You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Jennifer and I'll be your host for this lesson, the first of a two-part series on teleconferences meetings that take place over the phone.
Nowadays, it's common to have virtual teams interacting across the globe in virtual meetings without leaving the office.
Teleconferences provide a host of advantages, including minimal travel and meeting costs.
However, teleconferences do have their challenges, especially since participants cannot see each other.
It's helpful for people to introduce themselves, use their names and their colleagues' names when speaking, minimise background noise and speak slowly and clearly.
In these two episodes, we'll learn vocabulary associated with teleconferences.
We'll also learn ways to professionally and tactfully handle any issues that come up.
Today, we'll listen to Craig and Elsa.
Craig is a new hire at Starcom, a computer and printer manufacturer.
He's fresh from university and needs to learn how to do a teleconference, so he asks for help from Elsa, who works in HR.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What types of equipment are needed for a teleconference?
Two, what is the purpose of a passcode?
Three, what are three problems Elsa mentions that can often occur during a teleconference?
Excuse me, Elsa, but do you have a minute?
Sure, what's up?
I have a teleconference coming up, but I've never actually done one before.
It's not the kind of thing they teach us at university.
Could you give me a quick rundown on what to do?
Of course.
It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
You'll catch on fast, so don't worry.
Great.
So, let's start with the equipment.
You need a phone, obviously.
Preferably a landline.
And you can use a headset if you want to keep your hands free.
Okay.
There's a device on our conference room table.
That's the conference bridge, and it links all of the phone lines.
Yeah, I've seen that.
So what happens?
First, someone arranges the call with our hosting service.
The person in charge of the call is the host.
The host gives all the participants a call-in number and passcode.
When it's time for the conference call, everyone calls the number and punches their passcode into the handset.
That gets you access and you can start talking.
How do we know who's on the call with us?
It's up to the host to start a roll call.
You introduce yourself.
Just a simple, hi, this is so-and-so or Craig here will do.
And it's helpful to identify yourself when you speak since no one can see you.
Now, what happens if there's a lot of background noise?
Well, you'd use the mute button if you need to be quiet for a few seconds.
Like if you have to sneeze or something.
And the hold button when you have to pause for longer, which isn't likely.
But what if some guy's eating and you can't understand him?
You can say something like, Excuse me, Richard.
I'm having trouble hearing you.
What was that again?
Or, I'm afraid I'm hearing something in the background.
What did you say?
Got it.
Any other questions?
No.
It seems pretty straightforward.
Thanks, Elsa.
Let's take a closer look at the language Elsa and Craig use to discuss teleconferences.
First, Craig explains what he needs.
I have a teleconference coming up, but I've never actually done one before.
It's not the kind of thing they teach us at university.
Could you give me a quick rundown on what to do?
Craig's quick joke about his university experience makes the situation more easygoing.
He then asks for a rundown or overview of teleconferences.
He's not asking for formal training, but for a quick summary.
How does Elsa respond?
Of course.
It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
You'll catch on fast, so don't worry.
Getting the hang of something means to get better at something once you've learned the basics.
Catch on is an idiom that means to understand.
Think of it as catching some information that sticks with you.
Elsa's casual speech and informal manner help put Craig at ease.
He is more comfortable speaking with her and feels less awkward about being new to teleconferences.
Putting people at ease is a good way to build business relationships.
So let's practice some more ways to do this.
A lot of people find this procedure tricky, so don't be discouraged.
Not bad for your first try.
We all felt nervous at first.
Just take a deep breath and begin.
That's not quite right, but I can understand your reasoning.
Now, Elsa begins describing the equipment used for teleconferences.
So, let's start with the equipment.
You need a phone, obviously preferably a landline, and you can use a headset if you want to keep your hands free.
A landline is a telephone line that runs its circuits through the ground.
Many people use the term when they mean the opposite of a mobile phone.
Sometimes landlines get clearer reception.
A headset is a device that you can wear on your head.
It combines headphones with a microphone and has a cord that can be plugged into a phone.
This keeps your hands free because you don't hold the receiver up to your ear.
The receiver is part of the phone used to listen and speak.
Let's listen to some other examples of how to use this vocabulary.
It's better to use a landline for the teleconference.
Cell phones can get spotty reception sometimes.
I need a new headset.
This one just doesn't fit comfortably around my ears.
I like having a hands-free device.
That way, I can type notes directly into the computer.
This phone has a volume control on the receiver so you can adjust it while you're listening.
Elsa tells us about one more piece of equipment in her next line.
There's a device on our conference room table.
That's the conference bridge and it links all of the phone lines.
A conference bridge allows all the phone lines to work together for the teleconference.
Think of it as the central connection point of the call.
Now, Elsa explains the procedure for participating in the teleconference.
First, someone arranges the call with our hosting service.
The person in charge of the call is the host.
The host gives all the participants a call-in number and passcode.
When it's time for the conference call, everyone calls the number and punches their passcode into the handset.
That gets you access and you can start talking.
Let's look at the vocabulary Elsa uses.
A hosting service is a company that provides teleconference services.
Many phone companies offer hosting services.
The host is the manager of the call.
The call might be arranged by an assistant, but the host runs the actual meeting.
Participants phone the call-in number just like they were making a regular telephone call.
Usually they are prompted for a passcode or a series of numbers that allows access to the call.
These numbers are then punched in or entered using the buttons on the phone.
There's a lot of vocabulary here, so let's run through a few examples.
We've been using PhoneConnect as our hosting service for two years now.
They've always been reliable.
Barbara's going to host the teleconference next week, so she'll send out the agendas.
Please use this call-in number, 212-555-8920.
I accidentally deleted the email with the passcode for this morning's teleconference.
Can you give it to me again?
I punched in this passcode and nothing happened.
Are you sure it's correct?
Elsa also describes a sequence of steps marked by language that shows the order.
The word first marks the first step.
She continues with the present tense when she explains how the host gives the call-in number and passcode.
The next step is marked with when it's time for the conference call.
She uses the conjunction and to mark the next two steps punching in a passcode and starting to talk.
There are many different ways to informally explain a short sequential process.
First, press this button to open the paper drawer.
Then, put the paper in the drawer and shut it.
The first step is figuring out how many people will attend.
Next we'll look for the meeting space.
After that, we'll think about catering.
After you see the restaurant on the corner, take your next left.
You'll then see our blue sign.
In the next exchange, Craig asks how he'll know who is on the conference call.
Elsa responds, It's up to the host to start a roll call.
You introduce yourself.
Just a simple, Hi, this is so-and-so or Craig here will do.
And it's helpful to identify yourself when you speak, since no one can see you.
The roll call is important.
Craig might get a list of participants before the teleconference, but without a roll call he won't know who is actually present.
The roll call does not have to be formal, especially when participants know each other.
However, sometimes participants can have the same first name, so they might distinguish themselves by adding their last name, department or location.
If they do not know the other participants, they might use a first and last name, company name and location.
These next examples show you how you can identify yourself in a roll call.
Notice how the first speaker is casual, while the last one is more formal.
Tina here.
This is Jim from accounting.
I'm Paul Lang from the Miami office.
This is Cal Fortier from Stoddard Publishing in New York.
In the next exchange, Craig and Elsa discuss a common problem with teleconferences background noise.
Now, what happens if there's a lot of background noise?
Well, you'd use the mute button if you need to be quiet for a few seconds, like if you have to sneeze or something, and the hold button when you have to pause for longer, which isn't likely.
But what if some guy's eating and you can't understand him?
You can say something like, Excuse me, Richard.
I'm having trouble hearing you.
What was that again?
Or, I'm afraid I'm hearing something in the background.
What did you say?
There are times when background noise may interfere with a teleconference.
One way to handle this is to press the mute button on the phone, which silences your output.
The other participants will not hear you.
Putting someone on hold involves pressing a hold button on a telephone.
It's similar to using the mute button, but is intended for longer periods.
Sometimes people on the other line will hear music or messages while they are on hold.
There might be faulty equipment or something noisy happening in the speaker's environment.
Or, as Craig suggests, a participant might be doing something like eating during a call.
No matter what the problem might be, it's best to be polite and straightforward.
Explain that there's a problem with the sound in a general way.
What are some other ways to do this politely?
Let's listen.
Kelly, could you speak up, please?
There's a lot of background noise.
I'm sorry for the noise, everyone.
A fire truck just went by.
I hear a crinkling sound.
Anyone know what that is?
Stephen, is your mute button on?
We're not getting your part of the conversation.
At this point, Craig and Elsa finish their conversation.
Craig says, got it to let Elsa know that he's now confident he can handle a teleconference on his own.
Now it's your turn to practice.
First, let's practice some strategies for politely handling audio problems during a teleconference.
We'll play a sound effect and then give you a prompt with some language you can use to respond.
For example, if you hear... prompt Excuse me.
Hearing background noise.
You can say... Excuse me, but I'm hearing some background noise.
We'll play an example answer after each one.
Are you ready?
Let's give it a try.
So by December 1 we need to get everything moved over to the new site and get it up and set up.
Is that clear?
Prompt.
Say that more slowly.
Example answer.
Excuse me, could you say that a bit more slowly, please?
The problem is that we can't get more parts shipped to that location in time.
Prompt.
Didn't get that.
Speak one at a time.
Example answer.
Sorry, i didn't get that.
Could you speak one at a time?
Prompt catch that you please repeat?
Example answer.
I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.
Could you please repeat it?
I'm calling from the hotel and I have an urgent message.
Frank, do you think you could get that password to me?
Prompt.
Bad line.
Call back in.
Example answer.
I think you're on a bad line.
Can you call back in?
We'll finish off today's lesson by practicing some useful vocabulary and idioms from the dialogue.
You'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence including the missing word.
For example, if you hear...
What numbers should I in for the passcode?
You can say, What numbers should I punch in for the passcode?
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
It took me a while to get the of PowerPoint.
Answer It took me a while to get the hang of PowerPoint.
Mary will need a... of the shipping situation before she leaves for London.
Answer.
Mary will need a rundown of the shipping situation before she leaves for London.
Now I see what you're doing.
I think I finally... Answer.
Now I see what you're doing.
I think I finally got it.
Gerald is still making mistakes.
I don't think he'll ever... Answer.
Gerald is still making mistakes.
I don't think he'll ever catch on.
We've reached the end of this lesson, the first of a two-part series on teleconferences.
We've studied language and expressions for putting people at ease explaining a sequential process, identifying yourself in a roll call and politely pointing out problems with the sound.
Thanks for listening and see you next time.
