Effective Business English for Customer Service and Sales
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Objective: To help learners improve their communication skills in English for customer service and sales, and be able to handle customer inquiries and complaints confidently.
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Time: 60 minutes
Materials: Whiteboard, markers, handouts
1. Warm-up (10 minutes)
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Start with a discussion on customer service and sales, and why effective communication is important in these fields.
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Ask learners to share their own experiences dealing with customers and any challenges they have faced.
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2. Vocabulary and Expressions (15 minutes)
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Introduce key vocabulary and expressions commonly used in customer service and sales, such as "can I help you?", "thank you for your purchase", "how may I assist you today?", etc.
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Practice using these expressions in various scenarios, such as handling customer inquiries, processing orders, and resolving complaints (handout).
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3. Role-plays (20 minutes)
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Divide learners into pairs and assign one person as the customer and the other as the customer service representative or salesperson.
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Provide a list of common scenarios and ask learners to role-play them, using the vocabulary and expressions they learned (handout)
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After each role-play, ask for feedback and suggestions on how to improve.
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4. Listening and Comprehension (10 minutes)
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Play a short audio or video clip of a customer service interaction or sales pitch (not included).
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Ask learners to take notes on key information and expressions used.
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Discuss the clip as a group and ask learners to share their thoughts on the communication strategies used.
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5. Case Study (5 minutes)
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Provide the handout with a case study on a customer complaint or sales challenge.
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Ask learners to read the case study and come up with their own solutions, using the vocabulary and expressions learned.
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Discuss the case study as a group and ask learners to share their solutions and reasoning.
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6. Wrap-up (5 minutes)
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Summarize the key takeaways from the lesson, including the importance of effective communication, common vocabulary and expressions, and strategies for handling customer inquiries and complaints.
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Ask learners to reflect on what they learned and how they can apply it in their own work.
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Homework:
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Assign learners to practice using the vocabulary and expressions learned in real-life customer service and sales scenarios. Encourage them to reflect on their experiences and share their learnings in the next lesson.
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This lesson plan is designed to be interactive and engaging, providing learners with practical skills and strategies for communicating effectively in English for customer service and sales.