商务英语敲门砖第10期:市场研究

A:How is market research carried out?

B:That's a very wide question. But to put it in a very simple term, one of the objects of market research is to find out whether there's a market for that product and whether we can sell that product in the market.

A:Who does this kind of job then?

B:Sometimes we carry out our own research, but for major products where development costs are likely to be high, we employ specialists.

A:Do your own salesmen take part in?

B:In the early stages, only the regional managers do. If we decide to have some test marketing, some of the senior sales men are brought in.

A:It seems to me that the salesmen receive some special training.

B:Yes, they all have initial training course when they first join the company,and this includes product training.

A:What is that?

B:As a salesman he or she must fully understand the various applications, design features, special advantages and almost everything of the products we produce.

A:I see.

怎样进行市场研究?
这是一个很广泛的问题.简单地说.市场调研的目标之一就是找出这种产品是否有市场.在市场上是否能出售这种产品.
那么谁做这种工作呢?
有时候我们自己搞调研.但对于那些开发费用高的主要产品我们请专家调研.
你们自己的销售人员参加吗?
在开始阶段.只有地区经理参与.如果我们决定搞试销.一些高级销售员也参加.
依我看.销售人员接受了一些特殊训练.
是的.他们在进入公司时.都进行了培训.其中包括产品知识培训.
什么意思?
作为一名销售人员.他或她必须对公司产品的用途.设计特点.独特优点等都非常了解.
我知道了.

But to put it in a very simple term...

Put在这里是"说,表达"的意思.下面列出常见的用法.

Put simply---简单地说;
Put simply, we accept their offer or go bankrupt. 简单地说吧,我们要么接受他们的条件,要么破产.

To put it mildly---说得委婉些;说得好听一点
The result was unfortunate, to put it mildly(= it was extremely unfortunate). 说得好听一点,结果是不幸的.

To put it another way---换个说法;
He was too trusting─or,to put it another way, he had no head for business. 他太轻信人了--或者换个说法,他没有商业头脑。

If we decide to have some test marketing, some of the senior sales men are brought in.

"Bring sb in"就是请某人做,参与某事的意思.

Local residents were angry at not being brought in on(= asked for their opinion about)the new housing proposal. 新的住房方案未征求当地居民的意见,对此他们感到愤怒.

Experts were brought in to advise the government. 政府请来专家们出谋划策.