🔥
Section 1 / 8
Warm-up
Lesson 5
Negotiations & Making Deals
Business English B1Lesson 58 sections41 exercises
1.1
Negotiations & Making Deals
Today is about the language of negotiation — proposing terms, making concessions without giving away too much, and closing a deal that works for both sides.
1.2
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key negotiation vocabulary
- Propose terms and make counter-offers
- Make and ask for concessions using conditionals
- Close a negotiation confidently
1.3
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Do you ever negotiate at work — prices, deadlines, terms?
- Do you enjoy negotiating, or does it make you uncomfortable?
- What's a negotiation you remember well — good or bad?
1.4
Say it out loud
Practise opening a negotiation. → Let's see if we can find something that works for both of us.
1.5
Fact worth knowing
Experienced negotiators almost always let the other side name a number first — whoever states a figure first often ends up anchoring the whole conversation around it.
🧩
Section 2 / 8
Vocabulary
2.1
Negotiation vocabulary
2.2
Negotiation phrases
| Where's your flexibility on…? | Наскільки ви гнучкі щодо…? |
| I could meet you halfway on… | Я міг би піти на компроміс щодо… |
| That's a bit of a stretch for us. | Це для нас трохи забагато. |
| Let's shake on it. | Тиснемо руки — домовились. |
| I'll need to run this by my team first. | Мені треба це узгодити зі своєю командою. |
2.3
Try out the new words
Name a concession you might offer. → I could offer … in exchange for … .
Describe your bottom line. → My bottom line is … .
2.4
Which word is it?
The lowest offer (or highest price) you're willing to accept
bottom line
An offer made in response to a previous offer
counter-offer
A situation where both sides gain something
win-win
To end discussions without reaching an agreement
to walk away / to reach an impasse
The person's alternative plan if the deal fails (abbreviation)
BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement)
2.5
Fill in the missing word
That price is below our ____ line. (bottom)
Let me make a ____ -offer. (counter)
We're aiming for a ____ -win outcome. (win)
2.6
Translate the phrase
піти на компроміс →
крайній термін →
📐
Section 3 / 8
Grammar
3.1
Conditionals for making concessions
| 1st conditional (likely) | "If you can increase the order size, we'll offer a discount." |
| 2nd conditional (hypothetical/softer) | "If you were able to pay upfront, we could reduce the price by 5%." |
| Pattern | If + condition, + result — always trade a concession FOR something. |
3.2
1st or 2nd conditional?
If you ____ the deadline, we'll add a bonus payment. (meet/met)
If we ____ a longer contract, would you lower the price? (signed/sign)
3.3
Fill in the missing word
____ you could deliver early, we'd pay a premium. (If)
3.4
Turn this into a conditional trade
"bigger order / 10% discount" →
3.5
Say it about a real deal
Make one real conditional trade you could imagine offering at work, using "If you… we'll…".
📖
Section 4 / 8
Reading
4.1
Read: a negotiation excerpt
"So, where's your flexibility on the price?" "Honestly, that figure is already close to our bottom line — but if you could commit to a 12-month contract instead of 6, we could meet you halfway and knock off another 5%." "That's interesting. Let me run it by my team, but I think we could make that work. What about the delivery timeline?" "If you're flexible there too, we could throw in free onboarding support for the first quarter." "Deal. Let's shake on it — I'll get the paperwork over by Friday."
4.2
True or false?
The price was reduced with no conditions attached.
False — it was tied to a longer contract.
Free onboarding support was offered as an extra concession.
True
They failed to reach a deal.
False — they shook on it.
4.3
Find the conditional trades
Find both "if… we'll…" trades in the dialogue.
"if you could commit to a 12-month contract… we could meet you halfway" and "if you're flexible there too, we could throw in free onboarding support."
✏️
Section 5 / 8
Practice
5.1
Picture the deal
💬💰🤝
Propose → Trade concessions → Close. Never give something for nothing — always trade.
5.2
Match the phrase to its function
"That's a bit of a stretch for us."
"Let's shake on it."
5.3
Put the words in order
meet / could / we / halfway / you
5.4
Fill in the missing phrase
I'll need to ________ (run this by/ask this to) my team first.
5.5
A negotiation fact
Negotiators who ask "Where's your flexibility?" instead of demanding a specific number tend to uncover more room to manoeuvre — the other side often reveals more than they intended to.
🗣️
Section 6 / 8
Speaking — Close the Deal
6.1
How to use this section
Your tutor will play the other side of a negotiation. React in real time — propose, push back, trade concessions, and try to close a deal that works for you. Don't just accept the first offer!
6.2
Opening the negotiation
🎙️ Task: open a negotiation about a service contract price.
Starter: "Thanks for meeting. Before we talk numbers, where's your flexibility on the contract length?"
6.3
Responding to a low offer
🎙️ Colleague: "We can only offer $2,000 for this."
Starter: "That's a bit of a stretch for us — our bottom line is closer to $2,800. Where could you move?"
6.4
Making a conditional trade
🎙️ Task: propose a concession tied to a condition.
Starter: "If you could commit to a 12-month contract, we'd be able to knock 10% off the price."
6.5
Pushing back on a demand
🎙️ Colleague: "We need free support for the entire first year."
Starter: "I hear you, but a full year isn't something we can do — I could offer the first quarter free instead. Would that work?"
6.6
Buying time to check with your team
🎙️ Colleague pushes for an answer right now.
Starter: "I want to say yes, but I'll need to run this by my team before I confirm. Can I get back to you tomorrow?"
6.7
Walking away (or threatening to)
🎙️ Colleague won't move on price at all.
Starter: "If we really can't find middle ground here, I don't think this deal makes sense for us — but I'd rather find a way forward. What can you offer?"
6.8
Closing the deal
🎙️ Task: both sides have agreed — close it.
Starter: "I think we've got a deal — let's shake on it. I'll send the contract over by end of day."
6.9
Full negotiation roleplay — no stopping
FULL RUN-THROUGH
Now negotiate a full deal from opening to close with your tutor: price, one condition-based concession, one pushback, and a final agreement — entirely in English, without switching to Ukrainian even when it gets tense.
6.10
Let's talk — reflection
- Did you give away any concessions "for free" by accident?
- Which phrase felt most natural to say under pressure?
- What's one phrase you'll try in your next real negotiation?
❄️
Section 7 / 8
Cool down
7.1
Now I can...
- Use key negotiation vocabulary
- Propose terms and make counter-offers
- Make and ask for concessions with conditionals
- Close a negotiation confidently
7.2
One more thing before you go
Say your closing line ("Let's shake on it…") one final time, from memory.
🏠
Section 8 / 8
Homework
How to do your homework
- Do the exercises below and press Check in each one. Green = correct. Red shows what was expected.
- Do the writing and speaking tasks and tick them when they are done.
- Write your name and press Copy my result, then send the text to your tutor.
8.1
Words to remember
| a concession / a counter-offer | поступка / зустрічна пропозиція |
| bottom line / win-win | крайня межа / взаємовигідний результат |
| to meet halfway / to shake on it | піти на компроміс / потиснути руки на знак угоди |
| to walk away / an impasse | відмовитись від угоди / глухий кут |
| flexibility / a stretch | гнучкість / завелика вимога |
8.2
Fill in the conditional
If you ____ (agree) to a longer contract, we'll lower the price.
8.3
Translate the phrase
наскільки ви гнучкі щодо ціни? →
8.4
Write it yourself
Write 3 conditional trades ("If you… we'll…") you could realistically use in a negotiation at your own job.
8.5
Practise out loud
Practise your opening line and your closing line out loud three times before your next real negotiation.
Tick what you have done
- 8.4 Write it yourself: Write 3 conditional trades ("If you… we'll…") you could realistically use in a negotiation at you…
- 8.5 Practise out loud: Practise your opening line and your closing line out loud three times before your next real negot…