English Grammar, Third edition (2011)

The grammar of business English

Negotiating

Making and modifying proposals

softening the message

You can use comparatives to show that you are prepared to negotiate on a particular point (see 2.103 to 2.111).

We need a more flexible arrangement.
I’m looking for figure closer to three dollars sixty a unit.
Would you be happier with a fixed rate?

You can use the modals would, could, may and might to make your message less direct.

We might be able drop the price.
Could we look at that side of your proposal later?
Would you consider reducing discounts?

thinking about possible future events and exploring possibilities

The modals could, may and might are also used to say that a particular result or situation is possible (see 5.124).

There may be a slight delay.
Yes, that might be possible.
Yes, I can see that this could have great potential.

You can use conditional sentences to discuss options and explore possibilities in a hypothetical way (see 8.25 to 8.42).

If you could give us exclusivity, we can settle this now.
The discount could be bigger if you increased the quantity.
If I drop the price, have we got a deal?
Unless you can show a bit of flexibility, we might as well call it a day.

Rejecting ideas and proposals

distancing yourself from a situation

To distance yourself from an opinion, and therefore sound less direct, you can use the passive form of a reporting verb with it as the impersonal subject (see 7.69).

It was understood that if we were successful in securing the takeover, Sarong would become a part of International Latex.
It is assumed that share prices will rise as a result of the operation.
It was agreed that the details would remain confidential.

being diplomatic

You can use a qualifier such as a little, a bit, or rather to make a negative message seem less strong (see 2.162).

That sounds a little expensive.
They may be a bit late, I’m afraid.
Unfortunately, we were rather disappointed with the quality of the last delivery.

Expressions like not very, not totally, not completely, and not entirely followed by a positive adjective sound more diplomatic than using a negative adjective.

We aren’t totally convinced by the idea of using road transport.
I wouldn’t be very happy with that arrangement.
You don’t seem absolutely certain about that.

The past progressive can be used to make a statement more indirect in order to be polite (see 4.31 and 4.32).

We were expecting to hear a new proposal today.
I was aiming to establish a framework for further discussion.
We were hoping to reach agreement about this before we go.