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Search Results for: telephone

BEP 112 – Negotiations: Getting Started

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Negotiating /

This is part of an ongoing series on negotiations. In this Business English Podcast episode, we’ll study how to open a traditional commercial negotiation between buyer and seller. We’ll focus on creating goodwill, starting off, setting ground rules, suggesting an agenda and exploring possibilities.

We’ll be listening to a telephone conversation between Tony, a supplier of building materials, and Paul, a purchasing manager for a large construction company in Canada. Paul is buying materials for a harbor project. A harbor is a protected area of water where boats dock, or park. For this project, Paul needs to buy anchor bolts. These bolts are the thick steel screws that are embedded or buried in concrete to support or anchor structural steel columns. Structural columns refer to the steel frameworks that hold buildings up.

This is the first time Tony and Paul have talked on the phone. As you listen, pay attention to the language they use to get the negotiation started, and try to answer the following questions.

Listening Questions

1. How does Tony begin off the phone call to establish goodwill?
2. How long does Paul say he has available for the phone call?
3. Paul asks Tony how he will be using the bolts. How does Tony respond?
4. What other option does Paul want to explore with Tony?

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BEP 88 – Telephoning: Booking a Travel Ticket

A2, Business English, Customer Service, Intermediate English, Telephone English, Travel /

Booking tickets on the phone is a basic part of business travel. In this intermediate Business English Podcast, we will practice useful phrases and language for making travel arrangements on the telephone.

Viva is an Italian manufacturer of ladies’ apparel, or clothing. Marco and Francesca, Viva employees, are on a business trip. After visiting customers in the UK, they are now heading to Las Vegas in the United States to meet with their American distributor – the company that sells their product there. Marco calls a travel agent to book tickets for them.

Listening Questions

1) When does Marco want to leave and when does he want to return? Will he and Francesca be flying first class, business class or economy?
2) Does Marco ask the travel agent to “hold the fare” or does he pay for it immediately?
3) Does Marco need to pick up his and Francesca’s tickets at the travel agent’s office?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/business-english-pod-learn/id206603090

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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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