Business English

electronics company which initially produced household appliances but since 1990 has specialized in telecommunications.
    The company is based in Stuttgart and we have a few branches throughout Germany. We export our products mainly to Japan and recently also to the USA.
Useful Phrases
Our head / main office is in Frankfurt.
Our main business is communications.
We have offices / branches / subsidiaries
I'm in the oil / computer / construction etc. business.
We employ 200 people. / We have a staff of 200.
We're a service company / provider.
We have some overseas subsidiaries.
We specialize in telecommunications.
We do a lot of business with the USA
We supply spare parts.
We produce / manufacture electrical devices.
    Finding your way around / Sich zurecht finden
    Das „Erdgeschoss“ wird in Großbritannien the ground floor genannt. In den USA aber zählt das Erdgeschoss schon als erstes Stockwerk und heißt dann auch the first floor, der „erste Stock“ ist demnach the second floor usw. Wird die Höhe eines Gebäudes angegeben spricht man oft von storeys (stories). Zum Beispiel: He lives on the second floor in a five storey(ed) (storied) house (in einem fünfstöckigem Haus).
    Wenn Sie nach dem Weg fragen oder um etwas bitten, benutzen Sie immer die Höflichkeitsform: Could you, please …? oder Would you, please …? (Könnten Sie / würden Sie bitte …?) und nicht Can you?, das etwas unhöflich wirkt. Wenn Sie nach den Fähigkeiten eines Kollegen fragen, ist Can you? dagegen die richtige Formel.
    Example
    A: Could you show me the conference room, please?
    B: Sure, it's on the sixth floor, on the top of the building, at the end of the corridor next to the advertising department and opposite the rest rooms.
    A: The sixth floor! I do hope you have an elevator!
    B: Don't worry, there's one right behind the stairs near the main entrance.
    A: Thanks very much!
    B: You're welcome.
Useful phrases
    Asking the way / Nach dem Weg fragen
Could you tell me where the … is? – It's on the third floor.
Excuse me, how do I find the …? – It's behind the lift (BE) / elevator (AmE). / You're standing right in front of it.
How do I get to your office? – Go through that glass door and … / Go along this corridor.
Would you, please, show me the car park (BE) / parking lot (AmE)? – You have to gopast the production plant / works. There's a parking garage in the basement.
Where can I find the photocopier? – It's next to / by the post room.
Which building is the conference centre? It's the building on the left. / The building is on the other side of / across the street.
    Preparation of the conference facilities / Vorbereitung des Konferenzraums
    Wenn Sie selbst eine Sitzung leiten sollen oder eine Präsentation vorbereitet haben, ist es meist sinnvoll, den Raum vorher kurz zu begutachten. Could I please have a look at the conference room? So lässt sich manch unangenehme Überraschung vermeiden. Vielleicht möchten Sie die Sitzordnung ändern, oder die Sonne blendet und man kann Ihre mühsam vorbereiteten Folien (transparencies / foils) kaum lesen. Dann brauchen Sie eine Möglichkeit, den Raum zu verdunkeln: Is there a possibility to darken the room?
    Example
    Mr Brown, the caretaker: Here you are Sir. This is the conference room. Are there enough chairs or should I get some extra?
    Mr Horst: No that's fine, but I would like to change the seating arrangement into a U-form. Could you arrange that?
    Mr Brown: Sure, no problem. Anything else?
    Mr Horst: Yes, I'll need a projectorstand and do you happen to have a laserpointer and a flipchart?
    Mr Brown: I'll have a look.
Useful phrases
    Room facilities / Raumausstattung
Could you please arrange the room in advance?
I would like to change the seating arrangement.
I prefer a frontal / round table / U-form seating.
For how many persons is this room? / What is the seating capacity?
I expect 20 participants.
Could we order some cofee / tea / drinks lunch?
I would like to have a rostrum, if possible.
Have you circulated the agenda?
    Technical facilities / Technische Ausstattung
Excuse me, where can I find the light switch?
I need an extension chord for the beamer.
Could you ask for a VCR (= video cassette recorder)?
I need some transparencies / foils for the overhead projector.
We should test the speakers / Tannoy.
Can I use the white board as a screen?
Can I get a modem connection here?
Do I have access to the internet?
Could you make a printout of this list of participants?
Can I