in Taiwan. We believe we could spike（激增） sales by 30% to 40% in the first year. But certain conditions would have to be met.
M： What kinds of conditions？
R： We'd need your full technical and marketing support.
M： Could you explain what you mean by that？
R： We'd like you to give training to our technical staff； we'd also like you to pay a fee for after-sales service.
M： It's no problem with the training. As for service support， we usually pay a yearly fee， pegged to（根据）total sales.
R： Sounds OK， if we can come to terms（达成协定） on how much is fair. As for marketing support， we would like you to assume 50% of all costs.
M： We'd prefer 40%. Many customers learn about our products through international magazines， trade shows， and so on. We pick up the tab（付款）for that， but you get the sales in Taiwan.
R： We'll think about it， and talk more tomorrow.
M： Fine. We'd like you to tell us about your marketing plans.
