Effective Telecommunications
Unit 3
Study Objectives
学习用英语与公司同事、客户进行电话沟通的技巧
学习用英语接听及拨打电话的常用语
了解办公室接听电话的基本礼仪
掌握电话留言及备忘录的写作格式与规范
Tips for Preparing a Business Call
Remember that a business telephone call is comprised of three components,
the beginning introduction, the middle bulk of the call, and the end summing
up.
Say everything that you need to in order to explain your reason for calling.
State when you will return the call or request that the other person call you
back. If you have to leave a message, be concise.
Let the other person know at the beginning of the call if you plan to use a
speaker phone or record any part of the conversation.
The first impression anyone gets from you will be lasting. Your voice on
the other end of a telephone line is that first impression. You need to
conduct yourself in a professional manner when calling people for
business purposes. Expect the same results as you would in an in-office
meeting. Here are a few steps to help you along.
Useful Expressions
请帮我找乔治 · 格洛根先生听电话。1. Can I speak to George Grogan, please?
请帮我转拨分机号码 108 。2. Can I have extension 108, please?
你好 , 我叫皮特 · 布莱克 , 能帮我接通柯雷格 · 梅因先生的电话吗 ?
3. Hello, my name’s Peter Black. Can you put me through to Mr. Craig Maine
please?
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Making a call
我打这个电话是要谈论关于出货的时间问题。 4. I’m calling about a problem with the delivery dates.
Useful Expressions
刚才西蒙小姐打电话给我而我不在 , 我现在给她回话。
5. Just now Miss Simon called me and I wasn’t available, now I’m returning
her call.
你能转告他我今晚已经在马萨尔酒店订了晚餐 , 届时会在那里与他见面吗 ?
6. Could you tell him I’ve booked a table at Marcel’s restaurant this evening
and I’ll meet him there?
抱歉 , 我会重新帮你接通电话。请别挂机 。
7. Sorry, I’ll try to reconnect you. Hold the line.
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Making a call
Useful Expressions
是的 , 请转告他阿兰 · 亚伯拉罕打过电话给他了。
8. Yes, please. Could you tell him Alan Abraham called?
密斯先生现在正在开会 , 我帮你把电话接到会议室去。
9. Mr. Smith is at a meeting at the moment, I’ll reach him in the conference
room.
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早上好 ! 先生。我打电话是想了解一下有关轻松扫描仪 IV 型的情况 。
10. Good morning, sir. I’m calling to get some information about the
Easyscanner IV.
Making a call
Useful ExpressionsReceiving a call
抱歉 ! 占线。请问您是愿意不挂机还是让我帮您留言呢 ?
1. I’m sorry, the line is still busy, can you hold on or let me take a message?
是的 , 我会帮您转告。需要他给您回电话吗 ?
2. Yes, I’ll tell him that. Shall I ask him to call you back?
请您重复一下贵公司的名称。3. Could you please repeat the name of the company, please?
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请问您是哪位 ?
4. Who’s calling, please?
Useful Expressions
请问留言的内容是什么 ?
5. And what’s the message, please?
抱歉 , 安德鲁先生 , 我们经理今天一整天都要开会而且不接电话。我会让他稍
后给您回话。
6. I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Andrews, our manager will be in conference all day
today and he won’t take any calls. I’ll ask him to call you back later.
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他外出用餐了 , 您能过一个小时再打过来吗 ?
7. He’s out for lunch. Would you like to try again an hour later?
Receiving a call
Useful Expressions
谢谢您的来电 , 并希望能为您提供服务。
8. We appreciate your having called us and hope we can be of service.
请问您有什么事情呢 ?
9. May I know what this call is about?
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Receiving a call
早上好。这里是大西洋公司的怀特小姐。请问我能帮你做什么 ?
10. Good morning. This is Miss White of Atlantic Company. May I help you?
Sample WritingSection 1: A Telephone Message Slip
While taking a telephone message, you will find paper message pads to
meet every need. Ask the caller to spell her name. Spell it back to her to make
certain you got it right, ask the caller for her telephone number. Repeat it to her to
confirm you wrote it correctly, invite the caller to leave a more detailed message.
After the call, record the date and exact time of the telephone call. This is
especially important if the caller contacts your office more than once.
记录电话留言时 , 用现成的电话留言单能满足你的全部需要。要求来电者拼写她的姓名 , 然后重复一遍以确保正确 ; 询问她的电话号码 , 重复并确认 ; 请来电者说出具体的留言信息。挂电话后 , 记录准确的来电时间和日期很重要 , 尤其是当来电者不止一次电话联系你们的时候 。
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Sample WritingSample
To __Sam WHILE YOU WERE OUT
AMDate: July 14, 2008 Hour: PM _3:15_ From: Mary Adams__ Of Health and Safety Council Company Phone: 39680672( ) Please phone ( ) Came to see you( ) Telephoned ( ) Returned Call ( √ ) Call Back ( ) Will Call Again ( √ ) Important ( ) Urgent Message : Call back to tell her the next appointment with her will be on Thursday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at his office. Signed: Ben_
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Sample Writing
In business, a letter is used to communicate with someone outside the
company. When you wish to write to someone within your company, you will send
a memorandum. Because the interoffice memo form was developed to save time,
the formality of an inside address, salutation, and complimentary closing is
omitted.
在商务往来中 , 如果跟公司外部的人沟通 , 我们会选择商务信函。当你想以文字形式与公司内部人员沟通的时候 , 你会选择备忘录。使用备忘录的目的就是节省书写时间 ,所以它省略了正式信函中的一些形式 ,比如信内地址 , 称呼和信末客套话。
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Section 2: Memorandum
Sample WritingSample
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To: Carl FowlerFrom: Jane LarsonSubject: Scheduling the filmDate: July 11, 2008 We’d better rearrange the showing schedule for next week’s film. As you know, we are going to show the film, The War of the Red Cliff, next week in the projection room, which holds only fifty people comfortably without overcrowding. It is not big enough for the whole staff to see the film at the same time. So I suggest we show the film for twice. For example, we can arrange 40 people to see the film there on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and the remaining 40 on next Tuesday at the same time. If there’s any problem about this arrangement, please let me know. Jane Larson c.c. Stan Clark
Exercises
Listen to the following passage carefully and fill in the blanks according
to what you hear.
1. Listening.
While 1 , you may know very well 2
the following are for your reference:
◎ Introduce yourself or remind the person you call of 3 at the
beginning of the call.
◎ Find out if the person you are calling 4 to talk. If not, try
to
5 for you to call back.
◎ Use notes to help guide you through the specifics you 6 .
This may be the only chance you really have to 7 across. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
making a business Call about how-to
is fully available
your identity
schedule an appointment
get your point
want to mention
Exercises1. Listening.
◎ Ask the other person to repeat what you are saying 8 .
This is important in ensuring you are both on the same page and understand
9
◎ Stick to the subject and do not allow the business conversation to drag out
with 10 .
◎ Review the important points of the discussion, going over each person’s
11 .
◎ End the call 12 . Thank the other person for their time set
an appointment for another call (if needed) and 13 .
Be sure to who will 14 make the call.
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in their own words
what the conversation is about
meaningless chatter.
responsibilities
on a pleasant note
wish them a good day
set up
Exercises2. Role play.
A customer from a French company is making a call for you to inquire about
the price and quality of your stationary items, as a secretary, you answer the call
but you think it would be better to get the sale manager to answer the call. After
you connect with the sales manager, you tell the customer to hold the line, then
put it through the extension.
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Exercises3. Interpret the following Chinese expressions and complete the dialogue.
A: It seems that many business regard the telephone as
1 ( 与客户联系的最重要方式 ).
B: Right. So the attitude that the caller toward the company is
2 ( 初次电话的语调直 接相关 ).
A: Yes. Then what are the advantages do you think 3
( 用电话谈公司业务 ) has, compared with writing letters?
B: Well, quite a lot. For example, 4 ( 得体的声音和语调 )
can make a good image of your company, which is important to the success
of the business.
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their most important link with their customers
using the telephone for
company business
often directly related to the tone of the first phone call
proper voice and tone
Exercises3. Interpret the following Chinese expressions and complete the dialogue.
A: Hmmm. 5 ( 树立良好的电话形象 )
is very important.
B: Moreover, the live voice makes a listener feel more 6
(富有人情味、可信、灵活的 )and directly.
A: Yeah. 7 , ( 打商务电话时 ) do you need to spend time
talking about the weather or any other subjects?
B: Absolutely no. You’d better 8
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Establishing a positive telephone image
human, reliable, flexible
In a business call
go to the point just as quickly as you would
Exercises4. Practical Writing.
Task 1: Please write a short telephone message according to the
information given below.
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Your boss is at a meeting this morning. Mr. Hinger from Tansy
International Trade Company called him at 11:20 a.m. about the order
quantity of your tableware product, and it is very urgent. Mr.Hinger
said he would visit your company tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. So
as the secretary, you may leave a message to your boss and ask him to
call back to Mr. Hinger at the first sight of the slip to confirm the
appointment.
Exercises4. Practical Writing.
Task 2: Please write a memo according to the information given below.
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Suppose you are the secretary of the Personnel Department of a company
and are organizing a farewell party for a colleague who is going to retire. Write a
memo in about 100 words to inform your colleagues of the meeting.
Exercises5. Reading Activity.
1. A good impression in a business call depends on and
2. is needed to take in on the phone than
face-to-face conversation.
3. will make the person on the other end of the line
more likely to listen to.
4. If you want to show how attentively you are listening to a phone call, you may
, and .
5. While making a business call for the sales of your product, you have to
indicate
Please fill in the blanks according to what you have learnt from the passages.
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your voicechoice of words 。
More time what’s being said
A pleasant voice with smile
listen more
that you're more interested in his/her needs
talk less don't interrupt
Social Etiquette
Answering the phone at work is a small task, performed numerous
times during the day. Although it is a small task, it is important to do it
properly. The telephone is often the primary means of communicating
with clients or colleagues in other locations. The person on the other
end of the telephone may not be familiar with you or your work. When
you take a business telephone call with proper etiquette you can
convey professionalism and competence in a matter of seconds.
Etiquette of Answering a Business Call
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Social Etiquette
1. If your company does not require a scripted greeting, answer the phone
with your name, “Jane Doe”. You do not want the person on the other end to
flounder or guess at with whom he or she is speaking.
2. For a friendlier opening use a greeting, such as “Good morning, this is
Jane” or “Jane Doe, how can I help you?”
3. Speak clearly to ensure your caller can understand what you are saying.
If you tend to speak quickly, slow your speech for easier comprehension.
4. Your caller may tell you his or her name after you provide yours. Or, the
caller may start telling you the purpose of the call. If your caller does not provide
his or her name in the first few sentences, ask for it.
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Etiquette of Answering a Business Call
Social Etiquette
5. In the first minute of the call, you should find out the caller’s name, the
caller’s company or organization and the purpose of the call. If the caller does not
provide this information, take charge of the conversation and get the information
you need.
6. If you need to put your caller on hold, use the caller’s name to tell him
that you are putting him or her on hold, “Mr. Smith, I am going to put you on hold
while I look for that information.” Some people would recommend asking the
caller for permission to put him or her on hold, but that allows the caller to deny
your request.
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Etiquette of Answering a Business Call
Social Etiquette
7. You should place a caller on hold if you are going to do anything other
than converse with the caller. The time you need to take to concentrate on a file,
look for something or speak to a colleague are not things your caller needs to
hear.
8. If you cannot resolve the caller’s issue during the telephone
conversation, provide the caller with contact information and an estimated
timeline for a follow up. You want the caller to feel like his or her time on the
phone was not wasted.
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Etiquette of Answering a Business Call
Social Etiquette
9. Before you hang up, make sure you have your caller’s phone number
and any other necessary contact information. You should also confirm you have
the proper spelling of your caller’s name, if you haven’t already.
10. You can end the conversation with any variation of “Goodbye” or “Thank
you for calling. However, “Bye-Bye” is somewhat informal and not always
appropriate.
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Etiquette of Answering a Business Call
Social EtiquetteGroup Disccussion
Please speak out as many as possible improper expressions and behaviors
in dealing with a business call.
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Summary & Assignments
Summarize the main contents in this unit. Finish Ex 2 and Ex 4 in groups. Revise Unit 3 and Preview Unit 4.