Business English for Telephone

Telephoning
Can I speak to Peter Slain, please?

Speaking.
Are you busy?
Can I call you back?

Please hold on.

Sorry to keep you waiting
I’ll transfer you

What’s the area code for Dublin?

Dial 9 to get an outside line.
Press the star key twice.

Would you like to leave a message?

Leave a message on my voicemail.
I’m in a meeting. I’ll call you back.

I think we’ve covered everything.

Speak to you soon.
Bye for now.

Telephone Dialogue Examples:

Introducing yourself:
-Hey George. It’s Lisa calling. (informal)
-Hello, this is Julie Madison calling.
-Hi, it’s Gerry from the dentist’s office here.

Asking to speak with someone

-Is Fred in? (informal)
-Is Jackson there, please? (informal)
-Can’t talk to your sister? (informal)
-May I speak with Mr. Green, please?

Connecting Someone
-Just a sec. I’ll get him. (informal)
-Hang on one second. (informal)
-Please hold and I’ll put you through to his office.
-One moment please.
-All of our operators are busy at this time. Please hold for the next available person.

Making special requests

-Could you please repeat that?
-Would you mind spelling that for me?
-Could you speak up a little please?
-Can you speak a little slower please? My English is not very strong.
-Can you call me back? I think we have a bad connection.
-Can you please hold for a minute? | have another call.

Taking a message for someone

-Sammy is not in. Who is this? (informal)
-I am sorry; Lisa is not here at the moment. Can I ask who’s calling?
-I am afraid he has stepped out. Would you like to leave a message?
-He is on lunch right now. Who is calling please?
-He is busy right now. Can you call again later?
-I will let him know you called.
-I will make sure she gets the message.

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Leaving a message
-Yes, can you tell him his wife called, please?
-No, that is okay, I will call back later.
-Thanks; could you ask him to call Brian when he gets in?
-Do you have a pen handy? I do not think he has my number.
-Thanks. My number is 222-3456, extension 12.

Confirming
–Okay, I have it all down.
Examples of Business English Phone Conversation
Here is an extract of a telephone conversation in English between a buyer and supplier. Pay particular attention to
the polite and diplomatic language that is used (in yellow), especially by the secretary.

Mrs. Arnolds (sales representative Valentinos): ring ring...ring ring...ring ring...

Mr. Samways (Secretary): Hello, Valentinos, this is Patrick speaking. How may I help you?
Mrs. Arnolds: Yes, this is Mrs. Janet Arnolds calling. Could I speak to Mr. Daniels, please?
Mr. Samways: I am afraid Mr. Daniels is out of the office now. Would you like me to take a message?
Mrs. Arnolds: Uhm...actually, this call is rather urgent. We spoke yesterday about a delivery problem that Mr.
Daniels mentioned. Did he leave any information with you?
Mr. Samways: In Fact, he did. He said that a representative from your company might be calling. He also asked
me to ask you a few questions...
Mrs. Arnolds: Great, I would love to see this problem resolved as quickly as possible.
Mr. Samways: Well, we still have not received the shipment of chocolates that was supposed to arrive last
Monday.
Mrs. Arnolds: Ah, yes, I am so sorry about that. In the meantime, I have spoken with our delivery department
and they assured me that the chocolates would be delivered by tomorrow afternoon.
Mr. Samways: Excellent, I am sure Mr. Daniels will be pleased to hear that.

Best phrases to use while you have business conversation on the phone
Taking a phone call

When you answer the phone at work, you will want to always greet the caller professionally. Here are two ways you
can do that:

 Hello/Good morning/Good afternoon. [Company name], [your name] speaking, how may I help you?
For example, if your name is Andre and you work at a company called I.M.C, you might say:
 Good morning! I.M.C, Andre speaking. How may I help you?
This quickly tells the caller who you are, and then lets them explain why they are calling.
[Company name], [your name] speaking.
This second one is a shorter greeting: I.M.C, Andre speaking.
You can also use “This is [your name]” as another way to say “[Your name] speaking.”
Asking for somebody
It is important to know exactly who you want to talk to and you can use one of the options below.
 May I speak to [person’s name]?
This first phrase is a question, and slightly more polite than the next option. Here is an example:
 May I (please) speak to Mr. Sanders? *
 I would like to speak to [person’s name], please.
For example, “I’d like to speak to Mr. Sanders, please.” You may use this one when you are quite sure the person is
available to talk to you.
Giving reasons for calling
At the start of a phone conversation, it is a good idea to state why you are calling. This helps both speakers talk
about what is relevant.
o I am calling to ask about/discuss/clarify…
 I am calling to ask about your current printing promotion.
o I just wanted to ask…
 I just wanted to ask if you need any more articles for next month’s magazine.
o Could you tell me…?
 Could you tell me the address of Friday’s networking event?
Small talk
Whenever you want to be friendly and make a good first impression 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.
 Hi, [first name], how are you?
This one is more general and you can use it when you do not remember anything specific to ask about.

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  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 the preparations for the new merger?

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:
 I am sorry; she/he is not here today. Can I take a message?
 I am afraid he/she is not available now. Can I take a message?
This response does not tell the caller why “he/she” is unavailable. However, if you know why, and it is okay to
share that information, you might say something like this:
 I am afraid he is in a meeting until 2 p.m. Can I take a message?
 Could I ask who is calling, please?
You can use this phrase with the modal verb ‘could’ to politely find out who is calling.

 I will give him/her your message as soon as he/she gets back.

 I will pass on your message to him as soon as he/she gets back.
After you have written down the caller’s message, you can say this phrase.

 Free resources to help you learn business English

 An exclusive resource to improve your speech

Best Tips for Improving Your Business English Phone Phrases

Here are some examples.

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 am calling to clarify…
 I would like to leave him a message.
 When is a good time to call?

Role-play with a friend, colleague or teacher

It can also be a great help to read out the phrases and practice making phone calls with a friend or colleague first.
You will feel less nervous if you practice with somebody you know. If you do not have someone to practice with,
you can practice on your own.

Reading aloud in English will help you improve your confidence in speaking and your pronunciation. If you record
yourself as you practice, you can even become aware of your own mistakes.

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