Introduce the following people a) formally, and b) informally.
a new student to your teacher;
your close friend to your parents;
your colleague to the head of the company;
a friend of your age to an elderly man/woman you know;
a guest speaker holding a PhD degree to the audience.
Reading and Speaking (2)
1. Can you imagine working without a telephone?
2. Can you imagine living without a telephone?
Telephone Calls
Even in these days of computers and fax machines the telephone is still a company’s artery to the world. Of all the communication devices we have available today, the telephone remains the form most widely used for contacting the outside world. With telephone communication increasingly complicated by such high-tech devices as beepers, voice mail, and car phones, new phone etiquette has evolved.
Most of the rules for private calls apply, but business calls need extra skills. The first secret of being effective on the phone is to smile; it makes the voice sound friendly. At the beginning of the phone talk the good-mannered say ‘Good morning (or afternoon), could I speak to … please’, or greet them by name if they know them.
A business call is not a chat. Politeness should start at the top. Efficient executives can deal with calls rapidly and courteously and take calls that come through. If the matter isn’t urgent, and some discussion is needed the caller should ask whether it’s a good moment to talk or not.
A company receptionist is one of the most important people on the staff. Because he or she is the gatekeeper for every call that goes through. A telephone greeting should begin with ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon.’ Following should be a company name and the name of the person who answered the phone. For example: ‘Good morning! Customer service, this is Mary.’ Be compact, callers, especially long-distance ones, hate lengthy greetings.
Good telephone manners require that you identify yourself when placing a call. ‘Good afternoon, this is Mary Smith of Graphics calling. Is Mr. Jones available?’ When you reach Mr. Jones don’t just jump into the conversation. Ask if he has time to talk.
If a caller is connected through a secretary she/he should identify herself/himself, for example, ‘I’m Gemma Jones, a secretary. I wonder if I can help you?’ And the following questions should be politely phrased, such as ‘May I say who’s calling?’ and ‘Can I tell her what it’s about?’, but not ‘What company are you from?’ or ‘What’s it about?’ – which can put people in an awkward position if they aren’t from a company or the matter is delicate or complicated. Before answering the phone, turn away from your other work. Smile when you answer the phone. A secretary should let other people speak without interruption.
Almost every business office has an answering machine if the company has overseas clients, or dealings with those who work flexible hours or from home.
Many people answer the phone haphazardly. Some identify themselves with first names; some with last; others, with both, and some don’t bother to identify themselves at all. It’s important to remember that the words you choose set the tone for the conversation that follows. So it’s to your benefit to choose the words that will get your conversation off to a good start.
When you are the caller, before dialing, summarize the reason for your call in a few sentences. When you are connected to a voice mail box, you’ll be ready to leave a message. Speak slowly. Recognize that writing a message takes longer than saying it. Leave your telephone number. This saves the other person the time of looking it up.
Finally, a word about wrong numbers. Everyone misdials occasionally. When this happens to you, simply apologize hanging up without an explanation.