Tractor manufacturers are looking to sell their tractors to dealerships. There's lots of talk about “specs,” which means lots of numbers to pass back and forth.
   
 

Objective: There'll be lots of numbers flying around the classroom with this DVBE exercise. And each number is associated with a different specification, so the learners are challenged to keep the correct number for each "noun." For example: Model 300 or Model 310?, 115 kW or 125 kW?, 2100 PTO or 540 PTO?, dual hydraulics or triple hydraulics?, and more.

   
  DVBE has overcome the obstacle that most business English learners really don't know much about tractors. There's a short technical glossary to give learners a basic knowledge. And even if they still don't master the various mechanical components of tractors, they need only follow the role information sheets to communicate the specifications properly. It is not necessary to know much about tractors to get this experience of working with many numbers.
 

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  Classroom Activities:
 

Tractor sellers have their tractor specs readily available on spec sheets and the buyers have their demands all laid out on role-playing cards. The buyers and sellers set out to communicate this information with each other. They will be asking questions such as:
 
  • How much power do you need in your tractor?
  • Does it have a 540 PTO?
  • Is the 540 PTO a standard or optional feature?
  • How fast do the hydraulics work?
  • How much does the base tractor cost?
  • How much extra do the optional features cost?
 
  The buyers' worksheet guides the students through the interview, feature by feature. The buyers communicate the needed specs from their role-playing cards. Sellers communicate the availability and cost of each feature by referring to their spec sheets. Buyers fill in the blanks on their worksheets as the interview progresses.
   
  If there is a possible sale between seller and buyer, it should take about four to ten minutes to communicate all the necessary information. When the interview is completed, the buyers move to different sellers.
   
   There are seven different seller roles, each with five models of tractors. And there are 18 different buyer roles. Regardless of which roles you assign, there will always be a great dynamic interplay between the sellers and buyers with the buyers almost always having two good choices of tractors that fit their specs. The roles were created with a lot of thoughtful design to generate lots of great deal-making conversation.
 

 
  The next exercise involves the buyers comparing their notes to make a buying decision. They will give a short presentation as to the reasons why they bought their tractor. While listening to these presentations, each seller will prepare a short presentation on why his or her tractors sold so well or what needs to do to done at the factory to improve future sales.
   
  When your students move from The Tractor Deal to the real business world, they will eventually communicate specifications of some kind. The experience they attained in the unfamiliar world of buying and selling tractors will definitely improve their abilities to communicate about products and services with which they are very familiar. This module is another great DVBE confidence booster!
   
  Duration: Allow about one to two hours of classroom time for this module. If the students like this exercise, do it again with different roles.
   
  Complementary Online Activity
To prepare your learners for the classroom activity, ask them to listen to THE TRACTOR DEAL ONLINE beforehand. Their ability for making tractor spec conversation will be much better if they listen to these actors first.
   
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