BUSINESS TELEPHONE AND VIDEO CALLS
Explicación
Tower Languages
Online Learning is Today
Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator
Telephone & Video Calls
Business English · B2
📌 Modern Business Communication Happens Through…
🧠 1. Professional Mindset for Calls
📱 Channels
✔ Phone calls
✔ Zoom / Teams / Meet
✔ Virtual presentations
✔ Remote collaboration
⚠️ Why Professionals Feel Nervous
👉 No body language to rely on
👉 Technical issues interrupt
👉 Must respond quickly
👉 Need to sound clear & professional
🎯 This Section Builds…
✔ Confidence
✔ Clarity
✔ Professionalism
The Right Mindset
speaking on the phone is not about perfection
❌ The goal is NOT to…
👎 Sound impressive or perfect
👎 Use complex vocabulary
✅ The goal IS to…
✔ Be understood clearly
✔ Sound professional
✔ Manage the situation effectively
| Expression | Professional Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| connect the call | start communication | "Let me connect the call." |
| put you through | transfer a call | "I'll put you through to Finance." |
| hold the line | ask someone to wait | "Please hold the line." |
| drop off | lose connection | "The call dropped off." |
| follow up | continue communication later | "I'll follow up by email." |
| clarify | make something clear | "Let me clarify that." |
| reschedule | arrange a new time | "We may need to reschedule." |
| join the meeting | enter a meeting | "She just joined the meeting." |
| bandwidth issue | internet problem | "We're experiencing bandwidth issues." |
| audio delay | sound delay | "There's an audio delay." |
| screen sharing | showing your screen | "I'll start screen sharing." |
| reconnect | connect again | "I'll reconnect in a moment." |
Opening a Call
first impressions set the professional tone
"Good morning, this is Daniel from GlobalTech."
"Thank you for taking the call today."
"I'm calling to discuss the proposal."
"Is this still a good time to talk?"
💬 Mini Conversation
Opening a call — example
AGood afternoon, this is Laura from FinPro.
BHello Laura, thank you for calling.
AI'm calling to follow up on our last meeting.
Taking & Leaving Messages
when the person is unavailable
"Would you like to leave a message?"
"I can take a note."
"May I ask who's calling?"
"I'll make sure she receives your message."
💬 Mini Conversation
Caller unavailable — example
CallerMay I speak to Mr. Collins?
Recep.I'm afraid he's unavailable. Would you like to leave a message?
CallerYes, please ask him to call me back.
Video Call Situations & Phrases
Zoom · Teams · Google Meet
| Situation | Professional Phrase |
|---|---|
| Someone is muted | "You're on mute." |
| Cannot hear someone | "We can't hear you." |
| Screen is frozen | "The screen is frozen." |
| Audio echo | "There's an echo." |
| Unstable connection | "Your connection seems unstable." |
| Sound delay | "There's a slight delay." |
| Camera is off | "Your camera is off." |
| Need to share screen | "Could you share your screen?" |
On mute
ManagerJohn, I think you're on mute.
JohnSorry about that.
Screen frozen
ClientYour screen is frozen.
PresenterThanks for letting me know. I'll restart sharing.
Technical Difficulties
stay calm · stay professional · find a solution
"It seems we're experiencing technical difficulties."
"Let me reconnect quickly."
"I'll rejoin the meeting."
"Shall we continue while I fix this?"
💬 Mini Conversation
Someone drops off — example
AI think we lost Sarah.
BYes, she dropped off. She'll rejoin shortly.
Rescheduling a Call
✔"Would it be possible to reschedule?"
✔"Let's find another time."
✔"We may need to continue later."
ClientThe audio is cutting out.
ManagerWe may need to reschedule if this continues.
Managing Call Transitions
✔"Shall we move on to the next point?"
✔"Let's review the agenda."
✔"Before we wrap up…"
LeaderBefore we wrap up, are there any questions?
Remote & Mobile Work Phrases
joining from different devices · connectivity
"I'm dialing in from my phone."
"I'm joining from another device."
"I'm having connectivity issues."
"No problem, we can see you clearly."
💬 Mini Conversation
AI'm joining from my tablet today.
BNo problem, we can see you clearly.
Closing the Call
leave a positive, professional final impression
"Thank you for your time today."
"I appreciate your input."
"I'll follow up by email."
"Looking forward to the follow-up."
💬 Mini Conversation
ManagerThank you for your time.
ClientLooking forward to the follow-up.
📞 Speak professionally on phone and video calls
🔧 Handle technical issues calmly and professionally
📝 Take and leave messages confidently
🖥️ Manage virtual meetings effectively
🌍 Adapt to modern remote work environments
Ejercicio 1
Tower Languages
Online Learning is Today
Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator
Telephone & Video Calls — Activity 1
— / 10
Instrucción: Choose the most professional response for each situation. Think about tone, clarity, and how the phrase would sound in a real business call or virtual meeting.
🔵 Phone Calls
starting · transferring · holding
🩵 Video Calls
muted · frozen · camera off
🟣 Technical Issues
reconnecting · dropped · delay
🟠 Call Management
clarifying · closing · messages
1
🔵 Phone Call
The client cannot hear you.
2
🟣 Technical Issue
The connection fails during a meeting.
3
🔵 Phone Call
You need someone to wait.
4
🟠 Message Taking
You want to take a message.
5
🩵 Video Call
The video is not working.
6
🔵 Phone Call
You want to transfer a call.
7
🟣 Technical Issue
The client lost connection.
8
🟠 Call Management
You need to clarify something.
9
🟠 Call Management
You want to end the call politely.
10
🟣 Technical Issue
You need to reconnect.
Check Answers ✓
Ejercicio 2
Instrucción: Read each situation and select the most professional expression. Think about tone, clarity, and how you would sound in a real virtual meeting or business context.
Opening & Closing
Thank you for joining… · I appreciate your time… → warm & professional
Tech Issues
Your screen seems frozen · There seems to be an audio delay → diplomatic
Managing the Meeting
Shall we move on? · Could you hold for a moment? → polite & in control
🖥️ Starting & Closing the Meeting
1
🟢 Opening the call
You want to start professionally. What do you say?
2
🕐 Late arrival
Someone joins late. How do you acknowledge them?
3
🔴 Closing the call
You want to close professionally. What do you say?
⚙️ Handling Technical Issues
4
🖥️ Frozen screen
Someone's screen is not updating. How do you report it?
5
🔊 Audio problem
There is an audio delay. How do you describe it professionally?
6
🎙️ Checking audio
You need to confirm everyone can hear you. What do you ask?
🗂️ Managing the Flow of the Meeting
7
➡️ Transitioning topics
You want to move to the next topic. What do you say?
8
⏸️ Asking someone to wait
You need to ask them to hold on. What do you say?
9
📅 Rescheduling
You need to reschedule the meeting. How do you ask?
10
📧 Following up after the call
You want to follow up after the meeting. What do you say?