Lesson 4

Making Telephone Calls

Business English Conversation & Listening
Instructor: Hsin-Hsin Cindy Lee, PhD
 Basic Rules and Concepts
 Conversation and Listening
 Practices - Check Answers and Further
Practice
 Writing Practice
 Checkpoint

Contents
Basic Concepts and Rules
Introduction
 Although nowadays a lot of business phone calls
are replaced by instant messages and emails,
international phone calls are still common.
 It’s important to learn how to make and answer
a phone call properly.

 We will divide making a phone call into four steps:

1. Before a phone call
◦ Prepare well before you call.
◦ Plan what you want to say.
◦ Prepare answers to possible questions.
◦ Send an e-mail before the phone call, if necessary.
◦ Have all information available.

Basic Concepts
2. Beginning the call
 Greet and identify yourself clearly.
 Ask for connection.
 After connection, greet the person.
 Small talk (optional)
 Give a reason for the call.
3. During the call
 Create a positive atmosphere.
 Communicate your objective clearly.
 Listen- make sure you understand.
 Check- make sure the other person understands you.

4. Ending the call politely and positively.

On the Phone
Conversation & Listening
Listening to the conversation and filling in the blanks
 When do you need to make a phone call?
◦ For example, you wish to speak to your
business partner in person. You would like to
make a courteous call.
◦ Things can not be explained clearly in the email.
◦ There are urgent matters.
◦ You are working in a place where telephoning is
more convenient than sending emails.
◦ Can you think of other situations?

Common Business Situations

 Theme:
◦ Making an appointment
 Situation:
◦ Drew Barry calls Josie Gleason to arrange a
meeting.
 Tips:
◦ Answer the phone call with your name and
greeting.
◦ Remain polite and positive on the phone.

Listen to Conversation 4-A

Drew: Hello, Miss Gleason. This is Drew from ITC.
Josie: Hello, Drew. What can I do for you?
Drew: I’m calling on behalf of my boss, Susan Goldman.
She’s (1) ______the product line, and she’d like to (2)
______a meeting with you.
Josie: All right. Does Susan have anything (3) _______in
mind?
Drew: She’ d really like to introduce some of the latest, yet
(4) _______ DVD players on the market.
Josie: We have a wide range of models right up that (5) ____.
When would she like to get together?
Drew: She was hoping to get together at the end of this
week, if possible. She wants to get going on this (6) ___
____.
Josie: Let me check my (7)______. Yes, I’m (8) ______ any
time on Friday.
Drew: How about 10:00 in the morning at your office?
Josie: 10:00 sounds fine. I’m looking forward to seeing her
on Friday.
Drew: Thank you. Good-bye.

Listening and Filling in the Blanks

 Theme:
◦ Leaving a message
 Situation:
◦ Sally answers a phone call from Bill Willis.
 Tips :
◦ If someone leaves a message to you, don’t
forget to repeat it to the caller.
◦ Make sure that you take the message right
from the caller.

Listen to Conversation 4-B

Sally: Good morning. Sun Tech. May I help you?
Caller: This is Mr. Willis and Connections, Limited. I’m calling from
(1)_________. May I speak to Sam Palmer in (2)________?
Sally: I’m sorry. Mr. Palmer is out of the office. May I (3) _____ a
message?
Caller: Do you (4) _______him back later today?
Sally: I’m afraid he’ll be out of town all day.
Caller: In that case, you can (5) _____a message. Please tell him I’d
like to talk to him as soon as possible about the new product
(6)_____.
Sally: OK. Is there any particular time that you want him to call you?
Caller: He can (7) ______me at my office any time tomorrow.
My number is (8) _____ _____61, area code 3, number (9)_____.
Sally: OK. Let me (10) _______that back to you. Mr. Willis of
Connections, Limited, number (11)_______; call back as soon as
possible regarding the new product design. You can be reached all
day tomorrow at that number.
Caller: That’s (12) ______.
Sally: OK, I’ll give him the message, Mr. Willis, and he’ll get back to
you as soon as he can.
Caller: Thank you. Good-bye.

Listening and Filling in the Blanks

Practices
Check Your Answers and Practice the Dialogues
Drew: Hello, Miss Gleason. This is Drew from
ITC.
Josie: Hello, Drew. What can I do for you?
Drew: I’m calling on behalf of my boss, Susan
Goldman. She’s (1) expanding the product
line, and she’d like to (2) set up a meeting
with you.
Josie: All right. Does Susan have anything (3)
specific in mind?
Drew: She’ d really like to introduce some of
the latest, yet (4) affordable DVD players on
the market.

Conversation 4-A (Page 1)

Source: Office English (LiveABC p.100-101)
Josie: We have a wide range of models right up
that (5) alley. When would she like to get
together?
Drew: She was hoping to get together at the end
of this week, if possible. She wants to get going
on this (6) right away.
Josie: Let me check my (7) schedule. Yes, I’m (8)
available any time on Friday.
Drew: How about 10:00 in the morning at your
office?
Josie: 10:00 sounds fine. I’m looking forward to
seeing her on Friday.
Drew: Thank you. Good-bye.

Conversation 4-A (Page 2)

Sally: Good morning. Sun Tech. May I help you?
Caller: This is Mr. Willis and Connections,
Limited. I’m calling from (1) Australia. May I
speak to Sam Palmer in (2)Marketing?
Sally: I’m sorry. Mr. Palmer is out of the office.
May I (3) take a message?
Caller: Do you (4) expect him back later today?
Sally: I’m afraid he’ll be out of town all day.
Caller: In that case, you can (5) leave a
message. Please tell him I’d like to talk to
him as soon as possible about the new
product (6) design.
Conversation 4-B (Page 1)
Source: Office English (LiveABC p.60-61)
Sally: OK. Is there any particular time that you want
him to call you?
Caller: He can (7) reach me at my office any time
tomorrow.
My number is (8) country code 61, area code 3,
number (9) 2775-2940.
Sally: OK. Let me (10) repeat that back to you. Mr.
Willis of Connections, Limited, number (11) 613-
2771-2940; call back as soon as possible regarding
the new product design. You can be reached all day
tomorrow at that number.
Caller: That’s (12) correct.
Sally: OK, I’ll give him the message, Mr. Willis, and he’ll
get back to you as soon as he can.
Caller: Thank you. Good-bye.

Conversation 4-B (Page 2)

 Replace you and your partner’s names
with the ones provided in the script.
 Read the script again by using your own
names.
 Practice the different situations for
socializing and small talk with your own
names without reading the script.

Further Practice
Writing Practice
Write down your own expressions.
1) May I speak to Lisa Black?
e.g. Could you please transfer me to Lisa Black?
2) Would you like to leave a message?
___________________________________
3) I’m afraid he is not in at the moment.
____________________________________
4) I’m calling to change our appointment.
____________________________________
5) Can I repeat your message?
___________________________________

Write down your own expressions

 Write down your own sentences.
1) May I speak to Lisa Black?
e.g. Could you please transfer me to Lisa Black?
2) Would you like to leave a message?
Can I take a message from you?
3) I’m afraid he is not in at the moment.
I’m sorry he is not available now.
4) I’m calling to change our appointment.
The purpose of this call is to change a prior
appointment.
5) Can I repeat your message?
May I confirm what you just said?

You can say this…

 Prepare a note for dialing out.
◦ Write down the person’s name you’re looking
for.
◦ Write down the message you would like to
deliver.
 Take notes while answering a phone call.
◦ Write down the identify of caller and his/her
company.
◦ Note the caller’s telephone number or email
address.
◦ Note the date, time and the message.
◦ Repeat the message after you take it.

How to Prepare a Phone Call

 What do you say at the beginning of a call?
 How can you reach the person you look
for? What can you say?
 How should you answer a phone call for
your colleague?
 How do you take a message from a caller?
 How can you prepare a phone call?

Checkpoint
 -End-
Do you have any questions?