Author: SPICA

Subject: Re: Study on Budget Allocation

Dear M. Smith,

Thank you for your email and for entrusting me with this study. After analyzing the potential benefits of both options, I would like to share my thoughts.

Investing in making the company more environmentally friendly could enhance our reputation and attract more customers who value sustainability. This could lead to long-term brand loyalty and a stronger market position. However, the financial impact may take time to be fully realized. Moreover, this adjustment of our strategy would involve a substantial communication budget, that we would have to take into account.

On the other hand, prioritizing industrial production to increase profit margins would yield quicker financial returns. However, this approach might not meet growing consumer and regulatory expectations regarding environmental responsibility in a near future.

The environmentally friendly option appears to be the most appropriate option for our long-term development. I would be happy to discuss this further and explore possible solutions.

Best regards,
Samantha Clarington
Marketing Manager

Grammar

Professional communication

1. Traduisez en anglais : « Merci de me faire parvenir le compte-rendu de la réunion dès que possible. »
2. Rédigez un email professionnel en anglais pour demander un rendez-vous avec un client.
3. Comment répondriez-vous en anglais à un collègue qui vous propose de l’aide sur un dossier important ?

Professional situation

Vous êtes en réunion avec des collègues anglophones. Comment réagiriez-vous dans les situations suivantes ?

1. Vous n’avez pas compris une information importante. Que dites-vous ?
2. Un collègue exprime une idée avec laquelle vous êtes en désaccord. Comment le formulez-vous diplomatiquement ?
3. Vous devez conclure une présentation et remercier votre audience. Que dites-vous ?

Diving is an exciting water sport with many types. Scuba diving lets people explore the deep sea using a tank of air. Divers can see colorful fish, corals, and even shipwrecks. Free diving is diving without an air tank. Divers hold their breath and go deep for a short time. Snorkeling is a simple way to enjoy underwater life. People wear a mask and a tube (snorkel) to breathe while floating on the surface. Cliff diving is for adventure lovers. They jump from high cliffs into the water. Each type of diving is unique and fun!

Can you think of a situation in your workplace where something made you feel happy, frustrated, or productive? Explain why.

This vocabulary exercises are quite recommended when preparing the DCL exam

Competition:

Customer’s need

Crisis

Dealing with phone calls in an international business, is- or should be- part the daily working life. Moreover, unless you speak your interlocutor’s mother tongue, most of the calls will be in English, as it is the most widely spoken language in business. However, it can also be a tricky task. Indeed when speaking a foreign language, the phone conversation is the hardest situation, because:

• you can’t see your interlocutor which means:
  • you can’t read his lips,
  • you can’t see his expressions,
  • you can’t see his gestures,
• the line can have poor quality, which would make the understanding harder.
• even if the line is good, the conversation, will never be as clear as a face to face meeting.

Consequently, in order to avoid misunderstanding, you need to be prepared.

How to answer the phone professionnaly in English?

A typical business call

In the video below, you can see how the lady answers professionnaly the phone:

‘Good morning, Chic Boutique, how can I help you?’

The professionnal way to answer customer’s phone calls in a company is this:

Good morning/ good afternoon, the name of the company, and: how can I help you?

You can also add your name between the name of the company and how can I help you.

A few basic typical sentences for business phone calls:

I would like to talk to …

I will put you through to Mr … (in French: je vais vous passer Mr …)

The line is engaged: (in French: la ligne est occupée )

Please hold the line (in French: un instant s’il vous plaît, veuillez patienter un instant)

Can I leave a message?

The right attitude on a business call

Even if the customer cannot see you, it is important to smile on the phone. This will convey an impression of happiness. Furthermore, when you listen to the customer take your time and remain focused, listen carfully and try not to interrupt him -unless he really speaks fast and you don’t get a word, in this case let him know and ask him nicely to speak more slowly-.

When you speak, speak clearly as

3 tips to avoid misunderstandings

Spelling with the NATO alphabet

In the video about, the Mr Wright uses the English alphabet to spell his name, which is absolutely correct. Nevertheless in a phone conversation, the understanding of the letter p, t or b can be challenging. That is why in an international call I would recommend to use the NATO Alphabet or even better both English and NATO Alphabet.

What is the NATO phonetic alphabet, and why is it vital in an international phone call?

According to Wikipedia, it is the most widely used set of clear-code words for communicating the letters of the Roman alphabet. It is a standard alphabet used in many countries and in military communication.

In the video below, you will be given an example of how this spelling technique can save situations. This is the example of a call center, but it works each time you want to get the proper information when it involves spelling words that can be key in a conversation and that you don’t understand: a name, an address, a specific product…

For instance, to spell SMITH, it would be : S for Sierra, M for Mike, I for India, T for tango, H for hotel

If you want someone to spell like that, you can ask : ‘Could you key-spell your name, please‘

If you don’t have much time you can start the video at minute 5′

Make your interlocutor repeat, make sure you understand properly

When you use a foreign language during a phone call, it is vital to feel free to inform your interlocutor if there is something you haven’t understood.

Could you repeat?

Do you mean that …?

Do not hang up before you make a summary of the conversation or actions you have to take.

Finally at the end of the conversation, make sure everything is clear. A short summary of the conversation will avoid mistakes. Make sure you wait for the customer feed-back on the summary before ending the conversation.

 vidéo sur les réclamations dans un hôtel en anglais