CHAPTER 2- FLUENCY AND

ETIQUETTE
 POLITE PHRASES AND WORDS
• Part 1: Customer service greetings
1. “Nice to meet you!”
First impressions can go a long way in customer service interactions
too. When you’re speaking to a customer for the first time, offering a
polite greeting like “nice to meet you” helps set a positive and
conversational tone. Getting the tone right at the beginning of the
conversation creates a good impression that can get carried throughout
the conversation and subsequent ones.
2. “How can I help you today?”
The previous customer service greeting is perfect when you’re
interacting with a customer for the first time. However, using the same
greeting while interacting with customers you’ve spoken to might not be
the best thing to say.
3. “I hope you’re doing well.”
• Small talk is not for all service reps and certainly not for all
customers. However, taking the time to check on your customers is not
wrong — especially the customers with whom you have built a strong
Part 2: Phrases for common support instances
1. “I hear what you’re saying.”
Empathy in customer support serves as a bridge that connects you
with your customers, making it an important customer service
skill.
2. “I’m sorry you’re facing this <issue>.”
In addition to being empathetic, you can also take things a step
further by apologizing for the inconvenience caused.
3. “Thank you for taking the time to explain that to me.”
Customers who take the time to calmly explain their issue and the
steps they took to resolve it on their own most definitely need to
be thanked.
4. “I need a little more information to understand what’s going on.”
Asking your customers to give you more information about the issues
they face is not an easy task. Customers expect you to know most of
the information and are often impatient to receive a solution.
5. “Although I’d love to help you with this, …”
As a customer service agent, you might come across instances where
customers ask you to do something beyond your scope of help. These
• Part 3: Closing statements and questions
1. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Using the phrase “Is there anything else I can help you
with?” towards the end of the conversation helps you
stay a step ahead and capture those ‘oh wait’ and ‘one
more thing’ from your customers.
• 2. “Thank you so much for your feedback”
• Customer feedback of any form is precious.Product and
business success rides on the back of your customers’
likes and dislikes.
3. “Happy to help.”
• Anotherheartwarming phrase to end your conversation
with your customers is “Happy to help”. This sentence
reinforces your motto of wanting to help your customer.
 POLITENESS STRATEGIES
• 1. On record strategy: Direct way of saying things without any ambiguity, in concise manner. For
example, instead of “please send us the offers” verb “do” is used like “do send the offers.”
• 2. Positive politeness: it is usually seen in group of friends, or in an environment where people in the
group know each other well. It usually helps to communicate effectively by expressing friendliness and
interests in hearer’s needs can be maintained. It refers to one’s self esteem.
• 3. Negative politeness: It refers to one’s freedom to act. There is greater use of indirect speech is
involved in negative politeness. It normally makes the request less infringing. E.g., “if it isn’t too much
trouble, can you pass the file” or “If you don’t’ mind.” Here interlocutor is initiating the polite sentence
with negation to respect person’s right to act freely.
• 4. Off record: This politeness strategy relies on implications. It is indirect and involves breaking of
conventional norms to imply recommended course of action. The politeness in sentence is communicate
din such a manner that it is impossible to attribute one clear intention behind the act. It uses metaphor,
it is vague, ironic and can be ambiguous.
USE OF PERSUADING WORDS
1. Know the difference between a benefit and a feature.
• A feature is something that a product or service "is" or "does." A benefit is something
that the product or service "means" to the customer. For example:
• Wrong: "This car has a reinforced safety roof." (feature)
• Right: "This car keeps your family safe." (benefit)
2. Use vivid but plain language.
• Customers will remember a benefit longer and more easily if it's expressed using
simple, strong words that evoke emotion.
• Wrong: "This roof provides protection in the event of a rollover accident."
• Right: "If this car rolls, there's a good chance you'll walk away unharmed."
3. Keep the list of benefits short.
• Most people can only hold two or three thoughts at one time in their short-term memory.
Long lists of benefits just cause confusion.
• Wrong: "Here are the top 10 benefits of using our product:"
• Right: "The two most important things to remember are..."
4. Emphasize what's unique to you or your firm.
• Benefits that are generic to your product category can convince a customer to buy... but not
necessarily from you! Use benefits that differentiate you from the competition:
• Wrong: "Our software makes you more productive."
• Right: "Our customers report an average 30% decrease in costs, about twice the industry
average."
5. Make your benefits concrete.
• Customers ignore benefits that are abstract and expressed using vague adverbs and
adjectives. Benefits that are concrete and specific are more convincing and "stick in the
mind."
• Wrong: "We can radically reduce your inventory costs."
• PERSUASIVE WORD #1: THE NOVEL WORD THAT SELLS
• This word is one of the easiest ways to increase your traffic and conversions significantly.
• It’s “new”.
• PERSUASIVE WORD #2: THIS WORD THAT MAKES PEOPLE ACT LIKE FOOLS
There’s one word you can use in your sales copy that’s almost guaranteed to convert. It’s been proven
to work time and time again…
• And it’s free.
PERSUASIVE WORD #3: THE
SURPRISING WORD THAT
QUIETLY AND SENSELESSLY
PERSUADES
This next word is one that
you must be using, because it’s so
powerful.
The word?
“Because”.
• PERSUASIVE WORD #4: THE WORD THAT UNCOVERS HOW SELFISH WE REALLY ARE
• In a nutshell, you’re obsessed with yourself and so am I. Research proves it. Hearing your own name makes
your brain activity light up like a Christmas tree. In short, it makes you pay attention. To persuade anyone to
do anything (like buy your product), they have to pay attention.
• So this persuasive word is “you”. “You” acts as a placeholder for your name.
• PERSUASIVE WORD #5: THE WORD THAT SCREAMS URGENCY
• Urgency sells.
• That limited offer on shipping increased sales on the product by 226%.
• So urgency works. Check. But how can you use persuasive words to elicit urgency in your copy where
countdown timers won’t work?
• Use the word “now”.
• PERSUASIVE WORD #6: THE WORD THAT MAKES YOU DAYDREAM
• Ever been told a story about an accident or injury that made your toes curl? You almost feel
pain on behalf of the victims.
• That’s not just empathy. Those feelings there are “mirror neurons”.
• “A mirror neuron is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal
observes the same action performed by another”[*]
• Therein lies the power of this next persuasive word:
• “Imagine”.
• “Imagine leaving work at work.
• Imagine being fully present with your children.
• Imagine being able to eat a quiet meal with your family, together, enjoying each other’s
presence.
• PERSUASIVE WORD #7: THE WORD THAT TRIGGERS PRESTIGE
• Why would anybody buy a Tesla for nearly 1.5x the median national annual income when a
$20,000 Toyota Rav-4 would do the trick?
• Because of prestige.
• And you can communicate prestige by using this one persuasive word:
• Limited.
• Limiting inventory or accessibility to product is why:
• Nike can release limited edition sneakers for hundreds of dollars and sell out almost instantly
• Apple has lineups that span several city blocks starting 24 hours before they release a new
product
• PERSUASIVE WORD #8: THE INSTANT CONVERSION BOOSTER
• So it’s no surprise that instant gratification sells.
• Which is why this next word is so persuasive:
• Instantly.
• When tested the word on social media, the Tweet with the word “instantly” got 3x
more clicks than the one without:
• Proving that “instant” isn’t just the type of ramen you ate in college. It’s also an
incredibly persuasive word that can help you convert.
 PROFICIENCY LEVELS

The “A” Levels: Basic User

• A1 | Beginner
• At the A1, a language learner can:
• Understand and use very basic expressions to satisfy concrete needs.
• Introduce themselves and ask others questions about personal details.
• Interact simply as long as the other person speaks slowly and clearly.
• A2 | Elementary
• At the A2, a language learner can:
• Understand frequently used expressions in most intermediate areas such as shopping, family,
employment, etc.
• Complete tasks that are routine and involve a direct exchange of information.
• Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.
The “B” Levels: Independent User
• B1 | Intermediate
• At the B1, a language learner can:
• Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.
• Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.
• Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.
• Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.
• B2 | Upper Intermediate
• At the B2, a language learner can:
• Understand the main ideas of a complex text such as a technical piece related to their field.
• Spontaneously interact without too much strain for either the learner or the native speaker.
• Produce a detailed text on a wide range of subjects.
• The “C” Levels: Proficient User
• C1 | Advanced
• At the C1, a language learner can:
• Understand a wide range of longer and more demanding texts or
conversations.
• Express ideas without too much searching.
• Effectively use the language for social, academic or professional situations.
• Create well-structured and detailed texts on complex topics.
• C2 | Proficiency
• At the C2, a language learner can:
• Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.
• Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent
presentation.
0-5 SCALE LEVEL OF LANGUAGE FLUENCY
• 0 (Zero) – No fluencyThis is the lowest level of fluency, there is no
knowledge of language. A person may know few words. E.g., ‘No
English. Kannada yes.’
• 1 (One) – Elementary fluencySpeaker can form basic sentences, like
asking questions and answering. E.g., If you travel for job you can try to
capture the meaning in context but will have a limited vocabulary.
• 2 (Two)- Limited Working Fluency Speaker can handle basic commands
and social phrases. He can successfully converse professional and
personal experiences in group. But the speaker at this level still needs
the guidance or help for extensive conversation.
• 3 (Three)- Professional working Fluency
At this level speaker can conduct professional meetings, handle clients, make flawless
presentations. Speaker can converse in normal speed of language and must have gather
extensive vocabulary. However, needs help to understand the nuances and subtle phrases
in language.
• 4 (Four)- Full professional Fluency
At this level speaker can have wide range of conversation. of various topics around the
world, personal life, global issues, current affairs, business, finance etc. Speaker at this
level may have minor accent and can make few mistakes in the structure of language but
this the level corporate sector expects their professionals to achieve for smooth
correspondence.
• 5(Five) Native/ Bilingual / multilingual Fluency.
This the level where speaker either raised speaking or learning the language as a mother
tongue or native tongue and achieve the fluency over a period. In Indian situation this
level is most likely to be observed.
TYPES OF ETIQUETTE
• Social Etiquettes: The norms and behavioural pattern accepted by the particular society
e.g., Indian Society, Western Society etc.
• Corporate Etiquettes/ Professional Etiquettes: How to behave at workplace and maintain
dignity. Business Etiquettes: Guidance force for a professional to conduct the business
effectively and ethically. Table Etiquettes: check list for table manners like, do not speak
when mouth is full, thank the person who is serving you food, do not leave the table until
everyone finished eating. Etc.
• Telephone Etiquettes: How to interaction phone. Not to put other person on hold for a long
time, do not speak loudly, minimum or no loud gestures while having telephonic
conversation maintain your pitch and tone at perfect level. These are few of the examples
of Telephone etiquette.
• Linguistic Etiquettes: With the recurring demand at professional level language etiquettes
have become most important factor in human behavioural pattern.
CORPORATE LANGUAGE ETIQUETTES
• Introduce yourself- Introduce yourself first at workplace when you interact with new
people, dial a call or in conference. Tell your name, your role in company. If you are
meeting a person for the first time, give handshake or greet person as per his/ her
sociocultural norms. E.g., in western countries handshake is common way of greeting. In
India it is ‘Namaste’.
• Use title- Name are the first piece of information we get about anyone; hence, it becomes
most important to pay attention to names. If you don’t understand the pronunciation of the
proper noun, ask the person to repeat it in polite manner. Secondly, during announcements
or presentations, if you are addressing a person who is elder or on higher position, use the
title to introduce him/her or to refer his/her presence. It is not necessary to use title for
every person at workplace all the time. E.g. Mr./ Ms., Dr., Professor etc.
• Body language: Stand straight, maintain eye contact. Keep good postures. Put a smile on
the face. While presenting look at the audience or a person you are addressing.
Acknowledge the speaker. Don’t speak loudly and fast. Keep at least one foot distance
between you and speaker. Respect the personal space.
• Professional Tone: It doesn’t matter if you are meeting face to face, on phone
or through emails, each interaction needs to be professional. To strike up the
conversation compliment on something. Remark on your surroundings, it can be
from weather to the book one is holding. Try to ask the open-ended question
rather than questions which needs ‘Yes’, ‘No’ answers it keeps the conversation
long.
• Proper Grammar- Each message, written or spoken reflects you, so make sure
it is professional. Proofread your mails for typo errors. Use proper grammar
and punctuation. Use proper capitalisation and spell check. Also avoid the use
of emoticons and slang in professional communication.
• Social Behaviour: All of us have become so attached to our phones, tablets
and wearable devices that it is hard to disconnect. Using electronic distractions
during meetings and corporate conversations is offensive. During meeting time
switch off the phone or keep it on silent.
INTONATION

• intonation, in phonetics, the melodic pattern of an utterance. It

conveys differences of expressive meaning (e.g., surprise, anger, or
delight), and it can also serve a grammatical function.
• Intonation is primarily a matter of variation in the pitch of the voice.
In such languages as English, it is often accompanied by stress and
rhythm to produce meaning. (Tone is also a form of pitch modulation,
but the term describes the use of pitch to differentiate words and
grammatical categories.)
The three main patter of intonation in English are
• i. Falling Intonation – Falling intonation describes how the voice falls on
the final stress syllable of phrase or word. A falling intonation is
common in wh- questions. e.g., Where is the nearest Post-office? What
time does lecture finish? Falling intonation is used while saying something
definite. e.g., ‘I think we are completely lost.’
• ii. Rising Intonation- It describes how the voice rises at the end of a
sentence. It is common is Yes No questions. e.g., Are you hungry?
• iii. Fall-rise intonation – It describes how the voice falls and then rises.
While making uncertain statements we normally take help of this
intonation patten. e.g., I don’t support any IPL team now. (But I may
change my opinion in future)
 VOICE MODULATION

• Voice Modulation is when you control or adjust your

voice. It’s when you choose to go louder or softer,
faster or slower, dramatic or emotional. Basically,
voice modulation means using your voice and tone to
communicate your message more effectively.
• Without voice modulation, you would speak in a
continuous, monotonous pitch or tone. We use voice
modulation in our daily conversation as well, but
the problem is that when we get up in front of an
audience, stage fright dries up our throat and makes
it hard for us to effectively use our tone and
1.Pitch- Your pitch can play a very important role while you deliver your
speech. Females usually have a higher pitch as compared to men.
When you are delivering your speech, keep your pitch a little low to
avoid the shieling voice due to the microphone.
2.Power- Speak powerfully, loudly, and clearly but strictly no shouting.
It would be even better if you can practice your speech with a
microphone before delivering it on the final day. Also, take care of the
sound of your breath. It should not suppress your voice.
3.Pace- Keeping your pace slow will make your talk more
understandable and easier to grasp. Your message would be clearer
to the audience.
4. Pauses – Use adequate pauses for an appropriate time. Too many or
too long pauses may bore the audience. They should be just enough for
solving the purpose they are being used for. Pausing will help you catch
the attention of your audience. Learn using pauses in public speaking
here.
5. Powerful words should be stressed- Try stressing on some
powerful words in your speech to make it more impactful. This would
draw the immediate attention of the audience towards you and your
message would get straight into their mind.
6. See and learn from others- Watch your favorite public speaker,
politician, orator, celebrity, etc. who influences you in public speaking.
Watch them again and again and try to grasp what you like best in
them. Learn how they do voice modulation and then keep practicing.
 DEVELOPING VOCABULARY

• 1. Develop a reading habit. Vocabulary building is easiest

when you encounter words in context. Seeing words appear
in a novel or a newspaper article can be far more helpful
than seeing them appear on vocabulary lists.
• 2. Use the dictionary and thesaurus. Online dictionaries and
thesauruses are helpful resources if used properly.
• 3. Play word games. Classic games like Scrabble and
Boggle can function as a fun way to expand your English
vocabulary. Crossword puzzles can as well.
• 4. Use flashcards. A quick way to build a large vocabulary is
to study a number of words via flashcards. In today’s digital
age, a wide array of smartphone apps make flashcards
convenient and easy to organize.
• 5. Subscribe to “word of the day” feeds. Some web
platforms will provide you with a word a day—either on a
website, an app, or via email—to help you expand your
vocabulary.
• 6. Practice using new words in conversation. It’s possible to
amass a huge vocabulary without actually knowing how to
use words. This means you have to take it upon yourself to
put your personal dictionary into use.