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Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod for today's lesson on doing business by phone.
Last time, we looked at a routine check-in call with your boss.
Today, we'll focus on spontaneous or unexpected phone conversations.
Before we get started, a quick reminder that this lesson, along with hundreds of others, is available as a free download from the BEP website.
Premium members can also access a PDF transcript and online quizzes for every lesson.
If you'd like to take a free trial to preview some of these extra resources, You might start a telephone conversation with an idea about how it will go or what you will talk about, and many routine conversations are pretty straightforward.
But what happens when the conversation gets into things you haven't anticipated?
What if the other person asks you tough questions that you don't have easy answers for?
In particular, what if your boss is pressuring you to justify your decisions?
There are a few things you might have to do to succeed in this situation.
For starters, you might need to just pause and gather your thoughts.
Next, you might find yourself explaining your assumptions and clarifying some of the specific aspects of your decision.
You might also try explaining what would have happened if you hadn't made the decision you did.
And finally, it's a good idea to be able to accept feedback graciously and politely.
In today's dialogue we'll rejoin Sunny, a logistics manager in Asia working for an American clothing company.
Sunny is talking with his supervisor, Cam.
If you listened to our last lesson about a routine check-in, you'll notice a big difference with this conversation.
This time, Sonny has to think on his feet and deal with some tough questions.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What assumption does Sonny make about delivery times?
2.
What does Sonny say might have happened if he didn't make a tough decision?
3.
What will Sonny do differently in the future based on the feedback he gets?
Oh, hi Cam.
Just heading out the door.
What can I help you with?
Hi Sonny.
So, uh, yeah, I'll try to keep this short, but we've got a problem here.
I'm catching a lot of heat from finance on these invoices.
Shipping stuff, I mean.
What exactly is going on there?
Okay, just so I'm clear, you're talking about shipping for the spring lines, right?
Yeah, that's it.
Looking through the invoices here and well, just can't believe we're paying through the nose like this.
I mean, really?
Well, let's see.
Let me pull those up and have a look at my notes from our last chat.
Alright, got them.
Yeah, so look at those rates.
We're paying nearly triple on the rates from fall.
That's just too much.
I thought I was pretty clear about the parameters on this.
Right, yeah.
I can see how this looks steep.
But if I can give a bit of context here, my understanding was that everything needed to be portside in Seattle by Jan 15th.
Yes, but, I mean, that was still a two-month window.
And we're still on track to hit that slot.
It'll be tight, but ahead of schedule at this point.
So why is all this stuff getting routed through China?
I mean, that's got to add at least two weeks.
If you're worried about timelines, well, I don't see how this makes any sense.
Takes longer, costs more, where's the logic?
Right, but I am worried about timelines, first and foremost.
And just so we're clear, direct shipments from Vietnam aren't making it to the West Coast for 90 days plus.
On average.
I'm hearing some real horror stories.
So China is the solution, huh?
I seem to remember we went over some of the costing on this.
And there's no way I would have said go ahead with these kinds of rates.
You told me it would be cheaper.
I did.
You're right.
But rates are going sky high, and it's only going to get worse.
I had to make a call on this.
You should see the situation now.
It's ugly.
If I didn't get that stuff on a boat to Dalian when I did, shipping rates would be the last thing on our minds.
We'd have been lucky to get half the spring lines in by March.
Damn, it's just... Okay, I get it.
The whole supply chain is snaff food.
But you really need to keep me in the loop more.
Pick up the phone.
I don't want to be blindsided like this.
Fair enough, and really sorry to catch you off guard.
I'll be sure to flag things like this in my weekly reports and call you if rates start going crazy again.
Yes, please.
And listen, I still need to go back and explain all this to finance.
So, can you send me a one-pager showing the changes in rates and shipping times?
Something to get them off my back.
Sure, no problem.
I'll have that to you first thing in the morning.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques Sunny used during this phone conversation.
Oh, hi, Cam.
Just heading out the door.
What can I help you with?
Hi, Sunny.
So, uh, yeah, I'll try to keep this short, but we've got a problem here.
I'm catching a lot of heat from finance on these invoices.
Shipping stuff, I mean.
What exactly is going on there?
Okay, just so I'm clear, you're talking about shipping for the spring lines, right?
As you can hear, this is not a prearranged call.
Cam has called Sonny unexpectedly because he's been catching a lot of heat or getting a lot of criticism about some costs related to shipping.
You can hear from the start that Cam is a bit upset and this might be a tough situation.
Let's hear what Cam's specific concern is.
Yeah, that's it.
Looking through the invoices here and well, just can't believe we're paying through the nose like this.
I mean, really?
Well, let's see.
Let me pull those up and have a look at my notes from our last chat.
Alright, got them.
Cam's problem is with prices.
He says they are paying through the nose, which means paying a lot or too much.
Sonny is going to have to explain his decisions, but first he wants to gather his thoughts.
That is, he doesn't respond immediately or get defensive.
Rather, he takes some time to think and remain calm.
How does he do this?
Firstly, he uses a stalling phrase like let's see.
Secondly, he searches for his notes and talks about what he's doing while he searches.
In this way, he's gathering his thoughts and preparing himself to explain.
What are some other ways we can gather our thoughts when we're surprised?
Let's run through some more examples.
Let me see here.
Just going through my notes.
The final cost?
Yes, well, let me explain what happened there.
If you can just give me a minute, I'll have that for you.
Okay, yes, and I can see why you might think that.
Now that Sonny has found his notes and gathered his thoughts, he's ready to explain.
Yeah, so look at those rates.
We're paying nearly triple on the rates from fall.
That's just too much.
I thought I was pretty clear about the parameters on this.
Right, yeah.
I can see how this looks steep.
But if I can give a bit of context here…
My understanding was that everything needed to be portside in Seattle by Jan 15th.
Cam talks about the parameters they discussed previously.
Parameters are the guidelines or limits to a decision.
Clearly, Sonny has spent more than they had agreed to spend previously.
Sonny acknowledges the concern directly, saying he understands how it looks steep or expensive.
Then he provides some context or details about the situation that led him to accept such high costs.
And a key part of that context is the assumption that their shipment needed to be portside or at the port by January 15th.
Every decision comes with trade-offs and in explaining his decision, Sonny is presenting his assumption that timing was the most important factor.
Let's try some more ways to explain our assumptions.
I thought I had to wait for a decision from marketing before going on to the next phase.
I went into this thinking that we didn't need to complete the project until June.
Let's listen as Cam and Sunny discuss the timing issue in more detail.
Yes, but, I mean, that was still a two-month window.
And we're still on track to hit that slot.
It'll be tight, but ahead of schedule at this point.
So why is all this stuff getting routed through China?
I mean, that's got to add at least two weeks.
If you're worried about timelines, well, I don't see how this makes any sense.
Takes longer, costs more.
Where's the logic?
Sunny is emphasizing that they're on track or on target with the timing.
So Cam brings up another aspect of the problem. shipping routes.
He questions sending products through China because it takes longer and costs more.
This is an opportunity for Sani to explain things in more detail.
Right, but I am worried about timelines, first and foremost.
And just so we're clear, direct shipments from Vietnam aren't making it to the West Coast for 90 days plus.
On average.
I'm hearing some real horror stories.
Sunny is based in Vietnam.
The logical way to move products to the U.S. would be direct from Vietnamese ports.
But Sonny has been hearing horror stories or terrible experiences about shipments taking 90 days or more to make it to the US.
In this way, Sonny is walking Cam through the specific reasons for his decision.
Sometimes people get upset about one aspect of a situation and we need to explain some of the less obvious factors that impact the situation to help them understand.
Let's practice some more ways of being very specific and clear in explaining a decision.
I specifically recall you saying that the report should not be more than 10 pages.
Here's the thing.
The phone plan was costing us $140 per employee.
Sonny has been trying hard to justify his decision.
But Cam's still not convinced.
So China is the solution, huh?
I seem to remember we went over some of the costing on this.
And there's no way I would have said go ahead with these kinds of rates.
You told me it would be cheaper.
I did.
You're right.
But rates are going sky high, and it's only going to get worse.
I had to make a call on this.
You should see the situation now.
It's ugly.
If I didn't get that stuff on a boat to Dalian when I did, shipping rates would be the last thing on our minds.
We'd have been lucky to get half the spring lines in by March.
Notice that Sonny tells Cam you're right.
Acknowledging that someone has valid concerns rather than getting too defensive is smart.
It helps lower the frustration level and keep things rational.
Every decision is a choice between competing alternatives, and sometimes it helps people to understand the choice we made when they can see that the other options are worse.
As Sonny says, if he didn't move their products to China when he did, they probably wouldn't have received those products in the US until March.
To explain worse alternative choices, we typically make sentences with if and would.
In particular, we often say, if we didn't do something, then something else would have happened.
Let's run through some more ways of presenting worse alternative cases in this way.
If I didn't go ahead and start the project, we'd now be facing even more delays.
Most likely half the team would have quit if we didn't increase rates.
Without the extension, we would have had to cancel the project.
So, has Sunny finally succeeded in helping Cam understand his decision?
Let's listen.
Damn, it's just... Okay, I get it.
The whole supply chain is snafu'd.
But you really need to keep me in the loop more.
Pick up the phone.
I don't want to be blindsided like this.
Fair enough, and really sorry to catch you off guard.
I'll be sure to flag things like this in my weekly reports and call you if rates start going crazy again.
Yes, it sounds like Cam can accept the situation now, but he's still unhappy to be blindsided or surprised by troubling information.
He wants Sonny to keep him in the loop or give him more regular updates.
In his calm way, Sonny is able to accept this feedback.
He says fair enough, which basically means your point is reasonable.
Then he apologizes before promising to get better at updating Cam on tough decisions like the one he made.
What are some other ways we can acknowledge and accept feedback?
Let's try a few more examples.
Yes, that's a valid point, and I'll definitely work on that.
Okay, thanks.
I'll be sure to have a closer look at any reports before they go out.
I agree.
It's a communication issue, and I'll try what you've suggested.
I see what you're saying, and I'll make sure to take this on board for future.
Cam now has a better understanding of the situation.
But there's still something he wants from Sonny.
Yes, please.
And listen, I still need to go back and explain all this to finance.
So, can you send me a one-pager showing the changes in rates and shipping times?
Something to get them off my back.
Sure, no problem.
I'll have that to you first thing in the morning.
Cam's final request is for some documentation to support the decision on shipping, to help Cam explain it to Finance.
Of course, Sonny is happy to do this and he has successfully done some quick thinking, some quick explaining and some quick persuading.
This surprise call from Cam could have gone terribly wrong, but Sonny stayed calm and worked through the situation.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you work for a company that is going to hire some new employees.
You've sent out a memo about the upcoming hires, but your supervisor is surprised that you've done this.
He's calling you on the phone, and you've got to think on your feet.
You'll hear a cue by the supervisor.
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.
I just saw the memo about the staff changes.
What's going on with that?
Start by saying you are just going to open that up and have a look.
Answer.
Okay, let me just open that up and have a look.
First off, I didn't expect to see this news go out until next week.
Now say that you understood the memo had to be sent before the new positions were posted.
Answer.
Well, my understanding was that the memo had to go out before the new positions were posted.
Well, yes, but this still seems too soon and people are asking me what's going on.
Next, say that just to be clear, HR is posting these new positions tomorrow.
Answer.
Just to be clear, HR is posting these new positions tomorrow.
Tomorrow?
So, I'm going to have more people asking about this?
Now state that if you didn't send the memo out, people would be more confused.
Answer.
Well, if I didn't send the memo out, people would be even more confused.
Okay, but still, you need to let me read these memos before they go out.
Finally say you understand and you will make sure you will ask for input before sending any more memos out.
Understood, and I'll make sure I ask for your input before sending out any more memos.
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, If you want to get there before 5, you'll need to... out soon.
You can say... If you want to get there before 5, you'll need to head out soon.
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
I've been hearing some real horror. about the Cleveland office?
I've been hearing some real horror stories about the Cleveland office.
It looks like we're paying through the... for this mobile plan.
Answer.
It looks like we're paying through the nose for this mobile plan.
Good luck with the project and keep me in the... on any changes.
Answer.
Good luck with the project and keep me in the loop on any changes.
I'm trying to finish this report so I can get my boss off my... Answer.
I'm trying to finish this report so I can get my boss off my back.
We've reached the end of this lesson on having a spontaneous conversation on the phone.
We've learned how to gather your thoughts, explain your assumptions and clarify specifics about a decision.
We've also looked at how to explain a worse alternative case and accept feedback.
For more practice.
Premium members can access the online quizzes and study notes for this and other lessons on the BEP website.
Not a member yet, then head over to wwwbusinessenglishpodcom and sign up for a free trial to preview some of the extra resources available to members.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
