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BEP 69 – Telephone English: Leaving a Message

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Telephone English /

This lesson has been updated in anew series: BEP 69A Redux & BEP 69B Redux.

People are busy. When you telephone people, they often aren’t there to take your call, so you need to leave a message. And almost everyone has to answer the telephone and take a message sometimes. Doing so professionally leaves a good impression on your customers, colleagues and boss.

Today we will hear a bad example and a good example of taking and leaving a telephone message.

Justin Thomas is with Trivesco, a major shipyard, or maker of ships. He is calling Sylvie Peterson at Daneline, a shipping company. Sylvie is a sales and purchase (S&P) broker. A broker is a middleman or negotiator. Sylvie specializes in negotiating the purchase of “newbuildings” or newly built ships. Amy, the receptionist, answers the phone.

Listening Questions

Bad Example
1) Does Amy answer the phone professionally?
2) Is Justin prepared?

Good Example
1) How does Amy answer the phone?
2) What is Mark calling about?
3) How does Amy make sure that she has got Mark’s correct phone number?

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BEP 54 – Customer Service: Handling Complaints 2: Resolving the Complaint

Advanced, Business English, Customer Service, ESL Podcast, Telephone English /

This is the second in a two-part Business English Podcast series on handling angry customers on the telephone. In today’s show we’ll be looking at how to resolve the customer’s complaint.

First a quick review: In part one we learned the first three steps for calming down angry customers and dealing with their complaints: First, we need to acknowledge their emotions by showing empathy. Second, we should identify the background to their problem so that we can take the right steps to fix it. And third, we should listen actively to show them that we care.

Where we left off last time, Sandy, a service associate at the front desk of the Majestic Hotel, had just finished identifying Steve’s problem. Let’s continue listening to see how Sandy resolves the complaint.

Listening Questions

1) How does Sandy show that he is actively listening to Steve?
2) What does Steve need?
3) What steps does Sandy take to ensure that Steve is satisfied with the outcome of the call?

Members: PDF Transcript

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BEP 47 – Cold Calling: Clarifying Benefits and Making a Pitch

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Sales English, Telephone English /

This is the second in our three-part Business English Podcast lesson on a useful telephone and sales skill: cold calling.

You can always make yourself more persuasive by asking well-considered questions and really listening to the answers. This principle is true whether you are selling a product or an idea. So in part two we are going to look at some key selling skills: strategically clarifying and summarizing your prospect’s concerns and incorporating them into your pitch to make it more persuasive.

Where we left off last time, Steve had just introduced his company’s services and asked Linda a needs analysis question. Now lets listen as he clarifies her needs and makes his pitch.

Listening Questions

1. What’s the main issue or problem that Linda sees with her current system?
2. What does Steve mean by a “one-stop” service?
3. What does Linda suggest instead of meeting with Steve?

PDF Transcript

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BEP 46 – Cold Calling: Getting off to a Good Start

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Sales English, Telephone English /

Today’s lesson is the first in a three-part Business English Pod series on cold calling, the skill of making unsolicited telephone sales calls. Unsolicited means “not asked for.” So cold calling is the skill of making a sales call to someone who is not expecting you.

Cold calling skills are very useful in many parts of business life. To cold call successfully, you need to be persuasive. And persuasion is fundamental to business success, whether you are trying to convince a customer to buy something or your boss or colleagues to accept your point of view.

In today’s listening you’ll here two examples, one bad one good. We’ll listen to the bad one first. Josh Knight of Nexus Communications International is cold calling Linda Darling, who works for the law firm Drucker and Smythe. So Linda is Josh’s prospect, or potential customer.

Listening Questions

1. Identify four things that Josh does wrong.
2. What is Josh selling?

PDF Transcript

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BEP 23 – Telephoning: Handling a Difficult Customer

Business English, Customer Service, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Telephone English /

A new version of this lesson is available here: BEP 23c – Telephone English: Getting Action

In a recent Business English Podcast (BEP 22), we looked at how to deal with technical problems when speaking on the telephone in English. Today, we’re going to talk how to deal with problems with the caller, which are of course much harder to handle! But, with the proper language and phrases, you can show the caller that you want to help, and reassure them that you can help solve the problem.

We are also pleased to announce that our new feed is now available in iTunes. Please click on the link below to update your subscription:
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BEP 22 – Telephoning: Handling Enquiries and Technical Problems

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Telephone English /

A new version of this lesson is available here: BEP 22c – Telephone English: Making Enquiries

In this Business English Podcast lesson we continue our series on making telephone calls in English by looking at how to deal with technical problems and clarify information using alternative choice questions. This questioning technique is useful when you need to clarify important information or reach a decision.

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BEP 21 – Telephoning: Opening Calls and Taking Messages

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Telephone English /

A new version of this lesson is available here: BEP 21 A – Telephone Skills: Starting a Call

This is an intermediate level Business English Podcast on making telephone calls in English. Some of the key language phrases we cover in this episode are: identifying yourself and the caller, stating the purpose of your call and leaving a message.

These telephone calls are about a contract between a large aircraft company and one of its suppliers, also known as a subcontractor. The contracts department from the client is calling to ask about a proposal it is expecting from the supplier for a new contract. Time is very short for all the proposals to be received, and so far, the aircraft company hasn’t received anything from this supplier.

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Business English Pod publishes free business English ESL podcast lessons and audio / eBook courses for intermediate and advanced business English learners. Each business English podcast lesson is focused on a particular workplace English skill (meetings, presentations, telephoning, negotiating, socializing, travel, conversation etc.) and language function (clarifying, disagreeing, questioning, expressing opinions, persuasion etc.).

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Latest Lessons

BEP 15 – Telephoning: Handling a Problem

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Telephone English /

*Update: A new version of BEP 15 is available here. The new version includes a new recording of the explanations and greatly improved audio for the dialog and examples.

Problems, and more problems. Sometimes business seems to be all about dealing with problems. And when dealing with problems in a second language over the telephone, we need to be especially careful in our discussions, since we cannot see the reactions of the other party.

In today’s Business English Podcast we’ll listen to business people discussing a delivery problem over the phone. Then, we’ll review the language that is used to establish relationships, discuss the problem and come to agreement on a solution.

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