انجام دادن تکالیف

Doing your homework

Narrator

Hello again. Last time on English at Work, we heard Anna leaving Tom crying into his cold pizza. He may not have had the evening he was expecting, but for Anna it was a huge success. She came up with an idea for a new plastic vegetable and now she needs to pitch it to Paul, the boss.

Denise

… so I think I’ll go for the blue, Marge, it matches my eyes… well almost… Anna

Morning Denise!

Denise

Oh, hello Anna …yes, Anna, bright girl, what she sees in Tom I’ll never know… what?!… ha, ha, I’m sure you would… Anna

Oh hi Tom. You’re in early.

Tom

Uh? Oh yeah, couldn’t sleep after you’d left.

Anna

Tom, it was a fantastic night – unforgettable in fact. Thanks so much.

Denise

Did you hear that Marge? She said it was ‘unforgettable’! Looks like they’re getting very serious… Narrator

You’re such a gossip, Denise. The only thing Anna is serious about is her new idea. How’s it going Anna?

Anna

I’m really excited about launching a new product, although Tom doesn’t seem so keen.

Narrator

Don’t worry about him. You need to concentrate on convincing Paul that your new idea will bring in the business.

Anna

But how?

Narrator

You need to pitch the idea to him but before that, you need to do some research.

Anna

Yes, of course – research – but how do I do that?

Narrator

Check out the competition, work out some costs and find out what new product people would really like to see. Why not do a customer survey?!

Anna

A customer survey. Right. But what should I ask?

Narrator

Say: ‘Could I ask for your opinion on a new product we are hoping to develop?’ ‘What plastic products do you currently use?’, ‘What products would you like us to make in the future?’, ‘How do you feel about the idea of selling plastic vegetables?’, ‘Any particular vegetable you would like to see?’

Anna

OK, so it’s like a questionnaire. I need to do some cold calling again!

Narrator

Good luck!

Anna

I think I’m going to need some help with this. Tom, Denise, have you got time to help me… please?

Denise

Of course Anna.

Tom

Yeah, well it’s a bit tricky with my… ouch… sprained arm. But go on. As it’s you.

Anna

Thanks. We need to call up some companies and find out how interested they would be in buying plastic vegetables.

Denise

Oh lovely. I love talking to people on the phone.

Tom

You certainly do Denise!

Anna

Good Denise. If you work your way through our business directory, call our existing customers and ask these questions.

Denise

I’ll get onto it straight away.

Anna

Great, and Tom, could you help me by cold calling some new businesses?

Tom

Oh yeah sure. I’ve got loads of contacts.

Anna

I suppose I had better make some calls too. Hmm, let’s try this one. 7-4-3-9-1-0-0 Man

Hello. Plastic Purr-fection. Can I help you?

Anna

Oh hi. I’m Anna from Tip Top Trading, we make and sell plastic fruits. I’m trying some to get some opinions on a new product we’re trying to develop. Can you spare a few minutes to help me?

Man

Well I’m quite busy at the moment but I’ll try and help.

Anna

Thank you. I’ll be as quick as I can. Firstly, what plastic products do you use at the moment?

Man

All sorts – plastic balls, plastic fish, plastic mice… Anna

Plastic mice?! Oh, I see. And… errr… what sort of things would you like us to sell… in the future?

Man

Let’s think… erm … more squeaky toys.

Anna

Squeaky toys?! What about plastic vegetables?

Man

Do they squeak?

Anna

Err, not really. I think there might be some confusion here. Do you use plastic fruits in restaurants and shops?

Man

No. We just sell plastic toys… for cats, hence the name ‘plastic purr-fection’.

Anna

Oh I see, ha, ha. A good name, but, I’m sorry you’re not really the business I was looking for. Thanks for your time anyway. Bye.

Man

Bye. Get down Tiddles!

Narrator

Uh-oh Anna. It’s a good idea to check exactly what type of business you are calling before carrying out your survey. Better luck next time! If you’re doing some research and want to get the opinions of your customers, here’s a reminder of the questions you could ask: Could I ask for your opinion on a new product we are hoping to develop?

What plastic products do you currently use?

What products would you like to see us sell in the future?

How do you feel about the idea of selling plastic vegetables?

Any particular vegetable you would like to see?

Narrator

Let’s find out how the team is getting on.

Denise

That was fun. I called 10 companies, asked them your questions – one man asked me out for dinner – anyway, I’ve created a database and put all the information there.

Tom

Well I’ve called 20 companies and they all say plastic vegetables would be a great addition to their range… especially aubergines!

Anna

Great. Well, I had some success too so I’ll put all the results in that database. Thanks everyone. Oh no… what’s happened? Denise! Denise! Everything’s disappeared off the computer!

Tom

Hey, my computer’s gone blank. We’ve lost all our documents!

Narrator

Oh no a computer crash! Has Tip Top Trading lost all its valuable information? Find out next time in English at Work. Bye!