English for Professional Development! For all up 'n coming entrepreneurs and those who want to polish their presentation, here is the first of the tips, tasters of the FUNDAmental SKILLS EPD course.
The full five-part course will be available from CREEL (creel.co.za) soon - watch this space and Twitter!
When you greet someone, or approach them on the phone for the first time (or any other time, for that matter...), DO NOT SAY
"Hello how are you?"
The formula "how are you"or its original "Kunjani?" is idiomatic in Zulu and the other languages that it is used in. IT IS NOT IDIOMATIC TO ENGLISH. It sounds strange. It sounds wrong. It even sounds rude and intrusive.
Asking how someone is, in English, is limited to people who know each other. Well. It implies, to a certain extent, a real interest in how someone is doing. The answer is not something English is comfortable sharing with people it doesn't know.
It is certainly very wrong as the first thing to say to someone.
This is one of the little situations we as South Africans from different cultures encounter every day. KUNJANI is a good and proper thing to say, in the context in which it arose. HOW ARE YOU is simply not, and in a professional or non-personal situation it shouldn't be used. Even if people are tolerant of cultural differences, most people feel uncomfortable and irritated when asked that by someone they don't know, and that immediately detracts from your sales-pitch, the receiver's willingness to listen, and ultimately from your professional image.
The RIGHT thing to say when phoning someone for the first time, whether to sell something, or provide customer service, or respond to a query, is to say
1. Good morning Sir/Madam (or whatever other form of address is appropriate, like Mr/Mrs Name)
2. (Ask whether you are speaking to the person you want to speak to) (this can be left out if appropriate)
3. IDENTIFY YOURSELF CLEARLY.
4. State your business and ask whether it is convenient to talk. (if appropriate)
After these steps, the person will know who they are talking to and will be in a position to decide whether they want to talk to you or not.
Whatever you do, or whatever order you do the above in, DO NOT ASK "How are you?" Awkward, awkward, awkward!!
The full five-part course will be available from CREEL (creel.co.za) soon - watch this space and Twitter!
When you greet someone, or approach them on the phone for the first time (or any other time, for that matter...), DO NOT SAY
"Hello how are you?"
The formula "how are you"or its original "Kunjani?" is idiomatic in Zulu and the other languages that it is used in. IT IS NOT IDIOMATIC TO ENGLISH. It sounds strange. It sounds wrong. It even sounds rude and intrusive.
Asking how someone is, in English, is limited to people who know each other. Well. It implies, to a certain extent, a real interest in how someone is doing. The answer is not something English is comfortable sharing with people it doesn't know.
It is certainly very wrong as the first thing to say to someone.
This is one of the little situations we as South Africans from different cultures encounter every day. KUNJANI is a good and proper thing to say, in the context in which it arose. HOW ARE YOU is simply not, and in a professional or non-personal situation it shouldn't be used. Even if people are tolerant of cultural differences, most people feel uncomfortable and irritated when asked that by someone they don't know, and that immediately detracts from your sales-pitch, the receiver's willingness to listen, and ultimately from your professional image.
The RIGHT thing to say when phoning someone for the first time, whether to sell something, or provide customer service, or respond to a query, is to say
1. Good morning Sir/Madam (or whatever other form of address is appropriate, like Mr/Mrs Name)
2. (Ask whether you are speaking to the person you want to speak to) (this can be left out if appropriate)
3. IDENTIFY YOURSELF CLEARLY.
4. State your business and ask whether it is convenient to talk. (if appropriate)
After these steps, the person will know who they are talking to and will be in a position to decide whether they want to talk to you or not.
Whatever you do, or whatever order you do the above in, DO NOT ASK "How are you?" Awkward, awkward, awkward!!
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