Onderhandeling met een leverancier
Negotiating with a supplier
B2 · Upper intermediate · ≈ 23 min · setting: Amsterdam
In negotiations, two things are important to listen for: what is being offered and what conditions are attached to it. Almost every concession here comes with a condition: dat kan, mits… “that is possible, provided that…”. If you miss the condition, you will hear agreement where there is none.
- Question 1: what price increase will the buyer accept, and what do they give in return?
- Question 2: Under what condition does the supplier agree?
- Question 3: What does the supplier flatly refuse?
- Question 4: What did they agree on in the end, and by what date?
Gesprek — Prijs en levertijd
Annual contract for the supply of components; video call.
- Karim
- Semaccountmanager
- Karim
- Semaccountmanager
- Karim
- Semaccountmanager
- Karim
- Semaccountmanager
- Karim
- Semaccountmanager
- Karim
- Semaccountmanager
- Karim
- Semaccountmanager
Concessions and conditions
| Concession | Who gave | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| price 3% instead of 6% | supplier | volume +10% |
| volume +5% | buyer | “I can commit to that” |
| price 4% | supplier | lower is unprofitable |
| delivery time 8 days (9 in summer) | supplier | 7 days is not possible during high season |
| priority in case of shortage | supplier | in writing in the contract |
| penalty clause | — | refusal: “daar doen wij niet aan” |
| Concession | Who gave | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| price 3% instead of 6% | supplier | volume +10% |
| volume +5% | buyer | “I can commit to that” |
| price 4% | supplier | lower is unprofitable |
| delivery time 8 days (9 in summer) | supplier | 7 days is not possible during high season |
| priority in case of shortage | supplier | in writing in the contract |
| penalty clause | — | refusal: “daar doen wij niet aan” |
Daar doen wij niet aan is a final refusal, not an invitation to negotiate. The supplier immediately offers an alternative: this is how Dutch people close a topic without ending the conversation.
Negotiation words
de eenheid
unit
de grondstofprijs
raw material price
doorberekenen
to pass on (costs to the customer)
haalbaar
feasible, manageable
het volume
purchase volume
hard maken
to commit to, to back up
verlieslatend
loss-making, unprofitable
de levertijd
delivery time
het hoogseizoen
high season
de boeteclausule
penalty clause
de schaarste
shortage
de voorrangsclausule
priority clause
| de eenheid | unit |
| de grondstofprijs | raw material price |
| doorberekenen | to pass on (costs to the customer) |
| haalbaar | feasible, manageable |
| het volume | purchase volume |
| hard maken | to commit to, to back up |
| verlieslatend | loss-making, unprofitable |
| de levertijd | delivery time |
| het hoogseizoen | high season |
| de boeteclausule | penalty clause |
| de schaarste | shortage |
| de voorrangsclausule | priority clause |
1. What was offered
Luister en kies het juiste antwoord.
Listen and choose the correct answer.
- 1
Hoeveel hoger is de prijs in het eerste voorstel?
- 2
Onder welke voorwaarde bood de leverancier drie procent?
- 3
Welk volume kan Karim garanderen?
- 4
Welke levertijd komt eruit?
- 5
Wat weigert de leverancier?
- 6
Wanneer gaat het contract in als er vrijdag getekend wordt?
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