文秘英语 Unit 4 Business Reception

Unit 4

Business Reception

Learning Objectives By the end of this unit, you should be able to ? know how to make an appointment, ? communicate with visitors properly, ? write welcome speeches, ? learn some business reception etiquette.

Session One Speaking

In business, making an appointment is a top priority if you want to meet someone. Therefore it is the secretary’s responsibility to set the appointment with visitors or clients, even sometimes to deal with unexpected visitors or rude clients.

Activity One Core Words and Phrases

Making appointments is not a difficult but an essential job in business reception. Some words are often used in this situation. Now match the words in Column A with their definitions in Column B.

Column A Column B

1. schedule A. capable of being used 2.available B. plan or organize

3.book (v.) C. free of trouble or difficulty 4.convenient D. show unwillingness to accept

5.arrange E. call off (an arrangement)

6.refuse F. list or statement of details, esp. of times for doing things 7.postpone G. reserve in advance 8. cancel H. pay a visit to

9. drop in I. a mutual or reciprocal action

10. interaction J. move down to a later time

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Now see if you have matched the words with their definitions correctly: 1.F 2. A 3. G 4. C 5. B 6.D 7. J 8. E 9.H 10. I If you have any difficulty about these words, look them up in the dictionary. Activity Two Core Sentences

Blake Smith, Marketing Manager from ABC Company, wants to discuss the sales contract with Mr. Johnson, Executive of Rainbow Group. First he needs to make an appointment with Zhang Hong, Mr. Johnson's secretary. Below are some core sentences of how to make an appointment. Read them aloud and try to learn them by heart.

1. I wonder if it would be convenient to meet you tomorrow. 1.我想明天是否方便见面。

2. Can you spare some time for me next week?

3. Mr. Johnson is free next Monday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

4. I can't make it tomorrow at 2 p.m. Can we make it a bit later, say 4 p.m.?

5. Regretfully, I have to inform you that I won't be able to attend the meeting tomorrow.

2.下周您能否抽出一点时间？

3. 约翰逊先生下周一上午10点到11点有空。

4.明天下午2点我可能不行，晚一点可以吗？4点钟怎么样？

5.很抱歉，我不得不告知您明天的会议我不能参加。

In the core sentences above, you may find they are very formal. That’s true. The language that people use in arranging business appointments is formal. Usually we do not often use such expressions with friends. These appointments must be set during office hours, between Monday and Friday. People concerned have to agree beforehand on when to meet, where to meet, and what to discuss. That’s the job the secretary should do. 2

Session Two Listening

This session is to provide you with some listening activities regarding secretarial practice. There are two activities in this session: five short dialogues in one activity and one conversation in the other.

Activity One Short Dialogues

This activity is to check your ability to understand five short dialogues. After each dialogue, there is a recorded question. Both the dialogues and questions will be spoken twice. When you hear a question, you should decide on the correct answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D) given in the course book, and then choose the correct answer. Before you listen to the dialogues, first have a quick look at the following words, which might be helpful.

1. What does the woman want him to do? A. To go right into the boss’s office. B. To come back at three. C. To wait for a short time. D. To change the appointment. 2. What does the woman mean?

A. She agrees completely with the man.

B. She thinks it’s easy to find Mr. Johnson’s office. C. She’ll see about getting the man an appointment. D. She’ll treat the man if Mr. Johnson isn’t available. 3. Why does the man need to wait?

A. Because Mr. Johnson is not at the office.

B. Because Mr. Johnson can’t see the man today. C. Because Mr. Johnson is quite busy right now.

D. Because Mr. Johnson is attending a friend’s wedding. 4. Where did the conversation probably take place? A. At a bus station. B. At an airport. C. At a train station. D. In an office.

5. What’s the relationship between the two people? A. They are teacher and student. B. They are father and daughter.

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engaged 忙碌的 pick up 用车接载 flight 航程 set off 出发 considerate 体贴的 client 客户

C. They are client and secretary. D. They are husband and wife. The second and third dialogues are a bit too difficult to understand. If you have any problem with the dialogues, try to use the tape scripts at the end of this unit. Check your answers with the following key: 1. C 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. C Activity Two A Conversation

In this activity, you will hear a recorded conversation between a visitor and a secretary. It is the first time for the visitor to be inside the company office. Listen to the conversation carefully and find out what Rooms 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 stand for respectively. The conversation will be read three times. For the first reading, you should try to get the main idea of the conversation. During the second reading, you are required to name the rooms according to what you have heard. The third reading is for you to check your answer. Before you listen to the conversation, first have a quick look at the following words, which might be helpful.

office block 办公大楼 administrative department 行政部 establish 建立 hot cake 热销品 dazzled 眼花缭乱的 conference 会议 opposite 对面 reading materials 读物 Reception 6 Entrance 7 8

Sofas 9 10 6._________ 7._________ 8._________ 9._________ 10._________

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The conversation you just heard is about receiving visitors. Receiving visitors and guests is a secretary’s daily routine. When a visitor has to wait, you must make sure that he has a comfortable chair and some reading materials. Also the secretary should have some small talks with him. Therefore as a secretary, it is essential for you to know the layout of the company building and also its history. Let's check the answer: 6. Showroom 7. Marketing Department 8. Conference Room 9. Personnel Department 10. Executive’s Office

After listening you are sure to have a better understanding of how to deal with the visitors appropriately. 5

Session Three Reading

Receiving visitors is actually a kind of art for secretaries because clients vary very much. It is very important for secretaries to receive clients properly and professionally, otherwise the company’s business would be screwed up. In this section, Zhang Hong will be informed about some business etiquette that will help her to build good relationships with her clients.

Activity One Testing Your Business Etiquette

Social and business etiquette can be tricky, and making the right moves can make a big difference. Take this quiz and see how you fare in the following business situations.

1. Your boss, Ms. White, enters the room when you're meeting with an important client, Mr. Beta. You rise and say “Ms. White, I'd like you to meet Mr. Beta, our client from Santiago.” Is this introduction correct?

2. When you answer a phone, you ask “Who are you?” Is it correct?

3. You're entering a cab with an important client. You position yourself so the client is seated curbside. Is this correct?

4. If you walk into the office of a person you do not know, do you shake his hand? 5. When you greet a visitor in your office, what will you do first?

Let’s see how you have done it. The reference is below: 1. No. This introduction is not correct. In business etiquette, generally you should say the name of the most important person first and always consider a client to be higher in rank than company employees, in order to honor them. 2. No. You should say “Who’s that?” 3. Yes. When a client steps out of the car, he (she) will be on the curbside and therefore won’t have to deal with getting out in traffic or sliding across the seat. 4. Yes, you should shake the person’s hand. Make sure you have a firm (but not painful) hand shake with him(her). 5. Tell him where to sit. Indicating where your guest should sit will make him(her) feel comfortable. If you can’t get most of them correct, don’t worry. After reading the article in Activity Two, you may have a better understanding of business etiquette. Activity Two Business Reception Etiquette

The following passage focuses on the understanding of business reception etiquette. Read the passage and decide whether the following statements are True or False according to it.

1. Most people learn meeting etiquette and how to conduct themselves at business events “on the job”.

2. The purpose of etiquette is to create an environment that allows everyone to feel comfortable. 3. It is forbidden for the secretary to talk with the visitors when they are waiting in the reception.

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Business Reception Etiquette

Etiquette, or good manners, is an important part of our day-to-day lives. etiquette礼节 Whether we realize it or not we are always subconsciously obeying rules of subconsciously下etiquette, such as giving up your seat to a lady or an elderly person, queuing 意识地

for a bus according to the fashion of “first come first served”, and simply queue 排队 saying \Etiquette is about making sure that people’s

social communication or transaction goes smoothly. However, few are trained transaction交易 in the art of good manners.

Business Reception Etiquette

Business etiquette is in essence about building relationships with people. In the essence本质 business world, it is relationships that influence your success or failure. Etiquette, and in particular, business etiquette, is simply a way of maximizing

potential潜力 your business potential.

As for a secretary, a part of her time is spent in dealing with clients face to face

or by telephone. The secretary could be the first one who meets the visitors. Therefore, it is important for her to learn some business reception etiquette.

before being met by the executive. It is very important that the secretary greets people properly, makes them feel comfortable and deals with them professionally. She must be aware of all the appointments and should notify reception of all appointments made by the executive at the beginning of each

notify通知

refreshment点心

In most organizations visitors will spend some time in the reception area

day. She should ensure the visitor is greeted in a warm and courteous manner. casual 随意的If time permits, visitors should be offered some refreshments or reading reassure消除疑虑materials instead of being made to sit there. She should always be prepared to accompany陪同 make casual conversations. If there is any delay, apologize and explain the reason for it. She should try to reassure the visitor that he(she) has not been overlooked or totally forgotten. If the secretary accompanies the visitor to the executive’s office, she may announce the visitor’s name, title, and the company he(she) represents, and then introduce the executive to the visitor. When the visitor leaves, she should walk him（her）to the front door, thank him (her) for coming, and say goodbye.

Business reception etiquette skills can help secretaries to establish friendly

relationships with clients, and successful friendship begins when one exhibits courtesy 礼貌 courtesy, respect and concern for the comfort of others. Better relationships mean better business.

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The passage provides some useful insights into effective business reception. After reading the passage, you should have learned some business etiquette, which could be helpful to your future career. The following key is for your reference. 1. T 2. T 3. F If you feel it difficult to understand the passage, read the following notes, and try to watch the attached video tutorials where the tutor will give you a detailed explanation of the whole passage. The video tutorials can be accessed on the internet at http://www.hnrtu.com.

Notes

1. Etiquette is about making sure that people’s social communication or transaction goes smoothly.

礼节就是要确保人们的社会交流或交易活动能顺利进行。 句中make sure的意思是“确保”，后面加that从句。

2. However, few are trained in the art of good manners. 然而，极少数人在礼节艺术方面受过训练。

句中few表示极少数人。注意few和a few， little和a little的用法和区别。 3. Business etiquette is in essence about building relationships with people. 商务礼节实质上就是建立人际关系。 句中in essence 意为“在本质上”。

4. In the business world, it is people that influence your success or failure. 在商业界，影响你是否成功的是人。

句中“It is… that …”为强调句型。如果被强调的成分是表示人的词，用关系词who或that来连接都可以。如果是其它成分，则一律用连接词that来连接。

5．If time permits, visitors should be offered some refreshments or reading materials.

如果时间允许，秘书应该给来访者提供一些小食品或者阅读资料。

句中if引导条件状语从句,而主句采用了被动语态。

Activity 3 Working with Words

The following table gives a clear map of reception etiquette. Read the passage again and complete it using the original words or phrases in the passage. Stages Before reception What a secretary should do 1. Try to deal with visitors________ and make them feel________. 2. Be________________ and ________ of all appointments. 3. Greet visitors in a _________ and ________manner. 4. Offer visitors some _________ or __________. 5. Be always prepared to __________________. 6. _________ and __________the reason for it if there is any delay. 7. _________, _________ and the company _________, and _______ the executive to the visitor. During reception After reception 8. _______ him to the front door and ______ him when the visitor leaves. 8

This table clearly shows the business reception etiquette according to the reception procedure. It is important for any secretary to remember it if she wishes to become successful in work. Now see if your answers are similar to the following: 1. professionally; comfortable 2. aware of all the appointments; notify reception 3. warm; courteous 4. refreshments; reading materials 5. make casual conversations 6.Apologize; explain 7. Announce the visitor’s name; title; he represents; introduce 8. Walk, thank Activity 4 Translation

1. Whether we realize it or not we are always subconsciously obeying rules of etiquette. 2. It is very important that the secretary receives people properly, makes them feel comfortable and deals with them professionally.

3. If the secretary accompanies the visitor to the executive’s office, he(she) may announce the visitor’s name, title and the company he represents, and then introduce the executive to the visitor.

4. Business reception etiquette skills can help secretaries to establish friendly relationships with clients.

5. Better relationships mean better business.

Now let’s see if you understood. The following key is only for your reference. 1. 无论我们是否意识到礼节,我们总是会下意识的去遵循它的规则。 2．秘书应该用恰当的方式接待访客，让他们感觉舒适，并熟练地与他们打交道，这是很 重要的。 3．秘书如果陪同客人一起进入老板办公室，要宣告客人的名字、头衔和所代表的公司，然后把老板介绍给客人。 4．商务接待礼仪能够帮助秘书与客户建立友好的关系。 5. 人际关系好，生意日日旺。 在翻译第二句时，注意它的骨干结构为“it is very important that…”，it 为形式主语，that引导主语从句。为了使译文符合汉语的表达习惯, 我们一般采用逆序法或分句法。 9

Session Four Writing

Activity One Tips for Writing Welcome Speeches

A welcome speech is often made in pubic to welcome the arrival of honored guests or newcomers. It could be made at a meeting, at a lecture, in a workshop, or at a celebration. The speech always targets the audience and the goal is to make them look forward to who is coming. Here is an example of a welcome speech:

Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, We are very delighted and honored here to have our distinguished guests, Mr. James Lucas and Ms Jane Ellen, who came all the way from France to visit our company. Both of them are esteemed specialists in the fashion design industry. Our company is looking forward to finding any cooperation opportunity with the two masters. On the behalf of Rainbow Group, I extend our warmest welcome to both of you and sincerely hope you will enjoy your stay here. Salutation Acknowledge and Compliment the guests Purpose of the visit Express the hope and make a As you can see clearly, there are mainly four steps in writing a welcome speech. conclusion Step 1. To specifically acknowledge any important guests.

e.g. We are so excited …/ pleased…/ thrilled… / honored… / delighted to have… Step 2. To compliment or to introduce the guests briefly.

e.g. …is/are esteemed specialist(s) in…

Step 3. To tell the purpose of the guest’s visit if necessary.

e.g. This time our guest(s) come(s) to promote business relations/ discuss new projects…

Step 4. To conclude by expressing sincere hope and warm welcome.

e.g. …extend warmest welcome to…

Remember: Before giving the speech, make sure you have the names of all the honored guests who you need to welcome. And you should also ensure that they are pronounced properly. A welcome speech is always short, simple and sincere. 1 to 2 minutes will be enough.

Activity Two Practice

1. Rearrange the order of the following sentences or phrases to make a good welcome speech. Put the corresponding letter to each part in the appropriate box.

A. Ever since 1999, there have been close business contacts between Space Company and my

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corporation.

B. Finally I would again extend my warmest welcome and hope that you will enjoy your stay.

C. This evening we are honored to hold a welcome party for our distinguished guests from the United Kingdom.

D. Ladies and Gentlemen,

E. I believe the current visit will promote business relations between us. F. On behalf of the company I want to extend a warm welcome to our guests. G. Cheers!

H. This time our guests come to discuss a new project with us.

I think it’s easy for you to do this task. The correct order is as follows: D C F A H E B G 2. Write a speech made at a banquet to welcome a group of technicians from the U.S. The technicians will visit our company and help to establish a new computer management system.

There is no fixed answer to this exercise. If you feel it difficult to write the speech, try to memorize the most common sentence patterns and structure of a welcome speech in this session. The following speech is for your reference: Ladies and Gentlemen, We are very pleased to have our honored guests, Mr. Smith and technicians from his company. Mr. Smith and the technicians are famous professionals in America. Their visit to our company will enable us to have a better understanding of clothes marketing. Let’s extend our warmest welcome to all of them. Widening Your Horizon

How to Make Appointments

The scheduling of appointments varies depending on the type of business that secretaries are involved in. For instance appointments may be scheduled for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour. This is dependant upon the office. There are two kinds of appointments: client's appointments and boss' appointments.

Scheduling Appointments for Clients to Meet with Your Boss

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The following are the questions you need to ask anyone who wants to make an appointment: Day:

Date:

Time (should confirm the time): Name:

Telephone:

Subject of discussion:

Once you have this information, repeat the details back to the client. Now if you're unsure that the appointment will suit your boss, you need to explain that you will call the client and confirm it. On the other hand if you're pretty certain there will be no change, tell the client you'll only contact him(her) if a change needs to be made.

The last step is to give a written message to your boss detailing all the information.

Other tips you should bear in mind:

1. Don't make appointments for your boss at times that he likes to keep aside for routine tasks. Consider his time-management style. Periods that are not considered effective for meetings are Monday mornings, days before and after long weekends and bank holidays and times immediately prior to lunch and in the late afternoons.

2. Remember that your boss has other priorities and commitments throughout his day. Try not to over-commit him to too many appointments in a single day.

3. Choose days and times carefully and always check the other events of the day or week around the proposed appointment, judging whether the time can be given to the appointment. 4. Be aware of hospitality and expectations, and ask if refreshments are required. Unit Summary Now, we have finished all the activities for this unit. Let’s review what we have been learning in this unit. In Section One, there are some vocabulary exercises about making appointments and some core sentences on how to make appointments. Section Two is listening practice about receiving and seeing off visitors. Then some business reception etiquette is presented in the form of reading in Section Three. Section Four tells us how to write a welcome speech. The last section is trying to give us more tips on making appointments. Take some time now to go over the activities and make sure you have fully understood them. Check the learning objectives to see whether you have fulfilled them. 12

Tape Scripts

Section One Speaking

Activity Two Core Sentences

Blake Smith, Marketing Manager from ABC Company, wants to discuss the sales contract with Mr. Johnson, the Executive of Rainbow Group. First he needs to make an appointment with Zhang Hong, Mr. Johnson's secretary. Below are some core sentences of how to make an appointment. Read them aloud and try to learn them by heart. 1. I wonder if it would be convenient to meet you tomorrow. 2. Can you spare some time for me next week?

3. Mr. Johnson is free next Monday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

4. I can't make it tomorrow at 2 p.m. Can we make it a bit later, say 4 p.m.?

5. Regretfully, I have to inform you that I won't be able to attend the meeting tomorrow.

Session Two Listening

Activity One Short Dialogues

This activity is to check your ability to understand five short dialogues. After each dialogue, there is a recorded question. Both the dialogues and questions will be spoken twice. When you hear a question, you should decide on the correct answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D) given in the course book, and then choose the correct answer. Before you listen to the dialogues, first have a quick look at the following words, which might be helpful.

1. M: Hi! I’m here for my three o’clock appointment.

W: Oh, please take a seat and wait for a moment. I will inform you when the boss is available. Q: What does the woman want him to do?

2. M: Getting an appointment with Mr. Johnson is not easy. W: I’ll say.

Q: What does the woman mean?

3. M: Good afternoon, I have an appointment with Mr. Johnson at 4:00.

W: I’m sorry Mr. Johnson is engaged at this moment. Please wait for a moment. Q: Why does the man need to wait?

4. W: Hello, Mr. John, I’m here to pick you up. How was your flight? M: Quite comfortable.

Q: Where did the conversation probably take place?

5. W: Here is your ticket, Mr. John. The plane will take off at 10:00. We’ll set off from the hotel at

9:00. I’ll drive a car to pick you up tomorrow. M: Thanks a lot. You have been very considerate during my visit here. Q: What’s the relationship between the two people?

Activity Two A Conversation

In this activity, you will hear a recorded conversation between a visitor and a secretary. It is the first time for the visitor to be inside the company office. Listen to the conversation carefully and find out what Rooms 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 stand for respectively. The conversation will be read

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three times. For the first reading, you should try to get the main idea of the conversation. During the second reading, you are required to name the rooms according to what you have heard. The third reading is for you to check your answer. Before you listen to the conversation, first have a quick look at the following words, which might be helpful.

Zhang Hong: Mr. Jones, welcome to our company.

Mr. Jones: Thank you. Would it be convenient for me to meet Mr. Johnson right now? Zhang Hong: I’m sorry Mr. Johnson is engaged now. He will be free in half an hour. Mr. Jones: That’s fine. Would you like to show me around first?

Zhang Hong: Sure. This is our office block. All our administrative departments are in here. But there are only three departments on this floor.

Mr. Jones: What’s that room for, next to the reception area?

Zhang Hong: That’s our showroom. Would you like to have a look?

Mr. Jones: I’d love to.

Zhang Hong: Our company was established about 30 years ago. Here all kinds of products in the past years are collected and shown here. Most of them sell like hot dogs. Mr. Jones: I am amazed.

Zhang Hong: Well, let me show you another room. Down the hall, near to the showroom, is the Marketing Department. The room at the end, on the same side, is the Conference Room. Mr. Jones: Where will I meet Mr. Johnson?

Zhang Hong: You will meet Mr. Johnson in the Executive’s Office, which is just opposite to the Conference room. The room near the reception area is our Personnel Department. Mr. Jones: Well, I guess I have a lot more to see on the other floors.

Zhang Hong: Please take a seat on the sofa over there, where coffee and some reading materials are already prepared for you. I’ll call you when Mr. Johnson is available. Mr. Jones: Ok, thanks.

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