今天Robert的办公室出现了一个生面孔――Kevin Hughes，此人代表美国一家运动产品公司，专程来中国台湾寻找加工.接洽的加工产品市运动型“磁质石膏护垫”，受伤的运动员包上这种产品上场比赛，即可保护受伤部位，且不妨碍活动.现在，我们就来看看两人的会议现况：
R： We found your proposal quite interesting， Mr. Hughes. We’d like to weigh the pros and cons(衡量得失)with you.
K： Mr. Robert Liu， we’ve looked all over Asia for a manufacturer; your company is one of the most suitable.
R： If we can settle a number of basic questions， I’m confident in saying that we are the most suitable for your needs.
K： I hope so. And what might be the basic questions you have?
R： First， do you intend to take a position in(投资于……)our company?
K： No， we don’t， Mr. Liu. This is just OEM.
R： I see. Then， the most important thing is the size of your orders. We’ll have to invest a great deal of money in the new production process.
K： If you can guarantee continuing quality， we can sign a commitment for 75，000 pieces a year， for five years.
R： At U.S. $1000 a piece， we’ll make an average return of just 4%. That’s too great a financial burden for us.
K： I’ll check the number later， but what do you propose?
R： Here’s how you can demonstrate commitment to this deal. Make it ten years， increase the unit price， and provide technology transfer.
Dan Smith是一位美国的健身用品经销商，此次是Robert Liu第一回与他交手.
就在短短几分钟的交谈中，Robert Liu既感到这位大汉粗犷的外表，藏有狡兔的心思――他肯定是沙场老将，自己绝不可掉以轻心.双方第一回过招如下：
D： I’d like to get the ball rolling(开始)by talking about prices.
R： Shoot.(洗耳恭听)I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
D： Your products are very good. But I’m a little worried about the prices you’re asking.
R： You think we about be asking for more?(laughs)
D： (chuckles莞尔) That’s not exactly what I had in mind. I know your research costs are high，but what I’d like is a 25% discount.
R： That seems to be a little high，Mr. Smith. I don’t know how we can make a profit with those numbers.
D： Please， Robert， call me Dan. (pause) Well， if we promise future business――volume sales(大笔交易)――that will slash your costs(大量减低成本)for making the Exec-U-ciser， right?
R： Yes， but it’s hard to see how you can place such large orders. How could you turn over(销磬)so many? (pause) We’d need a guarantee of future business，not just a promise.
D： We said we wanted 1000 pieces over a six-month period. What if we place orders for twelve months，with a guarantee?
R： If you can guarantee that on paper， I think we can discuss this further
Robert回公司呈报Dan的提案后，老板很满意对方的采购计划;但在折扣方面则希望Robert能继续维持强硬的态度，尽量探出对方的底线.就在这七上七八的价格翘翘板上，双方是否能找到彼此地平衡点呢?请看下面分解：
R： Even with volume sales，our coats for the Exec-U-Ciser won’t go down much.
D： Just what are you proposing?
R： We could take a cut(降低)on the price. But 25% would slash our profit margin(毛利率).We suggest a compromise――10%.
D： That’s a big change from 25! 10 is beyond my negotiating limit. (pause) Any other ideas?
R： I don’t think I can change it right now. Why don’t we talk again tomorrow?
D： Sure. Imust talk to my office anyway. I hope we can find some common ground(共同信念)on this.
D： Robert， I’ve been instructed to reject the numbers you proposed; but we can try to come up with some thing else.
R： I hope so， Dan. My instructions are to negotiate hard on this deal――but I’m try very hard to reach some middle ground(互相妥协).
D： I understand. We propose a structured deal(阶段式和约). For the first six months，we get a discount of 20%， and the next six months we get 15%.
R： Dan， I can’t bring those numbers back to my office――they’ll turn it down flat(打回票).
D： Then you’ll have to think of something better，Robert.