Text 2. Telephoning

The phone is probably the most used tool in modern business. 25 million business calls are made every day in the UK. Not everyone admits to being confident or totally proficient in their use of the phone so it is worth looking at why phone skills are vital for effective business communication.

The rules for answering a telephone are simple but they need to be continually reviewed and practised. Following are the most basic ones, which should always be employed:

1. Answer the phone in as few rings as possible. No one likes to be forced to wait.

2. Prepare yourself with a pen and paper while taking a call so that you can note down the information of the customer.

3. Identify yourself and the company you work for (if at work) as soon as you answer.

4. By taking control of the call and asking 'the right' questions you have gathered as much information as possible before transfering a call and hopefuly illuminated the chance of an unsolicited call be put through but also you are able to supply 'Bill' with the information he needs before accepting the call. Avoid opening your questions with " can I" or " would you mind if I" if you open with these you risk loosing control of the call the caller could easily say " yes I do mind" or " no you can't" so just ask direct questions be polite and remeber you are within your rights to ask questions, if the caller gets irritated just explain: " thank you for your understanding I am sure you can appreciate we/I deal with a large number of calls by asking you these questions I can ensure your call is directed swiftly and correctly to the right person or department, thank you".

5. Always assume someone from your organization is listening in on the conversation. Organizations adding this ability in will usually announce it AFTER they have installed and used it.

6. Always ask before putting someone on hold, and wait for a reply.

7. Check that the intended recipient is happy to take the call. If somebody asks if they can speak to someone specific, tell the caller that you will " try their line" before putting them on hold and checking that the recipient is a) available and b) ready to speak to them.

8. Try to solve the problem within the call time.

9. Phone conversation lacks the obvious input of body language; the recipient on the other end will receive your true intentions through the actual tone of voice you use during the call. Your tone will say more than the actual words that come out of your mouth. Having said this, smile when you speak on the phone! This point of smiling really hit home with the senior management of a call center, and they placed little mirrors at each of the Agent's stations that said: " What you see is what they hear."

10. Use the caller's name, whenever possible. It shows that you are a good listener and adds a personal touch " I'm sorry John, but Mark isn't available at the moment. Can I help you with anything or take a message? "

11. When calling another person, identify yourself first. For example, say " This is Mary Hunter calling for Louis Meyer, please."

12. Remember to close your conversation with a professional closing. End your conversations with a sincere " Good-day", or " Thank you".

v Task 7. Read and translate the dialogues. Give Russian equivalents to the expressions in bold:

1. Telephone: connecting

A.

Michelle: Hello, you've reached the marketing department. How can I help?

Male: Yes, can I speak to Rosalind Wilson, please?

Michelle: Who’s calling please?

Male: It’s Richard Davies here.

Michelle: Certainly. Please hold and I’ll put you through.

Male: Thank you.

Claire: Hello, finance department.

Female: Hello, can I speak to Adrian Hopwood, please?

Claire: I’m afraid he’s in a meeting at the moment. Can I help?

Female: No I need to talk to Mr Hopwood, I think. What time will he be out of the meeting?

Claire: In about an hour. Can you call back later?

Female: Okay, I’ll do that.

Claire: Or can I take a message?

Female: Actually, would you mind? Could you tell him that Jennifer Andrews called and that I’m in the offfice all day if he could call me back.

Claire: Can I take your number, please?

Female: Yes, it’s 5556872.

Claire: 5556872. Okay, I’ll make sure he gets the message.

Female: Thanks very much for your help, bye!

Claire: Goodbye!

v Task 10. Imagine you work as a receptionist and you receive a call for someone who isn't there. What might the caller say, and what would you say in reply? Use these phrases to make a dialogue:

Michelle: Mr Hibberd’s office!

Peter: Hello, can I speak to Brian Hibberd, please?

Michelle: I’m afraid he’s in a meeting until lunchtime. Can I take a message?

Peter: Well, I’d like to arrange an appointment to see him, please.

It’s Peter Jefferson here.

Michelle: Could you hold on for a minute, Mr Jefferson. I’ll just look in the diary. So when’s convenient for you?

Peter: Some time next week if possible. I gather he’s away the following week.

Michelle: Yes, that’s right; he’s on holiday for a fortnight.

Peter: Well, I need to see him before he goes away. So would next Wednesday be okay?

Michelle: Wednesday. Let me see. He's out of the office all morning. But he's free in the afternoon, after about three.

Peter: Three o'clock is difficult. But I could make it after four.

Michelle: So shall we say 4. 15 next Wednesday, in Mr Hibberd's office?

Peter: Yes, that sounds fine. Thanks very much.

Michelle: Okay, then. Bye.

v Task 14. Once again; imagine you are making a telephone call. This time you are arranging an appointment to see someone. Choose phrases you might use to fix a meeting and your dialogue: