You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin, and I'll be your host for today's lesson on socializing with clients on the phone.
There's an old saying that you should never mix business and pleasure.
And sure, it might not be a good idea to get too close to your customers and clients.
But if you are all business and you shy away from anything personal, you'll seem cold and the people won't connect with you.
Ultimately, you have to find the right balance.
You want to be personable, but not nosy.
You want to be friendly, but not pushy.
And you have to take your time.
A conversation with a new customer will be naturally more formal than with an established one.
That's true not only in person, but on the phone as well.
In our last lesson, we learned about paying a visit to a client's office.
Today we'll look at checking in with a client by phone.
As you'll hear, we often make friendly conversation at the beginning of the call and you might find yourself showing understanding of a client's personal situation.
But eventually you'll want to switch from the personal to business.
And once you're talking business, you might mention personal connections, gauge needs and discuss developments in your industry.
This is all part of maintaining and building a relationship with your client.
In today's dialogue, we'll rejoin Marcus, an account manager for a company that sells servers.
Marcus is calling up a client named Jana.
He wants to check in with her, find out how she's doing, and see if she needs anything.
And you'll hear him strike a balance between business and personal issues.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
Jana mentions a personal issue at the start of the conversation.
What is it?
2.
When Marcus switches from personal matters to business, what topic does he mention?
3.
How does Marcus ask Jana about their server needs?
Jana?
Marcus here.
How you doing?
Oh, hey Marcus.
Just give me a sec.
And send, and... Okay.
Just in the middle of an email.
Sorry about that.
No worries.
Busy times, huh?
Ugh, yeah.
Tell me about it.
Not sure my family even remembers what I look like.
I know what you mean.
Promised the kids I'd take them to Fun Park this Sunday.
Trying to make up for the past couple months.
That's not a bad idea.
Haven't been there in ages.
Yeah, great for the little ones.
But aren't yours getting up there now?
Thirteen and fourteen.
Both going on twenty.
Yeah, right.
Something for me to look forward to then, huh?
Yeah.
Adolescents are a blast.
But no, really, I shouldn't complain.
They're actually pretty good kids.
I'm sure they are.
And hey, on a slightly different note, I think some congratulations are in order.
Congratulations?
For?
On that deal with AirMod.
Big move into fiber and all that.
I'm guessing that's part of what's keeping you so busy.
Yeah, that's a big part of it.
And thanks.
Didn't really have much time to celebrate, but yeah, it's a pretty big deal.
Weren't they looking at a bunch of different options for that?
They were.
And they took their sweet time about it, too.
But all's well that ends well, right?
They've made a good decision, if you ask me.
And I'm not just saying that.
I've worked with a couple of guys from over there.
Matt O'Neill, for one.
Not sure if you've had to deal with him yet.
Matt?
Nah, don't think so.
Well, hopefully you do at some point.
Great guy.
I'll watch out for him.
Cool.
And so how do things look for you in terms of servers with that in mind?
Well, I'm not totally sure yet.
Still early days and all that.
For sure.
But in any case I'm happy things are looking up for you folks, especially given what's happening in the industry.
How do you mean?
Well, just the pressure from these virtual provider guys.
Looks like the landscape's shifting.
I'm sure you've seen the latest numbers.
You mean that tech world story?
Yeah.
Looks like they're making a big push.
Well, I think some of it's overblown.
You know, they've got to make it up if there isn't actually a real story out there, right?
Right, yeah.
Though, it's got a lot of people thinking, I suppose.
And talking.
But hey, I've got a few more things to do before calling it a day.
So, how about giving me a call next month if you don't hear from me by then?
Will do, Jana.
Take care now.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques Marcus uses during the call.
Jana, Marcus here.
How you doing?
Oh, hey Marcus.
Just give me a sec.
And send and... Okay.
Just in the middle of an email.
Sorry about that.
No worries.
Busy times, huh?
Right from the start you can tell that Marcus and Jana have known each other a while and that they have a good relationship.
They use how you doing instead of how are you.
They use hey instead of hello and no worries instead of no problem.
All these are examples of casual conversation.
That indicates the speakers know each other quite well.
Marcus doesn't start talking business right away.
Instead, he comments on the fact that Janice sounds busy.
This comment could take the conversation toward business or personal issues.
Let's listen.
Yeah, tell me about it.
Not sure my family even remembers what I look like.
I know what you mean.
Promised the kids I'd take them to Fun Park this Sunday.
Trying to make up for the past couple months.
Janet agrees with the comment about busy times with the informal expression, tell me about it.
And she mentions her family and the fact that she hasn't seen them much.
What do you do when someone mentions a problem or challenge?
Well, it's not very polite to just ignore the comment and start talking business.
Instead, you should show understanding and empathy.
Let the person know if you have experienced a similar challenge.
As he says, he's trying to make up for, or compensate for, the past couple of very busy months.
What are some other ways we can show empathy with a client's personal issue?
Let's practice a few more examples.
That's so true.
I know exactly what you're saying.
Yeah, I've been there too.
It gets pretty difficult, huh?
My boss said that to me once and I felt the same way.
Right.
Just not enough time.
I'm feeling the pressure too.
Remember, Marcus mentioned taking his kids to a place called Fun Park.
Let's hear how Jana responds.
That's not a bad idea.
Haven't been there in ages.
Yeah, great for the little ones.
But aren't yours getting up there now?
Thirteen and fourteen.
Both going on twenty.
Yeah, right.
Something for me to look forward to then, huh?
Yeah, adolescents are a blast.
But no, really, I shouldn't complain.
They're actually pretty good kids.
Janet and Marcus are making small talk about their children.
Marcus has little ones or young kids, while Jana's children are getting up there or getting older.
More specifically, they are adolescents or teenagers.
Jana is being sarcastic when she says her teenagers are a blast or fun.
Sarcasm is when we say one thing but mean the opposite.
We usually only use this kind of humor with someone we know fairly well.
Making small talk about personal matters is a regular part of socializing with a client.
But at some point, you need to change the subject to business.
Let's hear how Marcus does this.
I'm sure they are.
And hey, on a slightly different note, I think some congratulations are in order.
To change the subject, Marcus simply uses the expression on a slightly different note.
This just means let's talk about a different subject.
There are several other expressions we can use to change the subject from personal to business topics.
Let's run through a few more examples.
So anyway, I wanted to ask about the last order.
Oh, and by the way, that reminds me.
We should talk about next week's meeting.
Speaking of kids, I was looking at that new children's clothing line.
Listen, before I forget, we should talk about invoicing.
Now let's get back to the dialogue, as Janet asks Marcus why he thinks congratulations are in order or necessary.
Congratulations for... On that deal with AirMod.
Big move into fiber and all that.
I'm guessing that's part of what's keeping you so busy.
Yeah, that's a big part of it.
And thanks.
Didn't really have much time to celebrate, but yeah, it's a pretty big deal.
Weren't they looking at a bunch of different options for that?
They were.
And they took their sweet time about it, too.
Janice Company has made a deal with a company called AirMod.
This deal is a part of their move into fiber.
In other words, they are moving into a new market.
And notice again how a bit of complaining is normal in friendly conversations.
As Jana says, Ermaud took their sweet time making a decision.
That just means they took longer than she would have liked.
So Marcus wanted to congratulate Jana on their deal.
But he's got a couple of other reasons for bringing up Ermaud.
Let's hear one of them.
But all's well that ends well, right?
They've made a good decision, if you ask me.
And I'm not just saying that.
I've worked with a couple of guys from over there.
Matt O'Neill, for one.
Not sure if you've had to deal with him yet.
Everyone knows about the importance of networking in business.
And part of networking is making connections with people you know.
As Marcus says, he's worked with someone named Matt O'Neill at AirMod and he wonders if Jana has had to deal with or do business with him yet.
What are some other ways you can mention personal connections?
Let's try a few more examples.
So, there's a guy over at Sanford's that you should meet.
Brian's his name.
Hey, have you ever run into Tammy Harris on your trips down to Dallas?
You worked at Feldstar.
So do you know Dennis Schmidt?
Next time you're in Paris, you should look up Eva at our office there.
Now let's hear Marcus steer the conversation toward his second reason for mentioning the deal with Ermod.
Matt?
Nah, don't think so.
Well, hopefully you do at some point.
Great guy.
I'll watch out for him.
Cool.
And so how do things look for you in terms of servers with that in mind?
As you can hear, Marcus steers the conversation towards servers, which is what Marcus sells.
The whole reason they're talking is because Janice Company buys servers from Marcus' company.
And because Jana's company has a new contract, Marcus is curious if they'll need new servers.
Of course, Marcus doesn't ask directly, do you need new servers?
When we gauge a customer's needs, we're usually a bit more indirect.
Marcus asks, how do things look in terms of service?
That's just a more diplomatic way to ask about needs.
Let's practice some more ways of gauging client needs.
Do you think you'll need a bigger order with all this new activity?
So, how are you doing in terms of software?
Are you finding your current office big enough for now?
Not sure if all this means you'll need more paper, but you let me know.
So does Jana think they'll need more service?
Well, I'm not totally sure yet.
Still early days and all that.
For sure.
But in any case I'm happy things are looking up for you folks, especially given what's happening in the industry.
Jana really doesn't know what their needs are, considering it's still early days.
She simply means it's too soon to know.
At this point Marcus has attempted to gauge his client's needs, but he can't just end the call there.
Notice how Marcus circles back to the positive feeling of congratulations, saying he's happy things are looking up or developing positively.
And he points out that this is especially good considering industry developments.
Industry developments are another common topic when we chat with clients.
It's a chance to show we are knowledgeable and that we understand how a client's business fits into the overall marketplace.
Let's run through a few more ways of discussing industry developments.
Apparently, there are going to be more buildings like this one going up all over town.
Not sure if you've seen the forecast yet, but things are looking pretty positive.
It looks as though manufacturing is really heating up in Malaysia.
I'm interested to see what all this government investment does for the small guys.
How do you mean?
Well, just the pressure from these virtual provider guys.
Looks like the landscape's shifting.
I'm sure you've seen the latest numbers.
You mean that tech world story?
Yeah.
Looks like they're making a big push.
Well, I think some of it's overblown.
You know, they've got to make it up if there isn't actually a real story out there, right?
Right, yeah.
Though, it's got a lot of people thinking, I suppose.
Marcus is talking about a report that shows how the landscape is shifting.
In other words, the market is changing.
Virtual or internet-based providers are working hard to compete with companies like Jana's.
But Jana's not convinced that there's reason to worry.
She says the news is overblown or exaggerated.
But just by bringing it up, Marcus has shown that he's in touch with the industry.
Now let's hear how Jana and Marcus finish up their conversation.
And talking.
But hey, I've got a few more things to do before calling it a day.
So how about giving me a call next month if you don't hear from me by then?
Will do, Jana.
Take care now.
As you can hear, Janet invites Marcus to check in again next month.
This is a sign that Marcus is doing a good job of maintaining his relationship with his client.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you work as a salesperson for a medical supplies company.
You're stopping by a large client hospital and chatting with the buyer there.
You'll hear a cue from the client, then I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
The problem with being so busy is that I never have time to exercise.
First, say that you understand and that you haven't been to the gym in weeks.
Answer.
Yeah, I know what you mean.
I haven't been to the gym in weeks.
Yeah, it's kind of funny when people in the health industry are too busy to stay healthy.
Next, change the subject to changes in the hospital's surgical division.
Answer.
Yeah, and by the way, I wanted to ask about changes in your surgical division.
Right.
Well, we've been expanding and we've got a new director of surgery.
Now, ask whether it's Ray Fawcett who you knew from Chicago.
Answer.
Yes, isn't it Ray Fawcett?
I knew him back in Chicago.
Ray Fawcett is right.
He's already done some great work for us.
Answer.
And so how are you guys doing for surgical equipment?
I'll have to get back to you on that.
I'm meeting with the team later this week.
Finally, say it's great to see the hospital is growing considering all the new competition.
Answer.
All right.
And it's great to see you have such strong growth given all the new competition.
Now let's practice some of the vocabulary we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear Wow, it seems like we haven't seen each other in, You can say Wow, it seems like we haven't seen each other in ages.
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
So, on a slightly different... How's the new project going?
Answer.
So, on a slightly different note, how's the new project going?
Dave sure is taking his sweet finishing that sales report.
Answer.
Dave sure is taking his sweet time finishing that sales report.
Let's just finish these changes and then we can call it a Answer.
Let's just finish these changes and then we can call it a day.
I'd like to know what you think you'll need this month in... of supplies.
Answer.
I'd like to know what you think you'll need this month in terms of supplies.
We've reached the end of this lesson, the second in our series on business socializing.
We've learned how to show empathy for personal issues, switch from personal to business topics and mention personal connections.
We've also covered how to gauge needs and talk about industry developments.
Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
