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貿易英会話 LESSON
4 SELECTING THE AGENT（代理店の選定） A. Dialog Official:
Now we come to another problem ― choosing a
commission representative or agent. Businessman:
If I get an agent, how will I pay him? Official:
He may be on a straight salary①,
a straight commission②,
or he may choose to sell on consignment③.
①固定給 ②歩合制 ③委託販売 Businessman:
My company gives a bonus for extra sales. Official: That's
an excellent plan. Businessman:
What are some of the things I should find out about
him. Official: Well,
among other things①,
the number of accounts②
he has and whether he wants an exclusive franchise③.
You should also be sure that he knows how to demonstrate④
your product. そうですね。①何よりも先ず ②得意先 ③一手販売権 （注）フランチャイズ:(製造主から販売業者に与えられる)一手販売権;一手販売権の及ぶ地域。チェーン店;チェーン店に経営権を与える契約。 Businessman:
What should the contract include? Official:
It should include the method of compensation①,
the terms of sale to customers, an agreement to service the product, the
inventory②
to be maintained, the conditions of termination③
of contract, and a means for the arbitration④
of disputes. ①報酬 ②在庫、③解除 ④仲裁 Businessman:
Should the agent be responsible for claims or
complaints against the product? Official:
He should follow the terms of the guarantee on the
product and accurately report all claims. Businessman:
I'd
like the contract to require frequent communication and provide for periodic
visits to our plant. Official:
Excellent. On plant visits you can review with your
agent such things as prices, payment terms, shipping dates, ports of exit①,
and methods of promotion. ①輸出港 Businessman:
And while he's there he could visit our
merchandising①
department and attend sales-training classes. ①販売促進 Official:
Right.
And the earnings①
made by other agents may encourage him. ①稼ぎ高。 Businessman:
I
think they should. And we could settle any problems about customs papers,
tariff classification①,
and so on. ①関税分類 （注）Harmonized Tariff System classification number 関税分類番号、HTS番号【略】HTS
number Harmonized System（Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System＝商品の名称および分類についての統一システム） B.
Terminology Practice
arbitration: settlement of a disagreement out of court①, both sides having agreed to accept the judgment of a
person or persons who are not directly concerned in the case ①法廷 Arbitration
of disputes can save court costs. Law
courts are not required in arbitration. Shall
we submit the disagreement to arbitration? bonus: extra pay above salary for unusual effort or success Many
companies pay a bonus. A
bonus plan encourages agents to make more effort. A
bonus is like a prize. claim: in this sense, request for payment for damage or loss A
claim may be placed against the agent if he does not deliver. Many
claims charging inferior①
service are made. ①劣った Claims
may be subject to arbitration. commission: a percentage of the profit received for selling a product How
much will his commission be? I'd
rather work on a commission. We've
already figured your commission. commission representative:
one who sells for a commission Some
salesmen prefer to be commission representatives. It's
often better to be a commission representative. A
commission representative can make a lot of money. compensation: payment There
are various methods of compensation. A
direct salary is a method of compensation. Another
method of compensation is a commission. consignment: a method of marketing in which an agent pays the company
only if and when the product is sold There
is less risk in selling on consignment. Products
held on consignment may go out of date①. ①流行遅れになる Consignment
is often the only way to sell a product. customs: inspection of imports by the government; charges on imports How
long will it take to go through customs? Are
these the customs papers? You
won't have much trouble with customs. franchise:
in this sense, the right to sell a product within a particular area for a
stated period of time He
has applied for a franchise. Do
you award①
more than one franchise in a large city? ①～を与える Who
holds the franchise for your product? guarantee:
an
agreement by the producer to replace the product, repair it, or give back
the purchase price if the product proves unsatisfactory within a stipulated
period A
customer should always understand the guarantee terms. If
a company does not live up to①
its guarantee, the customer may make a complaint. ①（保証の）約束を果たす Guarantees
can be subject to arbitration.
inventory: amount of a product on hand How
great an inventory does the company require? It
is not easy to know the size of an inventory. An
inventory will vary from time to time. payment terms: conditions under which payment must be made Payment
terms usually include the period of time within which payment is required. A
sales contract includes payment terms. Payment
terms may be subject to arbitration if they are in dispute. port of exit: place where exports leave a country What
is the port of exit? The
port of exit is A
port of exit may be an inland city. straight commission: a payment by commission, with no arrangement for
additional payment, such as salary A
straight commission is not satisfactory in some cases.
The
agent has asked for a straight commission. A
good salesman can often make more money on a straight commission. straight salary: a monthly or weekly payment for work done, with no
arrangement for additional payment such as commission A
straight salary is safest for a new agent. There's
less challenge① when one works on a straight salary. ①やりがい Do
you prefer straight salary? tariff classification: the group in which a product is listed for tariff
charges The
tariff classification of a product shows the amount of duty to be collected.
A
tariff classification can be changed. termination
of contract: end
of a contract on a stipulated date; the act of bringing it to an end before
that date Termination
of a contract may result from low sales. The
company may request the termination of a contract. At
its termination the contract was renewed①
for five years. ①renew 更新する |