When You Speak More than 75 percent of new contacts make their decision about whether or not to do further business with you during the initial phone call. Make that initial phone contact and all the ng nes, the very best possible. We use office phones, cell phones nd speaker phones to get business completed. The person you talk with on the phone cannot see the size of your office your office furnishings, or you. All their conclusions about you, your business, and your ability to deliver what you promise are based on your voice and your words and how well they convey courtesy and respect. What kind of an impression do you leave when you speak on the telephone? Your voice is your vehicle for communication Record a phone call or tape-record yourself speaking and listen to your voice. You want to speak loudly and clearly enough for people to hear you easily. If people ask you to repeat things you say, you may not be speaking loudly enough. Make certain that your voice is pleasant and causes people to want to listen. Practice your speaking to develop variety in pace, modulation, and pitch. The way you speak impacts the way you are perceived. Is your voice pitch high(shrill) or very low (deep)? Listen to your voice with an unbiased friend who will help you evaluate the quality and listening appeal of your voice. The most comfortable listening range falls within the medium range. High-pitched voices are more difficult to understand and are often perceived as unprofessional. Speech, voice, or drama coaches can help you improve your voice. You'll hear results right away, and they'll make a positive impact on your professionalism. Your voice and words are essential to making a positive impression and portraying your professionalism. Using proper telephone manners will help you build friends and clients, develop and keep a good reputation, and lead to success Telephone Etiquette Whenever you speak on the telephone, speak clearly and directly into the mouthpiece. Identify yourself immediately to the other person Speak slowly and with courtesy. Focus yourself on the purpose of the call and the person you are speaking with; don' t try to do things like open mail or talk with someone in the room with you in the course of your telephone conversation. Don' t eat or drink while you are on the phone. You may not be aware of how well the person at the other end of the line can hear you chewing and swallowing; the impression you leave will not be a good one. Smile as you speak. You' ll be surprised how well a smile can be heard in your voice. 1 of 8
page 1 of 8 When You Speak… More than 75 percent of new contacts make their decision about whether or not to do further business with you during the initial phone call. Make that initial phone contact and all the succeeding ones, the very best possible. We use office phones, cell phones, conference calls, and speaker phones to get business completed. The person you talk with on the phone cannot see the size of your office, your office furnishings, or you. All their conclusions about you, your business, and your ability to deliver what you promise, are based on your voice and your words and how well they convey courtesy and respect. What kind of an impression do you leave when you speak on the telephone? Your voice is your vehicle for communication. Record a phone call or tape-record yourself speaking and listen to your voice. You want to speak loudly and clearly enough for people to hear you easily. If people ask you to repeat things you say, you may not be speaking loudly enough. Make certain that your voice is pleasant and causes people to want to listen. Practice your speaking to develop variety in pace, modulation, and pitch. The way you speak impacts the way you are perceived. Is your voice pitch high (shrill) or very low (deep)? Listen to your voice with an unbiased friend who will help you evaluate the quality and listening appeal of your voice. The most comfortable listening range falls within the medium range. High-pitched voices are more difficult to understand and are often perceived as unprofessional. Speech, voice, or drama coaches can help you improve your voice. You'll hear results right away, and they'll make a positive impact on your professionalism. Your voice and words are essential to making a positive impression and portraying your professionalism. Using proper telephone manners will help you build friends and clients, develop and keep a good reputation, and lead to success. Telephone Etiquette Whenever you speak on the telephone, speak clearly and directly into the mouthpiece. Identify yourself immediately to the other person. Speak slowly and with courtesy. Focus yourself on the purpose of the call and the person you are speaking with; don't try to do things like open mail or talk with someone in the room with you in the course of your telephone conversation. Don't eat or drink while you are on the phone. You may not be aware of how well the person at the other end of the line can hear you chewing and swallowing; the impression you leave will not be a good one. Smile as you speak. You'll be surprised how well a smile can be heard in your voice
Making Phone Calls Be prepared before you dial. If this is an information gathering call, have a script handy so that you will remember to cover all the information. Know the reason for your call and be ready to discuss it. Place your call during normal business hours. Your call will not be well received if you wait until five minutes before closing Be ready to leave a message with an assistant or receptionist, if the person you wish to talk with is unavailable Make your own calls. Asking your assistant to get a client on the phone implies to the client that your time is more valuable than theirs e Answer phone messages left for you within forty-eight hours, whenever possible. If ou are away for more than a day, it is courteous to your callers to so indicate in your message unless someone is taking your calls for you Answering Phone calls If you are the administrative assistant or receptionist who handles incoming calls for your company, you are the voice of the company. You are the first contact a person has with your business whether you are a one-person office or a large corporation. This is true for anyone who answers incoming calls, regardless of their position. You can make a good impression when speaking on the phone when you e Answer by the third or fourth ring. Identify yourself immediately Speak slowly, clearly, and with courtesy. Speak with a smile in your voice Use the callers name Have pen and paper handy to make notes or take a message. Minimize background noise End the call with a positive statement and an acknowledgment of the caller. Please hold There will be times when you will need to put callers on hold. Only put callers on hold for a few seconds. If the call is being transferred, make sure the other party picks up the phone in a reasonable amount of time. If they do not, pick up the call again, acknowledge the caller by name, and ask if they would like to continue to hold or if they would rather leave a message. If you must leave the line to answer a call-waiting call, make sure you leave the first caller on hold for only a few seconds, and acknowledge the caller by name when you return. 2 of 8
page 2 of 8 Making Phone Calls Be prepared before you dial. If this is an information gathering call, have a script handy so that you will remember to cover all the information. Know the reason for your call and be ready to discuss it. Place your call during normal business hours. Your call will not be well received if you wait until five minutes before closing. Be ready to leave a message with an assistant or receptionist, if the person you wish to talk with is unavailable. Make your own calls. Asking your assistant to get a client on the phone implies to the client that your time is more valuable than theirs. Answer phone messages left for you within forty-eight hours, whenever possible. If you are away for more than a day, it is courteous to your callers to so indicate in your message unless someone is taking your calls for you. Answering Phone Calls If you are the administrative assistant or receptionist who handles incoming calls for your company, you are the voice of the company. You are the first contact a person has with your business whether you are a one-person office or a large corporation. This is true for anyone who answers incoming calls, regardless of their position. You can make a good impression when speaking on the phone when you Answer by the third or fourth ring. Identify yourself immediately. Speak slowly, clearly, and with courtesy. Speak with a smile in your voice. Use the caller's name. Have pen and paper handy to make notes or take a message. Minimize background noise. End the call with a positive statement and an acknowledgment of the caller. Please Hold There will be times when you will need to put callers on hold. Only put callers on hold for a few seconds. If the call is being transferred, make sure the other party picks up the phone in a reasonable amount of time. If they do not, pick up the call again, acknowledge the caller by name, and ask if they would like to continue to hold or if they would rather leave a message. If you must leave the line to answer a call-waiting call, make sure you leave the first caller on hold for only a few seconds, and acknowledge the caller by name when you return
Remember that call-waiting is a convenience for you, not your caller. When you ask the first caller to wait while you answer a second call, you imply that he is less important than the new caller. Make your connection with the second caller brief; return their call promptly when you finish with the first caller. If you need to transfer a call, explain the reason for the transfer to the caller. Monitor the lines to be certain the transfer was completed successfully. Sometimes, you may be required to answer someone else's phone while they are away from their desk or to answer the phone for others in your office. This can be challenging when you must answer questions or provide information that you do not have. The best response is to take a message. Be sure that there are phone message pads and pen where you will answer the phone. Ask for the caller's name, phone number (repeat it for accuracy), reason for the call, and best time to return the call. Add your name or initials and the date and time of the call to the message a courteous response to the caller is that the person they wish to reach is unavailable You may add that they are with a client, in a meeting, or have stepped away from their desk for a moment. Be aware that you want to leave a professional image with the caller. It is not important for the caller to know exactly where the person is, what they are doing at the moment, or even where you think they might be. In fact, to offer this level of information may betray confidentiality and imply that you are not careful about preserving confidentiality for your colleagues or your clients Handling difficult Callers Sometimes callers are rude and unreasonable. You may not know why they are rude or unhappy, but you can influence the outcome of the call and perhaps regain the callers goodwill. Begin by remaining calm and speaking in even tones. Ask the caller to identify himself and ask the reason for the call. Speaking softly will encourage the caller to calm down and not shout. If the caller uses obscenities, ask them to use other language. Explain that you can,t help them if they won't help you. when speaking with the caller, address him as mr Jones and sir (use ma'am with a woman caller Angry people are not ready to listen. They must get their anger out before they will be able to listen to you. Encourage them to explain the problem or why they are unhappy Restate the problem to them, and offer to transfer them to the appropriate department or suggest someone with whom they should speak. Offer to see if that person is available and if not, offer to take a message. You may be able to diffuse some of the caller's anger just by listening attentively. This will make your colleague 's job easier when he has to talk with this caller and will leave the caller with a more positive impression of your company. Bof 8
page 3 of 8 Remember that call-waiting is a convenience for you, not your caller. When you ask the first caller to wait while you answer a second call, you imply that he is less important than the new caller. Make your connection with the second caller brief; return their call promptly when you finish with the first caller. If you need to transfer a call, explain the reason for the transfer to the caller. Monitor the lines to be certain the transfer was completed successfully. Sometimes, you may be required to answer someone else's phone while they are away from their desk or to answer the phone for others in your office. This can be challenging when you must answer questions or provide information that you do not have. The best response is to take a message. Be sure that there are phone message pads and pen where you will answer the phone. Ask for the caller's name, phone number (repeat it for accuracy), reason for the call, and best time to return the call. Add your name or initials and the date and time of the call to the message. A courteous response to the caller is that the person they wish to reach is unavailable. You may add that they are with a client, in a meeting, or have stepped away from their desk for a moment. Be aware that you want to leave a professional image with the caller. It is not important for the caller to know exactly where the person is, what they are doing at the moment, or even where you think they might be. In fact, to offer this level of information may betray confidentiality and imply that you are not careful about preserving confidentiality for your colleagues or your clients. Handling Difficult Callers. Sometimes callers are rude and unreasonable. You may not know why they are rude or unhappy, but you can influence the outcome of the call and perhaps regain the caller's goodwill. Begin by remaining calm and speaking in even tones. Ask the caller to identify himself and ask the reason for the call. Speaking softly will encourage the caller to calm down and not shout. If the caller uses obscenities, ask them to use other language. Explain that you can't help them if they won't help you. When speaking with the caller, address him as Mr. Jones and sir (use ma'am with a woman caller). Angry people are not ready to listen. They must get their anger out before they will be able to listen to you. Encourage them to explain the problem or why they are unhappy. Restate the problem to them, and offer to transfer them to the appropriate department or suggest someone with whom they should speak. Offer to see if that person is available and, if not, offer to take a message. You may be able to diffuse some of the caller's anger just by listening attentively. This will make your colleague's job easier when he has to talk with this caller and will leave the caller with a more positive impression of your company
Voice Messaging Systems Voice messaging systems were developed to provide more efficient tomer service and to improve the productivity of office staff. fortunately, many customers wait a long time through layers and layers al choices based on They often never get to a real person and either are asked to leave a message or have to hang up and start the process over again Voice messaging systems serve a purpose but they can be frustrating to callers. Frequently callers have difficulty knowing which selections to make to have their question answered. They are left feeling frustrated; the company has lost their personal touch and perhaps a customer. We've probably all had experiences with a voice messaging system. Maybe you've come across a message like the following Hello, you have reached ACE Company. To order a product-press 1, to ask about a charge on your bill-press 2, to review your bill--press 4, to speak to the operator-press o Hello, you have reached the automated system for ACE. If you wish to speak to someone about a warranty-press 1, if you wish to speak to a customer service representative-press 3, if you wish to speak to the operator-press 4 or stolen card-press 1, to increase your credit limit-press 2, to speak to an operator-press 3pause Hello, all our operators are busy helping call is important to us so please stay on the lin music we estimate the next available service representative will be with you in five minutes. When someone finally answers, you may have reached a department in error and have to start the system over again, or the person you' ve reached may not know how to transfer you to the correct department and you may get cut off (and have to start over again). Some voice messaging systems allow callers to bypass the message by pressing a specified ephone button such as the pound(#)key. If your message system has a long message and you have frequent callers, tell them how to bypass the remainder of the message early the message. Call your own company or business and put yourself in the shoes of your client or customer. I know a company president who was traveling on business. He phoned the company to speak with one of his sales managers but couldn't get through. In desperation he called the customer service line and got locked into the voice message loop. He was shocked by how inefficient and frustrating the system was. Does your company answering machine message or voice message system leave a positive impression? You may wish to periodically check your own message system to be sure page 4 of
page 4 of 8 Voice Messaging Systems Voice messaging systems were developed to provide more efficient customer service and to improve the productivity of office staff. Unfortunately, many customers wait a long time through layers and layers of messages making numerical choices based on questions asked to them. They often never get to a real person and either are asked to leave a message or have to hang up and start the process over again. Voice messaging systems serve a purpose but they can be frustrating to callers. Frequently callers have difficulty knowing which selections to make to have their question answered. They are left feeling frustrated; the company has lost their personal touch and perhaps a customer. We've probably all had experiences with a voice messaging system. Maybe you've come across a message like the following. Hello, you have reached ACE Company. To order a product—press 1, to ask about a charge on your bill—press 2, to review your bill—press 4, to speak to the operator—press 0. Hello, you have reached the automated system for ACE. If you wish to speak to someone about a warranty—press 1, if you wish to speak to a customer service representative—press 3, if you wish to speak to the operator—press 4. Hello, you have reached the automated system for ACE. To report a lost or stolen card—press 1, to increase your credit limit—press 2, to speak to an operator—press 3.pauseHello, all our operators are busy helping other customers. Your call is important to us so please stay on the line music we estimate the next available service representative will be with you in five minutes. When someone finally answers, you may have reached a department in error and have to start the system over again, or the person you've reached may not know how to transfer you to the correct department and you may get cut off (and have to start over again). Some voice messaging systems allow callers to bypass the message by pressing a specified telephone button such as the pound (#) key. If your message system has a long message and you have frequent callers, tell them how to bypass the remainder of the message early in the message. Call your own company or business and put yourself in the shoes of your client or customer. I know a company president who was traveling on business. He phoned the company to speak with one of his sales managers but couldn't get through. In desperation, he called the customer service line and got locked into the voice message loop. He was shocked by how inefficient and frustrating the system was. Does your company answering machine message or voice message system leave a positive impression? You may wish to periodically check your own message system to be sure
Your Telephone Greeting When leaving a telephone greeting on your answering machine or voice mail syster will be heard by your callers speak slowly and state your name, company, and / or m number. Keep the message brief; some systems will only allow thirty to sixty seconds for your greeting. Ask the caller for specific information, for example, Please leave your name nd phone numbe If you have unlimited time for your greeting, you can make the message interesting and fun. You can play music in the background, leave a favorite quote or make a comment about business or life. Whatever you choose, consider its impact on the positive impression you want your message to make on your clients If the caller can bypass the message, give instructions on how to do so in the message. If you can be reached by pager or other means, include instructions to that effect also Leaving a Message When leaving a message for someone you have called speak slowly and clearly. Leave your name, phone number, and a brief message. Say your phone number slowly; many people repeat the number so quickly that the recipient can't write it down or hear the numbers. If you say the number too fast, you may not get the return phone call. Give your phone number twice when leaving a message, once at the beginning of the message and again at the end. mention the best time to return your call If you don' t really need a return call, it is considerate to leave enough information about why you are calling to enable the person you' ve called to take care of the matter For instance, if you're calling to confirm your lunch appointment, remind the individual of the date, time, and place. Let them know they don't need to call you back unless there is a problem or they need to reschedule. It is always proper etiquette to leave your phone number even if you know they have it; your thoughtfulness will save them the time and effort of looking up your number. At the end of the message leave your name and phone number again, as a courtesy to the recipient so they don t have to rewind the tape if they didn 't hear your name or phone number clearly the first time ge 5 of 8
page 5 of 8 Your Telephone Greeting When leaving a telephone greeting on your answering machine or voice mail system that will be heard by your callers speak slowly and state your name, company, and/or phone number. Keep the message brief; some systems will only allow thirty to sixty seconds for your greeting. Ask the caller for specific information, for example, Please leave your name and phone number. If you have unlimited time for your greeting, you can make the message interesting and fun. You can play music in the background, leave a favorite quote, or make a comment about business or life. Whatever you choose, consider its impact on the positive impression you want your message to make on your clients. If the caller can bypass the message, give instructions on how to do so in the message. If you can be reached by pager or other means, include instructions to that effect also. Leaving a Message When leaving a message for someone you have called speak slowly and clearly. Leave your name, phone number, and a brief message. Say your phone number slowly; many people repeat the number so quickly that the recipient can't write it down or hear the numbers. If you say the number too fast, you may not get the return phone call. Give your phone number twice when leaving a message, once at the beginning of the message and again at the end. Mention the best time to return your call. If you don't really need a return call, it is considerate to leave enough information about why you are calling to enable the person you've called to take care of the matter. For instance, if you're calling to confirm your lunch appointment, remind the individual of the date, time, and place. Let them know they don't need to call you back unless there is a problem or they need to reschedule. It is always proper etiquette to leave your phone number even if you know they have it; your thoughtfulness will save them the time and effort of looking up your number. At the end of the message leave your name and phone number again, as a courtesy to the recipient so they don't have to rewind the tape if they didn't hear your name or phone number clearly the first time