小本生意:询价、谈供货周期与起订量、议价、付款与发票
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在美国开小店、做电商、摆市集摊位,最常打交道的不是顾客,是供应商。而这一套对话跟日常英语很不一样:它是 B2B(企业对企业)语言,讲究的是直接、具体、留痕。
几个你必须熟的固定概念:
| 术语 | 意思 |
|---|---|
| MOQ(minimum order quantity) | 最低起订量,低于这个数不卖或不给批发价 |
| wholesale price | 批发价,通常是零售价的一半左右 |
| tiered pricing | 阶梯价,订得越多单价越低 |
| lead time | 从下单到发货的天数 |
| net 30 | 付款期限,发票日起 30 天内付款 |
| quote / quotation | 报价单,正式的书面价格,有效期通常 30 天 |
| invoice | 发票(这是要你付钱的单据,跟收据 receipt 不一样) |
| PO(purchase order) | 采购单,大公司下单要用正式 PO |
跟美国供应商谈生意,有三条跟国内很不一样的规矩:
一、先要书面报价(quote),不要接受口头价格。 美国人做生意认白纸黑字。Could you send me a quote? 是标准第一步,报价单上会写清单价、MOQ、有效期、付款条件。
二、议价可以,但要基于量。 美国供应商不习惯"砍价"式讨价还价,但非常习惯"量换价"。最有效的一句话是 What's your best price if I order 500?——用具体数量换具体价格,这是专业做法,不是抠门。
三、所有约定写进邮件。 电话里谈好的价格,一定要对方发邮件确认:Could you put that in an email so I have it on file? 这不是不信任,是美国做生意的默认动作。
这一篇拆成五个细化场景:第一次询价、谈供货周期与起订量、用数量议价、确认付款方式与发票、到货有问题怎么处理。
- 问清运费谁付:
Is shipping included?批发价常常不含运费,一批货运费可能几百刀。 - 问清新客户能不能试单:
Do you have a smaller starter order?或者Can I order a sample first?很多供应商愿意给新客户小批量试单。 - 要 resale certificate / seller’s permit:在美国做零售,有转售许可买东西可以免销售税。办下来之后告诉供应商,一批货能省 7%–10%。
第一次联系供应商询价
Denise(批发商销售代表,接到你的询价电话) You(小生意老板,开一家线上家居用品店)
(下午,你在办公室打电话给 Harbor Supply)
Denise: Thanks for calling Harbor Supply. This is Denise. How can I help you?
💬 丹妮丝: 感谢致电 Harbor Supply。我是 Denise。有什么可以帮您?
You: Hi, Denise. I run a small online store and I’m looking for a new supplier for ceramic planters. Do you sell wholesale?
💬 你: 你好 Denise。我开一家小型网店,在找新的陶瓷花盆供应商。你们做批发吗?
Denise: We do. Are you set up as a business? Do you have a resale certificate?
💬 丹妮丝: 做的。您是注册企业吗?有转售许可吗?
You: I do. I can email you a copy.
💬 你: 有的。我可以发一份给你。
Denise: Perfect. Once we have that on file, we can sell to you tax-exempt. So what are you looking for?
💬 丹妮丝: 好。我们存档之后就可以给您免税供货。那您需要什么?
You: The six-inch ceramic planters, the matte ones. I saw them on your site — item number CP-6-12.
💬 你: 六寸的陶瓷花盆,磨砂那款。我在你们网站上看到的——货号 CP-6-12。
Denise: Got it. Let me pull that up. Okay… our list price on those is twelve dollars each, and MOQ is twenty-four.
💬 丹妮丝: 好,我调一下。……那款的标价是每个 12 美元,最低起订量 24 个。
You: Twelve each. Is that your wholesale price, or is there tiered pricing?
💬 你: 每个 12 美元。这是批发价,还是有阶梯价?
Denise: There’s tiered pricing. Twelve dollars at twenty-four, ten at seventy-two, and eight fifty at a hundred and forty-four.
💬 丹妮丝: 有阶梯价。24 个是 12 美元,72 个是 10 美元,144 个是 8.5 美元。
You: Okay, that’s helpful. Let me write those down. So the jump from twenty-four to seventy-two saves me two dollars a unit.
💬 你: 好,这个信息有用。我记一下。也就是说从 24 个到 72 个,每个省两美元。
Denise: Right. And at a hundred and forty-four you’re at eight fifty.
💬 丹妮丝: 对。到 144 个就是 8.5 美元。
You: Got it. Can you send me a quote with all of that in writing?
💬 你: 明白了。能把这些书面报价发给我吗?
Denise: Absolutely. I’ll email it today. It’ll be good for thirty days.
💬 丹妮丝: 当然。我今天就发邮件。报价 30 天内有效。
You: Thirty days, okay. And one more thing — can I order a sample first? I want to check the quality before I commit.
💬 你: 30 天,好。还有一件事——我能先订个样品吗?在正式下单之前我想看看质量。
Denise: Of course. I’ll throw two samples in with the quote — no charge for first-time customers.
💬 丹妮丝: 当然。我随报价给您寄两个样品——新客户免费。
You: Oh, that’s great. Thanks, Denise.
💬 你: 哦,那太好了。谢谢 Denise。
Denise: No problem. What’s the best email for you?
💬 丹妮丝: 不客气。您用哪个邮箱方便?
You: It’s weizhang at gmail dot com.
💬 你: weizhang at gmail dot com。
Denise: Got it. You’ll have the quote within the hour.
💬 丹妮丝: 好。报价一小时内到。
You: Perfect. Hey, one quick question before I let you go — do you work with small accounts like mine, or am I too small for you?
💬 你: 好。哎,挂电话之前问一句——你们接我这种小客户吗,还是我体量太小了?
Denise: No, you’re fine. We’ve got a lot of customers your size. Honestly, that’s most of our business.
💬 丹妮丝: 不,您完全没问题。我们有很多您这个体量的客户。说实话,那才是我们大部分生意。
You: Good to hear. Okay, I’ll look for the quote.
💬 你: 很高兴听到。好,我等你的报价。
这一幕的核心句型
| 英文 | 中文 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| Do you sell wholesale? | 你们做批发吗? | 开场第一问 |
| I run a small online store. | 我开一家小型网店。 | run a business 是"经营" |
| Do you have a resale certificate? | 有转售许可吗? | 有了可以免税进货 |
| Once we have that on file, we can sell tax-exempt. | 存档之后可以免税供货。 | tax-exempt = 免税 |
| What’s your MOQ? | 最低起订量是多少? | MOQ 直接念字母 |
| What’s the price on item number CP-6-12? | 货号 CP-6-12 什么价? | 报货号最快 |
| Is there tiered pricing? | 有阶梯价吗? | |
| Could you send me a quote? | 能发份报价单吗? | 标准第一步 |
| How long is the quote good for? | 报价有效期多久? | 常见是 30 天 |
| Can I order a sample first? | 我能先订个样品吗? | 新客户很值得问 |
| Do you work with small accounts? | 你们接小客户吗? | 小生意值得先确认 |
询价时一定要问全的六项
| 项目 | 英文 | 为什么重要 |
|---|---|---|
| 单价 | What's the price on that item? | 基础信息 |
| 最低起订量 | What's your MOQ? | 决定你能不能订 |
| 阶梯价 | Is there tiered pricing? | 常常能省两成以上 |
| 运费 | Is shipping included? | 最容易漏、也最贵的一项 |
| 报价有效期 | How long is the quote good for? | 常见 30 天,过期要重谈 |
| 样品 | Can I order a sample first? | 新客户常常免费 |
口语小注
1. on file 是"存档"。
Once we have that on file 意思是"我们把这份东西存进系统之后"。B2B 场景里出现频率极高,转售许可、税号、合同都要"on file" 才生效。
2. 报货号比描述商品快十倍。
item number CP-6-12 一说,对方立刻能调出准确的那一款。只描述"六寸磨砂花盆"会出岔子——同款可能有五六个变体。
3. 听到价格要立刻算一遍差额。
So the jump from twenty-four to seventy-two saves me two dollars a unit. 这句话有两个作用:确认你听对了,同时向对方展示你是认真在算账的专业买家。
4. 一定问 Do you work with small accounts?
有些批发商有隐形门槛,只做大客户。早问比谈半天再被拒好。而且对方回答时往往会顺便告诉你他们最小的起订量是多少。
5. 报价单要纸面的,口头价格不算。
报价单上会写清:单价、数量、MOQ、运费、付款条件、有效期。拿着一份书面报价去跟另一家比价,也是完全正常的做法。
谈供货周期与最低起订量
Denise(销售代表) You(小生意老板,想弄清楚多久能拿到货)
(第二天,你看完报价单又打过去)
You: Hi Denise, it’s Wei again. I got the quote — thanks for sending it so fast.
💬 你: 你好 Denise,又是我,伟。报价收到了——谢谢你发得这么快。
Denise: Oh, good. Any questions on it?
💬 丹妮丝: 哦,好。上面有什么问题吗?
You: A couple. First one’s about the lead time. What does it actually look like at my volume?
💬 你: 有两个。第一个是供货周期。我这个量的话实际要多久?
Denise: At twenty-four to seventy-two units, it’s four to six weeks. Above that it can stretch to eight if we have to restock.
💬 丹妮丝: 24 到 72 个的话,是四到六周。再往上如果我们要补库存,可能拉到八周。
You: Four to six weeks. Is that from when I place the order, or from when you ship?
💬 你: 四到六周。是从我下单算起,还是从你们发货算起?
Denise: From when the order’s confirmed. So if you order today, we’d confirm tomorrow, and it ships four to six weeks after that.
💬 丹妮丝: 从订单确认算起。所以如果您今天下单,我们明天确认,之后四到六周发货。
You: Okay, that’s an important distinction. And then shipping time on top of that?
💬 你: 好,这个区别很重要。那运费时间还要再加?
Denise: Right — add three to five days for delivery.
💬 丹妮丝: 对——送货再加三到五天。
You: So realistically, five to seven weeks door to door.
💬 你: 所以实际上,从下单到收货是五到七周。
Denise: That’s about right, yeah.
💬 丹妮丝: 差不多是这样。
You: Okay. Now — the MOQ. It says twenty-four. Is that per item, or per order?
💬 你: 好。然后——最低起订量。上面写的是 24。那是按单品算,还是按整单算?
Denise: Per item. So you could mix colors as long as each color hits twenty-four.
💬 丹妮丝: 按单品算。所以颜色可以混,只要每个颜色到 24 个就行。
You: Oh, that’s better than I thought. Can I mix sizes too?
💬 你: 哦,那比我以为的好。尺寸也能混吗?
Denise: Sizes are a different item number, so those are separate minimums.
💬 丹妮丝: 尺寸是不同货号,所以是各自的最低量。
You: Got it. So six-inch and eight-inch can’t count toward each other.
💬 你: 明白了。所以六寸和八寸不能合并计算。
Denise: Correct.
💬 丹妮丝: 对。
You: Okay. One more thing — what happens if I need more later? Can I add to the order after it’s confirmed?
💬 你: 好。还有一件事——如果我之后需要更多怎么办?订单确认之后还能加量吗?
Denise: You can, but only until it goes into production. After that it’s a new order with a new lead time.
💬 丹妮丝: 可以,但只能在生产开始之前。之后就算新订单,供货周期重新算。
You: So there’s a cutoff. Can you flag that for me when I order — just let me know the last day I can add?
💬 你: 所以有个截止点。我下单的时候你能提醒我吗——告诉我最后能加量的那天?
Denise: Sure, I can put it in the confirmation email.
💬 丹妮丝: 可以,我可以写在确认邮件里。
You: That’d help a lot. And if I don’t hit the tier — say I order forty instead of seventy-two — do I pay the twenty-four price?
💬 你: 那会帮大忙。那如果我够不到阶梯——比如我订 40 个而不是 72 个——我付的是 24 个那一档的价格吗?
Denise: Yeah, you’d pay the twelve-dollar price. It’s a hard cutoff, not prorated.
💬 丹妮丝: 对,您付 12 美元那一档。是硬性分档,不按比例算。
You: Good to know. That changes my math a little.
💬 你: 知道了。那我得重算一下。
Denise: If you’re close, it’s usually worth going up a tier. The difference pays for itself.
💬 丹妮丝: 如果您差得不多,通常往上够一档更划算。差价自己就赚回来了。
You: Yeah, I’m doing that math right now. Okay, let me finalize my numbers and get back to you this week.
💬 你: 对,我正在算。好,我把数量定下来,这周给你答复。
Denise: Sounds good. And just so you know — if you send the PO by Friday, it goes into next week’s production run instead of the one after.
💬 丹妮丝: 好的。另外跟您说一声——如果周五之前把采购单发过来,就能赶上下周那一批生产,不用再等下一批。
You: Oh, that’s a good reason to hurry. I’ll try for Friday.
💬 你: 哦,那确实有理由抓紧。我尽量周五前。
Denise: No pressure. Just letting you know.
💬 丹妮丝: 不催您。就是跟您说一声。
这一幕的核心句型
| 英文 | 中文 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| What does the lead time look like? | 供货周期是多久? | lead time = 下单到发货 |
| Is that from when I order, or from when you ship? | 从下单算还是从发货算? | 最关键的澄清 |
| From when the order’s confirmed. | 从订单确认算起。 | 标准答案 |
| Add three to five days for delivery. | 送货再加三到五天。 | 别漏了运输时间 |
| Is that per item, or per order? | 是按单品还是按整单? | MOQ 的关键区别 |
| Can I mix colors? | 颜色能混吗? | 常见可以 |
| Sizes are separate minimums. | 尺寸是各自的最低量。 | 每个货号单独算 |
| Can I add to the order later? | 之后能加量吗? | 问清截止点 |
| Only until it goes into production. | 只能到生产开始之前。 | go into production |
| Can you flag that for me? | 你能提醒我吗? | 让对方帮你盯 |
| Is it a hard cutoff, or prorated? | 是硬性分档还是按比例? | 阶梯价的常见坑 |
| It’s usually worth going up a tier. | 通常往上够一档更划算。 | 供应商的实话 |
| If you send the PO by Friday, it goes into next week’s run. | 周五前发采购单就能赶上下周那批。 | run = 生产批次 |
lead time 到底怎么算
确认订单 → 生产 + 备货(4–6 周) → 发货 → 运输(3–5 天) → 到货
问的时候一定要问清"从哪一天开始算":是下单当天、订单确认日、还是发货日。这三个答案可能差一周以上。
| 说法 | 意思 |
|---|---|
lead time | 从确认订单到发货的时间 |
transit time / shipping time | 在路上运输的时间 |
door to door | 从下单到收货的总时间 |
production run | 一个生产批次,错过要等下一批 |
back order | 缺货,要等补货 |
口语小注
1. per item 和 per order 差很多钱。
MOQ 写 24,如果是 per order,你买 24 个不同东西也算达标;如果是 per item,每一款都得 24 个起。这一句话没问清,报价单就白看了。
2. hard cutoff, not prorated 是阶梯价的常见陷阱。
订 71 个和订 72 个,单价可能差 2 美元。阶梯价是"够到才算",不会按比例给你。所以差得不多时,往上够一档往往更划算。
3. go into production 是加量的截止点。
订单一旦进生产就不能改了。所以下单时问一句 When's the last day I can add to this?,让对方写进确认邮件,能避免很多麻烦。
4. 供应商主动提 production run 是好信号。
他说"周五前发过来能赶上下周那批",说明他在帮你省时间。这种信息比折扣还值钱——等一批可能就是一整周。
5. no pressure 是"不催你"。
美国人谈生意时常用这句收尾,意思是"我只是提供信息,你自己决定"。听到这句不用急着承诺,正常回复 I'll get back to you this week 就好。
用数量议价
Vendor(长期合作供应商,供货纸杯和餐巾纸) You(咖啡店老板,成本涨了想压价)
(周一早上,你给合作两年的供应商打电话)
Vendor: Hey, Wei. How’s the shop?
💬 供应商: 嘿,伟。店里怎么样?
You: Busy, which is good. But listen — my costs are killing me. The paper cups went up twice this year.
💬 你: 忙,这是好事。不过听我说——我的成本快压死我了。纸杯今年涨了两次。
Vendor: Yeah, our costs went up too. It’s the pulp prices.
💬 供应商: 是啊,我们的成本也涨了。是纸浆价格的问题。
You: I get that. Here’s the thing, though — I’m ordering about the same volume every month, and I’ve been a customer for two years. What’s your best price if I commit to a six-month contract?
💬 你: 我理解。不过情况是这样——我每个月的量差不多,而且我已经做了两年客户了。如果我签六个月的合同,你们最低能给什么价?
Vendor: A six-month commitment? Let me run the numbers. …If you lock in a monthly minimum, I can take eight percent off the current price.
💬 供应商: 六个月承诺?我算一下。……如果你锁定每月最低量,我可以在现价基础上降 8%。
You: Eight percent. Can you do ten if I pay net fifteen instead of net thirty?
💬 你: 降 8%。如果我改成 15 天付款而不是 30 天,能降 10% 吗?
Vendor: Hmm. Nine, and I’ll cover the delivery fee. That’s about as far as I can go.
💬 供应商: 嗯。9%,运费我包。这基本是我能给到的极限了。
You: Nine percent and free delivery. Let me check — how much is the delivery fee currently?
💬 你: 降 9% 加免运费。我算一下——现在运费是多少?
Vendor: Forty-five a drop, twice a month.
💬 供应商: 每次 45,一个月两次。
You: So that’s another ninety a month on top of the nine percent. Okay, that works.
💬 你: 那就是在 9% 之外每月再省 90。好,这样可以。
Vendor: Good. You want the same delivery schedule — every other Tuesday?
💬 供应商: 好。送货时间不变吗——隔周二?
You: Yeah, every other Tuesday works. Actually — could you do Wednesday instead? I get my pastry delivery Tuesday mornings and it’s chaos.
💬 你: 对,隔周二可以。其实——能改成周三吗?我周二上午有糕点配送,那会儿一团乱。
Vendor: Wednesday’s fine. Same time?
💬 供应商: 周三可以。同样的时间?
You: Same time, yeah. Thanks for moving it. And one more thing — can you send me a new quote reflecting all of this?
💬 你: 同样的时间。谢谢你调整。还有一件事——能发一份反映这些的新报价给我吗?
Vendor: I’ll send it this afternoon.
💬 供应商: 我下午发。
You: Great. And I know you said that’s as far as you can go on price — I’ll take you at your word. But if pulp prices come down, will you pass that on?
💬 你: 好。我知道你说价格上基本到极限了——我信你。但如果纸浆价格降下来,会让利给我吗?
Vendor: If they come down, yeah. That’s fair.
💬 供应商: 如果降下来,会的。这很公平。
You: Can we put that in the quote too? Just a line saying prices get revisited if costs drop.
💬 你: 这个也能写进报价里吗?就加一句,说成本下降时会重新议价。
Vendor: I can put it in the email. I can’t put it in the contract, but I’ll write it.
💬 供应商: 我可以写进邮件。合同里不行,但我会写下来。
You: That’s good enough for me. Thanks for working with me on this.
💬 你: 那对我来说就够了。谢谢你帮我协调。
Vendor: Of course. Talk soon.
💬 供应商: 应该的。回头聊。
这一幕的核心句型
| 英文 | 中文 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| What’s your best price if I order 500? | 我订 500 个,最低能给多少? | 最有效的议价句 |
| Can you do better on the price? | 价格能再优惠吗? | 泛问,不如上面那句 |
| If I commit to six months, what can you do? | 如果我承诺六个月,你能给什么价? | 用长期合作换价 |
| Can you do ten percent if I pay faster? | 我付款更快的话能降 10% 吗? | 用付款速度换价 |
| Let me run the numbers. | 我算一下。 | 对方在认真考虑 |
| If you lock in a monthly minimum… | 如果你锁定每月最低量…… | lock in = 锁定 |
| I’ll cover the delivery fee. | 运费我包。 | 常比压单价更容易谈成 |
| That’s about as far as I can go. | 这基本是我的极限了。 | 通常是真的 |
| I’ll take you at your word. | 我信你说的。 | 表示接受对方的底线 |
| Will you pass that on? | 会让利给我吗? | 成本下降时用 |
| Can we put that in the quote? | 这个能写进报价吗? | 留痕 |
| That’s good enough for me. | 那对我来说就够了。 | 达成一致的收尾 |
议价的五种"条件换条件"
| 你能给的 | 说法 | 通常能换到 |
|---|---|---|
| 更大的量 | What's your best price if I order 500? | 降 10%–40% |
| 更长的承诺 | If I commit to six months… | 降 5%–10% |
| 更快的付款 | Can you do ten if I pay net fifteen? | 降 1%–2% |
| 自己提货 / 接受整车 | What if I take the full pallet? | 免运费 |
| 简化规格 / 接受标准包装 | We can live with the standard packaging. | 降一点价 |
核心:用条件换条件,不是求便宜。
中式英语纠正
| 常见错法 | 问题 | 改成 |
|---|---|---|
Can you give me cheaper? | 语法错,且太笼统 | What's your best price if I order 500? |
Too expensive. | 单句评价,谈不下去 | That's a little high for me. What can you do on volume? |
I want discount. | 缺冠词,像砍价而非谈生意 | Is there a volume discount? |
How much is the cheapest? | 显得只看价格,不专业 | What's your best price on that item? |
Give me the bill. | 商业场景要的是 invoice,不是 bill | Can you send me an invoice? |
I will pay you later. | 太模糊,商业上必须有具体条件 | Can we do net 30? |
You are wrong, I only got one box. | 指责式,对账要拿证据说话 | I think there's a discrepancy — I was charged for two cases but received one. |
Send me the goods quickly. | goods 太泛,quickly 太笼统 | What's the lead time on that quantity? |
I am a small business, please help me. | 求情不是商业语言 | I'm ordering about the same volume every month — what's your best price on a six-month commitment? |
We talked about it on the phone. | 电话约定无法作为凭据 | Could you put that in an email so I have it on file? |
口语小注
1. net 30 不是打折,是账期。
net 30 = 发票开出后 30 天内付款;net 15 = 15 天;2/10 net 30 是"10 天内付可打 2% 折扣,30 天内付全款"。新客户几乎拿不到账期,通常要合作几单之后才谈得上。
2. 用付款速度换价格,是最受欢迎的议价方式。
Can you do ten if I pay net fifteen instead of net thirty? ——供应商最怕的就是收不回钱。你主动缩短账期,等于给他省钱,所以他愿意让价。这比单纯压单价有效得多。
3. That's about as far as I can go 通常是真的极限。
美国供应商说这句话时基本就到头了。继续磨下去不会再有结果,反而伤关系。正确做法是接受,然后换一个条件继续谈(比如运费、送货时间、账期)。
4. I'll take you at your word 是"我信你"。
这句话的作用是认可对方的底线,同时建立一个口头承诺。说完之后立刻补一句"如果成本降了会不会让利",就把这个承诺变成了可追踪的条件。
5. 合同写不进去的,至少写进邮件。
对方说 I can put it in the email, I can't put it in the contract——这是诚实的回答。邮件在 B2B 里是有分量的记录,比口头承诺强得多。所以 Could you put that in an email so I have it on file? 这句一定要说。
确认付款方式和发票
Denise(销售代表) You(小生意老板,准备下第一单)
(周三,你决定下单,打电话确认付款条件)
You: Hi Denise. Okay, I’m ready to order. But before I send the PO, I want to nail down the payment terms.
💬 你: 你好 Denise。好,我准备下单了。但在发采购单之前,我想把付款条件确认清楚。
Denise: Sure. What do you need to know?
💬 丹妮丝: 可以。您想了解什么?
You: So the quote says fifty percent deposit. When exactly is that due?
💬 你: 报价单上写的是 50% 定金。这笔具体什么时候付?
Denise: On order confirmation. So once you send the PO and we confirm it, we invoice the deposit, and it’s due within five days.
💬 丹妮丝: 订单确认时。您发来采购单、我们确认之后,我们开定金的发票,五个工作日内付清。
You: Okay. And the balance?
💬 你: 好。那余款呢?
Denise: The balance is due on delivery.
💬 丹妮丝: 余款是到货时付。
You: On delivery — meaning when it arrives at my place, or when it leaves your warehouse?
💬 你: 到货时——是到我这儿的时候,还是从你们仓库发出的时候?
Denise: When it’s delivered to you. Net fifteen from the delivery date.
💬 丹妮丝: 送到您那里的时候。从送货日起 15 天内付清。
You: Okay, that’s clearer. Now — how do I actually pay? Do you take a card, or is it a transfer?
💬 你: 好,这样清楚多了。那——具体怎么付?你们收卡,还是转账?
Denise: For new accounts we usually do a bank transfer or a check. Cards have a processing fee, so most of our business customers don’t use them.
💬 丹妮丝: 新客户我们一般是银行转账或者支票。刷卡有手续费,所以我们大部分企业客户不用卡。
You: How much is the card fee?
💬 你: 卡的手续费是多少?
Denise: Three percent.
💬 丹妮丝: 3%。
You: Okay, we’ll do a transfer then. Can you send me the details?
💬 你: 好,那我们转账。能把账户信息发我吗?
Denise: I’ll put the wiring instructions on the invoice. Just make sure you include the invoice number in the memo, or it takes us forever to match it.
💬 丹妮丝: 我把汇款信息写在发票上。记得在备注里写上发票号,不然我们对账要花很久。
You: Invoice number in the memo. Got it. And you do send an actual invoice, right? Not just an order confirmation?
💬 你: 备注里写发票号。记住了。你们会发正式的发票吧?不只是订单确认?
Denise: Yes — a proper invoice with the amount due and the due date on it. It goes out the same day the order ships.
💬 丹妮丝: 会——正式的发票,上面有应付金额和到期日。发货当天就发出去。
You: Good. And it’ll have the PO number on it too, so my bookkeeping matches up?
💬 你: 好。上面也会有采购单号吧,这样我的账能对上?
Denise: It will. Put your PO number on everything you send us, and we’ll reference it on everything we send back.
💬 丹妮丝: 会有。您发给我们的每份文件都写上采购单号,我们回给您的每份也都会引用它。
You: Perfect. One more thing — if I’m ever late on a payment, what happens? Is there a fee?
💬 你: 好。还有一件事——如果我哪次付款晚了会怎么样?有罚金吗?
Denise: There’s a one and a half percent monthly finance charge after thirty days past due. But honestly, just call us if you’re going to be late. We’d rather work with you than charge you.
💬 丹妮丝: 逾期 30 天之后,每月收 1.5% 的财务费用。但说实话,如果您会晚付,打个电话给我们。我们更愿意跟您商量而不是收您钱。
You: That’s good to know. I’d rather call than get a fee.
💬 你: 知道了。我宁愿打电话也不想被收费。
Denise: Most people don’t call. Then they get the fee and they’re annoyed.
💬 丹妮丝: 大部分人都不打。然后被收费了又不高兴。
You: Ha. Okay, I’ll remember that. And can I get set up for net thirty eventually?
💬 你: 哈。好,我记住了。那以后能给我开 30 天账期吗?
Denise: After three orders with no late payments, we can move you to net thirty.
💬 丹妮丝: 三单没有逾期之后,我们可以给您转成 30 天账期。
You: Three orders. Okay, that’s a goal. I’ll send the PO this afternoon.
💬 你: 三单。好,那是个目标。我今天下午把采购单发过去。
Denise: I’ll watch for it.
💬 丹妮丝: 我等着。
这一幕的核心句型
| 英文 | 中文 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| I want to nail down the payment terms. | 我想把付款条件确认清楚。 | nail down = 敲定 |
| What are your payment terms? | 付款条件是什么? | 标准问法 |
| Fifty percent deposit up front. | 预付 50% 定金。 | 新客户常见条件 |
| When exactly is that due? | 具体什么时候付? | 问清明细 |
| The balance is due on delivery. | 余款到货时付。 | balance = 余款 |
| Do you take a card, or is it a transfer? | 收卡还是转账? | 问支付方式 |
| Cards have a processing fee. | 刷卡有手续费。 | 通常 2%–3% |
| I’ll put the wiring instructions on the invoice. | 我把汇款信息写在发票上。 | wiring = 电汇 |
| Include the invoice number in the memo. | 备注里写上发票号。 | 对账的关键 |
| You do send an actual invoice, right? | 你们会发正式发票吧? | 确认不是只有订单确认 |
| It has the amount due and the due date. | 上面有应付金额和到期日。 | invoice 的核心要素 |
| We can move you to net thirty. | 可以给你转成 30 天账期。 | net 30 = 30 天内付清 |
| Just call us if you’re going to be late. | 会晚付就打个电话。 | 供应商的实在话 |
付款条件词汇表
| 说法 | 意思 |
|---|---|
deposit | 定金,下单时先付一部分 |
balance | 余款,剩下的部分 |
due on delivery | 到货时付 |
net 15 / net 30 | 发票日起 15 / 30 天内付清 |
2/10 net 30 | 10 天内付可打 2% 折扣,否则 30 天内付全款 |
past due | 逾期 |
finance charge | 逾期产生的财务费用 |
wiring instructions | 电汇账户信息 |
memo / reference | 转账时的备注栏 |
processing fee | 刷卡手续费 |
口语小注
1. invoice 和 receipt 是两回事,别搞混。
- invoice(发票):要你付钱的单据,上面写
Amount Due、Due Date、付款方式 - receipt(收据):证明你已经付了的单据
对方问 Do you need an invoice? 不是问你要不要凭证,是问你要不要走正式开票流程。
2. 转账备注栏一定要写发票号。
Include the invoice number in the memo——不写的话对方财务要花很久才能把这笔钱对上你的账户,还可能算你逾期。这是实操中最容易吃亏的一点。
3. 刷卡手续费通常转嫁给企业客户。
个人消费刷卡由商家承担,但 B2B 场景里 2%–3% 的手续费常常直接加给你。所以大额付款用转账或支票更划算。
4. 逾期之前主动打电话,比事后解释有效得多。
Just call us if you're going to be late——供应商说出这句话是真心的。主动沟通的客户几乎从来不被收逾期费,因为对方宁愿收到钱,不想走催收流程。
5. 账期是"挣来的",不是一上来就有的。
新客户几乎一定是"定金 + 到货付款"。三到五单没有逾期之后才谈得上 net 30。所以第一次合作时别在这上面纠缠,先把单做顺。
到货有问题:数量不对、有破损
Denise(销售代表) You(小生意老板,收到货发现少了、还碎了一箱)
(到货当天下午,你清点完箱子打电话)
You: Hi Denise. The order came in today, but I’ve got a problem with it.
💬 你: 你好 Denise。订单今天到了,但有点问题。
Denise: Okay, tell me what’s going on.
💬 丹妮丝: 好,跟我说说是什么情况。
You: Two things. First, I ordered a hundred and forty-four planters and I only count a hundred and thirty-one. Second, one of the cartons was crushed and eight of them are broken.
💬 你: 两件事。第一,我订了 144 个花盆,我只数到 131 个。第二,有一个纸箱被压坏了,里面有八个碎了。
Denise: Ouch. Okay — did the box look damaged when it arrived, or did you only find out when you opened it?
💬 丹妮丝: 哎。好——箱子到的时候外观就有损坏,还是您打开才发现?
You: The outer box was visibly crushed on one corner. I took pictures before I opened it.
💬 你: 外箱一个角明显被压坏了。我打开之前拍了照。
Denise: Good, that helps a lot. Can you send me the photos, plus a photo of the packing slip?
💬 丹妮丝: 好,那很有帮助。您能把照片发我,再拍一张装箱单吗?
You: Sure. And I’ve got a count sheet too — I counted twice.
💬 你: 可以。我还有一份清点表——我数了两遍。
Denise: Perfect. Let me look into it on our end. Can you give me the order number and the carton count?
💬 丹妮丝: 好。我在我们这边查一下。能给我订单号和箱数吗?
You: Order’s CP-four-eight-two-one. Twelve cartons total, one of them damaged.
💬 你: 订单是 CP-4-8-2-1。一共十二箱,其中一箱破损。
Denise: Got it. …Okay, our warehouse shows twelve cartons shipped, so the shortage might be a packing error, not a shipping loss.
💬 丹妮丝: 好。……我们仓库显示发了十二箱,所以少的那部分可能是装箱错误,不是运输丢的。
You: Either way, I’m short thirteen and eight are unusable.
💬 你: 不管怎样,我少了十三个,还有八个不能用。
Denise: Right. Here’s what I can do — I’ll send you a replacement for the thirteen short and the eight broken, and I’ll credit the shipping on this order. How does that sound?
💬 丹妮丝: 对。我能做的是这样——少的那 13 个和碎的 8 个我给您补发,这单的运费我给您冲掉。您觉得怎么样?
You: That covers the product, but I’ve got a bigger issue. These were for a market this weekend. If the replacements take five weeks, I’m not going to have stock.
💬 你: 这样商品是解决了,但我有个更大的问题。这批是要赶这周末的市集的。如果补发要五周,我就没货卖了。
Denise: Oh — that’s a different problem. How many do you actually need for the market?
💬 丹妮丝: 哦——那就是另一个问题了。市集您实际需要多少个?
You: Sixty. I’ve got a hundred and twenty-three good ones, so I’m fine on that count. Honestly the shortage doesn’t hurt me this weekend.
💬 你: 六十个。我有 123 个好的,所以数量上够。说实话这次缺货这周末不影响我。
Denise: So what does?
💬 丹妮丝: 那影响您的是什么?
You: The eight broken ones were all the same color — the one that’s selling best. Can I get just those eight expedited?
💬 你: 碎的那八个都是同一个颜色——卖得最好的那个。能不能只把这八个加急发给我?
Denise: Let me check stock… Yeah, we have that color in the warehouse. I can ship eight today by two-day delivery, and I’ll eat the cost since it was our packing.
💬 丹妮丝: 我查一下库存……有,那个颜色仓库里有。我今天就能发八个,走两天到货,费用我们出,因为是我们的装箱问题。
You: That solves it. And the other thirteen — just put them on my next order.
💬 你: 那就解决了。另外那 13 个——就并到我下一单里吧。
Denise: I’ll note it as a credit on your account so it doesn’t get lost.
💬 丹妮丝: 我在您账户上记一笔抵扣,免得丢了。
You: Perfect. Can you email me all of that — the eight shipping today, and the thirteen as credit?
💬 你: 好。能把这些都邮件发我吗——今天发八个,13 个记成抵扣?
Denise: Sending it now. And Wei — sorry about this. That’s two mistakes on one order.
💬 丹妮丝: 现在就发。还有伟——很抱歉。一单上出了两个错。
You: It happens. The important thing is you fixed it fast.
💬 你: 难免的。重要的是你解决得快。
Denise: Appreciate that.
💬 丹妮丝: 谢谢您这么说。
这一幕的核心句型
| 英文 | 中文 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| I’ve got a problem with the order. | 订单有点问题。 | 开场,不带情绪 |
| I only count a hundred and thirty-one. | 我只数到 131 个。 | 给准确数字 |
| One of the cartons was crushed. | 有一个纸箱被压坏了。 | carton = 纸箱 |
| I took pictures before I opened it. | 我打开之前拍了照。 | 最有用的一句话 |
| Can you send me the photos and the packing slip? | 能发照片和装箱单给我吗? | packing slip = 装箱单 |
| I’ve got a count sheet. | 我有清点表。 | 证据 |
| Let me look into it on our end. | 我在我们这边查一下。 | 对方开始处理 |
| It might be a packing error, not a shipping loss. | 可能是装箱错误,不是运输丢失。 | 两种责任不同 |
| I’ll send you a replacement for the shortage. | 少的部分我给您补发。 | replacement |
| I’ll credit the shipping on this order. | 这单运费给您冲掉。 | credit = 冲账/抵扣 |
| Can I get those expedited? | 那几个能加急吗? | expedite = 加急 |
| I’ll eat the cost. | 费用我们出。 | eat the cost 是很地道的说法 |
| Put them on my next order. | 并到我下一单里。 | 省一次运费 |
| I’ll note it as a credit on your account. | 我在您账户上记一笔抵扣。 | 防止丢失 |
| That’s two mistakes on one order. | 一单上出了两个错。 | 对方主动认错 |
到货出问题时的时间线
| 时间 | 做什么 | 关键点 |
|---|---|---|
| 卸货前 | 先看外箱有没有明显破损 | 先拍照再拆,这是最值钱的一步 |
| 拆箱时 | 保留装箱单和包装 | packing slip 上有件数 |
| 24–48 小时内 | 清点,做 count sheet | 越早报越好,拖久了说不清 |
| 打电话 | 说清:订单号 + 差异数量 + 破损数量 | 给数字,不给形容词 |
| 发邮件 | 照片 + 清点表 + 要求 | 书面记录决定后面怎么赔 |
| 谈方案 | 补发 / 抵扣 / 加急 | 说清你的实际需求和时间 |
| 收尾 | 要求邮件确认 | 抵扣一定要落实成账户记录 |
口语小注
1. 先拍照再拆箱,是最值钱的一步。
外箱明显破损时,先拍外箱外观、再拍开箱过程。这决定了责任在承运方还是供应商,也决定了你能否顺利索赔。上面那段对话里,正是因为拍了照,供应商才直接认了。
2. 数量要报准确的数字。
I only count a hundred and thirty-one 比 Some are missing 有用一百倍。“我数了两遍”(I counted twice) 这句话能让对方立刻进入处理流程,而不是先质疑你。
3. 说清你真正的需求,而不是纠结谁的责任。
上面的对话里,缺货其实不影响周末市集——真正急的是那个卖得最好的颜色。把需求说清楚(Can I get just those eight expedited?),比争论"是谁的错"解决得快得多。
4. eat the cost 是"自己承担费用"。
供应商说 I'll eat the cost 意思是这笔加急运费他们出。这是很地道的商业口语,听到就知道对方认账了。
5. 抵扣一定要落到账户上。
I'll note it as a credit on your account 比"下次少收你钱"可靠得多。要求他发邮件确认,否则换个人接手就查不到了。
6. 对账有疑问时的标准句式。
I think there's a discrepancy — I was charged for two cases but received one. ——先说是"差异"(discrepancy),不说"你搞错了",再给具体数字。这是 B2B 里最有效的对账说法。
通用句型与说明
全流程句型速查
| 环节 | 英文 | 中文 |
|---|---|---|
| 询价 | Do you sell wholesale? | 你们做批发吗? |
| 询价 | I run a small online store. | 我开一家小型网店。 |
| 询价 | Do you have a resale certificate? | 有转售许可吗? |
| 询价 | What’s your MOQ? | 最低起订量是多少? |
| 询价 | Is there tiered pricing? | 有阶梯价吗? |
| 询价 | Could you send me a quote? | 能发份报价单吗? |
| 询价 | Can I order a sample first? | 我能先订个样品吗? |
| 交期 | What’s the lead time? | 供货周期多久? |
| 交期 | Is that from when I order, or when you ship? | 从下单算还是从发货算? |
| 交期 | Is that per item, or per order? | 是按单品还是按整单? |
| 交期 | Can I add to the order later? | 之后能加量吗? |
| 议价 | What’s your best price if I order 500? | 我订 500 个,最低能给多少? |
| 议价 | If I commit to six months, what can you do? | 我承诺六个月,你能给什么价? |
| 议价 | Can you do ten percent if I pay faster? | 我付款更快能降 10% 吗? |
| 议价 | Can you cover the shipping? | 运费能你们出吗? |
| 付款 | What are your payment terms? | 付款条件是什么? |
| 付款 | Fifty percent deposit up front. | 预付 50% 定金。 |
| 付款 | We can move you to net thirty. | 可以给你 30 天账期。 |
| 发票 | Can you send me an invoice? | 能给我开发票吗? |
| 发票 | Include the invoice number in the memo. | 备注里写上发票号。 |
| 留痕 | Could you put that in an email? | 能写进邮件吗? |
| 留痕 | I’d like it on file. | 我想留个存档。 |
| 到货 | One of the cartons was crushed. | 有一个纸箱被压坏了。 |
| 到货 | I took pictures before I opened it. | 我打开之前拍了照。 |
| 到货 | I think there’s a discrepancy. | 我觉得数目不对。 |
| 到货 | Could you credit it on the next invoice? | 能在下张发票上冲掉吗? |
全篇词汇
| 单词 | 音标(英 / 美) | 意思 |
|---|---|---|
| business | /ˈbɪznəs/ /ˈbɪznəs/ | 生意、企业 |
| market | /ˈmɑːkɪt/ /ˈmɑrkət/ | 市场 |
| sale | /seːl/ /ˈseɪl/ | 销售 |
| customer | /ˈkʌstəmə/ /ˈkʌstəmər/ | 顾客 |
| client | /ˈklaɪənt/ /ˈklaɪənt/ | 客户 |
| order | /ˈɔːdə/ /ˈɔrdər/ | 订单;下单 |
| stock | /stɒk/ /stɑk/ | 库存 |
| supply | /səˈplaɪ/ /səˈplaɪ/ | 供应;供应品 |
| warehouse | /ˈwɛːˌhaʊs/ /ˈwɛrˌhaʊs/ | 仓库 |
| item | /ˈaɪtəm/ /ˈaɪtəm/ | 商品、货号 |
| product | /ˈprɒdəkt/ /ˈprɑdəkt/ | 产品 |
| sample | /ˈsɑːmpəl/ /ˈsæmpəl/ | 样品 |
| quality | /ˈkwɒlɪti/ /ˈkwɑləti/ | 质量 |
| price | /ˈpraɪs/ /ˈpraɪs/ | 价格 |
| quote | /kwəʊt/ /ˈkwoʊt/ | 报价(单) |
| minimum | /ˈmɪnɪməm/ /ˈmɪnəməm/ | 最低(量) |
| unit | /ˈjuːnɪt/ /ˈjunət/ | 单位、件 |
| box | /bɒks/ /bɑks/ | 箱子 |
| label | /ˈleɪbəl/ /ˈleɪbəl/ | 标签 |
| deal | /diːl/ /dil/ | 交易、谈成 |
| negotiate | /nəˈgəʊʃieɪt/ /nəˈgoʊʃiˌeɪt/ | 谈判、议价 |
| agreement | /əˈgrimənt/ /əˈgrimənt/ | 协议 |
| contract | /ˈkɒntrækt/ /ˈkɑnˌtrækt/ | 合同 |
| terms | /tɜːmz/ /tɜrmz/ | 条件、条款 |
| deposit | /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ /dəˈpɑzɪt/ | 定金 |
| balance | /ˈbæləns/ /ˈbæləns/ | 余款、结欠 |
| payment | /ˈpeɪmənt/ /ˈpeɪmənt/ | 付款 |
| credit | /ˈkrɛdɪt/ /ˈkrɛdət/ | 抵扣、信用 |
| cost | /kɒst/ /kɑst/ | 成本 |
| profit | /ˈprɒfɪt/ /ˈprɑfət/ | 利润 |
| budget | /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ | 预算 |
| fee | /fiː/ /fi/ | 费用 |
| tax | /tæks/ /tæks/ | 税 |
| license | /ˈlaɪsəns/ /ˈlaɪsəns/ | 执照、许可 |
| permit | /pəˈmɪt/ /pərˈmɪt/ | 许可(证) |
| certificate | /səˈtɪfɪkɪt/ /sərˈtɪfɪkət/ | 证书、许可证 |
| account | /əˈkaʊnt/ /əˈkaʊnt/ | 账户 |
| reference | /ˈrɛfərəns/ /ˈrɛfərəns/ | 编号、引用 |
| confirm | /kənˈfɜːm/ /kənˈfɜrm/ | 确认 |
| deliver | /dɪˈlɪvə/ /dɪˈlɪvər/ | 送达 |
| delivery | /dɪˈlɪvəri/ /dɪˈlɪvəri/ | 配送、到货 |
| schedule | /ˈʃɛdʒuːl/ /ˈskɛdʒʊl/ | 时间表、排期 |
| delay | /dɪˈleɪ/ /dɪˈleɪ/ | 延误 |
| damaged | /ˈdæmədʒd/ /ˈdæmədʒd/ | 损坏的 |
| missing | /ˈmɪsɪŋ/ /ˈmɪsɪŋ/ | 缺失的 |
| lead | /lɛd/ /lɛd/ | 带领、领先 |
| manage | /ˈmænɪdʒ/ /ˈmænədʒ/ | 管理 |
| owner | /ˈəʊnə/ /ˈoʊnər/ | 业主、老板 |
发音与语调提示
1. MOQ 直接念三个字母。
/ˌɛm əʊ ˈkjuː/——em-oh-cue。不要说成 “mok” 或者 “minimum order quantity” 全称。B2B 对话里一律念字母。
2. net 30 读 /nɛt ˈθɜːrti/。
net 不是"网络",这里指"净额、到期"。net thirty 就是"30 天内付清",两个词都要念清楚,因为听错会直接影响付款时间。
3. invoice 的重音在第一音节。
/ˈɪnvɔɪs/——IN-voice。念成 in-VOICE 会让对方顿一下。
4. quote 作名词读 /kwoʊt/,结尾的 e 不发音。
和 coat 有点像但不同。Could you send me a quote? 里的 quote 要念得短促清楚。
5. 谈价格时语速要慢,数字要重复一遍。
Twelve dollars at twenty-four, ten at seventy-two.——报价听错一个数字,整单的账都错了。所以听到价格后复述一遍(So that's ten at seventy-two, right?)是完全正常的专业做法,没人会觉得你啰嗦。
跟美国供应商打交道的三条底层规则
| 规则 | 说明 |
|---|---|
| 先要书面报价 | 口头价格不算。报价单上要有单价、MOQ、运费、付款条件、有效期 |
| 用条件换条件 | 不砍价,用"量、长期、快付款、自提"换价格,这是专业做法 |
| 所有约定写进邮件 | Could you put that in an email so I have it on file?——这不是不信任,是默认动作 |