Making a cold call - 29 - Need to make a call? English at Work shows you...

source: BBC Learning English      2017年1月17日
For more English at Work and other great content:: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/...

TRANSCRIPT
Narrator: Bye bye Mr Socrates. He’s flying back to America leaving Tip Top Trading’s London team trying to work out how best to focus their business on the European market.
Paul: Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to go to the airport with Mr Socrates to see him off. We had a good chat in the taxi and he said some very positive things.
Denise: Oh yes. Like what?
Paul: Err, well… well, how nice English beer is.
Tom: Yeah but what about the European marketing strategy – what are we going to do about that?
Paul: Well, Anna is supposed to lead on that, I’m taking a more biscuitorial control over it.
Anna: A what?
Tom: It means you do all the work while he eats all the biscuits!
Paul: Do you mind Tom. Now, what I’m thinking is we put the feelers out – do some cold calling, see what people are buying at the moment.
Anna: Cold calling? But I like to be warm when I’m on the phone.
Denise: No Anna. Cold calling is when you call prospective clients when they’re not expecting you to, to ask them something or to sell them something. I’m very good at calling people.
Tom: Yeah, usually the hair dresser! So Paul, where do we begin, who do we call first?
Paul: Track down some potential clients in Europe, see what they’re buying now, see what they want in the future. Make them think it’s our laser-curved fruit they want!
Denise: But keep your calls brief, international calls are very expensive.
Narrator: OK Anna, it’s time to cold call. What are you going to say?
Anna: I don’t know.
Narrator: Find someone to call, then be pleasant and polite. When you call, ask to speak to the person who deals with buying or purchasing. And then ask that person if they could spare a few minutes of their time.
Anna: OK. Here goes. (Looking through a telephone directory) Let’s have a look… fruit growers, fruit pickers, fruit traders… Fruit Traders International… (Dials number) 0-0-4-3-9-8-4-5-5-4-4.
Trader: Bonjour?
Anna: (surprised) Ah, erm, oh….
Narrator: Don’t be surprised! You’ve called a company in France, they speak French. Just ask if it’s OK to speak English.
Anna: Oh hello. Is it possible to speak to you in English?
Trader: Oui… yes.
Anna: Great. Are you the person who purchases plastic fruit for your company?
Trader: I am. How can I help you?
Anna: Yes, can you spare a few minutes of your time? I want to sell you some laser-curved fruit.
Trader: What?!
Narrator: That’s a bit direct Anna. Slow down and tell them your name and why you’re calling. Find out something about them. Maybe say “I’d like to tell you about our great new laser-curved fruit”. Ask them “How much plastic fruit do you buy?” and at the end of the call say “thank you for your time. We hope to hear from you soon.” Give it a go Anna.
Anna: OK. Erm… hello my name is Anna. How are you today?
Trader: Good thank you.
Anna: That’s good. I’d like to tell you about our great new laser-curved fruit.
Trader: Oh yes.
Anna: Our company is called Tip Top Trading and we are the UK’s number 1 plastic fruit manufacturer – and well, we’re so proud of our fruit that we’ve decided to let the rest of Europe enjoy it too.
Narrator: Very good Anna!
Anna: We make our fruit using laser-curved technology. In fact we’ve just launched our best product ever, the Imperial Lemon – it looks so real you want to squeeze it.
Trader: Hmm, lemons, interesting.
Narrator: Anna’s got the hang of this – she’s on fire – I mean, she’s doing really well. Her cold calling technique has really warmed up. She’s pitched the products now she needs to sell.
Anna: …so thank you for your time. I hope you may consider us when you next purchase some plastic fruit.
Trader: We will certainly consider your company.
Anna: Well we hope to hear from you soon. Goodbye (puts phone down). Tom, Tom, how are you getting on?
Tom: (On phone/angry) …well if that’s what you think then you can shove your kumquats… hello? Hello? (Slams phone down)
Anna: What’s wrong?
Tom: They’ve hung up on me. Really! He said the plastic fruit industry is in meltdown. But Anna, if I don’t get any contracts soon I’ll be fired.
Anna: Well, this calls for teamwork Tom – tomorrow, Tuesday, we’re going to tackle this task – together!
Narrator: Hooray for Anna. Now she’s sounding like a leader. And she’s mastered cold calling by using some simple phrases, like these:
My name is Anna. Can you spare a few minutes of your time?
I’d like to tell you about our great new laser-curved fruit
How much plastic fruit do you buy?
Thank you for your time. We hope to hear from you soon.
Phone rings
Denise: Anna. There’s a call for you, from someone in France, they want to talk to you about lemons.
Narrator: Sounds promising. Find out what happens next time on English at Work. Bye.

How to talk about Relationships in English?

source: Learn English with Let's Talk    2017年3月25日
http://www.learnex.in/spoken-english-...
The following phrases will be useful for you when talking about relationships in English:

1) to have a thing for - meaning to like someone or have a soft corner for someone
Ex: Jane has always had a thing for her childhood friend Ashley

2)to have a crush on - to be romantically interested in someone or to be attracted to someone.
Ex- Jane has a secret crush on Charlie since high school.

3)To get serious - to formalise one' s relationship or think along the lines of marrying someone.
Ex- John has gotten really serious Myra and plans to marry her soon.

4) to pop the question - to propose for marriage
Ex- Sarah was very excited when her long-time boyfriend popped the question to her on the occasion of her birthday.

5) to cheat on - to have a romantic partner outside of your relationship or marriage
Mandy blew up her marriage by cheating on her husband with an older man.

6) to have an affair - to have a romantic relationship which is possibly physical -
Radha had a steamy affair with her boss Charles.

7) to dump someone - to end a relationship where ending it is your choice and your decision and your partner's Opinion doesn't matter.
Kahuna dumped her alcoholic boyfriend for a nice, stable businessman

8) to be soulmates - two people in a romantic relationship who you love each other deeply, are compatible and feel strongly connected to each other.
Binny and Raul have been soulmates ever since they met each other.

Travel | 10 Very Short Conversations

source: Mark Kulek     2017年3月3日
http://www.youtube.com/timedtext_vide...
My videos are vocabulary-based for conversation practice. Each video is themed to provide context for learning. To insure success, every video is designed with open slots for vocabulary substitution practice. These patterns allow students to practice on their own and teachers can have their class practice together as a group.
https://shop.spreadshirt.com/10005146...
http://www.englishbooks.jp/catalog/in...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MT6OZ54
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http://sharingmywhiteboard.blogspot.jp
#EnglishSpeakingPractice

GO phrasal verbs

source: MrSkypelessons　2017年3月24日
Answer the following questions:
1) Would you be able to go without your phone for a week?
2) How long did your last holiday go on for?
3) Do you go along with the theory that the universe is 15 billion years old?
4) What nicknames do you go by online?
5) Do you know anyone who goes around making nasty comments?
6) If you had to work abroad and not see your family for some time, would you be able to go through with it?
Exercises:
http://www.advanced-english-grammar.c...
http://www.5minuteenglish.com/apr29.htm
https://www.carolinebrownenglishlesso...

How to Talk about your Ideas in English | 925 English Lesson 9

source: Business English Pod   2017年3月26日
Download: https://www.businessenglishpod.com/ca...
In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to English expressions and phrases for talking about ideas..
You might be full of great ideas about your company, your products, or how to connect with your customers. But those ideas aren’t very useful if you can’t tell other people about them.
925 English is a new business English podcast for beginners. 925 English lessons focus on chunks of language and English expressions that you can use in work and business. Each 925 English lesson features English phrases you can use in different situations and advice on why and how we use them in Business English (https://www.businessenglishpod.com/ca...)

TH Sound - Basic English Pronunciation

source: ETJ English  2017年2月21日
https://etjenglish.acuityscheduling.com/
The TH sound is very distinctive within the English language. This British English pronunciation lesson will help you pronounce and understand the TH sound - one of the most challenging sounds to make in English.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/etjenglish
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/etjenglish
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etjenglish

How to teach reading with phonics - 5/12 - Long Vowel Sounds - Learn Eng...

source: EnglishAnyone      2011年3月20日
http://www.englishanyone.com/power-le... Learn to express yourself confidently in fluent English and sound like a native speaker with our FREE Power Learning video course!
The Sounds of English, a FREE, comprehensive series of 12 videos, teaches phonics and pronunciation to non-native and beginning native learners of English. Learn to spell, read and pronounce English like native speakers with these easy lessons. Great for self-study, or the whole family! Build confidence and get fluent faster!

Lesson 5 - Long Vowel Sounds
Learn when vowels say their own letter name and when the sound of the letter y changes.

In lessons two, three and four, you used the short vowel sounds in words. Remember, the short vowel sounds are "a," "e," "i," "o" and "u." In this lesson, you'll see some examples of single letters that make long vowel sounds. The long vowel sounds are the names of the letters A, E, I, O, U. Listen carefully to the long vowel sounds these letters make. (Repeat words)

The words I, he, she and we also have vowels that say their own name. You will see them everywhere and remember them naturally.

The letter Y can also make long vowel sounds. The rule for Y is easy. If Y is the last letter of a word with one sound, then says "I." If Y is the last letter of a word with two or more sounds, then it says "E." Here are some words with one sound. (Repeat words)

Here are words with two sounds. Listen carefully. (Repeat words)

If I is the last letter of a word, it usually makes the long E sound. Ski and taxi are two examples.

Great job! In the next lesson, you'll learn some interesting spelling rules and some more new sounds!

Phrasal Verbs - TIP OVER

source: Espresso English    2017年2月19日
Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phras...
More English Courses: http://www.espressoenglish.net/englis...

Silver Idioms

source: BBC Learning English    2009年4月27日
Idioms related to the colour silver. Find out about three idioms: to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth, to be silver-tongued, every cloud has a silver lining.

BBC News Review: Major problem with world's oceans

source: BBC Learning English    2016年9月6日
A new report into the rising temperatures of the world's oceans has discovered that this problem is more serious than we originally thought.
For more, visit our website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/...
The story
A report compiled by 80 scientists from 12 countries says the global impact of ocean warming has been severely underestimated.
The study launched by the International Union for Conservation of Nature suggests that climate change is pushing plankton, jellyfish, turtles and seabirds into waters previously too cold to support them.
Dan Laffoley - BBC News
This warming has real consequences for us and our livelihoods. One of the things which is different with this report than anything we've done before is taking this comprehensive view.
One of the priorities should be actually to build on this report, to have a discussion around the evidence that we're showing and actually then to work to, to plan for the future with the information that we know we'll need to be able to cope when we see [a] progressive changes from a warming ocean.

# Key words and phrases
underestimated: (here) thought to be lower than it really is
livelihoods: ways of earning money in order to live
soaring: rising quickly
plummeting:falling quickly and suddenly
staggering: very shocking and surprising
bear the brunt of: suffer the worst part or effect of something bad or harmful

Talking About Your Hometown

source: Oxford Online English 2017年1月5日
See the full version: http://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/ta...
Where do you live? Do you live in a small town, a big city, or a remote village? What’s it like?
In this lesson, you can learn how to describe your hometown in English. Describing your hometown is useful for your conversational English, and could also help you in exams such as the IELTS speaking exam or the FCE speaking exam.

You can learn:
- How to introduce where you live.
- How to describe your hometown in detail.
- How to say what you like or dislike about your hometown.
- How to talk about the ways your hometown has changed.
- How to build a longer, detailed, interesting answer to describe your hometown in English!

Piece of Cake & As Easy As Pie

source: Shaw English Online    2014年1月28日
Follow Shaw English: http://bit.ly/1dTGEpiWatch
WEBSITE: http://www.shawenglish.com
FACEBOOK: http://on.fb.me/1l3Hjsm
GOOGLE+: http://bit.ly/1l3HsMf
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ShawEnglish2014

Vocabulary: Lag (with Esther)

source: Shaw English Online     2014年1月27日
Follow Shaw English: http://bit.ly/1dTGEpiWatch
Does your computer have lag? Do you have jet lag? Esther will teach this important English vocabulary for you to study and use.
WEBSITE: http://www.shawenglish.com
FACEBOOK: http://on.fb.me/1l3Hjsm
GOOGLE+: http://bit.ly/1l3HsMf
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ShawEnglish2014

Sightseeing (Learn English 73)

source: EF podEnglish    2007年1月25日
Learn how articles like a and the are used in common phrases, in place names, and for holidays. In this advanced English lesson you will see two men talking about culture and religion in England and China as they decide where to go sightseeing.
http://bit.ly/avGrxj
http://www.ef.com

Advice & Advise

source: Twominute English    2013年5月13日
The word 'advice' is a noun, and the word 'advise' is a verb. Both refer to recommendations. If we ask someone for an opinion about what to do, it means we are asking for 'advice'.
When a person asks someone to suggest or recommend a solution or an option about what to do in a specific situation, they want someone to advise them.
exercises for this lesson: http://twominenglish.com/video/126-Ad...
Facebook: http://facebook.com/twominenglish
App for your Android Device: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de...

0:07 In this lesson, we will learn the difference between the words ‘advice’ and ‘advise.’
0:29 Hello, everyone. The topic of the day is ‘advice’. ‘Advice’ is a noun, it is a recommendation.
0:36 If we ask someone for an opinion about what to do, it means we are asking for ‘advice’.
0:43 That’s right, Jean. And ‘advise’ is a verb. When a person asks someone to suggest or recommend a solution
0:50 or an option about what to do in a specific situation, they want someone to advise them of what to do.
0:57 Ok, Martha. If I have a headache, what do you advise?
1:02 Well, Jean, I advise taking an aspirin. In other words, you should take an aspirin.
1:08 That’s great advice. Remember that ‘advice’ is uncountable. We don’t use an article.
1:16 It’s inappropriate to say ‘an advice’ or ‘two advices’. We can, however, say ‘a piece of advice’, or ‘two pieces of advice’.
1:29 Pay attention to the difference. We cannot give ‘advise’, but we can give ‘advice’. And we cannot ‘advice’, but we can ‘advise’.
1:39 Oh, so we ‘give’ advice. And what verb do we use to say we accept the piece of advice?
1:49 Great question, Jean. The person can accept or follow someone’s advice.
1:54 Ok. I usually follow my dad’s advice about my career. Martha, do you know a common way people ask for advice?
2:05 Sure, Jean. When I need advice, I ask: ‘What should I do’?
2:10 That’s what I say, too. We can also say: ‘What do you recommend’? But there are many different ways to ask for advice.
2:18 That’s correct. Right now, I advise our listeners to watch a couple of dialogues involving some people who need advice.
2:26 I think I’ll follow your advice…and you should follow it, too.
2:37 Hey Sam. How was your expedition to Himalaya?
2:42 It was unforgettable! It was full of amazing lifetime experiences!
2:47 Great! We will go for a trip to the Himalayas next week! Will you give me some advice?
2:54 Well, there’s a lot to say! I can only advise you to read the traveler’s guide to the Himalayas carefully.
3:00 That’s useful advice, but where do I find the book?
3:04 I can give it to you. You will find everything you need in there.
3:08 Thank you Sam. I’ll pick it up in the evening
3:18 The first thing I would advise is to listen carefully to your guides.
3:22 All right Sam. I will listen to their advice carefully.
3:26 It’s very important because they are the ones who are experienced.
3:31 How were your guides, Sam?
3:34 Our guides were intelligent and careful. They advised us through every situation we faced.
3:40 Thank you for the advice, Sam. I’ll remember it.
3:47 If I have a headache, what do you advise?
3:55 I advise taking an aspirin. In other words, you should take an aspirin.
4:07 That’s great advice.
4:11 I usually follow my dad’s advice about my career.
4:20 I can only advise you to read the traveler’s guide to the Himalayas carefully.
4:31 That’s useful advice, but where do I find the book?
4:39 The first thing I would advise is to listen carefully to your guides.
4:49 I will listen to their advice carefully.