Negotiating priorities in French
You are buying goods from a supplier. You will name two priorities, respond to a different offer and agree only when a condition is met. The aim is a workable exchange: changing one part of the offer can protect what matters most. The quoted price is for the goods; delivery would otherwise be charged separately.
Words for a workable agreement
Une priorité is a priority; une proposition is a proposal; une contre-proposition changes an earlier offer; un compromis is an agreement involving concessions. Le prix is the price, la livraison is delivery and la qualité is quality. Gratuite means free of charge, here agreeing with feminine livraison; à condition que means provided that.
- prioritépriority
- propositionproposal
- contre-propositioncounterproposal
- compromiscompromise
- à condition queprovided that
- prixprice
- livraisondelivery
- qualitéquality
- gratuitfree
Two priorities for each side
Speaker A is the buyer: price and Friday delivery matter. Speaker B is the supplier: quality and time to check it matter; le temps de vérifier la qualité means time to check the quality. Vendredi is Friday; lundi is the Monday after that Friday in this conversation.
Recall the conditional as a softened option: je préférerais means I would prefer. A concession does not abandon every priority: accepting a different day can still leave room to discuss cost. You have also met soit, a subjunctive form of être; it returns below to state a condition, rather than an established fact.
Mes priorités sont le prix et la livraison vendredi.
Mes priorités sont la qualité et le temps de vérifier la qualité.
From Friday to a conditional yes
Listen to the buyer (A) and supplier (B), alternating turns. Je propose means I propose, je peux accepter means I can accept, and plus bas means lower when discussing a price. The buyer initially asks for a lower price, but finally accepts the quoted price in exchange for free delivery; the supplier gains time to inspect the goods.
- A
Mes priorités sont le prix et la livraison vendredi.
- B
Mes priorités sont la qualité et le temps de vérifier la qualité.
- A
Je propose une livraison vendredi à ce prix.
- B
Je préférerais lundi pour avoir le temps de vérifier la qualité.
- A
Je peux accepter lundi, à condition que le prix soit plus bas.
- B
Je préfère ce prix, mais la livraison sera gratuite.
- A
D'accord pour lundi à ce prix, à condition que la livraison soit gratuite.
- B
D'accord. Nous aurons le temps de vérifier la qualité.
Make the acceptance conditional
À condition que introduces the requirement attached to the offer or acceptance and takes the subjunctive: à condition que la livraison soit gratuite, provided delivery is free. Here soit is the familiar form of être with a singular subject; le prix soit plus bas means the price is lower as a condition. English can use is after provided that, but copy neither that form nor a future will be into the French condition.
Compare la livraison sera gratuite, an undertaking about the future, with à condition que la livraison soit gratuite, the buyer’s requirement. The subjunctive here follows this expression; it does not say that free delivery is impossible or especially unlikely.
Accord, à condition que condition au subjonctif
Je peux accepter lundi, à condition que le prix soit plus bas.
D'accord pour lundi à ce prix, à condition que la livraison soit gratuite.
Change a term and explain what it protects
Je préférerais lundi pour avoir le temps de vérifier la qualité gives an alternative and its reason: Monday leaves time to check quality. Je préfère ce prix, mais la livraison sera gratuite keeps the goods price while offering a different concession. Both sides now know what changes: the buyer waits until Monday, and the supplier waives the delivery charge.
This is not a price cut on the goods: free delivery reduces the buyer’s total payment compared with paying for delivery as well. The supplier’s nous in the final turn means the supplier and their team, who will inspect the goods before delivery.
Je préférerais lundi pour avoir le temps de vérifier la qualité.
Je préfère ce prix, mais la livraison sera gratuite.
Rebuild the agreement in three turns
Use the words and sentences above before checking the audio examples. First, as the buyer, say “I can accept Monday, provided the price is lower.” Next, still as the buyer after the supplier offers free delivery instead, say “Agreed to Monday at this price, provided delivery is free.” Finally, as the supplier speaking for your team, say “Agreed. We will have time to check the quality.”
Check that your condition says soit, your final agreed day is Monday, and your final goods price has not changed. No new words are needed.
Je peux accepter lundi, à condition que le prix soit plus bas.
D'accord pour lundi à ce prix, à condition que la livraison soit gratuite.
D'accord. Nous aurons le temps de vérifier la qualité.
Recognise specialist vocabulary without using it
In a business negotiation you may hear marge opérationnelle, operating margin: an operating-profit measure expressed here as a percentage of revenue. Notre marge opérationnelle est de dix pour cent means our operating margin is ten percent. Recognise the topic only; this specialist sentence is not a production task, and you do not need financial vocabulary to complete the agreement above.
Notre marge opérationnelle est de dix pour cent.
Priorities, an alternative, a condition
Name the two priorities on each side, propose an option, and change a term with a reason or concession. Attach the requirement to acceptance with à condition que + subjunctive: here, soit. Finally state the agreed day, price and delivery charge clearly; agreement is about those terms, not about giving up every priority.