Clear, practical English for intermediate and advanced learners. Speak Better English with Harry helps you use natural English with confidence in real situations — at work and in everyday conversations. Each episode focuses on vocabulary, collocations, phrasal verbs, and expressions that native speakers actually use, explained clearly and simply by an experienced native English teacher. This podcast is ideal if you already know the basics and want to sound more natural, fluent, and confident when you speak English.
In this episode, you’ll learn practical English phrases for simple, real-life negotiations. The focus is on speaking clearly, staying polite, and knowing what to say when you want to make an offer, ask for a better deal, or respond to someone else’s suggestion.
You’ll hear natural expressions you can use in everyday situations, so you do not sound too direct, too weak, or too formal.
After listening, you’ll be able to:
• ask for a better price more naturally • make and respond to offers • suggest a compromise • sound polite, confident, and clear in everyday conversations
If you want to handle small negotiations in English with more confidence, this episode will help.
In meetings, you may know exactly what you want to say but still need a few extra seconds to find the English. You may also hesitate because you’re not sure whether a phrase sounds natural, too direct or too weak.
Take my free Meeting English Quiz and try 8 real meeting situations. You’ll see which answers work well in English and where you may need better phrases for meetings.
If you’d rather work on your English with a teacher, book a free trial lesson. We’ll look at the situations you deal with at work and decide what you need to improve first.
Hi there. This is Harry. Welcome back to Advanced English Lessons with Harry, where I try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language. And today's lesson is about So I'm going to give you phrases you when you're speaking, you have to buy or sell element of negotiation. Okay, so let me just set the So let's say that you're moving and you need to buy some Perhaps you need a new desk or a second hand desk that you want to use. You don't want to spend a lot of You might even want to buy a of bicycle lanes. Indeed, you might even want to So you have to check out the them, and you can check on all You can find the bicycle you You can find the personal training equipment that you might want to put in your apartment. You'll find everything there. Okay, so if you want to buy want to pay over the odds. So you'll have to do a little Yeah. So people like to bargain. They like to barter, they like They like to negotiate. Okay. So these are going to be phrases you in that situation. And the same on the other side. If you're leaving that English speaking country and you've got a house full of furniture or odds and bits and pieces that you have collected over your years there, but you don't want to pay a lot of money to transport them back to your home country. Well, the best thing to do with and the best place to sell them So again, you'll need some opposite will be true. You'll want to make sure that You want to get the best price you can possibly get, so you'll need some words and expressions for that. So that's what our lesson is all So I've split the lesson to into The first part is opening So this is when you meet perhaps they've seen your to respond to it. Or you've seen their advertisement and they are going to respond to your inquiry about the bicycle or the wardrobe, whatever it is you want to buy or whatever it is you want to sell. Okay. So one opening remark that you need to have is perhaps I'm open to suggestions or I'm open to offers. So let's say you are looking to Okay, so I'm looking in a camera now and perhaps you are into photography, so. And when you arrive in the there are lots of wonderful to, and you want a nice camera can share with your friends. So you check out one of these sites, and you see a camera. So you send a text message or to see what the price is. So the person on the other end I'm open to suggestions. I haven't got a fixed price. I can describe the camera to you offer or I'm open to offers. So that's the, the first couple you on the other side, when you sell the bicycle, sell the sofa Then you could use those to. When somebody asks, well, how You could say, oh, I'm open to offers or I'm open to suggestions. So you're not telling somebody specifically how much you want, because you want to really see how much they are prepared to pay. Okay. Or you can be a little bit closer to the situation and say, well, what I'm looking for is so you might just tell them the price. What I'm looking for is offers What I'm looking for is a good bicycle that I'll be able to use to go back and forth to university. It's about ten kilometers, but I the weekends just for enjoyment. So what I'm looking for is a good quality bike for the city, but also to use on country lanes. So you might want a mountain So that's what I'm looking for. Mhm. And for those of you who use English at work, I've put together a short free quiz for you. It's called Test Your English at There are just eight questions about the sort of English you use at the workplace in meetings, emails and everyday work situations. So have a go and see how you get You will get the answers and Check the link in the It'll take you straight to my www.englishlessonviaskype.com So the description, click the link Okay, let's get back to the If you want to let somebody know any offer, so you're, you know, you want to sell it for a price for you. So you might start by saying, my Okay, so here's my starting I'm not going to accept any So if you can't match that or going to sell it. Okay. So that could be your starting So my starting point is I'm not two hundred euro. In fact, whoever offers me the euro by the end of the weekend Okay, so you let people know that whoever wants to offer it are going to have to or wants to buy it. They're going to have to offer you something over and above two hundred. And if there are two or three or four people interested, well, of course, then you get a little bit of a race going on, a bit of a competition, and whoever comes in with the best price gets the particular product. Okay. Or very simply, here is what I'm Yeah. So you tell them very clearly, I need to sell these bits and I'm leaving in two weeks time. I need to clear everything out So I'm open to offers, so no realistic offer will be turned down. So if you're packing your bags, apartment to go back home. You've got pieces of furniture that you really can't transport back home, so you're open to any offers. You know, anything reasonable So here's what I'm after. I need to completely clear this you can walk around, look at If you're interested in If it's realistic, you can have Yeah, take it away with you. Everything is done and dusted. Okay, good. All right. So they're the opening phrases and expressions that you might use before you get into your bargaining situation. Okay, so let's look at the This is where we are making an Okay. So we're, we, we either want to accept an offer that somebody Okay, so you could be very to accept Fifty euro. I'd be prepared to accept one So they might start saying, oh well, I didn't really want to to pay more than one hundred and ten. You know, he said, well, okay, and I'll give it to you for one Okay. So yeah, that's, that's when you everything is over. Okay. So I'd be prepared to accept X If you're in a situation where buying the car or the laptop, like, I'm not in a position to So you, you give them a number what you really want to pay. So it gives you a little bit of So I'm not in a position to offer more than six hundred euro. And the person thinks about it to get a little bit more and six hundred and fifty. Yeah. Okay. Six hundred and fifty. Okay, so I'm not in a position to offer you more than six hundred. Gives you that opening You might ask the question, how Or how much are you looking for So perhaps the person hasn't And when you send your text you just want to know how much would you like for it or how So you want to find out exactly price so that you know, whether in your range or you're wasting opportunity for you to do a So how much would you like for How much would you do you want How much are you looking for it The other person might say, willing to pay? How much are you willing to pay? Well, I don't want to pay over I have a fair idea of what it's I've seen some and some other willing to pay. So how much are you willing to So then you start the little bit dancing around the handbags, as I'd be prepared to offer a I'd be prepared to offer two And the guy might say, oh, well, that's a little bit on the low side. Look, there's a couple of other people interested, and I'll take your number. And if I don't get any better So there you've undershot. Okay. So you might have just gone in a You might get another Say look. Well, I'll tell you what, I can go to two hundred and eighty or two hundred and ninety is my final offer. Okay, look, let me just check And if he can't come up with Okay, so you again have to do a little bit of bargaining, a little bit of negotiating, haggling, as they like to call it. To haggle means to argue over And then finally, you could say, what would you say to an offer of one hundred and seventy five euro? I the cashier, I can give it to I can take it away. Okay. What would you say to. All right, so there are some the words you can use when you want to accept an offer. I'd be prepared to accept X I'm not in a position to offer more than a certain sum of money. How much would you like for it? How much are you looking for it? How much do you want for it? How much are you willing to pay? I'd be prepared to offer X. What Okay. All right. Now. next section we're looking at is asking for a little bit more or prepared to offer a little bit less. So depending whether you're Okay. So if somebody makes you an selling or the desk you're bit put out that the fact that you say, um, I think it's worth So you're trying to put the person to increase their price. Okay, so you've asked for two hundred euro for your bicycle because it's a really good city bike that you can also use in the countryside. But when the person comes around hundred and twenty euro and you more than that. I mean, I'm looking for two for a quick sale. So I really think you're way Okay, so it's worth much more So let's give the example where you're looking to buy that camera. And it's a really, really good Not so old by the looks of it. It's they're going to throw in a So lots of little accessories. So it looks really, really good. A nice kit. Yeah. Nice lenses and everything for So you ask them the price and four hundred and fifty euro. Ooh, that's a lot of money. Well, yeah, but you're getting You're getting the tripod, the There's a case, so there's a lot So it costs a lot of money. Yeah, I know, but four hundred Look how flexible can you be on Are you prepared to negotiate. And the person will say, well of Make me an offer and let's let's But that's my ballpark figure. That's the figure I'm looking for, four hundred and fifty euro. So how flexible can you be with There's a nice word here we use Yeah. And it's a it's we use it in Is there any wiggle room. Yeah. And wiggle room is that little Is there any room for us to I know you're looking for two hundred and fifty euro, but really I just don't have that much money. I have some of it, a large part So is there any wiggle room? So the guy might say, well, And he says, well, I can stretch hundred and twenty five Max. Okay, look, we'll take it two So yeah, there was a little bit room for maneuvering. You see the bicycle, you like It's really clean. It looks quite new. There's no damage to it. The the tires are certainly new. Everything looks like it's been The brakes are working, so But when you look at the price. MM. It's a little bit pricey a So you might ask the person is a little bit off the price? To shave a bit off the price somewhat, you know, and the guy buy it today? I said, yeah, look, I can, I can come back with the rest of the and I can collect it. Okay. Look, I'll tell you what I'll I'll knock off twenty euros. So he shaves the price by twenty You look at it and think, yeah, It looks like a bargain. I'll take it. So you pay your deposit and off Yeah. Okay, so to shave something off So if you are offering something So let's say you're you want to buy a new one and you've cleaned So you advertise it over the the and somebody comes around to see They think it's clean. It's the sort of laptop they're They ask you about certain You answer the questions, give So they're looking at it. They're thinking about it. So they, they say, well, look, I How much are you looking for? And you say, well, three hundred Yeah. Look, I didn't really want to It's not really new. And, uh, could you come down So this is what the person might He wants to negotiate. He wants to find some compromise where you you might reach an agreement somewhere in the middle. So he he will ask you, can you So you're looking for three He's offered or prepared to pay So if you can come and meet him hundred and fifty, Two hundred likely to get a deal. So can you come down? Some way to meet me? Means can you meet me somewhere in the middle and we can do a deal? I can walk off with the laptop and I'll give you the cash immediately. Okay. Oh, again, if somebody offers quite so happy with, but you're Yeah. So he offers you two hundred and you're still holding out hoping Yeah. So you might say to him, well, increasing that just a little. Yeah. Something throw something in Yeah. So I said, okay, look, final Take it or leave it. Okay. That's it. Yeah. That's it. Bargain. So you wanted three hundred. He offered two hundred and You tried to push him up a Could you see your way to Yeah. So he offers an extra ten euro. Enough to seal the deal. Yeah. Okay. Good. Now, you might have lots of products that you're selling. Some things sell much quicker I know when I've been in that last number of years. Then things like bicycles, very, very quickly. So you might have several people So when you get a few people you in the driving seat. Okay, so you might say to one or is that your best offer? Yeah. Because really, if somebody else best offer, well, I think we are But if you can improve it a to do business. So is that your best offer? Is that the best offer you can And the guy thinks about it? Well, look, I can offer you It's yours. All right. So all about negotiating, all think is realistic. It's all about trying to negotiate the price up when you're trying to sell something and negotiate the price down when you're trying to buy something. Okay, so we've looked then at asking for some more or asking for less. So now what we want to look at So we're getting to the final So you've got the price there. You've had the offer from the You're deciding whether you'll accept his offer or you will decline his offer or the reverse. You're looking to buy something at you trying to think, hmm, has Is he likely to offer a bit more if I hold out a little bit longer? So is he going to decline or is So here are some of the phrases and expressions that you could use. Look, no, I think that sort of I mean it's just too expensive I can't see my way to paying If I add another one hundred So that's a certain way of declining whatever offer the guy has made. Okay, it's out of the question. But look, three hundred and option I can consider because I I've got to buy a few other So I'm really trying to operate Is there any way we could really an option for me? You could be selling something sister or a brother. So if you want to do a bit of look, I'm not authorized to sell So you put a little bit of person, and you're hoping that them to offer a little bit more. So I'm not authorized to accept price or are not authorized to let's say eighty, ninety percent And then when somebody offers a do a little bit of negotiating, your haggling, and then you You say, okay, deal. That will do. So you you feel that's it's You've got the best price you He's got the best price he can Everybody's happy. Okay. So yeah, deal. That will do. Or just simply okay. That's it. Let's shake on it. Meaning let's shake hands. We've got a deal. I'll pay the deposit. I'll bring you the rest of the You pay me a deposit. Be back around here tomorrow of the cash, and you can have it Okay, so these are the ways in which you can open negotiations to buy and sell products, close deals, close your a different ways of negotiating to get the price up when you're selling and to get the price down when you're buying. Okay. So let me go through those So the very beginning, we're negotiations with expressions I'm open to offers. What I'm looking for is my what I'm after, or here's what And when you're making and accepting offers, you can use these expressions. I'd be prepared to accept a I'm not in a position to offer How much would you like for it? How much are you looking for it? How much do you want for it? How much are you willing to pay? I'd be prepared to offer two That's my final offer. I'd be prepared to offer two What would you say to two Now, if you're looking to push bit more or you want to push the pay a bit less. So let's look at those again. I'm sorry, it's worth much more It's worth much more than that. How flexible can you be on that? Is there any wiggle room? Could you shave a bit off the Can you come down some way to Meet me halfway, for example. Could you see your way to Is that your best offer? And then finally declining or accepting whatever has been offered? No, sorry, that's out of the I can't sell it at that price. Really. That's not an option. I need to sell it today. I'm not authorized to accept anything less than the price on the ticket. Okay. Deal. Yeah. Let's do it. Let's shake on it. So that's it. The final offer has been accepted, and we shake our hands. Okay, so they're all expressions that you will help you to improve your speaking, particularly in those difficult negotiation situations. Buying the second hand car, buying the second hand bike, selling the laptop that you don't need, selling the furniture in the apartment when you're moving out or you're moving back to your home country. All good, nice expressions. And if you have any problems them, come back to me. I'll give you some further So thanks for listening. This is Harry saying goodbye. And remember as always, join me
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