LISTENING 03 - LEVEL 06 - First day at work

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Preparation Activity

Listening File

Read the transcript here

FIRST ENCOUNTER & THE MEETING — Transcript

Nathalie: You must be Emilia.

Emilia: Yes. Nice to meet you.

Nathalie: I’ve heard a lot about you. Let’s hope it’s all true.

André: Nathalie, sorry to interrupt—there’s a problem with the Lemaire account.

Nathalie: Then solve it, André.

André: It’s urgent—

Nathalie: Everything is urgent. Handle it.

Nathalie: I’ll be very clear with you, Emilia. I’m not particularly pleased that this agency had to be absorbed by an American group.

Emilia: I understand.

Nathalie: Maison Duval Marketing was built on precision, discretion… and taste.

Nathalie: I expect those values to be respected.

Emilia: Of course. I’m here to contribute. And I’d really like to bring a Chilean—and American—perspective to the team, so we can build something strong together.

Nathalie: Ambitious.

Nathalie: Be ready. In ten minutes, we have our first meeting of the day.

Nathalie: The client is… difficult.

Emilia: Alright.

Nathalie: Try to keep up.

Nathalie: That will be all.

[Later — Client Meeting]

Nathalie: Thank you all for coming. Let’s begin.

Client: I’ll be honest. I’m not satisfied with the current campaign.

André: I see. Could you tell us what doesn’t work for you?

Client: It doesn’t feel exclusive enough. This is a premium product. It needs to feel… refined.

Nathalie: Our approach was designed to highlight the product’s elegance.

Client: It doesn’t. It feels generic.

André: We could explore a more minimal direction. Focus on texture, color, and mood.

Client: That could work… but I’m not convinced yet.

Emilia: Excuse me… may I add something?

Nathalie: Go on.

Emilia: What if we treated the product less like food… and more like an experience?

Client: I’m listening.

Emilia: We could approach it the way luxury brands present a fragrance. Very minimal. Very intentional. Close-ups… slow movement… almost no dialogue. Just sound and atmosphere.

André: Interesting…

Emilia: The focus wouldn’t be on eating the chocolate… but on feeling it. The texture, the moment, the anticipation.

Client: Yes…

Emilia: We could build a series of short social media ads with that concept. Clean visuals, elegant lighting… something that feels almost cinematic.

André: And then connect it to a TV spot.

Emilia: Exactly. Same aesthetic. Same tone. A short, emotional piece… but still very controlled.

Client: I like that. That feels premium.

Emilia: The idea is to position the product as something you don’t just consume… you experience.

Client: Yes. That’s exactly what we need. I really like this direction.

Nathalie: Good. André will lead the campaign.

André: Bu— but… this was Emilia’s idea.

Nathalie: Yes. And Emilia has just arrived. She doesn’t yet understand how this company operates… or when it is appropriate to speak. We’ll proceed with structure. André will lead.

André: …Of course.

Client: That works for me. I look forward to seeing the first proposal.

Nathalie: You will.

[After the meeting]

Emilia: Sorry if I overstepped...

Nathalie: That was… unexpected. Next time, you wait to be invited into the conversation.

Nathalie: We value initiative… when it is appropriate. Not when it disrupts the structure of a meeting.

Emilia: I understand.

Nathalie: Good. André, my office. Now.

Nathalie: Observe first. Speak later.

Nathalie: If the idea is worth anything, it will survive proper execution.

Nathalie: That will be all.

Comprehension Activity 01

Discussion

1. Do you think Nathalie was right to give the campaign to André instead of Emilia? Why or why not?

2. If you were Emilia, would you speak in the meeting or stay silent? Why?

   
   

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