How to answer the phone in English. Still afraid to speak English on the phone? We ask you to wait

If you confidently talk to your interlocutor in person, but at the thought of making a phone call you break out in a cold sweat - this article is for you.

Today we’ll talk about how to conduct a dialogue in English on the phone, what phrases to use for conversation, and also look at examples of telephone conversations in English with translation.

Communication over the telephone (a conversation over the telephone or telephone conversation) is always more difficult to conduct than the usual face-to-face dialogue. This is due to the fact that the interlocutor on the other end of the line does not see your facial expressions and gestures. He evaluates what is said based on the rate of speech, intonation and pronunciation - in this case, it is your knowledge of the English language that is “at gunpoint”.

Of course, for the most part we are talking about business calls: if you need to call someone at work, take a call from the HR service (recruitment), report to the director about a project, or interest potential partners in a product. But the skill of telephone conversations in English will be useful to you in life: to reserve a table in a restaurant, book a hotel room, call government services, an insurance hotline, a medical facility, and much more.

The first impression is usually formed in the first 30 seconds of a telephone conversation. Therefore, you need to be confident and calm. Check out our helpful tips on how to prepare for and successfully conduct a telephone conversation:

  1. Write a conversation plan.

Especially if you are planning to call your work partner abroad. Write down on a piece of paper a few main topics that you would like to discuss. You can do this schematically, or you can do it right away - in whole sentences, so as not to get confused and forget the idea during a conversation. This will help you not to be nervous, because you will know exactly what to say to your interlocutor.

  1. Rehearse the dialogue.

Before making an important call, we recommend replaying it several times not only in your head, but also speaking out loud. You can do this in front of a mirror, or you can ask a friend or family member to help you. This way you will not only remember the phrases you wanted to say faster, but you will also feel more confident.

  1. Use an electronic dictionary.

During a conversation, your interlocutor may use words that are not yet known to you. In this case, keep an electronic dictionary on hand. Ask the person to spell the word and check its meaning online.

  1. Don't be afraid to ask to repeat what you don't understand.

Maybe the quality of the connection is not very good, and your conversation is interrupted by interference and silence, or maybe you just didn’t understand the meaning of the phrase the first time. One way or another, ask your interlocutor to repeat what was said. There's nothing wrong with that. Plus, while he repeats, you can consult your plan or electronic dictionary.

  1. Maintain a formal communication style and be polite.

It’s the same as with official letters: don’t shorten words or use slang unnecessarily.

And of course, do not forget to use polite turns of phrase like “could you, please” and “thank you”, otherwise you may be considered a rude interlocutor.

  1. Practice listening.

Those who will have to talk a lot on the phone in English should develop their listening skills. This is necessary to make it easier to understand foreign speech by ear, regardless of the accent, intonation and speed of speech of the interlocutor.

  1. Work on your pronunciation.

In addition to simple listening, you need to work on your speaking. Practice dialogues more often, pronounce complex words and constructions out loud.

  1. Learn phrases for communication.

By memorizing a few of these universal phrases, you can supportalmost any conversation, including telephone. Check them out.

  1. Use professional language.

In addition to common phrases for communication, you simply need to know highly specialized vocabulary related to your work topic. This will allow you not only to understand what exactly your interlocutor is talking about, but will also increase the level of trust on his part when you skillfully use terms in a conversation.

Well, now let’s move on directly to the phrases themselves, which are useful for talking on the phone in English.

Greeting and starting a conversation

There are different ways to introduce yourself over the phone. The simplest and most understandable -“Hello, this is...”(Hello, this is...). Next, we state your name and occupation or position, if necessary. Let's imagine that a guy named John is calling someone. He can introduce himself simply"This is John".

Other phrases to start a dialogue:“John is speaking” and “It’s John here” (This is John).

If you are calling on behalf of a company, then say so right away:

Good morning. This is John Brighton from “IST Solutions” - Good morning. This is John Brayton from IST Solutions.

If you are calling a specific person and know his name, then you can ask him to answer the phone using the following phrases:

  • Could/Can/May I speak to..., please? – Can I talk to... please?
  • May I speak to...? - Please....!
  • Is...in? -... on the spot?
  • This is John calling for ... - This is John, I’m calling ...

If, on the contrary, you receive a call and the interlocutor has not introduced himself, then you can clarify his name:

  • Could I ask who is calling? - May I know who is calling?
  • May I ask who is calling? - May I ask who is calling?
  • Can I take your name, please? - May I know your name, please?

You can immediately ask about the purpose of the call:

  • Where are you calling from? -Where are you calling from?
  • Could you tell me what it is about? - Could you tell me the purpose of the call?
  • Who are you calling? - Who are you calling?
  • Who do you want to speak to? -Who would you like to talk to?
  • The name of the person you are calling, please? - Please tell me the name of the person you are calling.
  • What company are you calling from? - Which company are you calling from?

It would be a good idea to ask the interlocutor if it is convenient for him to talk on the phone now:

Is it convenient for you to talk at the moment? - Is it comfortable for you to talk now?

By the way, if you are calling to book a hotel room or a table in a restaurant, then get straight to the point:

I’m calling to make a reservation - I’m calling to reserve (room, table).

It also happens that the person you are calling is busy. Or, you are busy and cannot answer. Standard phrases come to the rescue:

  • Can I call you back? - Can I call you back?
  • Could you call me back, please? – Could you call me back, please?
  • I’ll call back later - I’ll call back later.
  • Could you call again a little later, please? - Could you call back a little later?
  • Try calling again later - Try calling back later.
  • Could you tell me when the best time to call is? - Tell me, please, when is the best time to call you back?

It happens that a person is busy or moved away and cannot answer the call. How to answer that a person is not there and ask when he will return:

  • He is not here - He is not there.
  • Mr Brown is out at the moment - Mr Brown is out now.
  • I’m afraid he"s out at the moment - I’m afraid he’s not here now.
  • John is not here right now - John is not here now.
  • I am afraid he is in a meeting now - I'm afraid he's at a meeting now.
  • He is talking on another phone now - He is now talking on another phone.
  • She is not in the office at the moment - She is not in the office now.
  • When will he be in? - When will he come?
  • In about 2 hours. - In 2 hours.
  • Won't be back in 15 minutes - He will return in 15 minutes.
  • She will be back in an hour - She will be back in an hour.

In this case, we leave our phone number (or ask the interlocutor for it) or leave a message for the addressee. By the way, the number we leave is called “call back number”.

  • What is your telephone number? - What is your phone number?
  • Could you leave your phone number, please? - Could you leave your number? Could I get your phone number, please? - May I know your number?
  • My telephone number is... - My phone number...
  • You can reach me at... - You can contact me at...
  • Call me at... - Call me at number...
  • Could you please tell me... - Tell me, please...
  • Can I get your name? - May I know your name?
  • Could/Can/May I take a message? - Can I give you something?
  • Would you like to leave a message? - Would you like to leave a message?
  • Is there any message? - Anything to pass on?
  • What message would you like to leave? - What would you like to convey?
  • Tell him I will call in the evening, please - Tell him that I will call in the evening, please.
  • Tell him John telephoned and I’ll call again at half past four - Tell him John called and I’ll call you back at 16:30.

Write down the caller's number: “Hold on, let me grab a pen and a piece of paper. What's your number again? (Wait, I'll take a pen and paper. What number did you give?). Assure the person that you will convey the message:

  • Great! I’ll let him know you called - Excellent. I'll let him know you called.
  • I will pass on the message - I will pass on the message.

But the caller may say that he will not transfer anything and will simply call back: No, that’s okay. I’ll try again later (No, everything is fine. I’ll try to call back later). You can take this phrase into service for yourself.

What should you do if you dialed the wrong number and ended up in the wrong place? Specify the number and, politely apologizing, end the conversation:

  • Is this 555-5555? - Is this number 555-5555?
  • I must have got the wrong number - I must have dialed the wrong number.
  • I’m sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number - Sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number.
  • Sorry to have troubled you - Sorry I had to bother you.

If, on the contrary, they called you and made a mistake, then you should check with the person on the other end of the line where he called and also politely say that he was mistaken:

  • What number are you calling? - What number are you calling?
  • What number did you dial? - What number did you dial?
  • I’m sorry, but we don’t have … here - Unfortunately, we don’t have an employee with that last name.
  • Sorry, you must have got the wrong number - Sorry, you must have got the wrong number.
  • Sorry, you’ve got the wrong number - Sorry, you got the wrong number.
  • You must have misdialed - You must have dialed the wrong number.

If the number dialed is correct and the person you are calling is on the spot, you will be connected to him:

  • I"ll put him on - I will connect you with him.
  • I’ll put you through - I’ll connect you.
  • Please hold, I’ll transfer you - Please wait, I’ll transfer you.
  • Please hold and I"ll put you through to his office - Please wait and I will connect you to his office.

You can also use the following phrases to take a time out and call someone to the phone if you are receiving a call:

  • One moment, please - Just a minute, please.
  • Just a moment, please - Just a minute, please.
  • Please hold - Please wait.
  • Hold the line, please - Please stay on the line.

Let's continue the conversation on the phone

Let's say you got to where you need to go and the person you want to talk to is there. Let's move on to phrases that will be useful during the conversation itself.

It happens that the connection is bad and you need to tell your interlocutor about it:

  • Can you hear me? - You hear me?
  • I can't hear you - I can't hear you.
  • It's a bad line - The connection is bad.
  • This line is so poor - The connection is very poor.
  • This is such a terrible line (It "s a really bad line). I can’t hear a thing - I don’t hear anything, the connection is terrible.
  • Sorry, it’s too noisy here today - Sorry, it’s very noisy here today.
  • The line just went dead - The connection has disconnected.

So it's okay if you ask to repeat something or speak more clearly:Could you please speak up a little? - Could you speak a little louder, please?

  • Sorry, can you speak up? - Excuse me, could you speak louder?
  • Could you please speak a little slower? My English is not very strong - Could you speak a little slower please. I don't speak English very well. Could you speak a little louder, please? - Could you speak a little louder, please?
  • Sorry, I didn’t quite understand that - Sorry, I didn’t quite understand what you told me.
  • Sorry, I did not catch you - Sorry, I didn’t understand you.
  • Sorry, I did not catch that - Sorry, I didn’t understand.
  • Could you please repeat that? - Could you repeat that?
  • I’m sorry, I didn’t get that. Could you say it again, please? - Sorry, I didn’t understand what you said. Could you repeat it please?
  • Could you repeat your last phrase, please? - Could you repeat your last phrase, please?
  • I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Could you repeat that, please? - Sorry, I can’t understand. Could you repeat this again please?
  • Could you, please, repeat what you said? - Could you repeat what you said?

If everything is very bad, just tell meCould you call me back, please? I think we have a bad connection (Could you call me back? I think we have communication problems).

Most likely, you will need to ask the other person to spell something in order to understand the name or title. This is fine:

  • Would you mind spelling that for me? - Please spell it (Would you mind spelling it?)
  • How do you spell that? - Please spell it.

Just as in Russian we are used to dictating by letter based on names (Ruslan, Olga), so in English there is a universal alphabet for this:

A - Alpha
B - Bravo
C-Charlie
D - Delta
E-Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H-Hotel
I - India
J-Juliet
K-Kilo
L - Lima
M-Mike
N - November
O-Oscar
P-Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S-Sierra
T-Tango
U-Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - X-ray
Y-Yankee
Z-Zulu

By the way, the line you are calling on may be busy:

  • The line is busy - Busy.
  • I’m sorry, but the line is engaged at the moment - I’m sorry, but the line is busy now.
  • I can't get through at the moment - I can't get through.

It happens that during a conversation the essence is a little lost or you want to say something else. The following phrases will help you politely interrupt someone:

  • Wait a minute! What about?.. - Wait a minute! And what's about?..
  • Would you mind if I just say something here? - Would you mind if I say something now?
  • I’m sorry for interruption, but... - Sorry to interrupt you, but...
  • May I add something here, please? - Can I add something please?

If the conversation has gone completely off track, politely return to the topic:

  • So, let me continue... - So, let me continue...
  • Anyway, let’s get back to the topic... - In any case, let’s get back to the subject of conversation...
  • To return to what I was talking about... - Returning to what I said...

If you have a long conversation on your mobile phone, the device may run out of power. You can inform your interlocutor about this as follows:

  • I’m sorry, I need to recharge my mobile. The battery is very low - I need to charge my phone, the battery is almost empty.
  • My battery"s about to run out - My battery is almost empty.
  • I need to charge up my phone - I need to charge my phone.

By the way, you can express your intention to call or use someone else’s phone in a public place by contacting the person:

  • I have to make a phone call - I need to call.
  • Could I use your phone? It's urgent! - Can I use your phone? It's urgent!

Before you say goodbye, do not forget to summarize the main results of the telephone conversation. If you have booked a room or a table in a restaurant, ask to clarify all the details again; if you have made an appointment (arrange an appointment), then check the place and time again. Don't forget to leave your contact information with the person if this is your first conversation.

Parting

Everything is quite simple here: be polite, say goodbye to the person you are talking to by name and say that you were glad to talk to him on the phone.

  • Bye, ... - Goodbye, ...
  • Goodbye, ... - Goodbye, ...
  • Thank you. Goodbye - Thank you, goodbye.
  • Take care, goodbye - Take care of yourself, goodbye.
  • Have a nice day - All the best.
  • It"s been nice to talk to you - It was nice to talk to you
  • I look forward to hearing from you soon - I look forward to your next call.
  • I hope to have been of help to you - I hope I could help you.
  • Thanks for calling. Goodbye - Thanks for calling. Goodbye.

By the way, do you remember that there is such a thing as an answering machine? Although they are becoming less common these days, they are still used in some companies and homes.

Option for personal answering machine:Hello, this is John. I"m sorry I"m not available to take your call at this time. Please, leave me a message and I"ll get back to you as soon as I can. (Hi, this is John. I'm sorry, but I can't answer the call right now. Please leave your message and I'll call you back right away, as soon as I can).

Anna Kovrova

A short conversation on the phone in English is something like a Listening exam. Only here you also need to answer! And if in a face-to-face conversation a smile and body language help you out, then you can’t count on them here. But standard “telephone” phrases are at your service!

To learn how to speak English on the phone, you don’t have to complete English courses: just learn the necessary “help” phrases and practice a little with a friend or colleague. Let's get started!

Start

Of course, you know how to introduce yourself: “Hello, this is Anna.” But further options are possible. If you are calling someone at home, you might say:

Do you need an extension number? Then it is appropriate to say:

When you pick up the phone and the caller has not introduced himself, it makes sense to clarify his name:

Let's continue the conversation!

Having found out that they are calling you, you answer:

The first three options are quite appropriate for a business setting, but the last one is more suitable for friendly communication or if you are talking with someone who is obviously young. Essentially, all of the above expressions mean “Wait!”, but require the word “wait” to be dispensed with.

If you are connected to an extension, they usually say something like “Connecting your call...”, “Please hold, I'll transfer you,” or a terse “Hello, please hold!” (“Hello, please wait”)​

How to leave or receive a message?

In a situation when the right person is not there, you hear (or say yourself): “He’s not here at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?” (“He’s not here right now. Should I tell you something?”)

If you are not offered to leave a message, come up with this idea yourself: “May I leave a message?” (this is a request: “Can I leave a message?”).

Make sure you don’t forget about your phone number (this is called a “call back number”):

If a number is dictated to you, but there is nothing to write with, it is enough to say: “Hold on, let me grab a pen and a piece of paper.” (“Wait, I’ll grab a pen and paper.”) And armed with writing tools, ask them to repeat: “What’s your number again?” (“Okay, what number did you call?”)

Assure the person that you will convey everything he told you:

However, it is possible that the caller will not want to leave a message:

No, that's okay. I'll try again later. No, everything is okay. I'll try to call back later.

What if it’s not clear?

It is convenient to refer to extraneous noise or connection quality. However, sometimes it’s better to simply admit that you don’t understand the speaker well enough - he will meet you halfway.

Say goodbye!

Okay. Take care. Bye.

Thank you. Goodbye.

Also, before calling, it’s useful to write down everything you were going to say. If the conversation is going to be important, it won’t hurt to even sketch out a tentative scenario.

"I dictate by letter: ..."

Unfortunately, sometimes the quality of telephone communication is not important. In Russian, we usually get out of the situation by dictating an incomprehensible word by letter; in this case we use Russian names (URA: Ulyana, Raisa, Anna, etc.).

In English, it is customary to use the following well-known words:

  • Dance names: Foxtrot, Tango
  • Names of Shakespearean characters: Romeo & Juliet
  • Male names: Charlie, Mike, Oscar, Victor
  • City names: Lima, Quebec

Many people have to work telephone conversations in English. For some business conversation on the phone in English- a simple matter, but still for many talking on the phone in English- this is stressful, especially until it becomes a habit and becomes a routine activity.

Today we’ll talk about how to properly structure a dialogue on the phone, pay attention to special vocabulary, and arm ourselves with useful phrases for talking on the phone in English.

Let's start, perhaps, with the vocabulary that you need to know in order to feel more confident during a conversation.

Vocabulary for telephone conversations.

Types of phone calls:

Call at the subscriber's expense

Local call

A long-distance call / a trunk call

Long distance call

Personal call

Urgent call

Useful nouns:

Useful verbs and expressions

Answer a call / Pick up

Answer the call

Request a call

Call/phone/ring up

Call

Connect/put through

Call

Cut off/disconnect

Disconnect

Get someone over the phone

Catch someone on the phone

Hang up

Hold on / hold the line

Wait by the phone

Leave a message

To make a call

Find out/settle

Speak over the phone

Talking on the phone

Call back/phone back

call back

Let's move on to talking on the phone in English.

We answer the call.

When answering a call in English, you need to tell the subscriber where he has reached and say hello. Example phrases:

  • XCompany,goodmorning.– Company X, good morning.
  • Green's office, can I help you?- Mr. Green's office, how can I help?
  • Sales Department speaking.– Sales department is in touch.
  • John Green speaking. / This is John Smith. – John Green is on the phone.
  • JohnGreenhere.– John Green is on the phone. (informal version)

If you are calling someone, you should greet them by introducing yourself and clarifying the purpose of your call. You can do this as follows.

  • Good morning, Greg Smith speaking. I"d like to speak to Mr. Brown, please. — Good morning, Greg Smith speaking. I'd like to talk to Mr. Brown.
  • CouldyouputmethroughtoMr.Brownplease? — Could you put me through to Mr. Brown, please?
  • I'dliketospeaktoMr.Brownaboutdeliveries,please. – I would like to talk to Mr. Brown about supplies, please.
  • I am (just) calling to inform you…— I’m (just) calling to let you know...

Let's imagine this situation: you pick up the phone, but the person the caller needs is temporarily absent. In this case, you can use the following phrases:

  • Green has stepped away from his desk for a moment. I expect him back very shortly.- Mr. Smith just came out for a minute. He'll be back soon.
  • He is not in at the moment.- He’s not there at the moment.
  • He is not in just now.- He’s not there at the moment.
  • He is out of the office at the moment. — He left the office at the moment.
  • He has left for the day.“He left town for a day.
  • I"m afraid he is out / away / off at the moment. Can I take a message?“I’m afraid he’s not here at the moment.” What shall I tell to him?
  • May I take a message?- Can I take a message?
  • Would you like to leave a message?— Would you like to leave information for him?
  • MayIhavehimcallyou?– Should I tell him to call you back?
  • I'lltellhimyoucalled.- I'll tell him that you called.
  • I'll have him to phone you.- I'll tell him to call you back.
  • I'll give him your message as soon as he gets back.– I will give him your message as soon as he returns back.
  • I'll ask him to give you a call.– I’ll ask him to call you back.

If during the conversation you did not understand something, do not hesitate to ask again. You can do this using the following phrases.

  • I'm sorry. Ididn'ttgetthename(number).— Sorry, I didn’t hear the name (phone number).
  • Wouldyourepeatthatnumber,please?– Could you repeat the phone number?
  • Wouldyouspellthatforme,please?– Could you spell it?
  • Did you say...?- You said...?
  • Let me repeat to make sure I understand what you said. – Let me repeat to make sure that I understood you correctly.
  • I want to be sure that I have this right.– I want to make sure that I understand you correctly.
  • I"dliketobesurethatIunderstand.– I would like to make sure that I understand you.
  • That’s ... (repeat number or spelling the name), isn’t it? – This is... (repetition of number or surname), isn’t it?

If during a conversation you need to be distracted for a while, use the following phrases:

  • Hold on just a moment, please.- Wait by the phone for a minute.
  • Ihaveanothercall;willyouholdon,please?— They’re calling me on another phone, could you wait a minute?
  • Holdon;I'llbewithyouinamoment.– Wait by the phone, please, I’ll be back on the phone soon.
  • Please hold on while I get that information. Thank you for waiting. – Please wait while I receive the information. Thanks for waiting.

If you need to make an appointment by phone, you can say the following.

  • I"m phoning to arrange a meeting.— I'm calling to arrange a meeting.
  • I'd like to see Mr. Jones. IshefreeonMonday? — I would like to meet Mr. Jones. Is he free on Monday?
  • How about 2 o'clock?– How about 2 hours?
  • Is he coming there soon?– Will he be back soon?
  • Are you meeting the clients tomorrow? – Are you meeting with clients tomorrow?
  • CouldyoumanageMonday?– Will you be able to do it on Monday?
  • What about Tuesday?- How about Tuesday?
  • Shall we say two o'clock?– Say, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon?
  • I’m sorry, I"m out all day.- Sorry, I won't be there all day.
  • Tuesday would be fine.— Tuesday suits me

How to end a phone conversation in English? It's simple!

  • Thank you for calling, Mr. Green. I’m glad I was able to help.— Thank you for the call, Mr. Green. I was glad to help you.
  • You"rewelcome,sir.Goodbye.- Please, sir. Goodbye.
  • I look forward to seeing you.- Looking forward to our meeting.

Telephone conversation in English. Examples of dialogues.

Dialogue on the phone 1.

Receptionist 1: Cassat Company. Can I help you?

Patrick: Yes, I would like to speak to Mr. Green please.

Receptionist 1: Do you have an extension for him?

Patrick: No, I don't, but I know he is in the delivery department.

Receptionist 1: Hold on, please. I"ll ring that department.

Patrick: Thank you.

Receptionist 2: Delivery department, Miss Elliot.

Patrick: Mr. Green, please.

Receptionist 2: Mr. Green is on the other line at the moment. May I tell him who's calling?

Patrick: This is Patrick Brown. Mrs. Priesley suggested that I call him.

Receptionist 2: Will you hold on or would you like to leave a message?

Patrick: I"ll hold on, thank you.

Mr. Green: Mr. Green speaking; can I help you?

Patrick: Yes, my name is Patrick Brown. A mutual friend of ours, Susan Priesley, referred me to you. I am interested in changing careers, and she thought you would be a valuable source of information for me.

Mr. Green: Mrs. Priesley, of course. How can I help you?

Patrick: I would like very much to come up and speak with you. Would you be willing to give me a few minutes of your time?

Mr. Green: Well, my schedule is a little tight. When were you thinking of meeting?

Patrick: Whenever it is convenient for you.

Mr. Green: Well, can you make it after five o’clock some day next week?

Patrick: Yes, I can.

Mr. Green: Fine, then how is 5:15, Wednesday, at my office?

Patrick: Next Wednesday at 5:15 is fine. Thank you very much, Mr. Green.

Mr. Green: You're welcome. Hold on — my secretary will give you directions.

Patrick: Thank you. See you Wednesday.

Dialogue on the phone 2.

Switchboard: Company X. Can I help you?

Phillip: Could I speak to Mr. Brown, please?

Secretary: Just a moment, please. . . . I"m afraid his line"s engaged.

Phillip: I"ll hold, (music)

Switchboard: Sorry to keep you waiting, (music)

Secretary: Mr. Brown's office.

Phillip: Can I speak to Mr. Brown, please? This is Phillip Morris from Haxter Computers.

Secretary: I"m afraid he"s in a meeting. Can I take a message?

Phillip: Yes. Could you ask him to call me back. My name is Phil Morris - M-O-R-R-I-S. My number is 308 2017 and my extension is 462.

Secretary: Phil Morris. 308-2170 extension 462

Phillip: No, 2017, not 2170. .

Secretary: Sorry, 308-2017 extension 462.

Phillip: That's right. I'll be in all the day.

Secretary: Right, thank you, Mr. Morris. Goodbye. Goodbye.

I hope these phrases for talking on the phone in English, as well as examples of dialogue, helped you. Good luck with international telephone conversations!

It's no secret that the telephone has long become an integral part of our daily lives. Effective business communication over the phone has its own characteristics and secrets, which should not be forgotten. Our article is for those who strive for successful business communication with native English speakers via telephone.

“There is no such thing as a good call at 7 AM. It"s been my experience that all calls between the hours of 11 PM and 9 AM are disaster calls.”

“There’s no such thing as a good call at 7 a.m. In my experience, all calls between 11:00 and 9:00 are distress calls."

~ Janet Evanovich

Basic rules for business communication over the phone

Telephone conversations are more difficult than live ones in that the interlocutor is not visible, it is impossible to track his non-verbal reaction, which is often much more frank than words.

Before you begin a business conversation in English, you need to develop certain general telephone communication skills.

Preparing to speak English on the phone

Before making a call, you need cope with your internal tension. First of all, try to focus on the upcoming conversation and relax. After all, the interlocutor does not see you and, hearing the tension in your voice, he may form an erroneous opinion about you. A man may seem more stubborn and stubborn, while a woman may seem unbalanced and unpredictable, and such people in business are very difficult to deal with.

Important!

Try to overcome your fear of the microphone. To do this, you can introduce your interlocutor. It's very good if you know what it looks like. After all, it is much easier to have a conversation with a living person than with a soulless telephone receiver.

Take the call initiative into your own hands. This will give you many advantages. Firstly, you will be able to conduct the conversation in a direction that is beneficial to your company. And secondly, it will be much easier for you to adjust psychologically, since you will have the opportunity to prepare for the upcoming call, think it over, and arrange it in a logical chain.

Consider the timing of your call carefully. It is better not to call about important issues in the morning and at the end of the working day; it is also not recommended to try to resolve important issues before the weekend or on holidays. Before you call, make a conversation plan. Write down the main issues that need to be discussed.

How to behave while talking on the phone

Always speak briefly, without deviating from the main topic of conversation– save your time and the time of your interlocutor. Business partners will definitely appreciate this. The rules for talking on the phone with clients suggest that effective negotiations take 3-4 minutes.

When preparing for a telephone conversation in English, write down the phrases you want to use, and also keep an online translator at hand - this will give you more self-confidence. Keep a small notebook or notebook for business conversations in English. A business person will not use scraps of paper or calendar sheets for this.

Important!

When communicating on the phone, 55% of information is lost, as there is no body language and gestures. 38% of information is remembered through intonation and only 7% of information is conveyed by words.

Practice your phone conversation several times Bring the use of phrases in English to automaticity and you are guaranteed success. The peculiarity of the phone is that it enhances speech impediments. You need to carefully monitor your diction and pronunciation. Recording and listening to your telephone conversations will help you improve your negotiation techniques.

How to start a telephone conversation in English?

It is the greeting stage that can be the key to a successful outcome of the entire conversation. It is very important to set the mood of the conversation and give it an emotional coloring. It is important to immediately show the interlocutor that he is dealing with a business person.

Welcome phrases in English on the phone

How to ask to connect with the right person

How to clarify information about your interlocutor in English

Phrase in English Translation
Who am I speaking to? Who am I talking to?
Sorry, who am I speaking to? Excuse me, who am I talking to?
Is that you Jennifer? Are you Jennifer?
Is that Louise? / Is that Louise speaking? Yes, speaking. / Yes, it’s me. Is this Louise? / Is that Louise on the phone? Yes I. / Yes it's me.
Sorry, I didn't recognize your voice. Sorry, I didn't recognize your voice.
I’ve just been speaking to someone from your department about x, but I didn’t catch their name / I forgot to ask their name. I was just talking to someone from your department about x, but I didn't catch his name / I forgot to ask his name.
I was speaking to a man / woman yesterday afternoon. I spoke to a man/woman yesterday afternoon.
I was speaking to someone called James in the x department, but I don’t have his last name or phone number, do you have any idea who it might be? I spoke to someone named James in department x, but I don't know his last name or phone number, do you know who he might be?
What did you say your name was? What did you say, what is your name?
Your name was? Your name is?

Phrases for solving problems during a telephone conversation

Phrase in English Translation
Michelle: Hello, you"ve reached the marketing department. How can I help? Michelle: Hello! You called the marketing department. How can I help?
Male: Yes can I speak to Rosalind Wilson, please? Man: Can I speak to Rosalyn Wilson?
Michelle: Who's calling please? Michelle: Please identify yourself.
Male: It's Richard Davies here Man: This is Richard Davis.
Michelle: Certainly. Please hold and I’ll put you through. Michelle: Please stay on the line, I will connect you.
Male: Thank you. Man: Thank you.
Michelle: Hello marketing. How can I help? Michelle: Hello, this is the marketing department. How can I help?
Male: Could I speak to Jason Roberts please? Man: Can I speak to Jason Robert please?
Michelle: Certainly. Who shall I say is calling? Michelle: Certainly. How can I introduce you?
Male: My name's Mike Andrews. Man: My name is Mike Andrews.
Michelle: Just a second. I'll see if he's in. Hello, Jason, I’ve got Mike Andrews on the phone for you ... OK - I’ll put him through. Hang on a moment, I’m just putting you through. Michelle: Just a second. I'll check to see if he's there. Hello Jason, Mike Andrews on the line...Okay. I'll connect you. Wait a minute, I'm connecting you.

Examples of videos of telephone conversations

In this video you can see and hear how to answer phone calls in English correctly.

Always remember business phone etiquette. Never break his rules. In the next article we will talk about how to leave and receive messages from your interlocutor when speaking in English.

Let's summarize:

  • Before you call, you need to outline a clear conversation plan and cope with physical and psychological stress.
  • During a conversation, you need to follow the rules of telephone etiquette.
  • To have a successful conversation in English, you need to learn the most common phrases and prepare the questions you want to ask. Don't forget to rehearse your upcoming phone conversation.
  • After the telephone conversation, be sure to analyze your mistakes so as not to repeat them again.

In contact with

Hello, dear friends! Having understood the use of ordinal and cardinal numerals, fractional numbers, the name of dates. Today we will get acquainted with the nuances of using numbers when calling a phone number in English. We will also get acquainted with the rules of pronunciation of passport details and bank accounts, so that various misunderstandings do not arise when filling out documents, booking a room or table by phone.

Red phone

Most likely, most often we need to dictate our phone number. And here a lot of confusion and confusion arises, since in English The phone number is pronounced completely differently than in Russian.

Remember the famous hit of the late 90s of the 20th century by the Chameleon group “Twelve Eighty Five and Two Zeros”? In approximately this way, we dictate a phone number in Russian. True, at the same time, there is a possibility of confusing “twelve” and “twenty” by ear. Therefore, professional signalmen, for example, instead of “fifty” they call “half a hundred”, “half a hundred and seven”, etc.

As far as English is concerned, here things are even worse: in addition to the “fifty-fifteen” pair, “forty-fourteen”, “thirty-forty” and “thirty-thirteen” are easily confused. Therefore, Anglophones dictate such data differently to avoid mistakes. For example, the phone number “12−85−00” that has sunk into the souls of the musicians of the group “Chameleon” in English would be pronounced like this: “ one two eight five double oh” - one two eight five two zero/zero zero.

As you have already noticed, repeating numbers are also called differently. But first things first. For example, in our native language we read the operator or city code by numbers, but the number itself is most often combined into blocks - tens and hundreds: 0 726 234 567 89 - Zero seven hundred twenty six five hundred sixty seven eighty nine.

dialing a number in English Americans and British pronounce each digit separately, while zero is pronounced not as usual “zero”, but as “oh” [əu]. Moreover, identical numbers next to each other are combined using the word “double”: 66 - double six NOT!!! six six, 00 — double oh, 22 — double two NOT!!! two two.

But here, too, the numbers are combined into blocks of three, thanks to pauses and intonation. After each group, the intonation rises (as when listing something), and a falling tone is used at the end: 0 726 143 557 89 - o h, seven two six, one four three, double five seven, eight nine. However, if a block contains a combination of two trailing zeros, it can be read like this: 100 - one hundred, 800 - eight hundred.

Other numbers

Other numeric sequences are read in a similar way: for example, passport data, credit card numbers, serial strokes of products, product codes, numerical indicators of orders, invoices and receipts, etc. Certain codes follow a certain format and contain special characters:

  • / - slash - fraction
  • : - colon [koʊlən] - colon
  • - — dash - dash
  • . - dot - dot
  • ; - semicolon ["semɪ‚kəʋlən] - semicolon
  • , - comma [ˈkɔmə] - comma
  • — space - space

For example, when reading passport data in English, which contains both letters and numbers, the letters are called as in the alphabet, and the numbers are called each separately.

VISA In bank numbers, credit cards and other similar number sequences, the numbers are combined in blocks of four with an ascending rhythm and intonation. In this case, as in telephone numbers, each digit is pronounced separately: 9317 5290 2047 5402 - nine three one seven, five two nine oh, two oh four seven, five four oh two.

I think the information given here will be useful to you and will serve as a good guide for you in various conversational situations with English-speaking interlocutors. Even if, after everything you’ve read, you still have unanswered questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.

Until next time, happy studying!