Everybody owns a telephone these days and it is a necessity of life. One can even work through a telephone. However there is a certain behaviour you need to maintain while you are on the phone. Here are some telephone tips.
Speak slowly and Clearly
To listen to someone speak in another language that you are not fluent could be challenging as you cannot see him. On the other hand the person at the other end might also have difficulties in understanding you. Your pronunciation might not be clear. So pay attention to the areas in which you are weak. Practise speaking or writing what you are going to say on the phone. Prepare yourself before taking a call, take deep breaths and answer the call confidently.
Understand what the other person is saying
Never pretend that you are following everything you are hearing on the phone. Sometimes even native speakers have trouble understanding things on the phone and ask for repeating and conforming the info. This is very important especially when you are taking the message for some other person. Remind the person to slow down in case if you have trouble coping with the speed at which the other person is speaking. Remember you must attend the call at a place which is away from any noise or disturbance.
Practise
You must practise talking on the phone. Do it with the help of a friend, take turns to call each other at a particular time at least once a week for 15 minutes. You can role play or just talk socially. If you cannot do this at least practise by setting two chairs in a room and act like you are really talking on the phone. The important part is to practise speaking English without reading each others lips.
Use Recordings and Businesses
There are many ways to practise telephone English You can listen to the recorded messages and make notes. Call businesses and talk on English like order a pizza, book an appointment at a hair saloon etc. You can even call for info like daily horoscope, weather reports etc. You can even call toll free numbers for asking a question about a product. Keep a pen and paper in hand so that you can take down some notes and also check your comprehension while on the call.
Learn Telephone Etiquette
The manner in which you speak to your friends and family on the phone is different from how you should speak on a business call or a formal call. You must use a formal language during such calls. Sometimes to sound polite just use a single word like “may” or “could”. You should speak the same way like how you do in a formal meeting face to face. Learn some basic manners and sound polite when you take a formal call.
Practise dates and Numbers
It is easy to memorize English Phone is spelling, it is very important as you will be able to use it any country. Ask a friend who is good in English to write down a list of dates and numbers for you and practise using them in a phone conversation with a friend.
These are some Phone tips for you. Follow them and have good conversations. By buzz2fone mobile technology blog. Find more at technology blog directory.
