V. Writing

Exercise 10. Write an e-mail to your business partner. Arrange a meeting in your office. Express the aim of the meeting.

VI. Listening

Exercise 11. Listen to the text:

Telephone techniques

ü Identify yourself by giving your name and your position in the company.

ü Make sure you're talking to the right person.

ü Say right away you're calling about. Be brief, and don't waste time.

ü If it's a bad line, say that you'll call back at once. Then start the call again.

ü Speak slowly and clearly, but in a friendly voice. Smile while you're speaking. Your listener can 'hear' your smile.

ü Don't try to be funny — you may be misunderstood.

ü Don't use technical terms or abbreviation, because the other person may not understand these as well as you do.

ü Give important information, like figures, names, quantities, dates and so on, slowly and carefully.

ü Don't interrupt the other person even if you think you know what he or she is going to say, let them finish what they want to say.

ü Don't phone during the other person's lunch hour — find out what time it is in the other country before you call.

ü Note down all the important information you're given by the other person.

ü Send a following-up fax or letter to confirm any important details (especially prices and numbers), so that you both have a written record of them.

Exercise 12. Work in pairs. Make the lists of DOs and DON`Ts of a good telephone conversation. Add some points to your lists. Use the information you have listened to.