Key to Unit 3 秘书英语（高职高专 王毅主编）

yesterday. He told me that it was an urgent matter.

B: I see. Let me ask him again. Would you please have a seat and wait for a moment? Thank you. (To Mr. Ling Yun on his extension) Mr. Ling, Mr. Li said that he had found a problem in the contract you asked him to look at yesterday.

C: I see. Well, that is important. Ask him to come in. B: All right, Mr. Ling. (To the visitor) Please go right in. A: Thank you. Dialogue 3

A: Good afternoon. Can I help you?

B: Yes, I have an appointment with Mr. Ling Yun. A: Are you Mr. Larry Wizel? B: Yes, that’s right.

A: I’m afraid Mr. Ling Yun is engaged at the moment. Would you mind waiting for a while?

B: Well… How long will that be? A: About half an hour.

B: Oh, that’s too long. I will have a lunch with one of my clients at 11:30. A: Can the Assistant Manager deal with it?

B: No. I got in touch with Mr. Ling Yun myself on the telephone yesterday and discussed details with him. I doubt if anyone else would know about the matter.

A: Perhaps you would like to make an appointment for some other time? B: Yes, but I’ll leave my card just in case he has lost the one I gave him last time.

A: Thank you, Mr. Wizel. I’m sorry about the confusion. B: That’s all right. Thank you. Goodbye.

Dialogue 4

A: Good morning, sir. Can I help you?

B: Good morning. My name is Tom Ray, and I’m from Johnson’s Pharmaceuticals. I have an appointment with Mr. Ling Yun.

A: Yes, Mr. Ling Yun is expecting you, Mr. Ray. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here. (The secretary then dials Mr. Ling Yun’s extension number.) Mr. Ray of Johnson’s Pharmaceuticals is here to see you. Shall I show him in? Thank you. (to visitor) Mr. Ling Yun will come

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down to see you right away, Mr. Ray. B: Thank you very much.

Section 2 Being Courteous and Efficient

Receiving visitors and guests is a secretary’s daily routine in the office. As a secretary, you represent your company, and you should try to make a good impression on visitors when you greet them. A secretary should always rise to greet a visitor and be friendly and helpful. A secretary should have a good knowledge of the structure of the organization and its staff. When talking with the visitor, a secretary should pay attention and listen to the visitor carefully.

Most importantly, a secretary should find out if the visitor has an appointment or not. If the visitor has an appointment, a secretary needs to check the appointment book first. If the visitor does not have an appointment, find out the reason for his visit and the person he wants to see. Find out immediately if the person the visitor wishes to see is available and whether he will receive the visitor without an appointment. If the person cannot see the visitor without an appointment, suggest another person the visitor may see, or make a further appointment.

If the visitor is an important customer, the boss will come down to the reception room to greet the visitor. Sometimes the secretary escorts or accompanies the visitor to the boss’s office.

Using the visitor’s name when he arrives is a friendly gesture and gives the visitor a good impression of the company or organization. When the secretary and the visitor arrive at the boss’s office, the secretary announces the visitor’s name, title and position, and introduces the boss to him if this is their first time meeting.

If the visitor wishes to leave a message, write it down immediately and make sure it reaches the right person as soon as possible. If the visitor must wait for the boss, see that he has a comfortable chair and some reading materials. A secretary should not force conversation upon the visitor unless he seems willing to talk while he is waiting.

When a visitor cannot be satisfied, the secretary should apologize and make some suggestion for an alternative meeting. If a meeting is impossible, the secretary should express regret and explain, with care and tact, what has happened, so that the visitor won’t get hurt.

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A secretary should keep a record which includes dates, times, names and the organization the visitor works for. A secretary can then turn to this for reference if there is a request for relevant information. An example of this is as follows:

Visitor Registration Chart

Date Sept 22 Sept 22 Sept 22 Sept 22 Name of Firm Visitor P. L Jones P & G Co. Tom Ray M. Elaine Yvette Putnam Junen Co. Time of Referred to Arrival 9:30 10:25 R. Dunne Maggie Kulaien Charles M. R. Dunne Time of Remarks Departure 10:15 11:00 14:08 16:00 Appointment July 12, 9:30 Seen Seen Message left for R. Dunne John Wilson 13:35 and Sons NY Steel 15:06 Export Limited.

Section 3 Getting Some Knowledge of English Letters (2)

A: Now we know that a business letter usually has seven standard parts and there are three letter styles. Are there any special principles to write an effective business letter?

B: Yes, many experts believe that there are seven C’s to follow, that is, Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Concreteness, Consideration, Correctness, and Courtesy.

A: It sounds interesting and meaningful. Could you make some further explanation?

B: Ok. Clarity means that you should tell readers exactly what they want and you want them to know. You should use a format and words that make the receiver understand very clearly the meaning of the letter after just one reading.

A: Yes, we should remember that.

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B: But only clearness is not enough for a thorough understanding, you should also tell the reader all that he or she wants and needs to know. This is completeness. We usually use five W’s to examine the finished letter, i.e. Who, What, Where, When and Why. A: That’s a good way.

B: Exactly. Conciseness is another C. We usually say that brevity is the soul of wit. A concise letter is not necessarily a short one. Generally speaking, you will gain in clearness and conciseness by writing short sentences rather than long ones. A letter can be made clear, easier to read and more attracting by careful paragraphing. One paragraph for each point is fairly a good rule. A: Yes, I see.

B: In addition, a business letter should be written specifically and definitely.

A: That must be concreteness.

B: Yes. It helps avoid misinterpretation. One more C is correctness. That is to say, you should ensure that what you have written is free of errors in word usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation etc.

A: Yes, the presence of an error in the letter will distract the reader from focusing on the message itself.

B: The above items focus more on the language of the letter. Besides, courtesy and consideration are essential in business letter writing. They do good to developing an effective relationship with customers or clients. Courtesy in a business letter means to be polite and considerate. One courteous thing is promptness. Punctuality is the courtesy of Kings. While consideration means that you should always keep in mind the readers, seeing things from their point of view. This is called the “You” attitude. For this, we may remember the fact that the word b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s contains both U and I, but the U comes before I. That is a good sequence for you to follow when you write a business letter.

Section 4 Getting Some Knowledge of Business Etiquette (2)

Image – the portrait of ourselves that we present to others – is far more important than most people realize. Good skills and quality work are essential, but a poor image can cloud even the most perfect technical

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