TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

TELEPHONING

Oct 2016
OUR CENTER
Building E
 Overview
• Needs analysis
• Learning journal
• Contexts
• Q&A
 Needs analysis
• Your strengths and weaknesses in telephoning in English;
• Identify and prioritize your immediate and future needs for
telephoning;
• Determine the order in the following topics:
– Focus on listening
– Making calls
– Receiving calls
– Receiving and leaving messages
– Dealing with problems
– Conference calls
 Needs analysis
• Complete the sentences below about yourself:
– At work, I need to speak English on the telephone with people
like…
– Reasons for telephoning include…
– Things I find easy about telephoning include…
– Things I find difficult about telephoning include…
– I would like to improve the way I…
– Others:…
 Needs analysis
• Your priority:
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• …
 Learning journal
Useful Note down related words and phrases in daily basis (Please see
Language the provided list)
Useful tips Specific tips in specific contexts
Before calling, plan your call: What is the purpose of your call?
Who will you be speaking to? What do they know about the
subject? What is their level of English like?...
Focus area Using a mobile phone

I need to make sure I understand them or I need to ask to speak to them at a

more convenient time on a land line
To do this better, I Remember some phrases “We might get cut off”, “It’s difficult
intend to talking right now”, “I’ll call you later.”
 Topic 1: Focus on listening
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Giving a running commentary Filling silences Training Focus on listening
The file’s just opening now. Just a minute. corporate training body language
She’s just coming. Hold on … course contracted forms
I’m just thinking that through. One moment, please. course coordinator feelings
I’m just getting my diary. I’ll be with you in a to liaise with native speakers
I’m just looking for a pen. second. someone to be puzzled
I’m just looking for my notes to check. Could you just give me a participant to read between the
Showing that you are listening moment? presentation skills lines
Aha… I see … yes … Let me see … programme to run (sounds)
Right … range together
OK … session visual clues
Hm … skills weak forms
to speak publicly
team-building

Running commentary: tường thuật tại chỗ  

 Topic 2: Making calls
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Identifying yourself Making small talk R&D Making telephone calls
It’s .* How are things with you analysis/analyses/ to to call someone
My name is . I’m calling these days?* analyse directly / direct call
From . I’ve not seen you since clinical trials to chat
This is from . ________ . developmental testing to connect someone ( to
laboratory someone)
Asking to speak to someone How are you?
presentation to explain
I’d like to speak to _______ , please. How’s business?* quality control to get through
Is ____________ in today, please?* Did you enjoy the research / to carry out to give a good/bad
Can I speak to ____________ , please? presentation on Monday? research impression
Could you put me through to Did you have a good R&D (Research and greetings and
__________ , please? weekend / holiday? Development) introductions/ to greet
Explaining the purpose of your call to be responsible for someone / to introduce
I’m calling about _________ . to run tests yourself
I’m phoning to check / ask about/ tell you test results to identify yourself /
about __________ . trade fair identification
Your name was given to me by _________ and I to plan
purpose
believe you are responsible for _________ .
to put someone through
small talk
* Informal  
 Topic 3: Receiving calls
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Gaining time Checking and clarifying Finance Receiving calls
I’m sorry, I can’t say right now. Who did you say I should speak balance sheet to check
I’LL have to get back to you on that. to? bank loans ‘chunk’
I’m not the best person to answer that. Can you repeat that, please? board meeting to clarify / clarification
I’d rather not say. Did you say ‘seventeen’ or budget to echo the information
I’ll need to work it out and let you know. ‘seventy’? to chase up to gain time
Can I put it in an e-mail? Sorry, which department did you to compare with/comparison to get back to someone
Er, well, I don’t really know. say? to double-check on something
Hm, good question … When was the delivery due? exact figure / rough figure to slip your mind
Just a moment … Sorry, I didn’t catch that. figures speaker’s intention
to finalize to stress a word
forecast
Head of Finance
overheads
profit
salaries
shipment
total sales figures
to be up by about € 16,000

Overheads: tổng chi phí; € (euro)  

 Topic 4: Receiving and leaving messages
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Leaving messages on a machine Common texting abbreviations Personnel Receiving and leaving
This is Marie-Noelle. It’s three o’clock on 24/7: 24 hours a day, 7 days a candidate messages
Friday 8th February. week contribution/ to answerphone
I’m calling about … AISI: as I see it contribute to(wards) appropriate
Would you mind sending the attachment AIUI: as I understand it CV to call someone back
again? I can’t open it. AOB: any other business
job application / to apply confidential
Would you please call me on my mobile? ASAP: as soon as possible
Leaving messages with a colleague CB: call back
for a job to get back to
Could you tell him/her I called? EOB: end of business to join / leave a company someone
Would you mind asking him to call me EOM: end of message pension scheme land line
on my mobile? My number is … FAQ: frequently asked questions post/position to leave a message
Could you ask her to get back to me as FYI: for your information (potential) redundancies / mobile (telephone)
soon as she can? It’s urgent. IMO: in my opinion to be made redundant reception
Taking messages JIT: just in time salary to send an e-mail
I’ll tell him/her you called. N/A not applicable union to take a message
I’ll make sure he/she gets your message. PCB: please call back vacancy / a vacant position to take notes
Can I just repeat that? RU OK? Are you OK? to text / a text
Can I take your name and number? TKS: thanks
(message)
When is the best time for him/her to call
voicemail
you back?
Redundant salary/pay: tiền đền bù nghỉ việc; pension: trợ cấp  
 Topic 5: Dealing with problems
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Warning about bad reception Being distracted Marketing/Advertising Dealing with problems
I think we’re going to get cut off … Sorry, not you – I’m talking to the advertisement/ to to apologize/ apology
I’m afraid you’re breaking up … ticket collector. advertise to be/ get cut off
Not being able to hear Just a moment, Bob’s just saying advertising campaign to be interrupted/
You’ll have to speak up. * something … brochure interruption
I’m going to have to call you back. I Avoiding giving confidential client to break up
can’t hear you. information cold-calling confidential
I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that. Well, I’m afraid I can’t raelly say competitor to encounter problems
Sorry, I missed the last part. right now. customer noisy/ noise
I’d rather tell you in private. discount reception
Dealing with key information introductory price I’m sorry.
Could you spell your name, to promote products to warn
please?
What did you say your address
was?
Can I just check your e-mail
address?
Is your company’s website www.
…?
* informal  
 Topic 6: Conference calls
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Turn-taking Thanking Production Summarizing and
John? Thank you, everyone. batches ending a call
What about you? I’d like to thank everyone for bulk order a pause
What do you think? their contributions to the logistics to promise action
Anyone else? discussion. to negotiate/ to refer to the next
Do you agree? Thank you very much. That’s
negotiation contact
Mrs Gaida, do you have a suggestion? been very
OK, everyone? useful/helpful/productive.
production line to signal
    purchasing / to a summary/ to
Ending a call Promising action purchase summarize
OK, then, we can call it a day. I’ll let you all know about … QA to thank
Right, I think that’s it for today. I’ll get Janice to send the schedules/ to schedule
We’ll leave it there for now. minutes round. supplier/ to supply
So, if there’s nothing else, we’ll stop now. I’ll inform the staff. testing / to test
    transport costs
Summarizing Referring to the next contact trial run
So, first of all we agreed to …; secondly, we said We’ll speak again next week. unit price
…; and the final point was … Our next meeting is scheduled
ware house
Just to summarize then, we said we would … for Friday.
See you next month.
 
 Special symbols
• : colon /’kouln/
• / slash (backslash \ or forward slash /)
• //
• @ at
• . dot
• - hyphen /’haifn/
• _ underscore
• # hash (symbol)
• * asterisk
• > more/greater than
• < less than
• ; semicolon
• ( ): round brackets; [ ] square brackets
• ! exclamation mark
• ? question mark
• , comma
 E0012 – Building E
Tel: 08 377 55 064
Email: ttc@tdt.edu.vn