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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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?

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

Download: Podcast MP3