S: I think you know already that I want to discuss the representation for you're alarm clocks with you.
L: Yes. You have mentioned it in your letters. Do you now have anything specific?
史：想必你已知道，我準備同你商談你方鬧鐘的代理問題。
李：是的，你在信中提到了。現在你方有什么具體建議呢？
S: Yes, I want to go over the details with you in person, so you can give my suggestion your thorough consideration. Our firm is specialized in this line of business; we have six sales representatives, who are on the road all the time, covering the whole of the European market.
L: Do you sell direct to shops?
史：好，我想親自同你一起談談細節問題，以使你能充分考慮我方建議。我們公司專營 這項業務，有六個推銷員長年在外；跑遍整個歐洲市場。
李：你們是否直接賣給商店?
S: Well, we are specialized in handling clocks and watches of all sorts. We have well established channels of distribution and we canvass the retailers direct, without any middleman.
L: Do you keep a stock of the goods?
史：是這樣的。我們專營各種類型的鐘表。我們有妥善安排的銷售渠道，不通過中間商
直接向零售商推銷。
李：你們各有存貨嗎？
S: In some cases, such as the wristwatches, which always have a steady market, we keep a stock in London and act as distributors as well as agents. Generally, however, we pass on the orders of our clients to the manufacturers for supply. We are paid for our service.
L: That is, the commission.
史：有的商品，如手表，市場穩定，我們在倫敦就有庫存。我們經營銷售兼作代理。然
而一般來講，我們把客戶的訂貨送交制造商供應。根據所提供的服務，我們取得報
酬。
李：那就是取得傭金。
S: Yes, our commission is very reasonable. We are usually paid with a 10% commission of the amount for every deal.
L: Our agents in other areas usually get a 3-5% commission.
史：是的，我們的傭金十分合情合理。通常我們取得的傭金是每筆成交額的10％。
李：我方其它地區的代理通常拿3－5％的傭金。
S: The European market is not familiar with your products. You have keen competitors from Japan and other continental countries. At the beginning of our campaign, there is sales resistance to overcome, we must send out salesmen to do a lot of traveling and spend a considerable amount of money for advertising in newspapers and TV programs. A 10% commission won't leave us much.
L: According to your estimate, what is the maximum annual turnover you could fulfill, in round figures, of course?
史：歐洲市場對你方產品不熟悉。你們要對付日本和其它歐洲大陸國家的激烈競爭。在
推銷活動的開始階段，銷售上的阻力要克服，我們必須派出推銷員四處奔走，并且耗費大量資金在報紙上和電視節目里登廣告、10％的傭金對我們來說不算寬裕。
李：你估計，你能完成的最大年銷售量是多少，當然講個整數也行。
S: We will always do our utmost to enlarge the business, as our remuneration increases with the turnover, but we will not guarantee anything, at least not to begin with.
L: We appreciate your intention to push the sale of our products. But our suggestion to you, Mr. Smith, is to do a little research in the market as a preliminary step.
史：我們當然將盡力擴大業務，因為隨著銷售量的增加，我們報酬也會上升。不過我們
不想提出一個具體數字的保征，至少在開始階段不能保證。
李：我們贊賞你方推銷我們產品的意愿。但 是，史密斯先生，作為第 一步，我們建
議你們在市場上進行一些調查研究工作。
S: Do you mean to say you've turned down our proposal?
L: Mr. Smith, you leave us no room for consideration. We cannot let you be our exclusive agent of the whole European market without having the slightest idea of your possible annual marketing turnover. Besides our price is worked out according to the castings. A 10% commission means an increase in our price. We must have the reaction of the buyers in this respect.
史：你的意思是說我們的建議不行，是嗎？
李：史密斯先生，你不給我們留一點考慮的余地。讓你當我方在整個歐洲市場的獨家代
理，卻一點都不知道你方每年可能銷售多少，我們不能這樣做。另外，我方價格是
根據成本計算的，10％的傭金意味著價格提高，我們必須知道買主在這方面有什么
反映。
S: Oh, that's just too bad. I intended to make greater efforts in selling your products.
L: But we will carry on our business relationship without the agreement just the same. As to the problem of agency, we can discuss further details when you have a thorough knowledge of the marketing possibilities of our products.
史：真糟糕，我本來想更加努力地推銷你們的產品。
李：不過，即使沒有這個協議，我們仍然能繼續發展我們之間的業務關系。至于代理問題，等你們全面了解我們產品的銷售可能性的時候，我們再進一步細談。
S: Well, business as usual. Then am I covered?
L: Oh, yes. We will give you a 4% commission on every transaction.
史：好吧，一切照舊。那么我有沒有傭金呢？
李：呢，當然有的。每次成交時我們給你4% 的傭金。
S: All right, but I'll come back again for the Autumn Fair. I hope we can see eye to eye about our commission and the other terms of the agency then.
L: Very good. We will discuss the matter again at the next Fair.
史：行，我到秋交會再來談。我希望到那時候我們能在傭金和代理協議的其它條款上能
取得一致意見。
李：很好。我們下次交易會再談。
|
