電話やEメールにおけるエチケットと、カジュアルとフォーマルな表現方法について考えながら、相手にとって心地よいスタイルに合わせたコミュニケーションについてディスカッションを行います。
In this lesson, you will learn in detail about culture and style for emails and telephone calls. This will enable you to match the style of the person with whom you are communicating.
For consultants, matching the client's style and tone is very important.
You can put it in this context, if you like:
"Imagine your client is a fun, young digital startup where everyone wears t-shirts. But you arrive every day in a full suit and tie. That's weird, right? [The student will emphatically agree.] So we need to do the same with our language, especially over the phone and by email."
Litmus test for confident students:
Read the warm-up and identify all the mistakes.
Read the following dialogue with your teacher.
Alan is an executive at AF Company, a Silicon Valley tech company. Dan is a consultant who has been working with Alan for a few weeks. It's Thursday morning, and they already have a meeting scheduled late Friday afternoon.
Alan: Hello, AF Company, Alan here.
Dan: Hello, may I speak to Alan Goode, please?
Alan: Speaking.
Dan: Hello, this is Dan with GH Consulting.
Alan: Oh, hey Dan! How's it going?
Dan: Fine. I am calling to inform you that we have finished analyzing the survey data ahead of schedule, and we are ready to share our findings at your earliest convenience.
Alan: That was quick!
Dan: Yes.
Alan: But let's see, I'm booked up until tomorrow afternoon, so let's just stick to the original schedule.
Dan: Okay.
Alan: So I'll see you and your team tomorrow at 2pm?
Dan: Yes. Bye-bye.
*click*
Dan made at least 4 specific communication errors, and one huge, general mistake. Can you spot everything he did wrong?
Read this in a fairly flat and monotone voice. You are showing an example of bad style.
- Dan's impression was terrible! He probably wrote a script and stuck to it in a very stiff, inflexible way.
- Failing to match the client's tone seems unfriendly and awkward.
Key point: most consultants will dress to match the client's style. Language is similar, or perhaps even more important.
Main takeaway: being formal is not a safe way to communicate, just as always wearing a suit and tie is not always the safest way to dress.
Recap of all the mistakes:
1. "Alan here" or "Speaking" should have gotten a better response. It's rare for a key person to answer the phone. "Oh, is that Alan Goode?" Or, "Wow, I didn't expect you to reach you directly!"
- Be flexible and present. Don't be rigid and scripted.
2. "How's it going?" This is an invitation have a quick chat. Most English-speaking cultures, including America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, value small talk. Personal connections are an important part of business connections. Brushing it off seems rude. You don't need to reveal anything in detail, but you do need to return the greeting. Usually, "Fine/Good/Great. How about you?" is sufficient.
- Is the consultant fine? No! He's great. They finished everything ahead of schedule.
3. Dan's news is too direct. Perhaps instead, "I've got some good news: we actually finished analyzing the survey data early, and we are ready to share our findings." Is it common to finish early? Probably not. This is an accomplishment, and the consultant can present it as such.
- Prepare the listener when you give information (more detail below).
4. The ending is very bad. Saying "Bye-bye" is quite informal, which is an odd break from the tone in the rest of the conversation. Rather, "See you" or "See you + [time]" is common. Also, don't hang up too quickly.
- Repeat the meeting time at the end of scheduling.
More on being too direct
You can be direct in the middle of a meeting with a person you know well. Other than that, take the extra couple of seconds and prepare the listener for what you are going to say. It's really, really common to give a qualitative answer.
- How's the weather?
- O It's great! Sunny and warm, almost 30 degrees.
- X It is a sunny day. It is about 30 degrees.
- If there's a problem:
- O Hey Stan, can I talk with you for a moment? I actually noticed an error in your work.
- X Stan, there's an error in your work.
- Good news:
- O Actually, I've got some good news for you. We've finished analyzing the survey data ahead of schedule!
- X I am calling to inform you that we have finished analyzing the survey data ahead of schedule
A. One major etiquette goal is mirroring style. Beginning the conversation will depend on the person with whom you are talking—some people prefer to get down to business, while others are more informal and friendly.
Recall common greetings and responses from previous lessons.
Make sure your intonation is varied and expressive, even more so than in person.
B. Signaling the need to finish and then finishing strongly is important. Arrange the following phrases from most to least formal, and discuss with whom you might use the language:
- Thanks so much for your time/for taking the time to speak with me.
- Well, I know you’re busy, so I don’t want to keep you.
- I want to get home before my kids' bedtime. Gotta run!
- Okay, so I’ll get right on that, and we’ll touch base next week.
- Well, I'm pretty busy, so...
- Ok, take care.
C. Discuss the following information flow for a typical voicemail. Can you think of any other phrases you could use?
- Greeting—Good morning.
- Identify yourself—Jack Robinson from BNL here.
- Say what the call is regarding—I'm calling about the follow-up interview we discussed last week. We are free Tuesday at 3pm, if that works for you.
- Say the next action—Give me a call back or email me. Whichever is easier.
- Sign off—Looking forward to the next interview. Take care.
Imagine Jack has called you, and you call him back only to reach his voicemail—you are not available at 3pm; it will have to be later. Leave him a message. Your teacher will time you. Make sure your message is less than 30 seconds long. The ideal length is 20 seconds.
A. Mirroring style means to reflect the style that the other person uses. If they are formal, go formal. If they are casual, go casual.
Tell your student to respond naturally to the following greetings:
- How's it going?
- Good to hear from you!
- It's been a while.
- How've you been?
- How's your day going?
- What's new?
- What can I do for you?
NOTE: Telephone intonation is even bigger than face to face. Many students struggle with this.
B. Here are the phrases from most to least formal. Some variation is acceptable:
1. Thanks so much for your time/Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me. [To a high-level client]
2. Well, I know you’re busy, so I don’t want to keep you. [To a high-level client]
4. Okay, so I’ll get right on that, and we’ll touch base next week. [To your counterpart at the client company]
6. Ok, take care! [Neutral, to anyone.]
5. Well, I'm pretty busy, so... [Casual, to someone who is talking too much. This "so..." ending is an unspoken conclusion, in this case, "so, I need to get back to work."]
3. I want to get home before my kids' bedtime. Gotta run! [Obviously informal]
C. Discuss the following information flow for a typical voicemail. Can you think of any other phrases you could use?
- Greeting—Good morning.
- Identify yourself—Jack Robinson from BNL here.
- Say what the call is regarding—I'm calling about the follow-up interview we discussed last week. We are free Tuesday at 3pm, if that works for you.
- Say the next action—Give me a call back or email me. Whichever is easier.
- Sign off—Looking forward to the next interview. Take care.
E.g.: Hi Jack, [name] here. Thanks for ringing me back. Tuesday is good, but we have to make it later. I'd love to speak with you so give me a call back. I'm in the office all day. Take care.
A. You have a 30-minute meeting scheduled with your client tomorrow at 4pm. You need to bring it forward to finish no later than 3pm. You've emailed them a few hours ago but they haven't responded. Call and confirm the time change.
B. You have an urgent update you need to give to your counterpart at the client company in order to prepare them for today's meeting. You sent them an email but haven't heard back. Call to check.