This business English telephone lesson is part of our Business English conversation course: http://www.businessenglishpod.com/about-bep/about-business-english-pod/kickstart-your-business-english/
Talking on the telephone in has become an extremely important part of business English. You need to be able to answer a call in English professionally and create a good image of yourself and your company with only your voice. Having effective business English telephone skills leaves a good impression on your customers, clients, and colleagues. People are busy, so you want to be very clear, polite and organized.
In this business English lesson, we’ll begin by looking at a bad example of answering a call and taking message. We’ll discuss why it’s a bad example, and then we’ll go into a good example of answering a call. I’m sure you’ll see a clear difference.
Before we listen, let’s talk a bit about the basics of handling a call in English. Our tone of voice needs to be pleasant and positive. We don’t want to make people feel like they are bothering us. Some people try smiling when they speak even though the other person can’t see them. This trick helps you to maintain a good tone. Second, we should always be prepared. Whether you’re receiving or making a call, you need to be ready.
We also need to make it clear from the beginning who the person is talking to. This means identifying ourselves and our company. From there, we need to lead the conversation and find out how we can help the caller. The caller should not have to ask for help. And finally, we need to remember that listening is half of a conversation. We need to listen and respond to what the other person is saying.