Business English Pod / Communication / Page 10

Skills 360 – Dealing with Problem People (Part 1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Communication /

The Skills 360 podcast is now available in iTunes: Free Subscription

The New Year is a really important time for most people. For one thing, we use it as a time for setting goals. And if you want some help doing that, be sure to check out the Skills 360 podcast on achieving your goals. The New Year is also a time when we feel refreshed and optimistic about the future. It’s a brand new start, right? Unfortunately, that feeling is not shared by everyone. You might go to the office in the New Year with a smile on your face, but there are people who seem determined to wipe it off. I’m talking about problem people.

Discussion Questions

1. What types of people do you find difficult to deal with at work?
2. How do you usually deal with people who are rude or uncooperative?
3. Have you ever wanted to change jobs because of someone you didn’t get along with?

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BEP 199 – Telephone English: Controlling the Call (2)

Business English, Communication, Customer Service, Telephone English /

In this Business English lesson, we’ll continue our look at language and techniques for controlling a telephone call in English.

If you’re like most people, talking on the telephone is a basic part of work life. We talk with colleagues, customers, potential clients, suppliers, company reps – the list goes on and on. In fact, the telephone has become even more important as we spend less time at our desks and more time dealing with people remotely.

As you surely know, talking on the telephone is not always easy. We can’t use the same techniques that we might use when talking to someone face-to-face. We need to learn a new set of skills. It is these skills that we are looking at in this series about controlling the call. If you learn to do this well, you’ll end each conversation with a sense of achievement and purpose.

In today’s lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Chris and Nick. Chris is calling Nick to inform him about some price changes and to arrange a meeting. As you will hear, the caller carefully controls the conversation and gets the outcome she wants.

Listening Questions

1. What reason does Chris give for the change in prices?
2. When will the price changes take effect?
3. Why does Chris want to meet with Nick?

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BEP 198 – Telephone English: Controlling the Call (1)

Business English, Communication, Customer Service, Telephone English /

In this Business English lesson, we’re going to look at language and skills for controlling a telephone call in english.

The telephone has become an essential part of doing business, and not just for customer service representatives and receptionists. No matter what type of work you do, chances are that you spend a part of every day talking on the phone. It might be a simple information exchange or a high stakes negotiation. But even though we all talk on the phone, we don’t all do it with the same success. But there are skills and techniques you can learn to become more effective.

One of the most important telephone skills is controlling the call. You need to be able to take the conversation where you want it to go. This can be difficult when the other person has a lot to say. But you can learn to direct the conversation and keep it focused.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Mary and Oliver. Oliver works in customer service for an Internet service provider, and Mary is calling about a problem she’s having with her Internet connection. We’ll hear Oliver carefully control the conversation and guide it to a logical conclusion.

Listening Questions

1. What is the customer’s problem?
2. What information does Oliver want from the customer?
3. What options does Oliver give the customer?

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BEP 197 – Delivering Training (Part 2)

Business English, Communication, Presentations in English, Training /

This is the second in our two-part Business English Pod lesson on delivering workplace training.

Delivering training requires you to lead and control a group. This is no easy task, as you’ll know if you’ve ever done something similar such as delivering a presentation. You need to engage people, you need to make the topic interesting or relevant to them, and you need to make sure they participate.

In the end, you want them to learn something. If their ears or minds are closed, they won’t do that. So how can you get them to listen, to respond, and to learn? Well, you can try some of the language and techniques we’ll look at in today’s lesson.

In our last episode, we heard some useful language for introducing a training session. Today, we’ll hear about eliciting input, encouraging participation, and giving feedback. We’ll also look at connecting to personal experiences and checking understanding. These are all important ways to make sure you are an effective trainer, or presenter.

We’re going to rejoin Zack as he delivers a workshop on customer service. You’ll also hear Ian and Nicole, two of the participants.

Listening Questions

1. Why is it a good idea to use a customer’s name when talking to them?
2. What does Ian suggest doing when talking to customers?
3. According to Zack, what should we do more than we speak?

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BEP 196 – Delivering Training (Part 1)

Business English, Communication, Presentations in English, Training /

This is the first of a two-part Business English Pod lesson on delivering workplace training in English.

At some point in our work, we all have to teach others how to do something or explain a certain topic. So how can we do this effectively? How can you make sure that the participants are following what you say, focused on what you want, and reaching the outcomes you expect?

The skills you need to deliver effective training will help you in other ways too. Whether you’re giving a presentation or making a sales pitch, there are lots of techniques and language that overlap.

We’ll learn some of these techniques today. We’ll look at language you can use to connect the topic to people’s experience and create a sense of inclusion. We’ll also look at organizational issues, like outlining your topics, establishing objectives, and transitioning to a new topic.

In this episode, we’ll hear a trainer named Zack. He’s delivering the first of a series of workshops on customer service. You’ll also hear a couple of the participants, Ian and Nicole, as they interact with Zack.

Listening Questions

1. What experience did Ian have recently?
2. What is the goal of the training course?
3. What does Zack say is the first thing they’ll talk about?

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