BEC高级口语Part Two

　　A: in today’s society more and more people are aware of the importance of environmental protection. Their awareness has deeply gone into their consuming habits. Therefore if your company can use environmentally friendly means of transport you will set up a sound image in the local community as well as the society that you are paying your attention to these issues so that you can get good public relationship with the people who will likely turn into your customers if they are satisfied with your environmental protection practice. In addition this practice can be cost-effective and you will save a considerable amount of money each year.

　　46. How to access the career opportunities provided by different types of companies

　　A: 此题看似复杂但实际上和“选择职业时要注意什么”等问题类似，因此不再赘述。

　　47. Q: how to run a meeting successfully

　　A: 此题看似专业但实际上和“选择参加一个会议时应注意什么”等问题类似，主要可从：agenda；timetable; content; length等方面回答。

　　48. The importance of packaging products appropriately

　　A: the packaging of our products is in fact a kind of advertisement for our products. So when we decide on packaging for products we must first consider if the packaging can reflect the image of our products. It must best represent the quality of our products through its design and layout which can attract our customers to buy our products. The packaging should show the distinctive features of our products so that every customer can have a better understanding of our products after just taking a look at our products. And we should make sure that the customers can identify our products immediately through the packaging. Besides, the production process decides the physical characters of your products. For example, what they are made of, metal glass or wood? Because of these characters you have to select different kind of packaging. For example being fragile your products made of glass should be packaged in a soft container which can stand the impact of collision. Your wood products should be kept in the anti-wet and anti-mold packaging. As for metal products anti-wet and anti-rust packaging is necessary. Appropriate packaging can ensure the quality of your products during the delivery.

　　49. The importance of involving staff in setting the objectives of a company’s business plan

　　A: when you involve your staff in setting objectives of your company’s business plan you actually have established a kind of teamwork. Every staff belongs to the team and they have a common objective. Therefore they will feel valued by the company and they will have hard to realize their common goal. In order to achieve this they will help each other learn from each other and coordinate with each other. The communication of your staff is greatly enhanced and a good environment of equality and mutual help is produced. You will absolutely draw upon fruits on your wise practice.

　　50. Marketing: how to ensure that a product is packaged appropriately for a specific market
　　51. Management: the importance to a company of an effective personnel management policy

　　52. Customer relations: how to ensure that a client’s visit to your workplace is successful

　　53. Personnel management: the importance of a clear career structure for ensuring job satisfaction for all employees

　　54. Product promotion: how to choose the most appropriate method for promoting a particular product

　　55. Personnel management: the importance of internal promotion as an incentive for staff

　　56. Customer relations: how to persuade an important client to place a substantial order for a company’s products or services

　　57. Strategic planning: the importance of appointing external consultants to evaluate a company’s performance

　　58. Recruitment: the importance of assessing personality when interviewing job applicants

　　59. Financial management: how to reduce costs on business trips

　　61. The importance of making customers feel valued
　　A: in my opinion making your customers feel valued is very important. First, It can maintain the customer’s loyalty to your products so that you can further strengthen your company’s customer base. Second, valued customers often pay their attention to your company’s development and they would like to give you some advice or suggestions which you can use to further promote the quality of your company’s products or services. This will in turn help you to attract more customers and make them feel valued. Therefore I believe that making your customers feel valued is of great importance.

　　62. The importance to a company of controlling expansion

　　A: it is very important for a company to control its expansion. First, if a company expands too fast without any control it will soon face a variety of problems. For example the budget of this company will become tight because it has to spend money in setting up branches or recruiting more employees. Besides, the structure of this company will become more and more complex which will probably lead to the lack of efficiency in terms of communication, responsiveness and leadership. On the contrary if a company can keep itself at a reasonable size which keeps up with its development, high efficiency will be achieved in the operation and management of the company. Therefore, this company will have a better chance to develop itself.

　　63. How to ensure that agents maintain a high level of effectiveness when representing a company

　　A: there are several methods we can use in order to make our agents maintain a high level of efficiency. First, we must enhance our agents’ awareness that they are parts of the company and what they do and say when representing our company is of great importance to the development and benefits of the company. In this way we can improve our agent’s work ethics and give them clear objective. Second, we can train those who are lacking of experience or skills to improve the level of their effectiveness. Third, we can build an incentive system in our company to encourage our agents to maintain high level of effectiveness. Of course those who are unwilling to work hard will be punished or even fired.

　　64. The importance of planning work time effectively

　　A: first an effective timetable planned by the company can avoid unnecessary time-consuming work which will have to be done by more staff than necessary. Therefore individual efficiency can be achieved. Second, an effective timetable explains in detail every step the staff need to follow to finish the work and the exact time they will spend, which will enable the staff to get clear idea about the time limitation and to finish every step before deadline. Therefore the production or service of the company will go at a fast pace.

　　65. How to ensure inter-departmental co-operation on new projects

　　A: to ensure inter-departmental co-operation on new projects the first thing we should do is to set up a clear objective among all departments. Everyone in every department should know exactly what the company will do with these new projects, what the company expects from the new projects and what each department should do during the inter-departmental co-operation. Second, an intra-net should be built in the company so that every department will have the chance to communicate with others about their plans on the new projects. In addition, different ideas can be discussed and final decision can be made on net. Third, a sound environment of teamwork should be encouraged and special attention should be paid to establishing inter-departmental teamwork spirit.

　　66. How to evaluate and select new products

　　A: the evaluation and selection of new products should be based on two aspects. First, we can evaluate and select new products according to their performances in market. We can carry out an investigation on how customers like these new products. The results can be used to help to establish the guideline under which new products are evaluated and selected. Second, we can make a trial purchasing of the new products and test their qualities to see if they meet our demands. If the result of the test is fine then we just go ahead to make large orders with the producers and if not we just stop and won’t suffer any loss.

　　67. The importance to a company of having well motivated staff

　　A: first a company consists of individuals whose morale is crucial to the image of the company. It’s hard to believe that a company full of low-spirited employees can have better performance that the one staffed with well motivated employees. Second, well motivated staff often work hard think creatively and are willing to shoulder more responsibilities, all of which are exactly what the company need to develop itself further. Well motivate staff can also help create a sound environment of mutual help and mutual understanding within the company and stimulate their colleagues’ morale, which will definitely improve the efficiency of the company. Therefore it’s very important for a company to have well motivated staff.

　　68. How to decide whether to purchase or rent company premises

　　A: first we should see to it that we check the financial situation of our company before we decide whether to purchase or rent company premises. As we all know we will have to spend much more money in purchasing premises than renting them. Therefore we should check our company’s financial situation to see whether we now have enough money to purchase premises. Any ignorance of current financial situation will break company’s cash flow or even undermine the company’s normal production.

　　Second we should ask ourselves the aim that makes us purchase or rent premises. Do we want to set up our headquarters for a long-term investigation which will definitely need us to purchase buildings or just build a branch for a short-term project which requires only some rented houses?

　　After all these careful studies we can make our decision.

　　69. How to ensure that price levels for new products are set appropriately

　　A: first we should consider the cost of our new products before we put them into the market. The price level we set should at least include all the cost and investment and make us gain some margins. Second we should carry out an investigation or market research in the target market to see what price level can be accepted by our potential customers. We will also have to study the consumer’s habits and the popularity of our new products in the target market. Only through these comprehensive investigations can we ensure the appropriate price levels of our new products.

　　70. The importance of foreign language training for selected employees

　　A: companies often select some of their employees and appoint them as representatives to deal with foreign trade, export and other international businesses. Therefore it’s vital for companies to give selected employees foreign language training. First in order to do international business well sales persons should know different cultures of different countries in which people are doing business with each other. The most effective way to understand these is through foreign language learning which can be reinforced in the foreign languages courses sponsored by companies. After training employees can communicate freely with their foreign clients and more contracts will be signed. Second, with employees mastering a variety of foreign languages cross-nation cultures can be introduced to companies and contact with the outside world can be promoted, which will gradually make a company evolve into a multi-national one.

　　71. How to select a suitable agency to handle a company’s advertising

　　A: three points should be considered in order to select a suitable agency. First, the selected agency should be familiar with the character of the products which the company wants to advertise so that the best features of the advertised products of the company can be demonstrated by the advertisement. Second, the agency should have profound knowledge in designing producing and publishing advertisement which is not only a kind of art but also an important marketing method. Third, the selected agency should have the strong ability to combine the aesthetic presented by the advertisement with the need of the company to promote products.

　　72. How to decide whether to float a company on the stock market

　　A: we should check the policy concerning listing a company onto the stock market. Different stock exchanges have different policies and requirements. We should check these policies or requirements to see that if our company meets the demand so as to be listed on the stock market. For example according to the policy of many SEs, the total capital of a company should meet a certain level before it can be listed. Besides, its after-tax profits should also reach a certain level. So check these policies to see if our company is qualified to be listed onto the stock market. Second, we should understand and are willing to take the responsibilities that a listing company has to bear such as disclosure director’s duty all kinds of expenses tax and so on.

　　73. The importance to a company of offering its products on the world-wild web

　　A: first offering your products on the internet is in itself a new and very effective means of advertising which you can make use of. People at very corner of the world with the access to the Internet will get to know your products as well as their quality price functions. You won’t have to worry about putting a large sum of money on your advertising because the on-line advertisement is much cheaper than TV commercials. Second you can sell your products directly on the internet and you don’t even need to open your sales channels which used to take up too much money and resource of your company. Your products will be purchased through world-wild web and you will get your money through the E-bank which will automatically transfer the money into your account.

　　74. How to evaluate the effectiveness of company training programs

　　A: the following procedures can help us to evaluate the effectiveness of our company’s training programs. First we should carry out examinations on our staff who attend the programs and we check the results to see if the goals of our training programs have been achieved. Readjustment will be made accordingly to ensure that our programs are moving towards the correct direction. Second we should hand out questionnaires to find out how our trainees like their training programs. The feed-back will be presented on the board and all the senior staff in charge of programs will discuss the feed-back and make necessary changes. Third we will encourage everyone attending the programs to give us their advice which we can use to improve the effectiveness of our programs.

　　75. How to decide when it is the right time for a business to expand

　　A: you should check the current status of your company including the capital you own the technology you apply and the human resource you have. As we all know money is an important factor in business expansion. So make sure that you have enough money for your expansion. Another importance factor is technology and advanced technology can help you in your expansion because it will provide you with decisive driving force and enhance the efficiency of your business. You will also need qualified staff who will shoulder more responsibility and are willing to meet the challenges resulted from your expansion. When you find your business meets the above three criteria go ahead and expand yourself.

　　76. The importance to a company of sponsoring well-known personalities from the arts and popular culture

　　A: In many cases personalities from the arts and popular culture are the idols for the public and they are what we call stars who can have great influence on the public’s opinion because people are keen to know what their idols are wearing using or buying and then try to follow suit. That is to say if you sponsor well-known personalities to promote your products or services you will very much likely to attract more customers and persuade them to buy your products. Therefore it is very important for a company to sponsor well-known personalities from arts and popular culture.

　　77. How to ensure that the best candidate for a post is selected

　　A: during the selection we should pay attention to the candidates’ quality and attribute. Quality refers to the candidate’s ability to conduct his or her future work. During the interview candidates will have to be asked to demonstrate their ability to solve problems and deal with emergencies. In addition the other important factor should also be considered. That is the attribute of the candidate. It has something to do with the candidate’s character and value. Those whose value is in the conflict of the company’s ethics will not be considered as best candidate even if they demonstrate remarkable ability in their work.

　　78. How to analyze and make effective use of information

　　First we should set up our own data base to restore useful information which is not only the resource but also the asset of our company. Second we should monitor and control the information so that every piece of useful information can be retained for our further analyze and every piece of irrelevant or redundant information can be deleted. Third we should emphasize on the timing of the information we get. We won’t allow the using of any obsolete information so that we can ensure that our information flow runs without any blockage and every piece of information we get is up-to-date.

　　79. The importance of brand image in ensuring that products or services sell well

　　A: the brand image is plays an important role in ensuring that your company’s products or services sell well. First a sound brand image means that the products or services of your company enjoy a high prestige and have high qualities which will drive automatically both current and potential customers to buy your products or services on a regular basis. It therefore helps you to expand your customer base or even open some new markets. In addition companies with sound brand images can attract their customers not only through their high-quality products or services but also through the popularity and fame presented by their brand images. In any case it’s easy for a company with sound brand image to promote and sell its products or services.

　　80. The importance to a company of keeping up-to-date with internet development

　　A: it is undoubted that the Internet will exert great impact on people’s work and lives. Any company cannot afford to neglect importance of the internet which is changing and will continue to change the way people do their business at an unprecedented speed. The latest internet technology can enable you to get more opportunities to propagandize promote and sell your products or services on the net. With the help of the latest net technology you are more likely to win in the increasingly competitive market of today and tomorrow. Therefore companies should watch closely the latest development of the internet and try to apply it in their daily business.

　　81. How to ensure that a company consistently maintains quality control standards

　　A: first the company should build an independent quality control system which can monitor the implementation of quality control at any stage of the production and can report the results directly to the board. Second the company needs an incentive system to encourage and reward the employees who meet exactly the quality control standards and punish those who fail. Third the company should ensure that everyone in the company knows the importance of quality control and should keep their employees in mind that their company needs their devotion to the consistent maintenance of quality control standards.

　　82. How to make effective use of the media when promoting a new product or service

　　A: first you should ensure that the media you are going to use knows the importance of promoting a new product or service for you. Let them know the quality or function of your product or service and demonstrate to them that your product or service is really good and suits the need of the public so that they will spare no efforts to help you promote the product or service. Second think about the suitable type of media you’d like to use. If you are to present to the whole world your new product then use the internet and if you just want to sell your products to the local people you can select the local newspaper or other local media. This way you can control the money you spend on the advertisement and thus make more effective use of the media you choose.

　　83. The importance of teamwork for the effective management of projects

　　A: to manage projects involves heavy workload and requires much of the company’s energy and human resource. However by using teamwork we can make this complicated work become simple and easy. First when we set up a project-oriented teamwork all members of the projects are united and work in a teamwork spirit. That means they work more systemically and coordinate more with each other. As leaders we won’t worry about the time we will have to waste on the coordinating procedures anymore. Second by using teamwork we can create a sound and effective communication with the project and monitor the communication between members as well as the communication between boss and subordinates. Third in a team everyone tries to help others in their work and a lot of problems can be solved quickly after they occur. The managers can thus save the energy and time for trouble-shooting.

　　84. How to develop a responsible attitude among staff to the health and safety requirements of a company

　　A: first we should let our staff know the importance of the health and safety requirements which are not only connected closely to the well-being of the company but also the well-being of the staff themselves. Required by law the health and safety requirements play an important role in protecting individuals against any possible harm during the work. Any failure to meet these requirements can lead to the loss of property or even lives. Second we can build an incentive system to reward staff who have responsible attitude and punish those who do not. This way we can relate our staff’s attitudes to their individual interests and then help them or force them to develop the right attitude.

　　85. The importance of computer skills for the workplace of the future

　　A: the workplace of the future has the following features: mobile virtual and on-line. All of these features require the application of computer skills at workplace. By using PDA and mobile PC technology we can change the traditional workplace into a brand new one with high mobility. In addition network technology enables us to communicate at any place with the access to the internet which will fundamentally change the concept of workplace. The old workplace will be therefore replaced by the virtual and on-line one which might be your home your car or your cabin where you spend your holiday. It is clear that the computer skills are very important to the workplace of the future.

　　86. How to ensure that e-mail is used appropriately by staff for internal and external communications

　　A: first we should train our staff how to use e-mail to conduct internal and external communications. The training should includes how to build one’s own on-line mailbox to receive and send e-mail how to circulate e-mail and how to update the information. Second we should build the monitoring system to watch if our staff use their e-mail correctly. Under the surveillance of this system any irrelevant or redundant e-mail will be deleted automatically to ensure our staff won’t waste their time on them. Third we should make sure that the intra-net of our company is quick and efficient enough to allow our staff to use the function of e-mail and we should also ensure that our company’s access to the Internet remain stable and unblocked.

　　87. How to administer staff budget effectively

　　A: staff budget refers to the company’s expenses on recruitment and management of human resources. To administer it effectively we should first make a set of guidelines under which every activity involving staff recruitment or management is to be reported and planned in detail so that the cost of these activities will be under the administration of the people concerned. Second we can introduce a simple and realistic corporate culture to our company so that everyone of our company knows well the importance of cost-cutting especially in staff budget. Third members in charge of staff budget administration should be open with other members. They should explain in detail where the budget goes why the budget is cut or expanded and what company can expect from the budget.

　　88. The importance of finding out about customer’s habits and attitudes

　　A: as we all know your customer’s habits and attitude will exert a great influence on the production and sales of your products or services. Customer’s habits especially their consuming habits will decide to what extent they can accept the price of your products which will directly affect the pricing of your products. Customer’s attitudes towards your products or service reflect the quality of your products or services and will decide whether your products or services can remain popular on the market. So if you carry out research to find out about their habits and attitudes you can gear the production and sales of our products towards a right direction.

　　89. How to identify ways of reducing costs in a company

　　A: first we can hold a meeting within the company and ask every member attending the meeting to discuss openly where they think the costs originate and how to reduce the costs. Afterwards we collect the feedback and carry out the research on it to see if our staff’s opinion is true. If their opinion reflects the current situation then we set out to list every possible way of reducing costs and follow it to reduce our costs. Second, as top leaders we should ask department managers to create a diagram showing clearly the exact procedures of their tasks and check every procedure to see if there is extra cost and to decide how to solve it. Third we can learn from other companies’ experience of reducing costs and check if there is any similarity between us and those companies in reducing costs. Their ways will probably become great helps for us.

　　90. How to achieve an effective working relationship between different Departments within a company

　　A: first we should try out best to create a team spirit within the company and between different departments so that members from different departments can know the importance of team work and share the identity that what they are doing now is not just for their own departments but for the well-being of their company. This way there will be a sound environment of mutual help and mutual trust between different departments which can help all members to work effectively. Second company should do something to help people from different departments to understand and communicate with each other. For example we can hold monthly gathering in which everyone can have the chance to know each other speak to each other and share their experience in work so that they will work in a spirit of shelving differences while retaining common ground.