BUSINESS ENGLISH ADVANCE

INSTRUCTOR: HARBI BARKAD ADEN

WELCOME BACK !!!

MODULE 4: TELEPHONING
Unit 3

Could I leave a message?

Aims:
Preparing to make a telephone call
Receiving calls
Taking and leaving messages
Asking for or giving repetition
The secretarial barriers
Briefing

For obvious reasons, using the phone has special

difficulties.

Increase practising first before making call. Your self-

confidence develops and so do efficient performance.

It is possible to control what happens in a telephone

conversation, to ask the caller to call back, to ask for
repetition, to ask the other person to speak more slowly,
to check and to summarise information.
Preparing to make a telephone call

Firstly, begin by brainstorming on what is required

in preparing to make a call.

It is very important to check time zones as you may

get an international caller.

Look at Clare’s tapescript. She is a company director

talking about how she prepares to make a telephone
call. Page19
 Receiving calls

How different is making a call or receiving a call?

(outgoing call and incoming call)

People are usually unaware of your call. They may

not be prepared. In this case, the call receiver may
ask you details and more information.

See the tapescript page 19 where the speaker was

caught unaware. Then check how clare prepares
when receiving an incoming call/ Page 20
Taking and leaving messages

You may be called by some people with other

English dialect. This may lead you to not really
grasp what the person is saying. In that case, ask
for clarification if the caller is about to leave a
message or needs a transfer. For example, to spell
his name, his phone number, his address’s name,
street and so on.
Asking for and Giving Repetition

Asking repetition helps you much. Adopt always the

structure of request for repetition. Don’t be very
direct and strict. Try to handle the ongoing
conversation by being effective and polite.

In addition, there are ways to acknowledge

repetition.
Example: I see
Right. I have got that now.
Okay!
I understand
Thank you
 The secretarial barriers

What are the secretarial barriers?

Unit 4

Good to hear from you again!

Aims

Cross-cultural communication on the telephone (1)

Making arrangements
Changing arrangements
Ending a call
Briefing

This includes work on telephoning technique

and looks at some cross-cultural considerations,
vital for telephoning across international frontiers.

The unit also includes recommendations

concerning the end of a call.
Cross-cultural communication on the telephone (1)

Some points you might need to take into consideration

before communicating.
Some important points
Setting an appointment

First, ask the full name of the person who is calling you
followed by the reason for calling.

If the person is about to meet your director and his is

currently unavailable, confirm to set up an appointment.

Foretell the schedule of your director so that the caller

would know which time and date would suit him/her well to
meet.
After setting up, send a confirmation e-mail right after
the telephone call.

Study the tapescripts in pages 29-30.

Changing arrangements

Based on the tapescript between John and Palema in

page 32, changing arrangements is as follows:
Remember there is a four-part structure
 Ending a call

Before ending up a call, you might need to bear in mind

some useful points which reinforce your efficiency at
telephone.

a) Repeat/checking details, confirm agreements, send a fax.

b) Is that all? or Anything else?

d) Make a polite excuse or interrupt, say you have a meeting,

offer to call back later (in case the caller talk too much).
e) End with the polite phrase; look forward to seening you.
Unit 5

Unfortunately there’ s a problem…

Study pages 36-41

 END

THANK YOU