TelephoneEnglish

Increasing productivity Modals Messages Introductions

Course Design• Voice tones • Use of modals • Phone etiquette • Conversation structure • Grammatical awareness • Client interaction • Taking messages • Leaving messages • Taking down details • Comparative and superlative • Features and benefits • Introductions • Scheduling appointments !!

Empathy is the ability to understand and relate to a situation, motive or feeling. In business we can demonstrate this by trying to view a situation from their perspective.!It is this technique that is applied on the telephone. That’s easier said than done and most students will try to approach this topic with a lexical approach. !Changing the way in which you apply voice tones can effect the outcome of a conversation. This

course will help you to understand this concept and demonstrate how and when to apply target voice tones.!Supported by a class recording facility, you will be expected to study outside of a classroom environment. These audio recordings are available at no cost and can be downloaded to any portable device.!Flexible in our approach, you can use our online diary management

system to select your time zone and class time. !You will be expected to participate in role play tasks to demonstrate your understanding and highlight any areas that need improvement.!We hope that you enjoy this course and that you will place a comment on our website to share your learning experience with others.

Learn how comparative and superlative tenses can increase output. Practice in various scenarios to help perfect this skill.!Study how to apply telephone etiquette with target voice tones.

Learn how to apply intonation to modals which can provide more empathetic voice value.!Your instructor will correct your grammar during role play activities so that you can understand why a certain sentence structure is used.

Study the correct form when interacting with client’s in the context of message taking. !You will be shown how to leave a message for a call back and how to set up a meeting on the phone.

Learn how to use your voice to represent the voice of a company not just the individual. !Study the format for a business introduction both face to face and on the phone.

!1

The

Course

“Your voice can change the meaning of a sentence”.

Modals

Influence the order of priorityA good request can help you to build a business relationship with what is known as a gatekeeper. These are the people who protect the decision maker from being disturbed and are more often than not in charge of screening calls. A rude caller will end up at the bottom of the list or be prevented from making contact. !People who come from a sales background are often faced with this problem, so becoming more familiar with phone etiquette can change or influence the result or outcome.!If you perfect this skill a “gatekeeper” will put your call through with pleasure thus increasing productivity and output depending on how well you apply.

Quite simply put they are verbs which behave in a very irregular way. These verbs can influence the degree of politeness on a phone. !For the purpose of this course let us only refer to the most common Modal verbs that feature heavily in phone usage.!• Can• Could• May• Should• Would• Will!

It’s common practice for students to be confused between what we deem an “order” or a “request”.!Let’s look at the first example:!“I want to speak to Mr Roberts”!This sentence does not reflect empathetic value and is hardly used in business.!Acceptable forms:!1. Can I speak to Mr Roberts?2. Could I speak to Mr Roberts?3. Is it possible to speak to Mr

Roberts?

4. May I speak to Mr Roberts?5. Would it be possible to speak

to Mr Roberts?!We can give more value to these sentences by stating the part of the day at the beginning of the sentence. We can also add the word please at the end of the construction.!The full sentences are indicated below:!1. Good morning, can I speak to

Mr Roberts please?2. Good morning, could I speak

to Mr Roberts please?

3. Good morning, is it possible to to speak to Mr Roberts please?

4. Good morning, may I speak to Mr Roberts please?

5. Would it be possible to speak to Mr Roberts please?!!

Voice tones and speech gaps !You will now practice with your instructor in order to hit the correct voice tones that reflect empathetic voice value.!!!

!2

“Practice makes perfect!”

Asking QuestionsFact finding features very heavily in phone usage, as such there is a need to learn about question structures that are used in the context of Business English. !Students often use very direct questions such as “who are you?”. Grammatically correct in every way but not suitable within a business environment.!Examples of more acceptable forms:!1. May I ask who’s calling?2. Could I have your name please?3. Could I ask who’s calling?4. Can I ask who’s calling please?!Task: !You work for a Project management company called “Smith Projects London” your teacher will play the part of a client.!Answer the phone clearly stating the name of the business and the part of the day. Your teacher will ask to speak to Mr Thomas, choose a response from the list shown above.!Without the correct use of target voice tone, you could be mistaken for being impatient, robotic in your

approach or even arrogant so practice your response until your instructor is happy to move to the next section.!Remember that we often show a stress point with the modal at the beginning of the structure, it’s not necessary to do this with the word “please” at the end of the construction.!!Your teacher will provide you with a recording of this task. Try and use these recordings as a study tool away from conventional pen and paper. !Recordings act as a tangible way to monitor improvement and act as a good reference point. Audio files are stored for 24 hours before they are destroyed, so make sure that you download them after the class.!We suggest storing them on Gmail as virtual storage is free and does not take any storage space on your computer.

• Can I ask you for your company name?• Could you tell me the name of the company you are calling from?• Is he or she expecting your call?• Could I ask you what it’s regarding?• Can you tell me what’s it in connection with?• Sorry, which company are you calling from?• What is it in connection with?• Could I have your full name please?• Could you spell that for me please?!These are only a few examples that are commonly used to request information, there are countless other forms. !Task!You work for an accounting firm, a client has just phoned your office. Answer the phone and practice requesting information from the list above. As with all of these tasks priority is given to voice tones. Your teacher will play the part of a client and will improvise if necessary.

Fact Finding

!3

“If you can’t see, you have to listen”. Try to apply this concept to increase your listening skills”.

Business Introductions

A good business relationship starts with a great introduction. !Your the star of the show, confidence is key so voice tones show a key part in understanding exactly how to introduce yourself, your company and the reason for the call.!It’s a common error to use the form “I am” that is unless you are stating your position not your name. To understand this concept, let us look at the incorrect way and then demonstrate the correct form.!“I am John Williams”, this could defiantly be mistaken for arrogance and is certainly not a form to be used. The correct form, adding to the sentence would look like this:!Good morning, my name is Derek Smith and I am calling from a company called Red Tech, would it be possible to speak to Mr Burns please?!Task !1. Your teacher will play the part of a receptionist at a Bank called; “ The ECB Bank”. You are arranging a loan for your company and need to speak to Mrs Jones the Bank Manager. Phone the Bank and make the request using the structure shown above.!When we write down information on paper if we want to bring something

to the attention of the audience, we underline or highlight information. When we speak we have to draw attention to certain words by use of intonation in order to draw attention to keywords.!Task !1. Which sport do you like?2. What is your preferred type of

food?!If you answered the questions the following way:!I like TennisI like Italian food!you are correct, but it does not tell the audience how much you like Football or Italian food.!Consider the following:!• I love Italian food• I really like Football• I think Italian food is fantastic!!These principles are used in the context of a business phone to help client’s to sense that you are keen, eager, excited, happy to do business thus having an effect on productivity and output.!If you have a monotone voice then you need to learn more about the voice that you have and identify with areas that are in need of improvement, it can be rectified!.

Requesting timeThis is somewhat easier to learn than the previous topic. If you need time during a telephone conversation we would use the following phrases:!• Sorry but could I ask you to wait

for a minute whilst I check?• Could I put you on hold for just a

moment?• Could I put you on hold for just a

second?• Sorry, could you hold for a

minute?• I’m afraid that I am going to have

to put you on hold for just a second?!

There are many more but for the purpose of this topic we have used the most common phrases.!Why do we need to apologise?!Consider that the client has been inconvenienced by having to wait. As you represent the voice of the business, it’s both professional and polite to.!Task !You are working when you receive a call from a supplier who needs you to see if you can locate a copy of an invoice. How would you construct a sentence that

gives value to the client if you need them to wait?.!

!4

“ You are the star of the show!”

Throughout a telephone conversation you will be confirming arrangements or acknowledging information. It’s quite common to only use one form which is okay. The list below will help you to identify with other forms that you can use so that you don’t appear repetitive: !• Fine • That’s fine • Good • Fantastic • Great • All right • Correct !You have to become familiar with where and how to apply as there are some exceptions.

Message taking !If you need to tell a client that your colleague is not available we use: !• I’m afraid that Maria is not at her desk at the

moment, could I take a message or can I help at all?

• I’m sorry but Maria has just popped out, could I take a message for her or can I help at all?

• I’m really sorry but Maria is out of the office at the moment, can I get her to phone you when she gets back. !

If a client leaves a message, very often you will have to check that you have written it down correctly the following forms are commonly found to demonstrate this: !• If you don’t mind could I just check that I have

taken that down correctly? • Could I just repeat that back to you? • Let me just check that I have all your details. • I’m sorry could I just check that I have written

everything down correctly? • Sorry, would you mind giving me your details

again? !Speech gaps is something we promote as an academy as it helps to slow the speaker down and acknowledge the concept of stress, comma’s and full stops. This is often overlooked with students who are studying English as a second language. !Your teacher will demonstrate this concept to you with a role play task. !

Task !!• You receive a phone call for your colleague

Maria, but she has just left the office for a lunch break. She should be back within the hour, explain this to the client.

• You are at work when the phone rings, it’s a client who wants to speak to your colleague Maria, explain that she is not at the office and offer to help the client. Your teacher will provide you with the following information, check that it’s correct with the client. !

Client Information: !Company name: Bradshaw Lewis Ltd Client name: Mr Derek Adams Contact details: 0207 942 560 870 Action: Could Maria call the client back !!Remember not to overlook empathetic voice tones, you must demonstrate your want to help the client by use of voice tones. Your teacher will now review this section to check understanding. !Learning sentences in a lexical way will not work without the use of target voice tones, consider how this concept in your own mother tongue. !Regarding !This word refers to the topic, subject, reason or purpose of a call. We should always ask this question on behalf of a colleague. Examples of how to do this are shown below: !• Can I ask what it’s regarding? !

• Could I ask what it’s regarding? • May I ask what’s it’s regarding? !Action: !This is very important and leaves the client feeling valued. Examples are shown below: !• I will make sure that he/ she get’s your message as

soon as they return. • Thank you for calling, I will let them know that you

called. !!!The good news is that provided you can hit the required voice tones, these sentences will never change and you can apply immediately. !

“Work smarter not harder!”Leaving a message !If you are leaving a message there is a format you can use, again you are reminded that it is a request and not an order: !• Could I ask _______ to call me regarding ___________ . I am available on this number:

______________, thank you you have been very helpful. • Could _________ call me back on my office number, it’s _____________ . !!More detailed messages should follow this format: !• Your name. • What it’s regarding. • When to call you back. • The number you want them to call you back on. !!Always apply telephone etiquette using please and thank you, giving value to the person that you are talking to. !Names !If you are required to spell your name, you will use the following forms: !• My first name is spelt _ _ _ _ _ ( each letter of the alphabet clearly stated using speech gaps). • My middle name is spelt _ _ _ _ _ _ _ • My last name is spelt _ _ _ _ _ !The same rules apply for a company’s name/ website etc. !If you are spelling an email address the following symbols are important to note, your teacher will now explain how to pronounce them: !@, _, /, -, #

Task: !1. You are leaving a message for Mr David to call you back

regarding a quote for website design. Your mobile telephone number is 07956 567 350 and you are available after 3pm. Introduce yourself using your real name you may be asked to spell it. Your teacher will act as his colleague Mark and take down your details.

2. You receive a phone call at work from a client who needs to talk to your colleague regarding the purchase of a photocopy machine. You need to ask the questions to the following answers: !

1. Name 2. Reason for the call 3. When to call 4. What the clients contact details are 5. The company website address 6. E-mail address !Remember to state the part of the day when you answer the phone, this part of the class is recorded so that you can practice. !3. You need to leave a message for a client to call you back, here are your details: !Name: Mr Bradshaw Regarding: A meeting to discuss advertising on the 21st of August at 3pm, you are phoning to confirm. Action: For Mr Smith (Your client) to confirm by email. Email address: s_bradshaw@gmail.com Contact number: Office 0207 456 376 356 Mobile: 0976 456 789 345 !!!!!!

“You can make a difference!”

www.one2oneacademy.com

We hope that you have enjoyed this course, look out for the 2nd in the series which is based purely on role play tasks enabling you to practice. Please find the time to leave a comment on any of our platforms, your feedback is appreciated and helps to share your learning experience with others. !Thank You !!The one2one team

A confidential service for professionals

“Proud to be different!”