Making phone calls in English, especially if it's for your work, can sometimes make you feel insecure. Even if you prepare yourself, you never know how your conversation partner will react and what then?
By learning standard phrases you can use as a steppingstone in your next business calls, you will avoid surprises and will be able to communicatie confidently and with impact.
We've made a list of the most useful key sentences that will help you with your business calls in English!
Answering a business call in English
As soon as the telephone rings and demands your attention, you can employ the following key phrases to answer your business call with confidence:
| Answering a business call in English |
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Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon. (Your name) speaking, how may I help (you)?
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Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon. (Your name) speaking.
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Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon, you've reached (company). This is (your name) speaking. How may I help (you)?
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Could / May I ask who's calling, please?
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I'm sorry, I didn't catch your first name.
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Can I ask what it is concerning?
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I'm sorry, you've got the wrong number.
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| Transferring a business call in English |
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I’ll connect you to my colleague. She/he should/will be able to help (you).
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Please hold the line. I’ll connect you to my colleague.
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Would you like me to put you through to (name)?
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Let me transfer you to (name)'s extension.
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Could you please hold?
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Thank you for holding.
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I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
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I'm sorry, she/he's not here today. Can I take a message?
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I'm afraid she/he's not available at the moment. Can I take a message?
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I'm afraid she/he's on another line.
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I'm sorry, she/he's in a meeting right now.
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I'm sorry, she/he's away from the office and won't be back until next week.
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Can I take a message?
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Shall I ask her/him to call you back?
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I'll give her/him your message as soon as she/he gets back.
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I'll ask her/him to call you as soon as she/he gets back.
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| Asking a caller for additional information |
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Could you spell that for me, please? / How do you spell that, please?
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Let me see if I got that right.
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I'm not sure I understand. Did you mean ...?
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Could you send me an email with the detailed offer?
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I don't have that information right now. Can I call you right back?
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Can I call you back this afternoon / tomorrow / next week?
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I'm afraid I can't give you that information.
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Sorry, but I'm not allowed to give details about that.
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| Asking a caller to repeat something |
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I'm sorry, I can't hear you. Could you repeat that please?
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I'm sorry, the line is quite bad. Could you please say that again?
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Would you mind speaking up a bit? I can't hear you very well.
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Calling a business contact in English
Initiating a business call to a contact? Use these essential phrases to kickstart the conversation confidently:
| Calling a business contact in English |
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Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon, this is (your name) from (company).
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Hi (person's name), this is (your name). How are you?
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I'm calling to ask about/discuss/clarify ...
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Could you tell me ...
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I just wanted to ask ...
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I'm calling to follow up on ...
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I'm returning your call about ...
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I'm sorry to phone so early in the morning but …
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I'm sorry to ring again so soon but …
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I'm sorry to trouble you again but …
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| Calling a business contact back after a missed call |
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I'm sorry, it took me so long to get back to you.
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I'm sorry, I missed your call earlier.
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So sorry, I just saw your missed call.
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I'm sorry, I couldn't pick up your call.
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Calling a company's reception desk in English
In case you don't have the contact details of a business contacty and need to call their reception, don't fret! We have got you covered with these go-to standard phrases in English:
| Calling the reception of a comapny |
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Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon, this is (your name) from (company).
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Hi, this is (your name) from (company).
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May I speak to (person's name).
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I'd like to speak to (person's name), please.
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| Responding when your contact is unavailable |
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That’s okay, I’ll (just) call again later.
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When is she/he going to be back?
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Do you know when she/he will be available?
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Could you please take a message? Please tell (person's name) that ...
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Could you please take a message and let her/him know that ...
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Could you tell him/her that I called, please?
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Could you ask him/her to call me back, please?
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Actually, it’s quite urgent. Could you give me her/his mobile number?
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Is there anyone else I can speak to about…?
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Ending a business call in English
Ready to wrap up your business call with confidence? Look no further than these key sentences in English that will help you end the conversation smoothly:
| Ending a business call in English |
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I will follow up with the requested information soon.
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I will keep you updated on our progress.
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Thank you (very much) for your time.
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Thanks for calling /your call.
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Thank you very much for your help.
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That’s been really helpful, thanks.
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Have a good day/evening.
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By incorporating these essential phrases into your business calls, you can confidently initiate and conclude conversations in English.
Say goodbye to uncertainty and hello to effective communication!
Do you need help in order to be able to call and speak more fluently in English?
Do you need more specific help or coaching to be able to make business calls in English and to speak more fluently? Then at Squidll you can contact one of our language coaches.
Together with your coach you will learn useful vocabulary and key sentences that apply to your job and company, and you will practise telephone conversations you are often confronted with.
Before you know it you will pick up the phone without hesitation!
