HOW TO MAKE A PHONE CONVERSATION AS A PROFESSIONAL

How confident are you to speak on the telephone in English?

Speaking on the phone in English is one of the nightmare for many non-native speakers. The conversations are spontaneous, the questions are unexpected and you don’t get to see the person talking to you.

It is totally dependent on your listening skills i.e. your ability to understand and your ability to think in the moment and immediately respond. That is a big challenge to many of the non- native speakers of English .

Telephone conversations play a vital role not only in casual situations but it is crucial in professional setting as well. It helps build and maintain good relationship and service. Efficient telephonic conversation facilitates good communication between an organization and customers. The telephone offers a faster interaction than email. It is more personal, easy and quick to use. This lesson enables you to learn and understand phrases that can be used during telephonic conversations in a personal and professional setting which helps you to make effective telephone conversation the next time you talk to someone on the phone.

Must-know English Phrases for Telephone Calls

Answering the Phone

When you answer the phone at your job, you’ll want to always greet the caller professionally. Here are some ways to do so.

Formal

Hello. This is Susan. (Personal)
Hello, thank you for calling [name of company]. This is Susan – how can I help you? (Professional)
Good morning (good afternoon), this is Susan. How can I help you? (Professional)

Informal

Hello. (The pitch goes up towards the end of “hello” to indicate that this is a question.)
Susan speaking.

Making a call and introducing yourself.

When you are the one making a call, you are going to have to introduce yourself to the person on the other end of the phone. This must also be polite and professional when done in a formal situation.

Formal

This is Dale from [company name].
Hello. This is Dale. I am calling about… (A job posting, an advertisement etc.)

Informal

Hi. It’s Dale.
Hi – it’s me. (This can only be used when the other person recognizes your voices or has your number saved on their phone.)

Asking to Speak to Someone

Formal

Is _____________ available?
Example: Is Mr. Sam Smith available?
May I speak to ________________?
Example: May I speak to Mr. Sam Smith?
I’d like to talk with _____________.
Example: I’d like to talk with Mr. Smith.

InFormal

Is _______ there?
Example: Is Sam there?
Can I talk to ______?
Example: Can I talk to Sam?

Putting Someone on Hold

Formal

Can I put you on hold for a moment, please?
Would you mind holding for just a moment?
Please hold on.

InFormal

Hold on a sec. (Note: “Sec” is short for “second” and is another way to say “Hold on a moment.”)
Just a sec.
Just a moment.

Clarifying and Asking for Repetition

Formal

I’m sorry – I didn’t catch that. Could you please repeat yourself?
Would you mind spelling that for me?
Could you speak up a little?
Would you mind speaking a little more slowly?

Informal

Can you spell that?
I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?

Taking a Message for Someone

Formal

I’m sorry. She isn’t available at the moment. Can I take a message for her?
If you leave a message, I will be sure to get it to him as soon as he is available.
She is away at the moment. May I ask who is calling?

Informal

I’ll let him/her know that you called.
Who’s calling, please?

Leaving messages

Speak slowly and clearly when you leave a message. While telling your name, make sure to spell it out so that the other person gets it right. Give the other person time to listen to you properly, understand what you said and note down your details and your message. Never be in a hurry while leaving messages. This could cause a lot of confusion.

Could you please take a message? Please tell her that Sam called.
Could you please take a message? Please tell her/him that…
I’d like to leave him a message. Please let him know that tomorrow’s meeting is cancelled.