English Phrases for Client Calls and Video Calls

Client calls and video calls add two extra challenges to speaking English: you cannot always see reactions, and the technology often gets in the way. Here are the phrases for every stage of a call, from the first "Can you hear me?" to agreeing next steps, followed by a short sample call.

Starting the call

Greeting and small talk

• "Hi everyone, thanks for making the time."
• "Good to see you again, Tom. How have you been?"
• "How's your week going so far?"
• "Is it still morning where you are?" (a friendly opener with clients in other time zones)

Keep small talk to a minute or two with clients. For more ideas, see our guide to small talk at work.

Introductions

• "Let me quickly introduce the team. This is Ravi, who leads development."
• "I'm Elena, the account manager. I'll be your main contact."
• "Before we start, shall we do a quick round of introductions?"

Setting the agenda

• "We've got 30 minutes, so here's what I'd like to cover."
• "The main goal today is to agree the timeline for phase two."
• "Is there anything you'd like to add to the agenda?"
• "Is it OK if I record this call for our notes?"

Asking "Is there anything you'd like to add?" matters on client calls. It shows you care about their priorities, not only yours.

Dealing with tech problems

Tech problems happen on almost every video call. Having calm, ready phrases makes you look in control.

Sound and connection

• "Can everyone hear me OK?"
• "Sorry, you're breaking up a bit." (your voice keeps cutting out)
• "I think you're on mute."
• "Sorry, I was on mute. As I was saying, ..."
• "There's a bit of an echo. Could you check your microphone?"
• "My connection is a bit unstable. I'll turn my camera off to help."
• "You froze for a second. Could you repeat the last part?"
• "I'm going to drop off and rejoin. Back in one minute."

Screen sharing

• "Let me share my screen."
• "Can you see my screen?"
• "Is the text big enough, or shall I zoom in?"
• "I'll stop sharing now so we can see each other."

Clarifying and checking understanding

This is the most important part of any client call. Misunderstandings cost time and money. Native speakers ask for clarification all the time, so you should too.

When you didn't hear or understand

• "Sorry, could you say that again?"
• "Could you speak a little more slowly? The line isn't great."
• "Sorry, what do you mean by 'soft launch' here?"
• "Could you give me an example?"

Checking you understood correctly

• "Just to make sure I understand, you'd like the report every week, not every month?"
• "So, if I've got this right, the budget is fixed but the dates are flexible?"
• "When you say 'end of the month', do you mean the 30th or the last working day?"

Checking dates, numbers and names is especially important. "Fifteen" and "fifty" sound similar on a weak connection. You can confirm: "Was that one-five or five-zero?"

Checking the client understood you

Avoid "Do you understand?" It can sound like you think the other person is slow. Try these instead:

• "Does that make sense?"
• "Is that clear, or shall I go through it again?"
• "Any questions on that before I move on?"
• "How does that sound to you?"

Handling difficult moments

• When you don't know: "Good question. I'll check with the team and get back to you by Thursday."
• When the client asks for something extra: "That's a little outside the current scope. Let me look at what it would involve and send you an update."
• When the client is unhappy: "I understand why that's frustrating. Here's what we're doing to fix it."
• When the call goes off topic: "That's a great point. Shall we pick it up in a separate call so we have time for the timeline today?"

Need softer ways to say difficult things? See our before-and-after guide on how to sound more professional in English.

Summarising

Before you end, sum up what was agreed. It catches misunderstandings while everyone is still on the call.

• "Let me quickly sum up what we've agreed."
• "So, to recap: we'll send the design by Friday, and you'll give feedback by Wednesday."
• "Have I missed anything?"

Agreeing next steps

• "So, the next step is for us to send you a revised quote."
• "Who's going to take care of the contract?"
• "Can we agree on a date for that?"
• "I'll send a follow-up email with the action points today."
• "Shall we book another call for next week to check progress?"

Every next step needs three parts: what, who and when. "We'll look into it" is not a next step. "Ravi will send the test results by Tuesday" is.

Ending the call

• "I think that covers everything. Thanks, everyone."
• "I'm conscious of time, so let's wrap up here." (a polite way to say the time is nearly over)
• "Thanks for your time today. Speak next week."
• "Great to talk to you. Have a good rest of your day."

A short sample call

• Elena: "Hi Tom, thanks for making the time. Can you hear me OK?"
• Tom: "Yes, loud and clear. How are you?"
• Elena: "Good, thanks. We've got 20 minutes, so I'd like to cover the new timeline and your feedback on the design. Is there anything you'd like to add?"
• Tom: "Just one thing. We may need the mobile version earlier."
• Elena: "OK, let's include that. Let me share my screen. Can you see the timeline?"
• Tom: "Yes. So could we move the launch to the fifteenth?"
• Elena: "Sorry, you broke up a bit there. Was that the fifteenth or the fifth?"
• Tom: "The fifteenth. One-five."
• Elena: "Got it. That's tight, but I think it's possible. I'll check with Ravi and confirm by Thursday. Does that work?"
• Tom: "Perfect."
• Elena: "Great. So, to recap: I'll confirm the fifteenth by Thursday, and you'll send design feedback by Monday. Have I missed anything?"
• Tom: "No, that's everything."
• Elena: "Thanks, Tom. I'll send a follow-up email today. Speak soon."

Notice the shape: greet, set the agenda, handle the tech, check the key number, summarise, agree what, who and when, then close.

Common mistakes on client calls

• Nodding when you didn't understand. On video, a nod looks like agreement. Ask instead.
• Talking too fast. Nerves and weak connections make fast speech hard to follow. Slow down and pause.
• Ending without next steps. Always finish with what, who and when, then put it in writing.
• "Please send me the details" in a sharp tone. On a call, tone carries more than words. "Could you send me the details?" with a warm voice works better.

For internal calls with your own team, our guide to English phrases for meetings covers updates, agreeing and interrupting.

Practise this with Katie AI

Katie lets you rehearse client calls out loud: opening the call, clarifying a request, handling a difficult question and agreeing next steps. It corrects your grammar, word choice and pronunciation on every sentence and explains why. Read more in our guide to the best apps for business English.