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Lesson plan 56: How to answer a sales call

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Lesson plan: link-icon_pdf_05.png how-to-answer-a-sales-call.pdf
  • Language level: Pre-intermediate (A2) +
  • Learner type: Teens, adults, business
  • Time: 30 minutes
  • Main activity:  Speaking and listening (transcribing)
  • Topic: Sales and telemarketing calls
  • Language: Telephone language
  • Materials: Video clip; Worksheet

Posted by admin on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 9:27 pm.

6 Responses to “Lesson plan 56: How to answer a sales call”

Hey Jamie,

great lesson plan. I had already used this video from Seinfeld but not with a lesson plan. If I remember it right, it was a business class on telephoning.
anyway, the lesson’s great.A couple of things i’d like to add.
* I did the whole introduction to the lesson using the collocation guessing game and on top of that I created a Find someone who “collocatons with call” (ex. find someone who has received an anonymous call, etc.) I planted some collocations with the word ‘call.’
* I noticed that students thought the sheet where they have to write down their opinions a bit repetitive because they had already done that during the speaking part.
* The role play was great.

By and large, it is a great lesson. By the way, I used with my intermediate students and it worked well.

cheers

Left by leo on January 29th, 2010

Hello Leo
This is a great piece of feedback - I haven’t tried out the lesson plan yet and was wondering how student would react to the fact that the class discussion part is repeated on the worksheet. Do you think that I should either:

a. get students to do the worksheet *before* the discussion
b. get rid of the class discussion stage
c. get rid of the page 1 of the worksheet

Actually, now I look at it I think that the first option probably makes the most sense. What do you reckon?
Thanks
Jamie =)

Left by admin on January 29th, 2010

Hi Jamie,

I did this last week with a group of pre-int mainly EU students I’m teaching Business English.

It worked very well - in fact in the lesson the discussion arised from the worksheet (with a bit of prodding from myself). I saw quite a number of bored/annoyed faces in the box on the sheet.

One thing they found very difficult was the trascription phase of the lesson - I think the speed and vernacular are quite challenging. I’m not sure it would be 100% great for Elementary students, but maybe that’s just my particular students…

Another point was that I was pleased with how the discussion was going, so let it go freely for a while. The whole plan above I probably spent 45minutes (maybe getting close to 1 hr) on.

As ever, thanks for the brill plan, Jamie!!

Mike =)

Left by Mike Harrison on February 9th, 2010

Thanks Mike
Great feedback
It did occur to me that the transcription would be difficult - almost certainly too difficult for elementary. I suppose that the idea is that they understand the gist of the phone call and then write it in their own words, before seeing the transcription. The problem is, however, getting that aim across to students who are more likely to home in on the words and get upset when they don’t ‘get’ them all. One of the eternal problems with listening I suppose!
Thanks again
Jamie

Left by admin on February 11th, 2010

Fun lesson, great idea! Although I haven’t used it, I was going to make the same point as Mike– thought it would probably be quite challenging for elementary students, but great for low intermediate and up.

Thanks, I really like the website, especially Lesson #26 Spelling Your Name!

Cheers,
Blythe

Left by Blythe on March 22nd, 2010

Thanks very much for the feedback Blythe
Really appreciate it. As you can see, I’ve made a thanks to the level (thanks to Mike as well)
Thanks again
Jamie

Left by admin on March 22nd, 2010

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