One of the biggest problems is speed. Native speakers, especially business people, tend to speak very quickly on the telephone. Here are some practical¹ tips to get native speakers of English to slow down!

主要的一个问题是语速。说母语的人，尤其是商务人士，打电话的时候说话语速都很快。下面是一些实用的小贴士可以让母语是英语的人放慢说话的速度。

* Immediately ask the person to speak slowly.

* 直接请这个人慢点说。

* When taking note of a name or important information, repeat each piece of information as the person speaks.

* 记录一个名字或者重要信息的时候，打电话的人说一句你就重复一句。

This is an especially effective tool. By repeating each important piece of information or each number or letter as the spell or give you a telephone number you automatically² slow the speaker down.

这是一个很有效的策略。通过重复每一个重要的信息、每一个数字、每一个字母的时候都会让说话人的语速自动放慢。

* Do not say you have understood if you have not. Ask the person to repeat until you have understood.

* 如果没听懂就别说你懂了。让这个人重复一下直到你懂了。

Remember that the other person needs to make himself/herself understood and it is in his/her interest to make sure that you have understood. If you ask a person to explain more than twice they will usually slow down.

记住别人需要自己的话被听懂。确保你能听懂关系到他或她的利益。如果你请一个人解释两次以上，通常这个人会放慢语速。

* If the person does not slow down begin speaking your own language!

* 如果这个人还不放慢语速你就开始说你的母语。（这招狠！）

A sentence or two of another language spoken quickly will remind the person that they are fortunate because THEY do not need to speak a different language to communicate. Used carefully, this exercise in humbling³ the other speaker can be very effective. Just be sure to use it with colleagues⁴ and not with a boss !

快速的说一两个句子会提醒打电话的人他们是很幸运的因为他们不用使用不同的语言来交流。不过用这招要小心点，这种方法羞辱别人很有效，所以要确定你这么做的对象是你同事而不是你老板！