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Business English Pod

Learn business English with your favorite business English lessons from Business English Pod!

Business English Pod

With over 75 million lessons delivered since 2006, Business English Pod is the go-to source for Business English lessons, podcasts and mobile apps for intermediate and advanced Business English learners.

Learn English conversation and listening skills, business vocabulary, idioms, and more, with effective business English lessons on everything from meetings, presentations, negotiations to sales, job interviews and finance. Our Business English lessons are designed to help you understand the language that we use to communicate and the reasons why we use it. Our goal is to teach natural and effective English for business.

Our Business English Pod lessons (BEP) include a natural dialog featuring common and effective business English vocabulary, idioms, and phrases. It also includes a clear and complete explanation of the dialog. You will learn what the speakers are saying, why they are saying it, and other ways you can express the same ideas. The PDF transcript and practice exercises will help you understand and remember everything you learn in the podcast.

PDF transcripts for each lesson are available to premium members. Premium members can also access our online quizzes and lesson modules – take a free trial to preview the lesson resources.

Business English Pod publishes a variety of business English lessons for speaking, vocabulary and listening skills. Try Video Vocab to learn business English vocabulary for different business and technical topics. Listen to Skills 360 for advice on everything from using the telephone to high-level negotiations. Tune in to Business English News to learn advanced English vocabulary. And use our core Business English Pod lessons to study business English conversations, English speaking skills, and English vocabulary and idioms.

Our Business English lessons are designed to help you understand the language that we use to communicate and the reasons why we use it. We want our learners to be able to face different business and work situations with confidence in their English abilities.

Business English Pod lessons are carefully created by an expert team of trainers with over 50 years of frontline experience in Business English training. Our developers have worked with some of the world’s leading companies in a variety of fields including engineering, telecommunications, aerospace, financial services, and medicine. We don’t just understand English, we understand how to use English effectively for business.

Learning Process

Business English Pod lessons follow a consistent and effective format. Each podcast begins with an introduction that tells you about the topic and situation for the dialog. Then you hear the dialog, which is a natural and realistic example of a conversation in a common business situation. Then, in the “debrief” section, a teacher reviews each part of the dialog and explains what the speakers are saying, why they are saying it, and other ways to express similar ideas. Finally, in the “practice” section, you have the chance to use the language you learned.

Business English Pod is aimed at intermediate and advanced English learners, with a TOEIC score of between 400 and 700 or CEF B1-C2. However, the lessons are designed to be useful to learners at a variety of levels. Lower and intermediate learners can focus more on language development, and advanced learners can concentrate on skills, fluency, and enhancement of professionalism.

English for Telephoning

This business English eBook on Telephone English features MP3 audio, PDF and online lessons on key English language skills for working on the telephone in English.

These business English lessons are also available in our English for Telephoning eCourse App:
Download from the Apple App Store (iOS).

Telephone English eBook Course

  • Unit 501 – Answering the Phone
  • Unit 502 – Taking a Message
  • Unit 503 – Leaving a Voicemail Message
  • Unit 504 – Making an Appointment
  • Unit 505 – Discussing Travel Arrangements
  • Unit 506 – Checking on an Order
  • Unit 507 – Dealing with Customers (Part 1)
  • Unit 508 – Dealing with Customers (Part 2)
  • Unit 509 – Handling Sales Calls
  • Unit 510 – Handling a Problem on the Phone
  • Unit 511 – Dealing with an Angry Caller (Part 1)
  • Unit 512 – Dealing with an Angry Caller (Part 2)
Sample PDF Transcript Sample Quiz Sample MP3

eBook & Members: use the links below to access the resources (right-click to save MP3/PDF).

Title
Transcripts
Podcasts
PhraseCasts
Quizzes
Complete Set/ZIP
Answering Calls
Taking a Message
Voicemail
Appointments
Arrangements
Checking an Order
Inquiries 1
Inquiries 2
Sales Calls
Handling Problems
Angry Customers 1
Angry Customers 2

BEP 238 – Telephoning: Tech Support English (1)

Business English, Customer Service, IT and Tech, Telephone English /

Telephone Tech Support English

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on handling a tech support telephone call in English.

We’ve all been in this situation: The phone rings. Someone’s got a problem. They need our help to fix it. So we work through the issue with the person, trying to figure out exactly what’s happening, what the person wants to do, and how to help them do it.

But it’s not easy, especially on the phone, because we can’t see what the other person sees. And when someone has a problem, they’re usually frustrated about it, which can make our job even more difficult. So we need to stay calm and positive, keep a clear head, talk through the issue and find a solution that works. This situation is not unique to tech support. Everyone has to be able to help solve problems over the phone.

Today we’ll look at several techniques that can help you deal with these kinds of situation successfully. We’ll start by asking open-ended questions, confirming what the user is trying to do, and asking what they see as they try to do it. Then we’ll try requesting the user to do something as well as putting our instructions in simple terms. And finally we’ll practice asking someone to wait while we check something.

In the dialog, you’ll hear a conversation between Stacey and Nick. Stacey is a lawyer in the U.S. who’s having some trouble transferring files to her company’s server in the U.K. Nick is the British tech support agent trying to help Stacey solve her problem.

Listening Questions

1. At the start of the conversation, what question does Nick use to get Stacey to describe the situation?
2. Why does Nick ask Stacey to try opening the file?
3. What does Nick ask Stacey to do to help him check whether the problem is fixed?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

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BEP 21R – Telephoning: Opening Calls & Taking Messages

Business English, Intermediate English, Telephone English /

This is a remastered edition of BEP 21 released in commemoration of Clayton Lee, who wrote and hosted this series.

In this is Business English Podcast lesson, we look at essential language for making telephone calls in English. Some of the key language we cover in this lesson include, identifying yourself and the caller, stating the purpose of your call and leaving a message.

In the dialog, we’ll hear a telephone call about a contract between an aircraft manufacture and one of its suppliers, called Airtronics. Nathan Beale from the contracts department of the client is calling to ask about a proposal he is expecting from Airtronics. Time is very short for all the proposals to be received, and so far, the aircraft company hasn’t received anything from this supplier.

FREE Resources: PDF Transcript

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BEP 228 – Telephoning: Making Sales Calls in English (2)

Business English, Sales, Telephone English /

Sales Call English

Welcome back to Business English Pod for the second part of our lesson on making sales calls.

Being successful in sales begins with getting your foot in the door. If you can sit down with someone in their workplace and show your product, or talk about your service, you’re more than halfway to making a sale. But if you don’t get the chance to sit down face to face, making the sale will be a lot harder.

There’s lots of advice out there about making cold calls in English. But usually you’ve got more to work with than just a phone number. A good lead might be someone you’ve talked to at an event, or someone you’ve been referred to by another customer or friend. So, you’ve got a name and number and perhaps a previous conversation or mutual acquaintance.

You call the person, you use your best professional greeting, you make a connection and you try to get them to talk about their company and their needs. Now comes the hard part. You need to make the next step and actually ask them to agree to meet with you. Today we’ll learn some great techniques that will help you get to that point. We’ll start with showing the value of your product or company, then we’ll cover asking for a meeting, dealing with a refusal, emphasizing the need to meet, and expressing gratitude.

In the dialog, we will hear the second part of a telephone conversation between Kate and Tina. Kate is a salesperson with a company called Thompson Medical. And Tina works at a dental office. Kate’s company sells machines called “autoclaves,” which are used to sterilize tools in medical clinics.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Kate mention ‘flexibility in the setup’?
2. How does Kate respond when Tina says that it’s hard to schedule a meeting?
3. What does Kate offer to do if Tina agrees to sit down and talk?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

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BEP 227 – Telephoning: Making Sales Calls in English (1)

Business English, Sales, Telephone English /

English Sales Call

In this Business English lesson, we take a look at making sales calls.

Many people hate making sales calls in English. They pick up the telephone and instantly feel a pit in their stomach. They might be afraid of rejection. Or they might know that most people hate receiving sales calls. But fear not! When you pick up the telephone, you’ve got an opportunity. If you approach it positively, you’ll have more positive results.

You start with a list of leads. This might just be names and numbers. They might be people you’ve met at a networking event or a trade show. Now it’s time to work those leads. In the first call, you’re not going to give them a hard sell or a pitch. You can save the real selling for a face to face meeting. And that’s your short-term goal: getting someone to agree to sit down with you.

You’re not the first person who has ever called someone to arrange a meeting. And there are some tried and true techniques that you can rely on. Today, we focus on the first part of a sales call. We’ll look at using a friendly professional greeting, showing respect for time, and referencing other clients. We’ll also look at both asking about a client’s needs and summarizing those needs.

In the dialog, we’ll hear Kate, a salesperson with a company called Thompson Medical. She’s calling Tina, who works at a dental office. Kate’s company sells “autoclaves.” An autoclave is a machine that sterilizes, or cleans, tools and equipment. It’s an important piece of equipment in any medical office.

Listening Questions

1. Why do you think Kate mentions that Tina must be very busy?
2. What does Kate say about another clinic that she visited?
3. What are the basic problems that Tina’s office has with their current system?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

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BEP 215 – Telephone English: Keeping in Touch (2)

Business English, Socializing, Telephone English /

BEP 215 - Telephone English - Keeping in Touch 2

In this Business English Pod lesson, we continue to look at language for keeping in touch with colleagues and customers by telephone.

Good business is built on good relationships. And good relationships are built on good communication. Of all the tools we use for communicating over long distances, the telephone is one of the best. We can listen and respond to the other person immediately. We can hear the other person’s voice and emotions. And we can use our own voice to convey feeling.

But talking on the phone isn’t always easy. It can be hard to set the right tone and strike a good balance between work and personal issues. There are certain techniques you can learn to help you do just that. In this lesson, we’ll hear several.

Today we’ll cover how to lower the formality in a conversation, show interest in where someone else is located, and keep the conversation going. We’ll also learn how to offer personal information and transition to work issues using a topic that has already been introduced.

We will hear Susan, the shipping broker from our last episode. She is calling from Amsterdam to a customer named Paul. Paul is an expat working in Santos, Brazil. Susan and Paul are chatting about personal matters a bit before getting down to business.

Listening Questions

1. What does Paul say about the weather?
2. What does Susan say about Venice?
3. Which word or topic that Chris mentions does Susan use to transition to work matters?

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BEP 214 – Telephone English: Keeping in Touch (1)

Business English, Socializing, Telephone English /

BEP 214 - Telephone English - Keeping in Touch 1

In this Business English Pod lesson, we look at how to keep in touch with your colleagues and customers over the telephone.

Can you imagine doing your work without your phone? It’s a regular part of most people’s work day. Talking to people is a big part business. And the talking that we do is not always about work. Whether it’s with a client, customer, or colleague, the conversations we have on the phone usually have a social element as well.

There’s a very good reason for this. Good business relies on good relationships. And if you can connect with someone on a personal level, your work will be easier and smoother. And when that someone doesn’t work in the same office, that connection will often happen on the phone. It doesn’t matter if they are across the street or across the globe.

So what are the skills you need to keep in touch by phone? Well today, we’ll look at several important techniques, including cutting to work issues, asking someone about past and personal issues, and personalizing our sign-offs, or goodbyes.

In the dialog we’ll hear Susan, a shipping broker in Amsterdam, talking with Chris, a colleague in the UK. Susan and Chris used to work in the same office together, but now they’re in different countries and have to keep in touch by phone. Let’s listen in and see how they get along.

Listening Questions

1. What is the purpose of Susan’s call?
2. What past issue does Susan ask Chris about?
3. What does Susan invite Chris to do?

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BEP 199 – Telephone English: Controlling the Call (2)

Business English, Communication, Customer Service, Telephone English /

In this Business English lesson, we’ll continue our look at language and techniques for controlling a telephone call in English.

If you’re like most people, talking on the telephone is a basic part of work life. We talk with colleagues, customers, potential clients, suppliers, company reps – the list goes on and on. In fact, the telephone has become even more important as we spend less time at our desks and more time dealing with people remotely.

As you surely know, talking on the telephone is not always easy. We can’t use the same techniques that we might use when talking to someone face-to-face. We need to learn a new set of skills. It is these skills that we are looking at in this series about controlling the call. If you learn to do this well, you’ll end each conversation with a sense of achievement and purpose.

In today’s lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Chris and Nick. Chris is calling Nick to inform him about some price changes and to arrange a meeting. As you will hear, the caller carefully controls the conversation and gets the outcome she wants.

Listening Questions

1. What reason does Chris give for the change in prices?
2. When will the price changes take effect?
3. Why does Chris want to meet with Nick?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast

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