Corporate ESL (English as a Second Language) provides ample opportunities for business owners and workers alike. Aside from the obvious improvement to communication, it also improves worker retention rates, job performance and brand reputation. And as the benefits of corporate English training continue to expand, decision makers must then ask themselves one question… “Can our business afford NOT to provide ESL for workers?” Especially as more global businesses continue to up-skill their own ESL employees, more business owners are following that same example. Here’s why yours should consider a fully customized language support plan, complete with business negotiation.

Your language support plan for corporate ESL should include proven business negotiation strategy

Customized language training provides companies with true solutions… because they address language barriers at the root of the problem. The reality is that most online ESL programs teach the exact same regurgitated material. Simply because it is cheaper for the company to sell the exact same course to everyone. And that is precisely what makes us different! Because our approach is catered to your business needs. We meet with your leadership to determine your company objectives and goals.

Discovering what you actually need us to deliver allows us to created a completely tailored curriculum to teach language skills specifically used in your workplace. We also determine your workers starting English proficiency level and learning needs to encourage their learning. And there are specific benefits for including business negotiation in your curriculum.

How to include MESOs in your corporate ESL for workers curriculum:

Harvard Law School teaches the Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offer (MESO) negotiation strategy. The theory states that you can add value to business dealings by presenting several options at the same time, with equal value. Because the MESO strategy offers choices, it allows the offering party to appear more flexible, while also getting more information about customer preferences. The MESO method usually results in a mutually beneficial agreement for both parties. A customized curriculum for corporate ESL for workers would include not only teaching the MESO method to your ESL workers, but also provide the foundational business language they need in order to be successful.

• Identifying anchors: These are the values in negotiations that can’t change. That means your ESL workers must identify those variables that don’t change, in each option like:
  • price, delivery dates, discount percentages, quantities etc.

• Framing anchors & offers: How you frame an offer can determine which option is accepted. For ESL workers, learning the polite language is essential to the MESO method. And learning how to frame each offer with that language is just as important:
  • “Option A is very slow so you might not get it by X date, but if you need something cheap & you don’t care when it arrives, you should go with this one because there is no insurance available."
  • "Then there is option B. It is slightly more expensive than A, but you will get it before X date - unless there are service delays. The higher cost includes expedited shipping and delivery notifications, but insurance is available at an additional cost."
  • "If you need the earliest shipping date guaranteed, then option C is the way to go. Sure, it is the most expensive option we have. But it has priority shipping through a courier delivery service, free tracking in our mobile app and we can guarantee that it gets there by X date. Plus, we will cover insurance in the rare case that something happens along the way."

• Integrative language: teaching the language required to frame offers is essential for ESL workers. Especially those who didn’t learn this language elsewhere. But it requires active listening and then mapping customer feedback to a specific issue. Learning the terminology based on different values can include:
  • Timing language: Priority shipping, lead times, industry benchmark standards etc
  • Payment language: Past-due, interest rates, stakeholder value, viability, warranty terms etc
  • Plus how to map customer issues and what language is appropriate to use

• Neutralizing counter offers: Business negotiations can leave employees who speak English as a Second Language (ESL) confused and irritated. Especially if your ESL workers never learned how to politely provide another option, they will need corporate ESL lessons. Otherwise, you run the reputation risks of them coming across aggressive to your customers. Learning "the Do’s and Don’t’s” are essential to the MESO method, and learning how to come back with a counter offer, that re-states anchor figures like:
  • DON’T say: “You are wrong. I already told you that the discount is only 30% off."
  • DO say: “Remember that your discount is only valid for 30% off. Can you walk me through how you got to those figures?"
  • DON’T say: “You need to give us more time. It’s the only way we can make a bigger order"
  • DO say: “If you can extend lead time by 2 weeks, we can commit to a larger order volume."

Our interactive and engaging In-Person and Online Corporate Language Training provides English Classes for Companies online and on-site with live highly qualified native-speaking language instructors. We offer Real-Time Private and Group Corporate English Language Training. Get a Free Quote for your Industry Specific Onsite or Online Corporate English Training for employees.