We've looked before at how to set up an appointment on the phone with someone you already know, but what about if you haven't met the person or established a relationship with them yet? In today's Business English Podcast, we'll be looking at how to make contact with a prospective client and, on the opposite end of the line, we'll examine language you can use to politely decline a request for information or a meeting. 我們之前已經(jīng)學(xué)習(xí)了怎樣和熟悉的人進(jìn)行電話約訪，但是怎樣約見那些你從來沒有見過不認(rèn)識(shí)的人呢？今天的商務(wù)英語播客，我們將會(huì)學(xué)習(xí)如何與潛在的客戶聯(lián)系。另一方面，我們也會(huì)檢測(cè)你是否可以禮貌地拒絕消息和會(huì)議的請(qǐng)求。

We've already met Mario from Viva Fashions in previous episodes. Now Mario wants to meet with the head buyer for a chain of American stores owned by DeBourg Brands but, at this point, he doesn't even know the buyer's name. Mario is going to "cold call" the company and see if he can reach the buyer. First, he needs a name, and then he needs to try to speak to the buyer to make an appointment. 之前我們已經(jīng)了解了在萬歲服裝的馬里奧。現(xiàn)在他想和DeBourg品牌旗下的美國分店最大購買商聯(lián)系。但是但現(xiàn)在他還不知道購買商的名字。馬里奧打算陌生電話這個(gè)公司，去做個(gè)調(diào)查。首先，他需要一個(gè)名字，然后他要試著約見購買商的負(fù)責(zé)人。

Listening Questions—First Call:
1. What techniques does Mario use to get information from Joan?
2. Why do you think Joan agrees to help Mario?

Listening Questions—Second Call:
1. Why does Mario keep saying "thank you" instead of "please" after making a request?
2. What language does Mario use when stating the reason for his call, and why?
3. Throughout the conversation, Mario uses informal language to minimize his request. Can you spot a few examples?