Top Ten Telephone Basics
Having good telephone skills helps build stronger relationships with everyone. Whether the call is incoming or outbound, the following can be applied to virtually every call..
Here is my “top ten” phone skills list:
1. Let’s start with enthusiasm. Try to convey some type of
enthusiasm. From beginning to end, show that you care about the person you
are talking to. You don’t need to act overly excited about your phone
conversation. Just have a positive attitude. It is contagious.
2. Be sure to smile. Even though you are on the phone, the other
person can sense a smile from you. Some telephone experts recommend putting
a mirror on your desk to remind you when you are not smiling at the
customer. For people who are on the phone all day, a mirror may not be a bad
idea.
3. How do you sound on the phone? Using the right tone of voice
creates atmosphere on the phone. This ties into the first two on this list.
Is your enthusiasm coming through? Do you have a positive attitude? Is your
phone conversation strictly business? Is it lighter or personal? Your tone
and voice
inflections will create an impression and help the person on the other end
understand what you are telling them.
4. Say “Hello!” (or good morning, good afternoon, etc.) Have a warm
greeting or opening. Welcome people into the conversation. Don’t make them
feel as if they are an interruption. If you are too busy, then let someone
else or your voice mail pick up the phone. That is lot better than a
greeting that sounds like, “Yah, what do you want!”
5. Say “Goodbye.” Have a strong closing. At the minimum, be sure to
say goodbye before hanging up the phone. How many times have you expected
someone to say goodbye, have a nice day, etc. only to hear a click? Don’t do
that to your customer!
6. When talking to a customer, avoid company or technical terminology
that they may not understand. Everybody has had this happen at one time
or another. Someone tries to tell you something and you have absolutely no
idea what he is talking about. It sounds like it could be English, and it
is. But, you still don’t understand it because it is technical jargon.
Technical terms or industry buzz-words can put a customer in an
uncomfortable position. They might feel dumb because they don’t understand
you. Or, they may feel frustrated and become impatient.
7. Don’t get angry, even if the customer is. It is not always easy to
keep calm, especially if the customer is angry about something you have no
control over. (Chances are they are mad at something that has already
happened.) If a customer is complaining and angry, let them vent. Most
likely they aren’t mad at you personally. Ask them questions to show that
you care. Don’t add to their aggravation. You might ask them to repeat the
problem just to make sure you understand. Be a good listener.
8. When transferring - ONLY ONCE! If you are transferring to someone
else, make sure that person is available. Don’t put the customer on the
hold, transfer, hold, transfer, hold, transfer, routine. (I hate when that
happens!)
9. Control the “hold” button on your phone. A survey in USA Today
conducted by Nancy Friedman (a.k.a. The Telephone Doctor) showed that
customers hate, more than anything else relating to the phone, to be put on
HOLD! There are really only two reasons to put someone on hold: to transfer
to someone else or to get information.
10. More on controlling that “hold” button. If you are going to make
a customer wait on hold, for any reason, let them know how long they will
have to wait. When you say a minute and it really is just a minute, it will
probably seem a lot longer to them. So, if you are asking them to hold for
an extended period of time, it is probably best to call them back. Promise
to call at a specific time. Then, keep your promise!
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