Arrangements and negotiations – Vocabulary and Phrases
break down – to fail, not to succeed
The deal has broken down so we will have to look for another partner.
bring forward – make a meeting earlier than originally decided
The company is likely to bring forward the opening date of their new plant.
draw up – to prepare and write something such as a document or plan
Managers are drawing up guidelines on safety at work.
fall through – to fail to be completed
We will have to abandon the project if the funding falls through.
firm up – to make an agreement, a plan, etc. more definite
We are looking at all the issues before firming up our offer.
hammer out – to develop a plan, solution, etc. by great effort
Oil producers met to hammer out a deal to prevent prices from falling.
pencil in – to make an arrangement to do something or see somebody with a possibility to change it
We pencilled in May 15th as a possible date for the meeting.
pull out of – to decide to stop being involved in something
She had accepted the job, but pulled out at the last minute.
put together – to combine, to assemble
Managers are hoping to put together a successful business plan.
set up – to arrange
My secretary is setting all the interviews up
to postpone a meeting – to make it later than originally planned
Let's postpone making the decision until we have more information.
to chair/run a meeting – to be in charge of a meeting
Who's chairing the meeting?
intense negotiations – very difficult and tiring, with a lot being discussed
Palestinian President said intense negotiations are under way to free an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants.
delicate/tense negotiations – are very difficult and could easily fail
The two countries are currently engaged in delicate negotiations over energy security.
eleventh-hour/last minute negotiations – take place at the last possible moment of the time available
The BBC reported the failure of "eleventh-hour" negotiations between Iran and the EU to stop nuclear-weapons development in the Islamic Republic.
negotiator – person taking part in negotiations
The union's chief negotiator presented the demands of miners.
wage bargaining – discussions between groups of employees and their employers about pay and conditions
A major round of wage bargaining is due to start later this week.
bargaining ploy – a particular technique used by a negotiator
North Korea's unexpected withdrawal from the global nuclear arms control treaty is a bargaining ploy rather than a military threat.
bargaining chip/tool – an issue that a negotiator uses in order to gain an advantage
Management seemed intent on using potential purchases of new planes as a bargaining chip to win concessions from the pilots.
fallback position – conditions that you will accept if your original objectives in the negotiations are not met
Nobody admits to having a fall-back position in case European monetary union does not work out.
to be on home ground – in your own office
Nokia executives argue that the Chinese won't be as formidable here as they were on home ground.
to see the other side on their ground – in their office
We did not want to meet on their ground, but they did not give us any choice.
to meet on neutral ground – e.g. in a hotel
If possible, the negotiations should be held on neutral ground or alternate between locations selected by each of the parties.
to consult sb about sth. – to go to a person, a book etc. for information, advice etc.
If the pain continues, you should consult a doctor.
kick off the negotiations – to start
The official UN climate talks kicked off today with a powerful show on climate change.
small talk – a conversation about ordinary or unimportant matters, usually at a social event
After some small talk he asked me how much I made in my last job.
agenda – a list of subjects to be discussed at the meeting
What's the first item on the agenda?
to get down to business – to finally start doing something that needs a lot of time or energy
Conflicts in meetings disappear rapidly once you get down to the details.
to make a concession – a thing agreed or given, especially after discussion, an argument, etc.
The company was finally forced to make important concessions to the workers.
goodwill gesture – an action done to show friendly or cooperative feelings
The new CEO made a goodwill gesture by dropping the much-hated body-weight limits for flight attendants.
horse-trading – when two sides discuss a business deal in a very forceful way, each one trying to get as much as they can without making the other want to stop the deal
There has been some intense horse-trading today.
to haggle (over) – to argue about the price of something before reaching an agreement
If the haggling continues and there is no budget by July 30, it will mean no paycheques for 199,000 state workers.
a trade-off – a balance between two situations in order to get an acceptable result
The legal restrictions will remain as a trade-off for allowing interstate investment.
to compromise (on) – if two groups compromise, they each accept less than they first asked for and each give up something that they value
The company has refused to compromise on a reduction in the working week.
to close/clinch the deal – to reach the point in a deal or sale where everyone involved agrees to it
After weeks of intense negotiations, they clinched a deal on Oct. 9, allowing Merkel to be chancellor in a coalition government.
deadlock – a complete failure to reach an agreement or to settle a dispute
We can only make minor concessions, but it might break the deadlock.
a binding contract – a contract that must be kept
No addition to these terms is binding on the buyer unless agreed in writing.