"(ring...ring...ring...) Hello?"
“（铃……铃……铃），喂？”
"Uh, excuse me, but is this Dragon Mountain Trading Company?"
“呃，对不起，贵宝号是龙山贸易公司吗？”
"Who's calling?"
“你哪一位？”
"Well, I'm Mr. David Parker, and I...."
“我是白戴维先生,我……”
"What do you want?"
“你想要干什么？”
"I'd, uh, like to speak with your manager."
“我想跟贵公司经理谈谈。”
"He's busy. Call back later. (click)"
“他正在忙。待会儿再打过来。”咔（挂电话声）

Unfortunately, some companies still have not trained their employees in the professional use of the telephone. The above telephone conversation is not only discourteous, but also hurts business prospects. If Mr. Parker is calling to speak with a number of companies in order to build business relationships with them, he is not very likely to call Dragon Mountain Trading Company again. To prevent this from happening, those who are responsible for the conduct of business over the telephone should keep a few simple but important points of telephone etiquette in mind.

很遗憾地，还是有些公司未能训练员工职业的电话礼貌。以上的电话交谈非但粗鲁，亦损及商机。如果白先生打电话是要与若干公司聊聊以建立商业关系，很可能就不会再打电话给龙山贸易公司了。为了防止类似的事情发生，负责使用电话洽商的人士应牢记一些有关电话礼仪的简要重点。
The first and most important point concerning the professional use of the telephone is the attitude towards any caller. The telephone is the lifeline of the company with the outside world, and those who call in should be considered potential business prospects. However, customers are not nameless, faceless voices; they are people who enjoy being and deserve to be treated courteously and fairly. Everyone who uses an office telephone should remember that a friendly, helpful, and efficient call can make the difference between success and failure with the caller. Once this is appreciated, a business office can operate at its full potential.
有关职业电话礼貌首要重点就是对来电者的态度。电话是公司对外联络的生命线。任何来电者都应被视为潜在未来的商业顾客。不过，来电的客户可不是没有姓名和没有脸孔的声音而已；他们是喜欢被并也应被礼貌且公平对待的人。每位公司电话使用者皆应牢记，一通友善、热心又有效率的电话会决定与来电者关系的成败。一旦了解这点之后，公司便可全面发挥潜能运作了。
How can all office workers put the above principle into practice? Several tips on the successful use of the office telephone have been collected from many companies over the years. This advice is timeless and covers all manner of businesses. Companies whose employees use the following telephone etiquette are more likely to keep their clients and attract new customers.
公司所有员工要如何履行上述原则呢？多年来不少公司行号累积了有关成功运用公司电话的若干提示。这些提示不受时间限制且涵盖所有的行业。员工若能遵行下列电话礼仪，公司便可能留住老客户也能吸引新客户。
When answering the phone, all employees should identify the company and themselves. In the above hypothetical conversation, the office worker should have answered the call with, "Dragon Trading Company, Janice Wang, speaking." rather than force Mr. Parker to inquire whether or not he had dialed the company telephone number correctly. In some companies, employees will further identify their position within the company, such as "Kodak, Michael Chou, sales representative, speaking." or "Great Light Sports Equipment, Frances Chang, personnel director, speaking. May I help you?" and so on. Of course, in larger companies which have automated dialing or an operator, it is often unnecessary to state the name of the company (that has been done already on the tape or by the operator), but self-identification continues to be helpful, and, thus, important.
所有员工在接电话时，应报出公司的名号及自己的姓名。在上述的仿真电话交谈中，那位员工就应向来电者作这种的回应：“您好，这里是龙山贸易公司，我是王阿珍。”而不是迫使白先生询问自己是否拨对了公司电话号码。有些公司的员工会进一步地表明自己在公司的职称，如：“这里是柯达公司，我是业务代表周麦可。”或是“这里是巨光运动器材公司，我是人事主任张佛兰。我能为您效劳吗？”诸如此类。当然，规模较大的公司设有自动转接电话系统或总机时，通常不需要报出公司的名号（电话录音或总机就已提供这些讯息了），但是自我介绍仍是有所帮助，也因此是很重要的一步。
As with Frances Chang above, a simple "May I help you?" is enough to invite the caller to state his or her business with the company. However, it is always important to listen carefully to the caller's request. It is possible, for example, that the callee is not the right person for whom the caller is looking; by listening carefully, the callee can respond to the needs of the customer on the line. Treating callers as routine or even annoying interruptions to one's work is a mistake. If someone outside the company has taken the time to call in, someone inside the company should take the time to respond to it.
上述范例中，张佛兰简单的一句：“我能为您效劳吗？”就足以让来电者愿意表明他或她与公司的商务关系。不过，仔细聆听对方的需求永远是最重要的。举例而言，接话者可能不是来电者所要寻找的对象；只要仔细听，接话者就能在电话中响应对方的需求。将来电者当做例行公事般来应付，或将之视为中断自己工作的困扰，这样的态度是不对的。公司外的人若拨冗来电，公司员工理应拨冗应对。
If the caller is looking for someone not presently in the office, a message should be taken and then repeated over the phone to make sure all the information is correct. If a product or service is unavailable, the caller should be told what possible substitute is available or when the desired item will be back in stock. Every effort should be made to please the caller. This extra effort makes a lasting impression, the kind of impression that often results in repeat business. In our conversation above, the callee should have told Mr. Parker when the manager would return to take his call, or offered to take a message for him. Hanging up on the caller is the best way to lose business.
如果来电者找寻的人目前不在公司内，应请对方留下口信并覆诵内容确定无误。如果公司无法提供现货或服务，应将可以替代的现货或指定产品的进货日期告诉来电者，必须尽心地来讨好来电者，这种尽心会留下难以磨灭的印象，并往往带来不断的商机。在上述的对话中，接话者理应告诉白经理先生何时会返回公司回电，或是主动为他留话。失去商机最快的途径莫过于向来电者挂电话了。
After information has been given or help offered, the call should not be considered finished. Each call is an opportunity to further the interests of the company, as with "We have other fine products. I'd be happy to send you our catalogue." or "Our company can offer additional services. My manager or I would be happy to make an appointment with you to discuss them." Above all, end each conversation with a genuine "Thank you for calling. It's been a pleasure serving you." or other lines to make the customer feel he or she is not being discarded as just another business obligation. Successful calls make customers feel welcome to call again.
提供讯息或服务后，并不表示这通电话就结束了。每通来电都是促进公司利益的机会，譬如我们可以说：“本公司尚有其它不错的产品。我很乐意把公司产品目录寄给您。”，也可说：“本公司尚可提供其它的服务，经理或我本人很乐意与您约个时间见面谈一谈。”尤其重要的是，每次的电话交谈结束前别忘了献上诚挚的一句：“谢谢您的来电。很荣幸能为您服务。”成功的电话交谈会使客户感到开心而愿意继续来电。
Today's world of business is highly competitive. People have not changed, however. They still like to be treated in a friendly and helpful way, even over the telephone. A genuinely friendly and helpful attitude on the phone, identification of company and callee, offers of help or message taking, promotion of further business opportunities, and leaving the caller with the feeling that he would like to call again seem like insignificant matters. Added up, however, they can make the difference between a company's success and failure in our high-tech but still human world.
今天商场上的竞争非常激烈。但是，人的基本习性还是没变。每个人都希望自己被善待，即使是在电话上也是一样。在电话中展现出真诚友善及助人的态度，先行介绍自己和公司，提供对方协助，为对方留口信，为公司争取其它商机，以及让对方觉得很开心而愿意继续来电等，这些看似微不足道的小事，在我们这个高科技却仍以人为主导的世界中，却是公司成败的主要关键。