初级商务英语（13）

Unit 13
Sales forecasts
Intentions and predictions
1. Listening
A Sales Director presents the sales targets for four products. As you listen, match the graphs with the model numbers of the products. Models: A1456, B2456, C3456, D4456 Graph 1
Sales target: Model _________
请见附图13-1

Graph 2
Sales target: Model _________
请见附图13-2

Graph 3
Sales target: Model _________
请见附图13-3

Graph 4
Sales target: Model _________
请见附图13-4

Listening Task
Right, let’s move on to targets for next year and out plans over the next five years.
As you sow earlier, sales of the A 1456 have been falling for some time and last year were only 250000. We expect sales will be roughly the same next year, although we will be starting a large-scale promotion in March. If this is successful, perhaps we can boost sales to 300000. Still, I prefer to keep our forecast figure at 250000.
Now, we come to the B 2456. We don’t expect sales will be quite as high as last year as we are not going to push this product this year. My view is that sales should reach 450000. This may be a little optimistic for a product which is now six years old, but I think we should be able to achieve it.
We are sure the sales of C3456 will start to recover. Indeed, sales may go as high as 650000 next year. However, I have set the target slightly lower, at 600000.
Now, let’s look at our medium-term plans. Next year we intend to launch our new product- the D4456- and we are sure sales will take off very quickly. We estimate first year sales figures at 200000 and we hope that within three years the D4456 will replace the A1456. We intend to stop production on the A1456 within five years.
Finally, R and D are working on a new medium-range product and they hope to have this ready in two years’ time, so we could be launching it within three or four years.

2. Presentation
When we talk about the future, we can do so either personally or impersonally. We can also indicate the degree of probability in terms of:
# certainty
# probability
# possibility
Now look at the language used in the Listening section.
请见附图2

3. Controlled practice
Use the language in the Presentation section to change these sentences into the equivalent personal or impersonal form. The first one has been done for you.
1. Sales of B2456 will probably reach their target.
We expect/think sales of B2456 will reach their target (personal form)
2. We hope sales of A1456 will be above target.
___________________________________________ (personal form)
3. We intend to launch the D 4456 next year.
__________________________________________ (personal form)
4. We are sure that C3456 sales will reach their target.
_________________________________________ (personal form)
5. The D 4456 should replace he A 1456.
__________________________________________ (personal form)
6. We hope the new medium-range product will be ready in two years’ time.
  ___________________________________________ (personal form)
7. The sales team intend to carry out a large-scale promotion campaign.
___________________________________________ (personal form)
8. Total sales could be around ₤1250000 next year.
  ____________________________________________ (personal form)
9. We think the campaign will be successful.
  _____________________________________________(personal form)
10. The R&D department hope to have the product ready in five years’ time.
  _____________________________________________ (personal form)

课文注释及词汇讲解
* roughly 粗略地
eg. We expect sales will be roughly the same next year.
我们预计明年的销售量与今年大致相同。
Roughly speaking there is an upward trend in the marker.
大致说来，市场行情有上升的趋势。
* start a large-scale promotion 开展大规模的促销活动
scale 规模
on a large/small scale 以大/小规模
* boost 促进，提高
eg. We an boost sales to 300000.
我们可以将销量提高到300000。
Price are boosted because of shortage of raw materials.
因原材料短缺，价格提高了。
* forecast 预报，预示
eg. forecast figures 预计的数目