Business Word/Phrase of the Day

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FREIGHT freɪt

23 Sep 2019

Noun

  • commercial goods that are being transported long distance.
Example Sentence: The goods arrive by ship and then continue by freight train.
 

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN /sər tif′i kit ʌv ôr′ə jin/

22 Sep 2019

phrase

  • A certificate stating the country in which a commodity has been grown, milled, produced, manufactured or assembled.
Example Sentences:According to the certificate of origin, this lamp shade was made in Thailand.
 

WHOLESALE PRICE /ˈhoʊlˌseɪl prīs/

21 Sep 2019

phrase

  • the price of goods charged to shops and businesses for buying large quantities of the goods
Example Sentences:The wholesale price of goods is always cheaper than the retail price.
If you buy this bed in a shop, you’ll pay around $600. However, the wholesale price is only $400.
 

IMPORT LICENSE /ɪmˈpɔrt lahy-suh ns/

20 Sep 2019

phrase

  • An import license is a document issued by a national government authorizing the importation of certain goods into its territory.
Example Sentences:You won’t be able to import wood products into the country unless you have an import license to do so.
Although I had the correct import license, customs did not allow my shipment out of the port of entry.
 

CUSTOMS /kuhs-tuh mz/

19 Sep 2019

noun

  • Government agency entrusted with enforcement of laws and regulations to collect and protect import-revenues, and to regulate and document the flow of goods in and out of the country.
Example Sentences:I was searched by customs when I entered China on business last month.
Customs calculated that the necessary duty to be paid on the shipment was $9,560.
 

LEAD TIME lid taɪm

18 Sep 2019

Phrase

  • the time available to prepare for an event.
Example Sentence: The lead time to get a book published is very long.
 

DISCOUNT /dis′ko̵unt′/

17 Sep 2019

noun

  • a reduction in price from the original sale price
Example Sentences:The company is offering a discount of 30% on their standard price for all goods purchased before the end of the month.
We offered them a further discount of 5% but they rejected it.
 

STANDING ORDER /stændɪŋ ɔrdər/

16 Sep 2019

Noun

  • A standing order is an instruction to a bank to pay some money at regular times to another bank account.
Example Sentence: The electricity company requires all its customers to settle their bills by standing order.
 

REGULAR CUSTOMER /reg′yə lər kus′tə mər/

15 Sep 2019

phrase

  • a customer who often buys a product or service from the same company
Example Sentences:We generally give better sales terms to our regular customers.
As I’m a regular customer, can you offer me a bigger discount?
 

SALES FORCE seɪlz fɔrs

14 Sep 2019

Noun

  • all the people who sell for a company.
Example Sentence: The company is hoping to expand its sales force.
 

SALES COMMISSION /seɪlz kəˈmɪʃ ən/

13 Sep 2019

phrase

  • payment to a salesperson for their efforts in marketing and selling something, usually calculated as a percentage of the total sales
Example Sentences:All our sales staff earn a 2.5% commission on their sales.
He’s moving to a company that pays a much better sales commission.
 

CONFIRM AN ORDER / kən fʉrm′ ən ôr′dər/

12 Sep 2019

phrase

  • say by phone or in writing that the order can be processed
Example Sentences:We can deliver the goods between two to five days after you confirm the order.
Once an order is confirmed, an invoice is issued and emailed to the client.
 

CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT  

11 Sep 2019

phrase

  • department within a company responsible for customer care, including complaints
Example Sentences:All complaints are handled by the customer service department.
Sheila Tam has been head of the customer service department for 5 years.
 

CONTRACT OF SALE / kän′trakt′ ʌv sāl/

10 Sep 2019

phrase

  • Formal contract by which a seller agrees to sell and a buyer agrees to buy, under certain terms and conditions spelled out in writing in the document signed by both parties. An invoice, for example, is a contract of sale. Also called agreement of sale, contract for sale, sale agreement, or sale contract.
Example Sentences:An invoice is an example of a contract of sale.
Another term for contract of sale is agreement of sale.
 

AVAILABLE BALANCE /ə vāl′ə bəl bal′əns/

09 Sep 2019

phrase

  • The available balance is the portion of a customer's bank account balance on which the bank has placed no restrictions, making it available for immediate withdrawals.
Example Sentences:Would you like to transfer all your available balance into your fixed deposit account, sir?
My available balance is the same as my ledger balance so those cheques must have cleared.
 
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