小本生意:询价、谈供货周期与起订量、议价、付款与发票

美式英语口语对话:五个细化场景覆盖向供应商询价、谈供货周期与最低起订量、用数量议价、确认付款方式与发票、到货有问题怎么处理,全部英中对照,含美国小生意供应链与 B2B 术语说明

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。

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 billCan 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 3010 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
最后修改 September 22, 2026: 更新 (f794839f4)