First contact and further contact picking roleplays

First contact and further contact picking roleplays

Choose a situation from below and roleplay the exchange with your partner, from the very beginning to the very end. If it is an email, just say what you would write – there is no need to write anything down. You can fast forward past the body of the communication if you like, e.g. skipping most of the body of a meeting, but make sure you have a smooth start, small talk if necessary, getting down to business, etc at the beginning, and a smooth ending to the communication.

Ask about any situations below which you don’t understand or can’t imagine how to cope with, brainstorming suitable phrases together each time.

Change partner and do the same, but this time picking random numbers between 1 and 30 and roleplaying those situations.

Roleplays

Emails

1. A follow up email (exchange) after a first meeting
2. A follow up email after a meeting with someone you know well
3. A first email
4. A reply to a first email
5. Emailing someone and asking to meet (face to face)
6. Emailing someone and asking to schedule a teleconference or video conference
7. Another email very shortly after another email or email exchange

 

Phone calls

8. A first telephone call with someone who you’ve had no contact with (e.g. cold calling)
9. A phone call with someone who you know but don’t know well
10. A phone call with someone who you know well
11. Phoning someone and asking to meet face to face
12. Phoning someone and asking to arrange a teleconference or video conference
13. A second phone call a very short time after the previous one

 

Teleconferences/ Video conferences

14. A teleconference or video conference with someone who you know well
15. A first teleconference or video conference with someone who you have previously been in contact with via email
16. A continuation of an earlier teleconference or video conference

 

Face to face conversations

17. Meeting someone who you never had any contact with
18. A (scheduled) first meeting with someone who you’ve had other contact with (e.g. previously emailed or spoken on the phone)
19. Waiting at the airport to take them to a meeting and/ or their hotel
20. Being introduced to your colleagues on your first day of work
21. Being introduced to a new member of staff
22. Meeting your new boss
23. A (scheduled) meeting with someone who you know well
24. Meeting again after a long time
25. Meeting someone who you met at the same event this time last year
26. A conversation with someone who enters or comes near your booth at a conference/ trade show/ trade fair
27. A conversation with someone you don’t know who is standing in the same queue, e.g. at the coffee stand at a conference/ trade show, at a bus stop or at airport check in
28. Chatting with someone who you don’t know who is sitting nearby, e.g. a fellow drinker, someone on the same plane/ bus/ train, or someone who is attending the same workshop/ talk/ seminar/ presentation
29. Chatting with a new classmate (before the teacher arrives)
30. Chatting with a taxi driver