Business English Podcast · Negotiations · Episode 26

Reopening a Deal After the Budget Is Cut

The board cuts twenty per cent — the client has to reopen a finished deal. How both sides save the project.

C1 · Dialogue · 5 Min. · free

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Editorially reviewed by James Simmonds – English teacher since 2004Published 19 August 2026

Reopening a Deal After a Budget Cut

SceneSabine's board has cut all project budgets by twenty per cent — the agreed software rollout is at risk. She calls key account manager Jonas to renegotiate the deal.

0:00 / 5 Min.

Tip: listen to the episode twice before you start the test. · Worksheet (PDF)

✓ To the comprehension test

Jonas — Key account manager, IT services providerSabine — Head of operations, client

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Transcript

The full transcript opens after the comprehension test — so you train real listening instead of reading along.

German support

SabineSabine Krüger speaking.

JonasGood morning, Sabine — Jonas from Norder IT. Thanks for making time at such short notice. Your email mentioned the board meeting, so I assume there's news about the project budget.

SabineThere is, and it isn't good. The board has cut our project budgets across the board by twenty per cent. I know we shook hands on the March rollout — but I have to reopen the deal. Our actual budget is now ninety-six thousand.Der Vorstand hat alle Projektbudgets pauschal um 20 Prozent gekürzt – ich muss den Deal neu aufmachen.

JonasJust so I understand you correctly: when you say 'actual budget', you mean the figure as it stands today — after the cut?

SabineExactly — current, not actual. I always mix those up in English. Our current budget for this financial year is ninety-six thousand, and the contract says a hundred and twenty.Deutsch „aktuell" heißt „current"; Englisch „actual" bedeutet „tatsächlich" – ein klassischer falscher Freund.

JonasThank you for telling me directly instead of letting the invoices bounce — that gives us room to work. Before we talk numbers: is the project itself still a priority for the board?Danke, dass Sie es mir direkt sagen – so haben wir Spielraum.

SabineIt is. They cut the budget, not the goal — which, frankly, is exactly my problem.

JonasThen let's not simply cut twenty per cent off the price, because in practice that would mean cutting twenty per cent of the quality. May I suggest we look at scope and timing first?

SabineWhat do you have in mind?

JonasThree levers. First, we phase the rollout: the two core sites go live in March as agreed, and the remaining three follow in the next financial year — against next year's budget. Second, your team takes over end-user training using our materials; that alone saves about eight per cent. Third, we stretch the payment schedule across the two budget years.Drei Hebel: Rollout in Phasen aufteilen, Endanwender-Schulung selbst übernehmen, Zahlungsplan strecken.

SabinePhasing sounds workable, and my team can handle the training. But I need the total contract value to come down as well — the board expects a visible gesture, not just an accounting trick.Der Vorstand erwartet eine sichtbare Geste, keinen Buchhaltungstrick.

JonasUnderstood. If we phase the rollout and you take over the training, I can take five per cent off the licence fees for the second phase. That keeps this year's figure under your ninety-six thousand — and the March go-live stays safe.

SabineThen send me the revised proposal in writing by Thursday. I present to the board on Friday morning.

JonasYou'll have it by Thursday noon, with the three levers side by side so the board can see exactly what was traded. And Sabine — thank you for reopening the deal at the table instead of by email.

Key phrases

to reopen the deal

to renegotiate an agreement that was already closed

After the merger, both sides agreed to reopen the deal.

across the board

applying to everything or everyone equally

Prices were raised by three per cent across the board.

current budget

the budget as it stands now — German "aktuell" is "current", not "actual"

Our current budget does not cover the extra licences.

lever

a factor you can adjust to change the outcome

Payment terms are often the easiest lever in a renegotiation.

to phase the rollout

to split an implementation into stages

We phased the rollout so the budget spread over two years.

payment schedule

the agreed timing of payments

The new payment schedule stretches across two financial years.

contract value

the total monetary worth of a contract

The total contract value fell by five per cent after the renegotiation.

revised proposal

an updated version of an offer

Please send the revised proposal before the board meeting.

Language notes

In this episode a client renegotiates a closed deal after the board cuts her budget by twenty per cent. You learn how to reopen a deal in English without sacrificing quality: clarify priorities, offer levers instead of discounts, deliver visible gestures — and why German "aktuell" is never "actual" (C1).

Renegotiating without losing face

Sabine opens like a textbook: she names the cause (a board decision), recalls the agreement ("we shook hands") and states plainly what she needs ("I have to reopen the deal"). Jonas rewards the directness instead of stonewalling — "Thank you for telling me directly" — and asks the strategic question first: is the project still a priority? Only then do numbers enter the room. That order separates professionals from hagglers.

Levers instead of discounts

Jonas refuses the simple discount with a strong rationale: twenty per cent off the price would mean twenty per cent off the quality. Instead he offers three levers: phasing, client self-service, payment scheduling. Only when Sabine demands a "visible gesture" for the board does a limited reduction appear — five per cent, tied to conditions. The discount stays a trade, not a gift.

Aktuell, actual, current

The false friend of the day: German "aktuell" means "current" (as of today). English "actual" means real — in finance it is even a term of art: "actuals" are real figures as opposed to planned ones. When a German manager says "our actual budget", the English side hears "our real budget" — in a budget conversation, genuinely confusing. Jonas resolves it elegantly with a clarifying question rather than a correction.

Keep practising: Learn business English online — with real teachers from Simmonds, since 2004.

Frequently asked questions

What language level is this episode for?

Level C1 (CEFR). The dialogue uses nuanced negotiation English with finance vocabulary; the vocabulary list explains all eight key terms bilingually.

How do I renegotiate a deal after a budget cut?

In four steps: state the cause and the number openly, check whether the project is still a priority, offer levers instead of pure discounts (phasing, self-service, payment schedule) and confirm the result in a written revised proposal.

Does German "aktuell" mean "actual" in English?

No. "Aktuell" = "current". English "actual" means real — in budgeting, "actuals" are even the real figures. "Our actual budget" means the true budget, not today's budget.

Is there a transcript to read along?

Yes, the full transcript with German support notes is on this page — listen first, then take the test, then read along.

Where can I practise renegotiations like this live in English?

In the online business English courses from Simmonds Language Services (englisch-lehrer.com/online): live lessons with real teachers on Zoom, for companies and individuals across Germany. It starts with a free consultation.

Want to practise these phrases in a real conversation?

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