Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
1. Is talking on phone as easy as most of us believe it to be? And specially the days when almost certainly, our first job interview is likely to be on the phone? And what if we get employed in fields like tele-marketing or in customer support sections as tele-executive.
2. Face-to-face communication consists of three elements: words, tone of voice and body language. On the phone there is no way of reading the body language of a person. So what you say and the tone of your voice becomes much more important as does your ability to listen and respond. A good idea is to smile while talking on the phone. This will help in keeping your voice enthusiastic and cheerful!
3. When you make a business call or a call to a stranger (or even a personal call, for that matter) you should always, first of all, identify yourself. Give your name, and if it is a business call, your company's name and your position in the company to the person you are talking to. Speak slowly and clearly and say straightway why you are calling. It is best to state this immediately and clearly, though briefly. This way you can save a lot of time by not talking to the wrong person or at the wrong time.
4. The most important thing about making a phone call is to make it, if you have to, even if it is about something unpleasant. Do not make a call very early or too late in the day. Even before you greet the caller you should be clear in your mind about what you want to talk about and how much you wish to say. In fact, it is a good idea to mentally rehearse your talk. It is still more helpful to keep important papers handy to which you can refer as you talk, so that facts and figures are correct, and you don't have to hunt for them while the caller waits. It is also important to keep a clear and direct approach with a minimum of social chit-chat. Social chat is alright occasionally, when you are relaxed and on very friendly terms with the caller but it tends to waste time, both yours and the other person's, who might be busy when your call comes through. Do not talk to anyone else while you are talking on the phone. If for some reason you have to, and then put the other person on hold. Give concise, to-the-point answers if the listener has any queries and say you don't know, if you are asked about something you don't have any knowledge of. Do not pretend that you have all the answers if you don't. Say that you will ring the person back as soon as you have the correct information and do call
3
back as you promised.
5. If it is an important call, make notes before you call so that you don't miss anything. Also, take notes during the call so that you can accurately recollect the information later. Jot down the name of the person who has called and address him by name. This helps in building rapport and leaves a better impression. In business calls it is also a good idea to send a fax or a letter confirming the decisions taken or agreements arrived at, over the phone. Names and numbers should always be repeated and spelt out, if necessary, to avoid mistakes.
6. An important fact about listening is that on an average a person listens in bits of 30 to 45 seconds at a time. Keep this in mind both when you make a call or receive one. Pause while speaking and your speech will be clear and will elicit a better response. Avoid using words such as like 'all that 'you know, etc., as well as nervous laughs. Eating and talking at the same time should also be avoided. Not only is it very rude, it also makes it very difficult for the other person to understand clearly what is being said. Remember also to reduce the volume of your TV or stereo when talking on the phone.
7. Remember to greet your listener properly at the beginning of a call and bid them farewell before ending the call. Tell the other person that the call was important to you and that it was a pleasure talking to him/her. And keep the phone gently on the hook. It is bad manners to bang the phone down at the end of a call. If you keep these things in mind, making and receiving phone calls should be a pleasure, not a chore.
(a) Answer the questions given below:
2 each 10 Marks
(i) How is face-to-face communication different from talking on the phone?
(ii) What important facts about listening should we keep in mind while talking on the phone? How do we deal with this fact?
(iii) How should we prepare for an important call? Discuss
(iv) List two things we must not do when talking on the phone.
(v) What are some of the ways in which you can create a good impression about yourself on phone?
(b) Give antonyms of the following words from the text. You may use prefixes as well:
(i) Easy
() ability (ii) clearly
(iv) minimum (v) rude
(c) Make sentences of the following words from the text:
(1)Enthusiastic
(body language
(ii) unpleasant
(iv) concise
(v) rapport
Write the correct or incorrect after each sentence:
10
i.
Will Sentences (Future in the present, predictions, promises, offers)
I will call you tomorrow.
("Will" shows a future intention or promise from the present moment.)
ii. It will rain this afternoon.
("Will" expresses a prediction about the future based on current evidence.)
111.
She will help you with the project.
("Will" indicates a spontaneous offer or willingness to act in the future.)
iv.
The train will arrive at 6 PM.
{"Will" states a scheduled future event (timetable future)}.
V.We will win the match if we practice.
{"Will" shows a future result conditional on a present action (first conditional)}.
Would Sentences (Hypothetical's, past habits, polite requests)
i.I would travel more if I had time.
{"Would" expresses a hypothetical situation contrary to present reality (second conditional)}.
ii. When I was young, I would visit my grandparents every weekend.
{"Would" describes a repeated past habit (past habit/repeated action)}.
Would you mind closing the window?
{"Would" makes a polite request (softer than "will")}.
iv.He would have attended if he knew about it.
{"Would have" shows a hypothetical past possibility (third conditional)}.
V.She said she would finish the report by evening.
{"Would" reports a past future intention (indirect speech/backshift)}.