The Don'ts of Answering a Business Call

Here are some examples of what not to do when answering a business call.

Don't: Try to Hold a Conversation in a Noisy Environment

Many business phone systems forward calls to mobile phones, and this raises the
possibility of having to answer in a noisy environment. If you can get to a quieter space
before answering, do so. If you have no choice but to answer in a noisy space (like a train
platform), acknowledge the noise and ask if they want to continue or if it would be better
to call back in a few minutes.

Don't: Use the Speakerphone Feature Unless You Have To

Using a speakerphone should never be your default setup. Using a speakerphone makes
the caller feel as if their call is not private. If using the speakerphone function is
necessary so that more than one person on your end can participate, be sure to explain
this to the caller first and ask if they mind. Always tell the caller who else is in the room
with you. Sometimes a caller isn't notified who's listening, and may say something in
confidence that ends up being broadcast to the wrong person.

Don't: Take Sloppy Call Notes

When writing notes or taking a message, check the information before ending a call. Ask
for confirmation on spellings you're unsure of. Always read back phone numbers and
email addresses to make sure they're correct. Learn or post the phonetic alphabet nearby
to use when confirming spellings to prevent confusion.

Don't: Close the Conversation Unprofessionally

Wrap the call up professionally with polite closing phrases, like "I'm so glad you called,
Ms. Jones," and re-state any action you plan to take: "I'll call you tomorrow morning to
confirm our meeting time." Thank them and say goodbye more formally than you would
with your friends: "Thanks again for calling. Goodbye."

1:

If you have a business call with a lot of noise around, you should find a(n)
(1) before answering, ask if the caller would like to continue or wants you to call back
later.

2:
In case you have to use the (2), you should ask the caller for the permission

in order not to give information to the (3).

3:

(4) should be done only after you confirm necessary information i.e: phone
numbers on your notes.

4:

You should end the conversation by saying courteous (5).

On your first day at work

Though the first day at your new job may be stressful, it's important to channel your
nervous energy and start things off on the right foot.

Prepare and ask questions

Mark Strong, a life, career, and executive coach based in New York, says although the
first day really is more about listening; you can and should ask questions when necessary.
"Generally, you're trying to demonstrate your curiosity and desire to learn. Beware of
asking too many questions on the first day, though. You have plenty of time to master the
job."

Show up early

Get there at least 15 minutes early, suggests Teri Hockett, chief executive of What's For
Work?, a career site for women. "If you haven't done the commute before, practice it a
couple of times during rush hour a week before so that you're at least somewhat prepared
for the unknown."

Learn the professional rules

On your first day, your employer will have a description of your responsibilities — either
written or verbal. This is what you should do to be successful at your job. "With that
being said, there is usually a gap between what you should do, and what actually
happens," Parnell says. "This is important because while you shouldn't neglect any duties,
there may be more that are implicitly expected of you. It is usually best to find this out
sooner rather than later."
Listen and observe

The best thing anyone can do in the first few days of a new job is "listen, listen, and
listen," Strong says. "It's not time to have a strong opinion. Be friendly, meet people,
smile, and listen."

Talk to peers

One of the most invaluable insights you can get early on is how the department operates
from the perspective of your peers. If you establish that you're friendly and approachable
early on, you will start on the right foot in establishing trust.

Pay attention to your body language

Your body language makes up the majority of your communication in the workplace.
Assess what you're communicating to better understand how others may perceive you,
and make any necessary adjustments.

1:

According to Mark Strong, you should ask as many questions as possible on your first
day at work.

True

False

2:

Terri Hockett suggests that you should practice commuting to work during the peak hour.

True

False

3:
Parnell says you should find out about implicit expectations people may have about you
as soon as you can.

True

False

4:

The writer strongly advises that you should listen, be friendly and express your opinions
clearly.

True

False

5:

You can have a deep understanding about the operation of your department by talking to
your colleagues.

True

False

6:

According to the author, most of the communication at workplace is using words.

True

False
Read the passage and decide if the following statements TRUE (T), FALSE (F) or
NOT GIVEN (NG)

Dealing with nervousness

The American author Mark Twain once put it like this: “There are two types of people:
those that are nervous and those that are liars.” So, once you accept that (almost)
everybody who gives a presentation-whether formal and informal, long or short, to
strangers or colleagues - is nervous, then you just need to find ways to deal with
nervousness and even learn how to use it to your advantage.

Let’s first look at ways to deal with and reduce nervousness.

1. Prepare well. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Preparation is the key to a

successful presentation. Nothing will relax you more than knowing exactly what
you want to say and having practiced saying it. Make sure you practice your talk
until you feel at home with it - then you can concentrate on other things.

2. Learn to relax. Doing stretching or breathing exercises before your talk can help
you to reduce nervousness. One example: before your presentation, sit
comfortably with your back straight. Breathe in slowly, hold your breath for about
five seconds, then slowly exhale. You can relax your facial muscles by opening
your eyes and mouth wide, then closing them tightly.

3. Check out the room. Make yourself familiar with the place where you will be
speaking. Arrive early, walk around the room, and make sure everything you need
for your talk is there. Practice using any equipment (e.g. microphone, video
projector, OHP) you plan to work with.

4. Know your audience. If possible, greet your audience as they arrive and chat with
them. It will be easier to speak to people who are not complete strangers.

5. Concentrate on the message. Try to focus on the message and your audience - not
on your own fears.

6. Visualize success. Imagine yourself speaking to your audience in a loud and clear
voice. Then visualize the audience applauding loudly at the end of your talk as you
smile.
Use the steps above to reduce nervousness, but also remember that being nervous isn’t all
bad. Many experienced presenters say that you can also use your nervousness to give you
that extra energy that you need to give a good performance.

1. Only presenters who give formal talks to strangers feel anxious.

2. It’s impossible to have a successful presentation without

preparation.
3. Before presentations, presenters should make some inhale and exhale excercises to

make anxiety reduce.

4. Presenters are allowed to check technical devices before their

performance.
5. You should make effort to concentrate on your listener and speech, not on your

anxiety.
6. According to experienced presenters, you can not take advantage of nervousness

to have a good presentation.

4/

Meeting etiquette - be polite, be productive

Some meetings are really unproductive. People bicker - they talk over others and don’t
listen. Consequently, meetings drag on and on. This wouldn’t happen if business had a
set of meeting rules. Instead, meetings would be useful, productive and short! Here are
my suggestions for meeting etiquette.

 Send your apologies if you cannot attend. Your colleagues may be waiting for you
so they can start the meeting.

 Be on time. Make sure you arrive on time. You don’t want to waste anyone else’s
time by not being punctual.

 Do not have your phone out: Do not keep your phone on the table during a
meeting, it can get distracting if it starts lighting up or making noises. Leave the
room if you absolutely must take the call and return next.

 Have a strong agenda. If you’re the one running the meeting, it’s imperative that
you stay on track. If you do digress, make sure to have a colleague who will steer
you back in the right direction.
  State your opinion once only. If it’s a good idea, people will take note. There’s no
need to repeat yourself.

 If you disagree with someone, don’t interrupt. Wait until the other person finishes
speaking, and then state your objection.

 Don’t use jargon. Your colleagues may not be specialists in your field, so they will
need to keep asking for explanations. This wastes time. Talk in everyday language
so that everybody can understand.

The writer believes that meetings are not useful, short and (1) because
people argue and don’t listen to another. The writer recommends that attendees say sorry

if they cannot (2) a meeting and be punctual for the meetings. In addition, it

is compulsory for chairpeople to stay on track so they should have a (3)

agenda. Attendees had better (4) their ideas just once and use common

language instead of (5) .

How effective is your website?

The Internet is now the most popular medium on the planet for giving and getting
information. Everyone has their favourite sites where they can get the answers to almost
any question, where they can buy any article they want, or where they can talk to friends,
swap music and films or even publish their first novel.

So, how good is the web for promoting your products? Imagine you had a new product
you wanted to sell. What would you have to do to get the best from the Internet?

First of all you need to create a website. The most essential part of the site is the home
page. This should be clear and easy to navigate and show visitors what lies behind on
other pages. Encouraging visitors to your website by using keywords is useful and you
might need to use a SEO or Search Engine Optimizer. These companies ensure that your
site is at the top of lists when users enter certain keywords into a search engine like
Yahoo. Google has a very good method of directing enquiries to the appropriate sites
through its Adwords tool. When a customer is looking for a particular product, such as a
holiday villa in Turkey, advertisements from companies who provide such services
appear instantly on the screen. The advertisers pay only when the ad is clicked. Google
aims that you can reach 80% of Internet users by using keywords.
Seach engines are not the only answer to successful advertising online. Links to other
websites mean that you can double or triple the traffic to your site. So if you sell cookery
books, it is good to link to sites about cooking.

Another option is banner advertising where you pay to appear on other sites and
customers click through to your site. Some surfers find this type of advertising annoying
but it does get results. You normally pay for such advertising on a CPM basis (cost-per-
thousand).

Whatever tactics you use, remember that the number of websites, and therefore your
competition, is growing every single second.

1. What is the Internet used for?

2. What should you do first when you want to advertise your products over the Internet?

3. According to Google, how can you reach most Internet users?

4. What helps you increase your website views by twice or three times?

5. What do some Internet users think of banner advertising?

Read the passage and answer the following questions with NO MORE THAN
FOUR WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER

The Call Centre Consultancy

Poor service is the fastest way to lose customers. Is your call centre doing everything
possible to keep its customers happy?
Call centre experts tell us it costs 4 to 10 times as much to capture a new customer as it
does to provide good service to an existing customer. A startling 68% of call centre
customers move to the competition because of poor service.

Customer-centred call centres must look at their front lines – the agents. Their agents,
after all, communicate with customers every day. This means that agents must have the
right phone style and – for online help desks – appropriate email skills. The latter is even
more important nowadays as emailing has become a record of promises kept – or broken
– to customers.

Call centres can no longer afford to have agents who just read off scripts. Now agents
need to be knowledge workers and salespeople for the complete range of customer
service. For example, at the Hilton Hotels, agents don’t just take reservations. If no rooms
are available, the clerks try to cross – sell another of Hilton’s six brands in the same city
or area. This generates $250 million of revenue annually for the Hilton Hotels.

At DHL Worldwide, call centres are focusing more on customer service and sales instead
of just taking orders. A typical answer to “Do you ship to Manila” is “Yes, with the
fastest delivery time. 99% guaranteed.” Call centre supervisors are now concerned with
how well their agents sell DHL, not how quickly they get on and off the phone with
customers.

1. Which likely leads to the decreasing number of customers?

2. What must agents have when communicating with customers beside right phone

style?

3. What kind of people do Call Centres expect their agents to become?

4. How much does the Hilton Hotel earn every year when their clerks sell another of

Hilton’ six brands in the same city?

5. What do Call Centers at DHL Worldwide mainly deal with rather than just taking

orders from customers?

Read the story anddecide if the statements below are True (T) or False (F)

Success Story of Mark Zuckerberg – founder of Facebook

While many intelligent people attend Harvard University, Mark Zuckerberg became
known quickly as the go-to computer programmer on campus. By his sophomore
year, he had already built two programs: CourseMatch and FaceMash. Both programs
became wildly popular, but the university shut down the latter program after it was
deemed to be inappropriate.

Based on his acclaim on campus, Zuckerberg partnered with friends to create a social
networking site that allowed Harvard students to connect with each other. The site
officially went live in June 2004 under the name "The Facebook," and Zuckerberg ran
it out of his dorm room.

After his sophomore year, Zuckerberg dropped out of college to pursue what was then
called Facebook full-time, and the website reached 1 million users by the end of 2004.

This explosion of user growth attracted the attention of many venture capital firms,
and Zuckerberg eventually moved out to Silicon Valley in 2005. Facebook received
its first round of venture capital (VC) investments from VC firm Accel Partners,
which invested $12.7 million in the site that was still only open to Ivy League
students.

By the end of 2005, however, Facebook was opened up colleges and other schools,
causing the website to reach 5.5 million users. Since 2005, Facebook has received
numerous acquisition offers from the likes of Yahoo and Microsoft, has been through
legal battles, and has increased the number of its users all the while.

As of 2015, Facebook has over 2 billion monthly active users, and it is valued at a
market cap of $272 billion as of July 2015. Zuckerberg, who owns nearly 423 million
shares of Facebook stock, has become one of the youngest multibillionaires in history.

Thanks to Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has a net worth of $34.8 billion as of July
2015. At the age of 31, this makes him one of three billionaires with a net worth
higher than their current age in billions of dollars.
1. Mark Zuckerberg created CourseMatch and FaceMash when he was the second-

year student at Harvard University.

2. He built a social networking called “The Facebook” in 2004 on his

own.
3. By the end of the launching year, Facebook was used by one billion

people.
 4. Accel Partners is a venture capital firm which invested a large amount of money

in Facebook.

5. At 31, he is much richer than people at the same age.

Read the article and answer each question with NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS

A standard business plan outline

Your business plan should be what a banker or venture capitalist expects to see, presented
in the order they expect to see it in.

1. Executive Summary

Write this last and keep things as brief as possible. It’s just one or two pages that
highlights the points you’ve made elsewhere in your business plan. Summarize the
problem you are solving for customers, your solution, the target market, the founding
team, and financial forecast highlights.

2. Company overview

This section is an overview of who you are. It provides a quick review of the company’s
legal structure and identifies key employees and any other qualities that make your
business distinctive. Be sure to include summaries of your managers’ backgrounds and
experience briefly and describe their functions with the company.

3. Market research

You need to know your target market (the types of customer you are looking for) and
how it’s changing. Use this section to discuss your customers’ needs, where your
customers are, how to reach them and how to deliver your product to them as well as who
your competitors are.

4. Products and services description

This is where you will describe in detail the problem that you’re solving, your solution,
and how your product or service fits into the existing competitive landscape. It is always
a good idea to think of customer needs and customer benefits as you define your product
offerings.

5. Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan section of your business plan details how you plan to reach
your target market segments, how you plan on selling to those target markets, what your
pricing plan is, and what types of activities and partnerships you need to make your
business a success.

6. Financial projection

This section should include your projected profit, loss and cash flow tables, and a brief
description of the assumptions you’re making with your projections. A typical financial
projection will have monthly projections for the first 12 months and then annual
projections for the rest three to five years.

1. Who hope to see the business plan?

2. Which section should be written at the end of the business plan?

3. Which section contains information about the potential customers?

4. How should the problem and solution be presented in the fourth section?

5. What kind of plans will be included in a financial projection for the first year?

Read the extract and fill in the summary with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

Four key steps toward starting your own business

1. Take time to brainstorm

Your job as a new entrepreneur and future business owner is to think about every aspect
of your business. Come up with answers to every question a stranger or potential investor
might ask you. For example try to answer these questions:

Who is the target market for the product?

What could go wrong and how will you solve it?

What are the main things you want your customers to know about you?

By preparing answers to these questions ahead of time, you'll come across as a more
confident and trustworthy business owner when it comes time to try to attract the
attention of the shareholders.
2. Create a business plan

After you’ve taken the time to answer questions about your business or product idea,
create a business plan.

3. Gather needed resources

If you're planning to start a one-person business, you don’t necessarily need to worry
about hiring anyone. But it might be helpful to create a plan for the future when you want
to scale the business.

No matter what the size of your business is, you'll need a few essentials to start operating.
Create a list of everything you’ll need and its approximate cost, whether it’s an office
space with a new desktop and printer or a warehouse to hold the products.

4. Launch marketing, sale and brand-awareness campaigns

Before you launch the business, start planning the ideas for marketing, sales, and
branding efforts. Because social media is used by much of the population in most age
groups and continues to grow in popularity globally, having an online appearance is key.

Create a Facebook page, Twitter profile, Google+, and LinkedIn page for your business,
depending on the appropriate social media channel for your company. For instance, a dry
cleaner may not find a LinkedIn page useful but could connect well with a local
community on Google+ and Facebook.

Summary:
There are four steps you should do before starting a business. Firstly, if you want to be

a(n) (1) or a future business owner, you should brainstorm all the situation
of your business. Secondly, when you have the answers for questions that potential

investor might ask, you need to make a(n) (2). Thirdly, although you can

start a(n) (3) without hiring anyone, you should create a plan for the scale
of your business in the future. Remember to write a checklist of all the things you will

need with its (4). Finally, you should conduct marketing, sales and brand-

awareness campaigns. You can easily do it by owning a(n) (5) because of

the fast growth of social media.
Read the letter and answer the questions with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
Ms Laura Thompson

Flat 20

35 Wellington Road

Epsom, Surrey

EP5 3RE

U.K.

Dear Ms. Laura Thompson,

Application for Marketing Team Leader

Thank you for your letter of 15 August and your curriculum vitae, applying for a Team
Leader position in our Marketing department in London.

We currently have two vacancies for Team Leaders in our U.K. Marketing department
and we would like to invite you for an initial interview at our London office in the next
two weeks. If successful, you will then be asked to attend a full day assessment centre
with nine other applicants next month, after which a final decision will be made.

We will pay your travelling expenses to the interview and to the assessment centre.
During the assessment centre, which will last from 9 a.m – 5 p.m, lunch with the other
applicants and assessor is provided as part of the day. If you need overnight
accommodation, then you will be booked into a local hotel near our office. Full details
of the assessment centre procedure will be sent to you in advance if you are selected.

We would be grateful if you could telephone Mary William, Personnel Assistant, in

London on (0044) 0208459554 ext 2317 to arrange a convenient time for the
interview. Please find enclosed an application form which we would like you to
complete and take along to the interview with you.

We wish you success at the interview and look forward to welcoming you to our
London office.

Yours sincerely
 Johnson Smith

Recruitment Officer

1. Who is applying for the job?

2. In what month did the candidate write the letter?

3. How many candidates will take part in the assessment centre?

4. Where can the applicants stay during the night?

5. What is attached with this letter?