Transcript Document

Great ideas
Successful meetings
“The best way to have a good idea is to
have a lot of ideas.” What do you think
about the following?
There are no new ideas.
Most of the best ideas are discovered by
accident.
Research and development is the key to
great business ideas.
There is nothing wrong with copying and
improving the ideas of others.
The best way to kill an idea is to take it to
a meeting.
One good idea for successful business is
corporate venturing:
It is the process of two companies
entering into a partnership
Usually a larger company invests money
or goods into the smaller company in
return for access to technology or skills
Corporate venturing is a good solution for
companies in crisis (uniting makes them
stronger)
Another good idea for business is to
introduce innovations:
It is the introduction of new ideas, goods,
services and practices which are
intended to be useful
The main source of innovation is often the
courage and energy to better the world
An essential element for innovation is its
application in a commercial way
A number of innovations have changed
human history
A great idea is also called a
breakthrough:
It is usually an important discovery
which changes the history of something
Very often a single innovative
breakthrough is not enough: there has to
be continuous improvement
For example: the producers of mountain
bike have eliminated something form the
original model by providing comfort, easy
gear changes, a “fun” ride etc.
The initial idea for a product is first made
as a prototype:
It is a model of a future product and every
successive product is based on it
It is a physical model of the new product
concept
It includes designs, software and
devices
It is used for making observations and for
some necessary adjustments
The final prototype is called the “beta
version”:
It is a product in its final stage of testing
A beta version of a product (beta product)
is often available to the public for general
use and real life testing. It allows people to
start using new tools as soon as possible
Many inventors had good ideas but only a
few brought them into life:
For example Leonardo da Vinci who
drew fantastic pictures of parachutes and
helicopters but never developed them
Sometimes the technology of a certain
time is not yet ready to accept and
materialise an idea (the growth of
supermarket chains depends on the
people having cars to go shopping)
Here are some ways in which the ideas
are generated:
Sometimes a company exploits an
opportunity to offer more to its customers
by extending the product range.
Another good idea can allow a company to
enter the market which was closed to it
before.
It a company spends a lot on R&D they
might make a breaktrhough with a
original idea.
 On the other hand, some products come from
customer ideas. These products meet a real
need, they are exactley what the customers
demand.
 A product can also enhance the status, i.e.
represent something that makes people feel
important.
 Some people buy a “green” product just to
reduce waste and protect the environment.
Isis Innovation company:
It is a company owned by the University of
Oxford.
Their job is to take the ideas that have
developed in the university’s research and
turn them into commercial
opportunities.
They do that either by negotiating
licences or by helping researchers to
start new comapnies.
 Some of the companies that they have recently
started use technology developed in the
engineering department to make car bodies
more quickly.
 Another company makes houses for bees for
people who have orchards to grow fruit more
efficiently.
 They have also started a company for
archaeologists which trains them in the use of
computer techniques.
To build a company you have to bring
together a number of components.
First, you need a business plan.
Then, you use this business plan to
raise the investment – the cash you need
to start the business.
You also need people to manage the new
comapny.
Great ideas 1: Double your money
 Alka-Seltzer is a company that manufactured a
product for acid indigestion, sour stomach and
headaches. At that time the advertising for the
product showed a hand dropping one tablet into
a glass of water. Herta Herzog, a psychologist,
made a suggestion. She said that the hand in
the photograph should drop two tablets into
the glass. The advetising was changed and the
company’s sales doubled.
Great ideas 2: Buying without shops
 In 1891, when American farmers were
complaining about high prices in shops in the
countryside, Richard Sears had an idea.
 His idea was to use the new national railway
system and post office to create a new way of
selling: mail order.
 Sears bought in bulk and so kept prices low. He
was also good at attracting customers with
advertising. By 1895 his catalogue had 532
pages!
Great ideas 3: Pay before you talk
By the 1990s many people were using
mobile phones for both business and
pleasure. They had a contract and
received a bill for calls they had made in
the previous month.
Vodafone, a successful UK mobile phone
company, was already making good profits
when it introduced its new Pay As You
Talk service in 1997.
This allowed customers to have a phone
without a contract and monthly bills.
Instead, they have a “top up” card to
extend calling and service credit.
The advantage for customers was that
they could carefully budget the amount of
money spent-very useful for parents who
gave phones to their children. Thanks to
this, sales increased.
Successful meetings
Some useful language and
examples
Beginning the
meeting:
Stating the aim:
 Can we start please?
 Right, let’s begin.
 The main aim of the
meeting is to ...
 The purpose of this
meeting is to...
Asking for
comments:
Changing the
subject:
 What do you think?
 How do you feel
about this?
 Let’s move on now
to...
 The next item on the
agenda is...
Clarifying:
Summarising:
 What do you mean
by...?
 Sorry, I don’t quite
understand.
 Ok, let’s summarise.
 Right, let’s recap...
Giving opinions:
 I think....
 I’m in favour of...
Making suggestions:
 Perhaps we should...
 We could....
Agreeing:
Disagreeing:
 I think you’re right.
 I totally agree.
 I don’t know about
that.
 I’m afraid I don’t
agree
Interrupting:
Hold on a moment.
Can I say something?
An example of a meeting: “Freestyle”
Right, can we start, please? The main aim
of the meeting is to decide the date of the
launch. After that, we’ll talk about our
marketing strategy and decide which sales
outlets we should target.
OK, when are we gong to launch the
goggles? Katharina, what do you think?
Should it be early next year or should we
wait until the summer?
 I’m in favour of February and March. There’s a
gap in the market for our products. Why wait any
longer?
 Thanks, Katharina. OK, let’s hear a few more
views. Kenneth, what’s your opinion?
 I don’t know about February. It’s a bit early in the
year. I suggest we launch in May or June.
People go on holiday then. It’s a peak period for
buying goggles.
Thanks, Kenneth. Nadia, what’s your
view? You’re a keen swimmer, I know.
In my opinion, February is the best time.
We could promote them in swimming
pools and opticians. The price should be
high. I’d say, at least 50 pounds.
Hold on a minute. I thought we were
talking about the launch date, not about
promotion or price.
You’re right, Katharina. Let’s get back to
the point. OK, everyone, we agree we
prefer the earlier date. Let’s move on to
marketing. Julia, which outlets do you
think we should target?
I think we should start with the specialist
stores. That’s where most swimmers buy
their goggles. They sould be our main
target.
Stress (vocabulary)
Past simple and present perfect
Which of these situations are the most
stressful for you?
Going to the dentist
Queuing in the supermarket
Being stuck in a traffic jam
Going to the hairdresser
Finding a place to park
Organising a party
Having an interview
Making a speech
In your opinion, which of the following
apply more to men or women. Why?
 Are better time managers
 Are less worried about details
 Have more pressure outside work
 Are less ambitious
 Worry more about making mistakes
 Pay more attention to details
 Are better at doing many things at the same time
 Are more likely to become angry when stressed
Present perfect
Form: I have worked. He/she/it has
worked. They have worked.
I haven’t worked. Have I worked?
Use: we use the present perfect to
- talk about actions that continue from the
past to the present
(We have been in this business for over 50
years)
-talk about past events that have an impact
in the present
(Recently profits have fallen sharply
because of strong competition.)
-talk about life experiences
(He has worked in a number of different
firms.)
Present perfect versus past simple
- We use the past simple for completed
actions that happened in the past:
Capricorn opened its first store in 1984.
- the decision to use the past simple or the
present perfect depends on how we see
the event. If we see it as related to the
present, we use the present perfect. If we
see it as completed in the past, we use the
past simple:
I have known Bill for many years.
(We are still in touch.)
I knew Bill when I was at college.
(We don’t keep in touch.)
Cross out the incorrect sentence in each
pair:
1. Stress levels have incresed in recent
years.
Stress levels increased in recent years.
2. The role of women changed dramatically
over the past hundred years.
The role of women has changed
dramatically over the past hundred
years.
3. He has worked as a stress counsellor
since 1999.
He worked as a stress counsellor since
1999.
4. I resigned two months ago.
I have resigned two months ago.
5. Have you ever been to a stress
counsellor before?
Did you ever go to a stress counsellor
before?
6. I have seen a stress counsellor last
week.
I saw a stress counsellor last week.
Put the verbs in brackets in either the
past simple or the present perfect:
This is my house. How long you (live)
here? I (live) here since 1970.
He (live) in London for two years and then
he (go) to Edinburgh.
You (wear) your hair long when you were
at school? Yes, my mother (insist) on it.
But, when I (leave) school I (cut) my hair
and (wear) it short ever since.
I (not see) him for three years. I wonder
where he is.
He (not smoke) for two weeks. He is trying
to give it up.
You (have) breakfast yet? Yes, I (have) it
at eight o’clock.
Here are your shoes; I just (clean) them.