Tips for Learning Business English Telephone Phrases

The great thing about learning these telephone phrases is that you will actually get to use them in real life. Here are some tips for learning these new phrases:

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes

The first time you use some new phrases, you will probably make some mistakes. Everybody does when they learn something new; it’s completely normal.

Hopefully the people you talk to will be patient and understanding. However, some people who have never learned a second language don’t understand how difficult it can be. Don’t let them discourage you! Remind yourself: When you make mistakes, you are making progress.

Learn from your mistakes

Another great thing about mistakes is that you can learn from them. Every time you finish a phone conversation, write down the mistakes you think you made or the phrases you are not sure about.

You may even want to record your phone conversations if that’s possible and allowed where you work. Then you can listen later—by yourself or with a tutor—to look closely for new phrases you used correctly and where you need more practice.

Use three new phrases in your phone conversations every day

Once you read the phrases below, choose three every day to use in your phone conversations or whenever appropriate. If you don’t use the new words, they will no longer be fresh in your mind. They will be part of your passive vocabulary, which means you will probably recognize them when you hear them, but you won’t be able to use them yourself on the spot.

If you can’t find a way to include them in your real telephone conversations, try writing down imaginary phone conversations so you can use the new phrases. Remember: By using new words, you learn new words!

Practice new grammar concepts in phone calls

You can use the previous learning strategy with grammar as well, not just with new vocabulary. Every time you see a new grammar structure, write it down, make your own examples with it and then use it at work!

Here are some example topics, as they relate to phone conversations.

Modal verbs

· Could I ask who’s calling, please?

· How may I help you?

Expressions followed by verbs ending in “-ing”

· Do you mind waiting a few minutes?

· Thanks for calling.

Expressions followed by infinitives

· I’m calling to clarify …

· I’d like to leave him a message.

· When is a good time to call?

Must-know English Phrases for Business Telephone Calls

Taking a call

When you answer the phone at your job, you’ll want to always greet the caller professionally. Here are two formats you might use to do so.

1. Hello/Good morning/Good afternoon. [Company name], [your name] speaking, how may I help you?

For example, if your name is Alice and you work at a company called Quick Translations, you might say:

Good morning! Quick Translations, Alice speaking. How may I help you?

This quickly tells the caller who you are, and then lets them explain why they’re calling.

2. [Company name], [your name] speaking.

This second one is a shorter greeting: Quick Translations, Alice speaking.

You can also use “This is [your name]” as another way to say “[Your name] speaking.”

Making a call

Sometimes you are the one initiating (beginning) a phone call. You may have more time to prepare in this case. You can use one of the formats below for greeting people when you call them:

3. Hello, this is [your name] from [company name].

For example, if you are Neil Jenkins and you work at ABC Travels, you might say:

“Hello, this is Neil Jenkins from ABC Travels.

You may want to include your surname (last name) if you know the caller doesn’t know you very well.

4. Hi, it’s [your name] from [company name].

You may also say “Hi, it’s Neil Jenkins from ABC Travels” to start a phone conversation.

Asking for somebody

It’s important to know exactly who you want to talk to and you can use one of the options below.

5. May I speak to [person’s name]?

This first phrase is a question, and slightly more polite than the next option. Here’s an example:

May I (please) speak to Mr. Smith?

6. I’d like to speak to [person’s name], please.

For example, “I’d like to speak to Mr. Smith, please.” You may use this one when you’re quite sure the person is available to talk to you.

Giving reasons for calling

At the beginning of the phone conversation it’s best to clarify why you are calling. This helps both speakers talk about what’s relevant.

7. I’m calling to ask about/discuss/clarify…

I’m calling to ask about your current printing promotion.

8. I just wanted to ask…

I just wanted to ask if you need any more articles for next month’s magazine.

9. Could you tell me…?

Could you tell me the address of Friday’s networking event?

Small talk

Whenever you want to be friendly with someone, you can make small talk. You can ask them about their day, or you may be more specific if you remember details from your past conversations.

10. Hi, [first name], how are you?

This one is more general and you can use it when you don’t remember anything specific to ask about.

11. How are you getting on with…?

This second phrase is more specific and should be used if you remember certain details. This will make the other person feel good about talking to you and may even improve your relationship. For example, if you remember that a company will move to a new office building, you might ask:

How are you getting on with preparations to change office buildings next month?

Taking messages

If you answer a phone call and the caller wants to speak to someone who is unavailable, you should take a message. You can do that in any of the following ways: