The following chart shows the usual six steps to take when making a business telephone call. Make a dialogue with your partner with the given situation. A sample dialogue has already been given for your reference.
1 Introduce Yourself and Your Company.
A judgement will be made within 15 words.
Keep it warm and friendly.
2 Take the Complaint off the Call.
A call is an interruption.
Get permission to continue.
Soften the impact with "just a minute", etc.
3 State the Purpose of the Call.
State your purpose briefly and directly.
Mention references if you have them.
4 An Interest-Capturing Statement.
This is usually a customer benefit.
You can also use a provocative question.
5 Request an Appointment.
Don't give too much information over the phone.
Give a choice of times.
6 Overcome Resistance.
Agree with the objection.
Switch back to your reason for the appointment.
Ask for the appointment again.
Sample Dialogue
| Merry: | Good morning! Can I help you? |
| Gary: | Yes. I'm interested in your range of mountain bikes for children. |
| Merry: | Right. Well, as you know, we have a wide range and have just introduced a new model. |
| Gary: | Could you tell me something about it? |
| Merry: | Well, it's suitable for children from the age of eight upwards and it has a new design which increases stability. |
| Gary: | What does it cost? |
| Merry: | The recommended retail price is $160. |
| Gary: | What about the discount? Can you give me a good discount on a large order? |
| Merry: | Well, that depends on the size of the order. I'll have to check. Could you give me your name and address? |
| Gary: | Yes, I'm Gary Black from Bikes Inc. Boston. |
| Merry: | I think we'd better meet each other and talk through the details. |
| Gary: | Yes, of course. When would it be convenient for us to meet? |
| Merry: | How about next Monday, at 9:00 a.m., in my office? |
| Gary: | OK, that suits me. See you then. |
Wang Xiaoyan is a secretary of Guangzhou No. 1 Sweater Factory. She is phoning a Business Design Centre in Beijing. She wishes to arrange a meeting between Mr. Li, her manager, and Mr. Smith, who is in charge of an exhibition.