Hello everyone and welcome to English like a native with me, Anna English
In today's lesson we're going to be learning all about...
Excuse me, sorry
Hello
That's right, we're doing a lesson all about
Telephone English
Talking on the phone can be very stressful, and I'm going to let you into a little secret
I used to have a fear of answering the phone
and even now I get very nervous when I have to speak to someone on the telephone
And it's made even worse when English is not your first language
The reason they're talking on the telephone is so stressful is because you're removing
important communication elements such as body language and lip-reading
All you have to rely on is your ear and your voice
But in many jobs talking on the phone is a necessity and you require those skills
So, let's talk about telephone business English
And if after this video you feel you need a more comprehensive guide
than I do have an ebook available on my website as well
and that is available via the link in the description box below
So firstly let's look at answering the phone
You cannot simply in a work environment answer the phone by saying hello
Because the person on the other end will think that perhaps they've dialed the wrong number
So there are a few different ways in which you might answer the phone in a work environment
But here are a few options. You could answer simply by saying the company name
Jitterbug Limited
Or you could answer by saying the company name and then your own name
Hello, jitterbug limited, Anna's speaking
Or you could answer by saying the company name, your own name and then how may I help you
Hello, jitterbug limited, Anna's speaking how may I help?
If you're the person making the call then always start off by saying hello
And then it's always good to introduce yourself now you can choose whether you want to just introduce your name
or you could and it's probably better to introduce your name and where you are calling from?
Whether you are a customer, or if you're calling from another company
It's always good to let them know who they're dealing with in the very early stages
And always try to be clear and precise when giving this information
But don't be surprised if you're asked to repeat this information later in the call
So here are some examples
Hello, this is Anna. I'm just calling because...
Hello, this is Anna speaking. I'm just calling because...
Hello, this is Anna speaking calling from the post office. I'm just calling because...
Some people feel it is more professional to introduce yourself with your full name
However this is a little old-fashioned
But it does depend on the industry in which you work for example if you work for a law firm
then that definitely needs a more formal approach
So in a law firm you would use your full name.
However in a trendy up-to-date design company then it would be a little bit old-fashioned
to be using your full name on the phone
I'm much better to go for the friendly approach of just saying hello, my name's Anna
If I'm making the call and there's someone I specifically want to speak to
or there's a certain Department I want to be put through to
Then I'm going to first speak to the receptionist and ask them to connect me to the right person
Some of the phrases I might use are
Hello, could I speak to Mr. X please
Hello, is it Mr. X in today?
Oh Hello, can you put me through to Mr. X please?
Hello, can I have extension 123 please?
Oh. If you've been given a special extension number to reach a certain person
then you'll either be asked to dial the extension number in
or you'll be asked by a receptionist what extension you want
and then you just quote the extension number for them to put you through
Thank you
But if you don't know exactly who it is you need to speak to
You just know you need to speak to the marketing manager or the editor or
somebody in the finance department for example, then you'd simply say
May I speak to someone in the finance department, please?
Can you put me through to the finance department, please?
Hello is it possible to speak to the finance manager, please?
If the person you want to speak to is not available
Then you will probably be given the option to leave a message
Now the information that you'll be expected to leave in a message is as follows
Your name, the company you're calling from, a brief description as to why you're calling
A call to action. So tell them that you would like them to call you back or
Let them know that you will be calling this afternoon
and they should expect your call or ask them to drop you an email perhaps
And then finally a contact telephone number or email address
This is really important. If they don't know how to contact you
then they won't be able to get back in touch with you
Hello, it's Anna here from English like a native. I just wanted to confirm
What time you'd like your lesson tomorrow?
If you could drop me an email to confirm what time is suitable for you then that would be fantastic
My email address is Englishlikeanative@email.email
Alright, I will look forward to hearing from you. Bye
Whether you are making the call or receiving the call, if you have any trouble understanding what the other person is saying
Then don't panic. You could say one of the following lines
I'm sorry could you repeat that please?
Would you mind spelling that out for me?
Would you mind speaking slowly for me, please?
I'm afraid. This is a very bad line. Could you speak up?
Now I'm going to give you eight of the most common telephone phrasal verbs
Number one hold on
If you're being asked to hold on then it means wait for a moment, don't do anything
Don't end the call don't go away from the phone. Just wait, hold on
Number two hang on
Hang on is exactly the same as hold on. It's just slightly less formal. Hang on a second
Number three
Put through. To be put through or to put somebody through means that you are going to connect to the call
Hang on a moment. I'll put you through
Number four
Get through. If you get through it means you have been successfully connected
If you can't get through it means you've tried to call but you can't connect with anyone
Perhaps nobody is answering the phone or perhaps the phone line is busy
I just can't get through
Number five hang up
If you hang up then you end the call so I could say
He just hung up on me I can't believe it
or I might say wait don't hang up. I think he's just walked in the office now. I'll put you through
Number six Call back
If you call someone back, It means that you are returning their call so you might ask for a call back
Hello. Could you call me back in five minutes? I'm very busy right now
Number seven. Pick up
To pick up means to answer the call. So if the phone is ringing. I might say to you. Could you pick that up?
Could you pick up the phone?
Did you pick up the call?
And finally number eight get off
If you get off then you get off the call, you get off the phone, you end the conversation
So I must get off the phone. I'm so sorry. I've got to get off now. Bye
And on that note I too must get off but before I leave, don't forget to give this video a thumb up if you enjoyed it
If you do want a more comprehensive guide to business telephone English then do remember
There's a link to the e-book down in the description box below
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Have a wonderful day, take care and goodbye