TELEPHONE

SKILLS

INAC HR T&D
WHY is it
important to learn
Telephone Skills?
It helps you build a professional image
It helps you create a good first impression
It helps you build an effective business
communication
WHAT will you
learn today?
English Phrases for Business
1
Telephone Calls
 Taking a call
When you answer the phone at your job, you’ll want to always greet the caller
professionally. Here is the format you might use to do so.

"Hello/Good morning/Good afternoon. [Company name], [your name] speaking, how

may I help you?"

For example, if your name is Alice and you work at a company called Quick Translations,
you might say:

"Good morning! Quick Translations, Alice speaking. How may I help you?"
 Making a call
Sometimes you are the one initiating (beginning) a phone call. You may have more
time to prepare in this case. You can use the format below for greeting people when
you call them:

"Hello, this is [your name] from [company name]."

For example, if you are Neil Jenkins and you work at ABC Travels, you might say:

“Hello, this is Neil Jenkins from ABC Travels."

 Asking for somebody
It’s important to know exactly who you want to talk to and you can use the option
below.

"May I speak to [person’s name]?"

"I’d like to speak to [person’s name], please."

For example, if you wish to speak to Jason Smith, you might say:

“May I speak to Jason Smith?"

or
"I'd like to speak to Jason Smith, please."
 Giving reasons for calling
At the beginning of the phone conversation it’s best to clarify why you are calling. This
helps both speakers talk about what’s relevant.

"I’m calling to ask about/discuss/clarify…"

"I just wanted to ask…"
"Could you tell me…?"

Here are some examples:

"I’m calling to ask about your current printing promotion."

"I just wanted to ask if you need any more articles for next month’s magazine."
"Could you tell me the address of Friday’s networking event?"
 Asking for information
When you ask people to give you information, it’s important to be polite. Using the
modal verb “could” and a question is helpful in this case.

"Could I ask what company you’re with?"

"Could you give me your mobile number, please?"

 Making arrangements
If you have to make arrangements, it’s important to be polite as you negotiate. Here are
some phrases you might use:

"Shall we say January 20?"

"How about the following week?"
"Would the week of January 18 work for you?"
 Asking for suggestions
When you have to decide on times and places to do things, you can invite the other
person to make suggestions. It can be seen as a sign of politeness.

"What would you suggest?"

"Do you have a time/place in mind?"

 Making requests
When you ask people to do things for you, it’s again essential to be polite. You can use
the magic words “could” and “please” as seen below:

"Could you send me an email with the detailed offer?"

"Do you mind sending me the report again, please?"

 Saying you cannot help
There are situations when you can’t help the other person, and it may be hard to say so.
Just be firm and polite:

"I’m afraid I can’t give you that information."

"Sorry, but I’m not allowed to give details about that."

 Ending the call
By the time you will end your phone conversation, you can thankful the other party by
saying thank you. Here are some example for you.

"Thank you very much for your help."

"Thanks for calling."
"Thank you for your time."
 Phone Conversation
Emily : “Good morning, High tech industries, Emily speaking. How may I help you?”
Mr. Williams : “Good day to you, I am calling to speak with Mr. Johnson.”
Emily : “I am afraid that Mr. Johnson is in a meeting all morning, can I ask who is
calling please?”
Mr. Williams : “This is Mr. Williams, a client with whom he has been dealing.”
Emily : “Thank you, Mr. Williams, would you like to leave a message?”
Mr. Williams : “No, thank you. Could you please have him return my call at his earlier
convenience.”
Emily : “Of course, that won’t be a problem. Was there anything else I could
help you with, Sir?”
Mr. Williams : “That will be all, thank you for your time.”
Emily : “The pleasure is all mine. Good day, Sir.
 Learn More
If you want to learn more about this course, you may
check on the following sites:

www.fluentu.com/blog/business-
english/business-english-telephone-phrases/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zClkN8TbTQ
Useful Vocabulary and Phrasal Verbs
for English Telephone Conversations
Break – up (Become inaudible over the phone, usually
because of a bad connection)
Call for someone (To telephone for someone or
something)
Cut off (When a telephone call finishes because of a
bad connection)
Hang on (Wait for a short time (informal)
Hang up (End a telephone call by putting the phone
down)
Pick up (Answer the telephone call)
Put through (Connect by phone)