Oral Communication Units and Activities
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Unit(s): Interviewing
Formal and Informal Telephone Calls
Purpose:
To make students aware of the differences between
social/informal and business/formal telephone calls.
Objective:
Students will learn practical skills in making effective social
and business telephone calls.
Materials:
- Telephones to use as props
- Handout: "Guidelines for Formal and Informal Telephone Calls"
Procedures:
- Review "Guidelines for Formal and Informal Telephone Calls."
- Put students into paired groups, and assign them either
formal or informal settings. Ask them to prepare written
conversations following proper guidelines.
- Students are to then rehearse with "phone partner."
- Students will perform their prepared conversations in front of the class.
- Student performances can be orally evaluated by classmates,
focusing on effective telephone manners and practices.
"FORMAL AND INFORMAL TELEPHONE CALLS"
Formal or Business Telephone Calls
These calls are made for specific purposes, such as to formally
give or receive information, to sell or buy a product or
service, to make appointments, or to resolve problems.
- Remember that efficiency is important.
- Always identify yourself, to whom you wish to speak, and
the purpose of your call.
- Have questions/information prepared in advance.
- Be prepared to take notes.
- When your party answers, make a brief opening statement of
courtesy, then relate your business immediately.
- Speak directly into the mouthpiece using a conversational tone.
- Remain courteous.
- Keep in mind that your vocal tone, rate and articulation
all play important role in the effectiveness of your formal
telephone call.
Informal or Social Telephone Calls
These calls refer to the bulk of everyday phone calls. They are
useful for extending invitations, deepening friendships,
correcting misunderstandings, or simply enjoying good
conversations with friends or family. Remember these
guidelines:
- Remember that when you are the caller, you are disturbing
the privacy of another person's home, so choose an appropriately
courteous time to make your calls.
- Always begin with a brief, courteous greeting, then
identify yourself, and then ask for the party to whom you wish
to speak.
- When your party answers, identify yourself again. Never
assume that the person on the other line automatically knows who
is calling.
- Avoid tying up the line for long periods of time.
- If you are the caller, remember that it is your
responsibility to bring the conversation to a close.
- If someone has called you at an inconvenient time,
politely offer to call the party back at an agreed upon time,
briefly and courteously explaining the nature of the
inconvenience.
- Remember that good manners should always prevail, even in
conversations between close friends.
