English for Business

ASE3041
Level 3
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Time allowed: 3 hours

Information
There are 4 questions in this examination.
Total marks available: 100
All questions carry equal marks.
There is credit for correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Instructions
Do not open this paper until you are told to do so by the supervisor.
Answer all questions.
Write your answers in blue or black ink/ballpoint.
Please ensure your answers are written clearly.
All answers must be correctly numbered but need not be in numerical order.
You need to communicate appropriately and well.
When you finish, check your work carefully and cross out any preparatory work.
You may use an English or bilingual dictionary.

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Education Development International plc 2012

QUESTION 1
Situation
You are employed in the Estates & Facilities Department of a large company (Global Investments
Corporation) in your area. The company is expanding rapidly and construction is under way at a
new building to accommodate the Financial Services and Human Resources departments, which will be
relocated from their current location to the new premises in a few months time.
Your manager, Mr Felix Unger, says this to you:
Can you write, on my behalf, to the architect, Mr Gerard Kaufmann, to advise him of the following?
Firstly, let him know that, following a meeting yesterday, our Operations Committee has decided to
adopt the revised Plan XB/010 for the first floor of the new building which will now contain 25 offices and
two separate toilet/washroom facilities, one for male staff, one for female staff. I dont mind telling you I
am enormously relieved to hear this. Do you remember the complaints from some of the staff when they
first heard that the proposed toilet/washroom facilities on the first floor were to be combined into one unit
for males/females? Thank goodness that idea has been dropped! I think we would have had more
protests from staff if that proposal had gone ahead.
The second point is that the Operations Committee, following advice given, has decided to reduce
the number of visitors car parking spaces at the front and side of the proposed new building, from 20
to 17. This is to allow sufficient space for any emergency vehicles which might be needed
in the event of a fire, or other potential disaster, to be able to access the whole area safely. That seems
a very sensible proposal to me. I did notice from the earlier plan that the fire assembly point for staff was
quite restricted, so cutting down the number of car park spaces would allow better access, not only for
vehicles but it will also give the staff more space at their designated fire assembly points.
The third point is that the Operations Committee wants the area around the main entrance to the
new building to be retained as a garden feature with small trees and shrubs. In the original plan we had
intended planting deciduous trees, but it seems planting evergreen trees and shrubs might be more
pleasing as there would be constant greenery all year round. Also, from a practical point of view, the
planted area would be easier to maintain. Now that is a good idea. As a gardener I know what a backbreaking job it is to clear up the leaves every autumn and winter!
I dont think any of the points raised will cause any problems, but to be on the safe side, do ask
him to confirm that the dates for the completion of the project are not adversely affected by any
of the above.
I hope Ive made everything clear. Thank you for doing this for me.
The architects address is: Forefront Designs Ltd, Stapleford House, West Goring, WG2 1BY

Task
Write a letter to Mr Gerard Kaufmann, at Forefront Designs Ltd, as requested. You can assume
that the companys headed notepaper is used but you should include all other components of business
letter.

(Total 25 marks)

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QUESTION 2
Situation
You work for a publishing company and your Manager, Mr Hussein Bhopal, asks you to read the
following article and prepare an internal report for him to present to the Forward Print Planning
Committee. The company is considering moving into the ebook market. Your report should set out
clearly the main differences between paper books and ebooks, giving both the positive and negative
aspects of each. He does not wish you to make any recommendations, The Forward Print Planning
Committee will make the decisions.

Books and EBooks

Books are part of the currency of knowledge. Not only can you read just about anything you want
in them, they are cheap enough to be disposable. The paper book is still regarded as the most
intelligent, interactive, data retrieval system ever devised. You can do lots of things with it; you
can write notes on it, mark important passages in it and, importantly, it wont break if you drop it.
While music, games and videos have all enjoyed the move to electronic hand-held devices, it is
surprising to find that our favourite way to enjoy the written word is still on paper. The paper book
still seems hard to beat.
However, the coming of the digital age and rapidly-developing technology has seen the arrival of
electronic books called, almost inevitably ebooks. Ebooks are electronic devices that take digital
words and put them on a portable screen. A simple enough idea, but one that still has
the people developing them wrestling with some of the technological problems in their efforts to
make the devices widely accessible to the general public.
There are key differences between ebooks and paper books. A paper book stores precisely one
piece of written material, perhaps a novel, within its covers, whereas an ebook can potentially store
hundreds. It is hard to think of a single stretch of time when you might need to carry so many books
it would have to be a very long plane trip. But if you finish a book, lets say ten minutes into a fourhour train journey, what else can you read? However, with an ebook you can just load up the next
novel and keep on reading. As anyone who wears glasses knows, the text in a book seems to get
smaller and smaller the older you get. One of the big advantages of an ebook is that the text size
can be increased or decreased at will, making it an attractive proposition for readers with poor
eyesight.
However, possibly the biggest barrier to an ebook world domination has to be the screen. An LCD
display has much lower resolution than paper. It is also reflective and difficult to read in bright light
and, more importantly, it needs constant power. So, if you are going to read an ebook, your reading
time is severely limited by the battery life. Some devices have a backlight which allows you to read
when there is not much light. Obviously it will have an effect on battery life, but it could be the
difference between being able to read something or not.
Many ebooks allow you to mark your favourite passages or mark your place on a page without the
need to fold down paper corners or to insert markers between pages. A particular useful function
is the facility to look up, instantly, any unfamiliar words being used and check them with the on-board
dictionary. Some ebooks will even play music while you read.
Finally, in the debate about the potential advantages and disadvantages of paper books versus
ebooks, remember paper books never run out of batteries. They are normally light, small and much
cheaper than an ebook, and have pretty pictures inside and on the cover - whats more, you can read
them in the bath!

Task
Write the report as requested.
(Total 25 marks)

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QUESTION 3
Situation
You are employed in a Sales Department of a large retail company. You have read the following article
in a business journal which gives advice to sales staff on dealing with customers and making a
successful sale. After you have read the article, answer the questions that follow.
Making a Successful Sale
Sales staff need to be able to identify the products that match a customers requirements. There are five
steps to making a sale, each of them is described below:
Step 1 Opening the sale
Greet customers with a smile and a friendly greeting. Keep an eye on the prospective buyer until you
see them looking for assistance and then move forward. You can usually tell this from their body
language, because instead of looking at the products, the customer will be looking around for a sales
person.
If you look friendly, personable, and positive, then people will be more willing to approach you than if you
crowd them or appear too persistent.
Step 2 Explaining benefits
Always be positive. First indicate the range of goods and find out which are within the customers
budget. A customer may clearly state how much they intend to pay or you may have to sense this from
their reaction when you state various prices. Whatever you do, dont ask How much can you afford?
The tactful version is, What price range were you thinking of?
You can sometimes persuade a customer to spend more if there are clear benefits attached to a better
version. However, it is important that you are ethical and never deliberately mislead a customer into
spending more for no good reason. Also never make customers feel inferior because they can only
afford a lower priced item.
Step 3 Handling questions
This is where your product knowledge becomes invaluable. If you dont know the answer to a question,
be honest and say so and then find out. If you do not sell an item that will meet the customers needs
then admit it and advise the customer of an alternative source. Most customers will thank you for being
honest with them and remember you the next time they want something.
If you are selling a highly technical product then explain it in terms the customer will understand. Also
remember that a demonstration can be invaluable it is hard to describe quality of sound for instance,
but demonstrating the quality of a high-quality audio system might be enough to make the sale. If
possible, let the customer handle the product touching an item often helps convince a potential buyer
of its quality.
Step 4 Offering alternatives
If the customer hesitates, dont give up on the sale. Think carefully about other alternatives and try to
find the reason for the hesitation. This is a clear barrier to the sale. Barriers might include price, size,
colour, type of material, or a bad experience with a similar item. A key phrase for most sales staff is
overcoming objections. This involves first finding out if the customer has any reservations which might
prevent a sale. Some customers will voice their doubts outright, others will not. Good sales staff will
know the main reasons why customers hesitate and will make sure they deal with these in certain ways,
eg. Its ideal, as its washable and doesnt need dry cleaning, or You can use it inside or outside, as it
has a weatherproof covering.
(continued)

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Step 4 - Offering alternatives (continued)

If the hesitation concerns the product or manufacturer then there may be other options to offer. You may
be able to order a different model or show a range from other makers. Dont offer dozens of alternatives,
one after the other this is confusing. Try to focus your suggestions on the customers needs and
discuss each option properly before moving on to the next. If the customer still cannot decide but wants
to think about it, then dont object. If you stay positive and helpful the customer may well return to buy
the item later.
.
Step 5 Closing the sale
This is the final stage of the process. Experienced staff move the discussion towards this point
throughout the selling process and recognise when they reach it. A key indicator is when the customer
asks questions about delivery, guarantees, after-sales service or credit facilities. This shows the
customer has moved on from assessing whether the product is suitable to other aspects of the purchase.
If the customer is satisfied with the answers to the questions then it is likely a decision will be taken and a
successful sale made.
Task
Using this information, answer the following questions, in your own words as far as possible,
to show your understanding of the points raised.

(a)

Why do you think the writer suggests that the sales person should wait for the customer to call for
attention?
(3 marks)

(b)

Why do you think it is not a good thing to ask: How much can you afford?
(3 marks)

(c)

What advice does the writer give if the sales person does not know the answer to
a customers question?
(3 marks)

(d)

Why do you think the writer suggests that a demonstration could be invaluable?
(3 marks)

(e)

What advice does the writer give if a customer hesitates in making a decision about whether to
purchase?
(4 marks)

(f)

What is meant by overcoming objections?

(4 marks)

(g)

What does the writer suggest the sales person should do if the customer still cannot
decide?
(2 marks)

(h)

What are the signs that the customer is likely to make a decision about purchasing
the item?
(3 marks)
(Total 25 marks)

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QUESTION 4
Situation
You work for a large company which offers training programmes for people seeking employment. One of
your tasks is to offer advice on the writing of Curriculum Vitae (CV) to trainers who, in turn, are advising
trainees. You decide to do this in the form of a memo to trainers.
You have carried out some research and your notes appear below. You should try to make your memo
as interesting and informative as possible.

Notes from a Personnel Management textbook

A CV should provide your professional and personal history to assist a company to decide if you are
an appropriate candidate for a post with that organisation. Make sure you read the job description
really carefully and that you match as closely as possible the qualifications and experience called for
in the job specification. Re-write your CV for each job application. Your prospective employer is not
going to be impressed by your inability to adjust your 3-page document to meet their needs. Highlight
the top 3 5 things you have done that match up with the requirements of the job.

Notes from an article in Human Resources magazine

Get the formatting right. Line up bullet points, dates, headings. If youve got a gap, explain it in your
covering letter. Dont leave dates out of a job or education. Choose verbs that mean something.
Assisted, Contributed to and so on dont convey much to a prospective employer. Instead say
what you did - Wrote, Managed the more specific the better. Saying you worked on something
doesnt make clear what you did.. Consider the CV of a senior executive, a (male) CEO perhaps, he
doesnt need to say he attended meetings, and whatever other tasks. He ran a company - one line!

From a website Improving your CV

Even after you believe you have perfectly set up the spacing, fonts, tabs, etc., send your CV to
yourself to make sure it actually ends up in the receivers hands exactly how you intended. Always
print it out as well to make sure it is exactly as you wanted it to look. Check for typos they can
creep in when you least expect them!
Some companies accept CVs in electronic form. If youre intending to send electronically do make
sure that it is in an appropriate format which standard business software can open, otherwise it could
get deleted.
It is important to build your CV to fit the needs of the organisation you are sending it to. Every word
should have a purpose. Many applicants talk about what they did, but not the results of their efforts.
So, at the end of your statement of what you did, add: which resulted in ...

(continued)

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Question 4 (continued)

Notes from interviews with other Human Resources staff

My advice is to make absolutely certain that your CV meets the essential requirements of the job, as
set out in the job specification. Have another person read your CV to examine if it fits what the job
entails. Also, keep it short three pages maximum. One of my tasks is to screen CVs and then
present a shortlist. Remember the purpose of your CV is to get to the Interview stage that should
be your key objective.
If the position in question is an engineering or technical one, I look for conciseness and organisational
ability ie meaningful bullet lists, well-designed sections with clear headings. If I am looking to fill a
more people-oriented position, such as administrative assistant, I want to learn more about the person
and signs of inter-personal skills and qualities.
Job seekers need to take stock of their background strengths and interests, and the job market. Do
whatever makes the most sense to secure a suitable position. Above all, the CV should clearly tell
the reader who you are, and who you hope to become, if you secure a position with the company.
State career objectives or outside interests but be very careful. Dont go overboard on the outside
interests for example, I am a keen skier, love salsa dancing, enjoy Asian cooking and consider
myself a team player who wants to get to the top in international fashion. Save all that for the
covering letter or better still, the interview itself.

Task
Write the memo to trainers as indicated, giving an informative summary of the key facts in
How to Improve your CV for use by trainees.
(Total 25 marks)

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