Are you working from home now? Maybe you used to have face-to-face meetings, but now you need to have video conferences while you are working remotely at home.
Now, let’s learn the
English phrases native speakers use for video calls. Today we’re going to talk
about how to start and end a video conference call in English. This might seem
simple, but many people make the huge mistake of being unprepared for how to
begin and end a video call.
Today we’re going to learn some quick and easy ways to improve your video calls so you can have a smoother beginning, a more confident conversation, and a really strong close, or ending, to your video call. After watching this video, you’re going to have much better calls, whether they are for work, professional reasons, or just casual calls with your friends and family.
HOW DO YOU START A VIDEO CALL?
First, I want to know
how YOU start and end a video call! Tell me the words and phrases you use in
the comments section below. At the end of the video, you can check to see if
they are appropriate and correct.
Even though you’re not
meeting face-to-face, eye contact is still super important! As soon as you get
your video called connected, you need to look into the camera to give the other
person the feeling that you are making eye contact. Don’t look down, and don’t
only look at the other person’s face.
Second, if you are doing the call for work or professional reasons, it’s a really good idea to record the call. You should ask permission before you do this. You can also take notes during the call. It can be a little overwhelming when you’re dealing with technology and you certainly don’t want to forget what you talked about during your video meeting.
HOW DO YOU START THE CONVERSATION?
To start a casual
call, you can say,
“Hello”
“Hi”
“Hey”
If you’re talking with
someone professionally, though, we want to keep it more formal. You will
want to say hello and then address the other person by name. For example:
“Hello, Mr. Smith.”
“Hello, Mrs. Rodriguez.”
“Good morning, Mr. Smith.”
Also, you might say ‘Good morning,” or “Good afternoon, John.” If it’s later in the day, you can say “Good evening.” But please don’t say “Goodnight!” Native English speakers don’t say “goodnight” unless it’s time to go to sleep. Just say “Good evening,” as a greeting.
AFTER YOU SAY HELLO
After the greeting,
you might want to do a quick technology check. You could ask,
“Can you hear me?”
“Can you see me?”
“Is the audio working?”
“Is the video working?”
Ask questions to make
things are running smoothly.
Then you can continue
your greeting. A little bit of small talk is always a good idea. You can ask
something like,
“How are you?”
“How’s it going?”
“How is your day so far?”
“How is work?”
“How is everything?”
These are greetings you can use to start the conversation.
RESPONDING TO A GREETING IN A VIDEO CALL
Your response to these
questions should be short, positive, and to the point. Maybe two words like,
“Good.”
“Great.”
“Everything’s fantastic.”
“Can’t complain.”
“Never better.”
TALKING ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE VIDEO CALL
Professional calls
should talk about the purpose of the call or go over the agenda. You might be
using phrasal verbs in some of your answers. For example, you could say,
“I’d like to talk
about X, Y, and Z.” (using a phrasal verb)
“Let’s go over X, Y, and Z.” (using a phrasal
verb)
“I’d like to review X, Y, and Z.”
“I’d like to cover X, Y, and Z in this call.”
Again, the verbs to
use are “talk with you about,” “go over”
something, or “cover” something.
How Do You End a Video Call?
At the end of your
call, do not just say “Bye.” and end the conversation! This is a big mistake
that I see people make. If you just say, “Okay, bye!” it can feel abrupt and
rude. Here are some phrases you can use to end your conversation like an
English pro. It’s always a good idea to say “thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you for talking with me today.”
“Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today.”
“Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.”
“Thank you for making time for meeting with me today.”
These all convey the same meaning. Choose which one you like the best.
SUMMARIZE YOUR VIDEO CALL
If you’re having a
business meeting, you should summarize what you just talked about. For example,
you could say:
“It was great talking
with you about X, Y, and Z.”
“I really enjoyed being able to cover X, Y, and Z with you today.”
“I appreciate your time going over X, Y, and Z with you.”
“It’s been a pleasure talking about X, Y, and Z with you.”
It’s always a good
idea to state the next action steps. For example:
“I’ll follow
up with you in a couple of days.”
“I’ll touch base with you in a couple of days.”
These sentences use two phrasal verbs – “follow up” and “touch base.” These are super common and you should use them when you’re talking about the next steps in your communication. You can “follow up” or “touch base” by email, phone, video call, or in-person. You could also use the phrasal verb “to get back in touch with you” soon.
FINISHING THE VIDEO CALL
Finally, after you say
thank you, summarize, and talk about the next action steps, you can close your
call by simply saying “Bye” or “Goodbye.” If you’re having a more casual call
with friends or family, you might say “Bye-bye.” If your business call is more
casual, you could say, “See you later,” or “Talk to you soon.”
I hope these phrases
and tips for your video conference calls were helpful! I want you to feel more
confident and fluent in your English skills. if you have any questions, let me
know in the comments!
I hope you enjoy these tips. Have an amazing day!