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, Its difficult
intend to talking right now, Ill call you later.
 Topic 1: Focus on listening
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Giving a running commentary Filling silences Training Focus on listening
The files just opening now. Just a minute. corporate training body language
Shes just coming. Hold on course contracted forms
Im just thinking that through. One moment, please. course coordinator feelings
Im just getting my diary. Ill be with you in a to liaise with native speakers
Im just looking for a pen. second. someone to be puzzled
Im 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: tng thut ti ch

 Topic 2: Making calls
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Identifying yourself Making small talk R&D Making telephone calls
Its .* How are things with you analysis/analyses/ to to call someone directly
My name is . Im calling these days?* analyse / direct call
From . Ive 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
Id like to speak to _______ , please. Hows 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
Im calling about _________ . to run tests yourself
Im 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
believe you are responsible for _________ . purpose
to put someone through
small talk
* Informal
 Topic 3: Receiving calls
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Gaining time Checking and clarifying Finance Receiving calls
Im sorry, I cant say right now. Who did you say I should speak to? balance sheet to check
ILL have to get back to you on that. Can you repeat that, please? bank loans chunk
Im not the best person to answer that. Did you say seventeen or board meeting to clarify / clarification
Id rather not say. seventy? budget to echo the information
Ill need to work it out and let you know. Sorry, which department did you to chase up to gain time
Can I put it in an e-mail? say? to compare with/comparison to get back to someone
Er, well, I dont really know. When was the delivery due? to double-check on something
Hm, good question Sorry, I didnt catch that. exact figure / rough figure to slip your mind
Just a moment figures speakers 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: tng chi ph; (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. Its three oclock on 24/7: 24 hours a day, 7 days a candidate messages
Friday 8th February. week contribution/ to answerphone
Im 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 cant 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 on EOM: end of message pension scheme land line
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? Its urgent. IMO: in my opinion to be made redundant reception
Taking messages JIT: just in time salary to send an e-mail
Ill tell him/her you called. N/A not applicable union to take a message
Ill 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: tin n b ngh vic; pension: tr cp
 Topic 5: Dealing with problems
Useful phrases Vocabulary
Warning about bad reception Being distracted Marketing/Advertising Dealing with problems
I think were going to get cut off Sorry, not you Im talking to the advertisement/ to to apologize/ apology
Im afraid youre breaking up ticket collector. advertise to be/ get cut off
Not being able to hear Just a moment, Bobs just saying advertising campaign to be interrupted/
Youll have to speak up. * something brochure interruption
Im going to have to call you back. I Avoiding giving confidential client to break up
cant hear you. information cold-calling confidential
Im sorry, I didnt hear that. Well, Im afraid I cant raelly say competitor to encounter problems
Sorry, I missed the last part. right now. customer noisy/ noise
Id rather tell you in private. discount reception
Dealing with key information introductory price Im 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 companys 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? Id 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. Thats
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. Ill let you all know about QA to thank
Right, I think thats it for today. Ill get Janice to send the schedules/ to schedule
Well leave it there for now. minutes round. supplier/ to supply
So, if theres nothing else, well stop now. Ill 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 Well 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