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SEND US AN OFFER. BUT WHICH ONE, EXACTLY?
Learning Business English is rarely an end in itself. With the exception of linguists and language enthusiasts, most people learn English—particularly Business English—with a very specific goal in mind: to find a new job, win a new client, conclude a contract, or present their company successfully on the international market.
In other words, Business English is not the goal. It is a tool that helps us achieve our business goals.
Developing natural and confident professional communication takes time and practice. Yet there are moments when a single word can make the difference between sounding like an experienced professional and revealing that we are still translating directly from our native language.
One of those words is offer.
"Please send us an offer."
There are few sentences an entrepreneur would rather hear than this one. It may signal a new client, a new project, or a contract that will shape the entire business year.
In Croatian, one word covers all of these situations. In English, however, the choice is far more nuanced and goes well beyond the word offer.
However, it is probably not the wording a native speaker would naturally choose in every situation.
In Business English, offer is only one of several possible options.
Every word exists for a reason. Each carries at least one nuance of meaning, style, or context that sets it apart from the others.
The evolution of an "offer"
Everything begins with what a company makes available to the market—its products, services, and solutions. This overall portfolio is often referred to as its offering.
The company raised €200 million through its initial public offering (IPO).
When part of that portfolio is turned into a concrete proposal for a specific customer, we use the word offer.
After the negotiations, we sent our final offer.
If the customer is primarily interested in the price, they are more likely to request a quotation, or, in less formal contexts, a quote.
Please send us a quotation for 50 hours of training.
If, on the other hand, the customer wants more than just a price and is looking for a tailored solution to their problem, they will usually ask for a proposal.
We have prepared a proposal aligned with the client's long-term objectives.
When several suppliers compete for the same contract, each submits a bid.
Our bid was the most competitive of all those received.
Finally, when bids are submitted and evaluated within a formal procurement procedure governed by predefined rules and evaluation criteria, we arrive at the term tender.
Tenders must be submitted by 15 September in accordance with the tender requirements.
Oscar Wilde once famously wrote:
"Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
Perhaps that is precisely why it is worth expanding our business vocabulary with words that remind us that a successful offer—and, ultimately, successful selling or procurement—is not merely about price, but about the value received in return.
Some expressions highlight value, such as best value for money, which refers to the optimal balance between price and quality, or Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), where the winning tender is selected on the basis of the best overall value rather than the lowest price alone. Others warn of potential risks, including abnormally low tender, a bid whose price appears unrealistically low and may require further scrutiny, or lowball bid/offer, where the price is deliberately set exceptionally low to secure the contract. Then there are terms such as corner-cutting, meaning the reduction of costs at the expense of quality or standards, and bid-rigging, the illegal practice of manipulating the bidding process to predetermine the winner.
The next time you hear someone say, "Please send us an offer," pause for a moment and ask yourself:
"What kind of offer?"
Because the moment we stop asking, "How do you say this in English?" and start understanding the logic of the business situation, we stop translating—and begin communicating according to the logic of the language we are speaking.
This article was originally published on the Women in Adria portal on 20 July 2026. You can read it HERE.
