Chapter 4 Sound Advice: Making the Right Phone Impression
Slide 2
Common error: Treating people on the phone as though they
werent entitled to a full hearing How much money in lost revenue
from clients & customers is this costing your company?
Slide 3
In this chapter, youll learn the best ways to establish &
maintain proper communication over the phone By following the tips
outlined here, youll help your organization build bridges during
phone contacts, rather than tear them down
Slide 4
Ask before putting someone on speakerphone There are very few
devices that register as much displeasure from unsuspecting phone
users as the speakerphone If youre using it, this technology
represents a superb & welcome convenience If youre subjected to
it without warning, however, its among the rudest of rude telephone
awakenings
Slide 5
Many listeners report that they feel as though the other person
is talking to them from the bottom of a well The instinct to shout
or hang up in the hope of securing a better connection can be quite
strong
Slide 6
Sound phone etiquette requires that the person who wishes to
use the speakerphone always pick up the handset 1 st when calling
another party After greeting the person on the line &
establishing rapport, the person with the speakerphone should
explain why he/she would like to put the call on speaker
Slide 7
Most callers wont mindas long as the switch over is discussed
before it is initiated & the benefit to the caller of placing
the call on speakerphone is made clear
Slide 8
What should you do when you find yourself in a telephone
conversation in which the other person does not ask your permission
to put you on the speakerphone?
Slide 9
Tolerate the lapse in sound quality (& remind yourself that
your conversation is not private) Explain that you cannot hear the
person well & hope that this will encourage the other person to
use the handset instead
Slide 10
Observe proper conference call etiquette There is a certain
etiquette to be observed when conducting or taking part in a
conference call Any situation that involves other people, in fact,
requires thoughtful consideration of anybody else who might be
involved This is true whether the interactions are in person or by
some electronic means
Slide 11
The primary responsibility for a conference call obviously lies
with the person who is organizing it The participants involved in
the call must be notified in advance of the date & time
(include time zoneespecially if there is someone participating from
another country) This will serve to verify if they are available as
well as to make sure that it is on their calendar Follow-up via
e-mail or fax to confirm & to provide a list of who will be
participating in the callinclude an agenda which will allow each
person to learn the goals of the telephone meeting & what
his/her involvement will be
Slide 12
The call will usually fall into 1 of 2 categories: You will be
calling all involved parties & connecting them via your own
phone system They will be required to call a certain # themselves
to connect to the conference call If so, you must make sure your
memo providing the meeting details includes everything a
participant needs to know to be connected to the call
Slide 13
Like any other meeting, punctuality is key to a conference call
If you are the organizer, you must observe certain etiquette in
getting others on the line The 1 st person should be called within
5 before the designated time; the last person should be called
within 1 2 before the meeting is scheduled to begin
Slide 14
Those who are lowest on the totem pole should be connected 1 st
The most senior executive or client should be connected last If the
meeting requires the other participants to call in themselves to be
connected, ensure that all participants are on the line before
starting the meeting
Slide 15
Once everyone is connected, the host should greet the group as
a whole & introduce all other people on the line, who should
then acknowledge their presence with a short Hello or Good morning
The meeting should then follow the agenda
Slide 16
1 major problem w/conference calls is the inability to see your
fellow callers This prevents you from tuning into body language
that may indicate when someone else wants to talk Also, people who
talk out of turn may interrupt or drown out the caller who has the
floor The call tends to run most smoothly when 1 person determines
whose turn it is to talk next--& when others refrain from
speaking until they are asked for input
Slide 17
When it is time to end the call, the host should provide a
summary of no more than a few sentences, describing what was
discussed &/or decided After the call has ended, the host or
the person who was taking notes should promptly send a follow-up
letter to each member of the group to confirm any action plan that
had been discussed & to outline the responsibilities of each
person in the group
Slide 18
Keep people who field calls for you informed Hello, Mr. Smiths
office. This is Mr. Big. Is he there? Im sorry, he isnt. May I take
a message? No, its too important. When will he be back? Im afraid I
dont know. Well, do you know where I can reach him? Sorry, no. May
I give him a message? No, I need to talk to him before 3 p.m. or
well lose this account.
Slide 19
One of the most frustrating experiences a caller can have in
trying to get through to you is talking to someone who cannot
provide any information on your schedule or availability
Slide 20
Some managers prefer to keep their own schedule w/o informing
their subordinates What they dont realize is that by saving
themselves time & trouble, they can often create issues for
others
Slide 21
Learn to use your office support staff effectively,
particularly those people who represent you when you are out Your
administrative assistants should be aware of both your schedule
& any important projects you are working on that may require
them to run interference when you are away Always provide a copy of
your schedule so that your assistant(s) may know where you are
& how to contact you when you are the only person who can
handle a situationyou may even provide a script for what to
say
Slide 22
Give assistants both the responsibility of taking your calls
& the authority to let callers know when they can expect a call
back Any information that an assistant might need for callers
should also be provided When calls are treated in this manner, it
demonstrates your ability to work as a team with your assistants
& coworkers, as well as to respect the callers time
Slide 23
Avoid the most common telephone faux pas The wooing, winning,
& retention of customers usually means relying on salespeople
who know the product or service being sold & can conduct
themselves in a courteous, professional manner
Slide 24
Frequently, much of a salespersons business must be conducted
over the phone It is important for salespeople to avoid certain
faux pas that can adversely affect the relationship with the
customer or potential customeralthough everyone can benefit from
phone courtesy!
Slide 25
Rate your cell phone civility [Yes/No] I keep my cell phone on
during meetings so that others can have continued access to me. I
usually answer the phone when I am in a restaurant. I tend to talk
louder on a cell phone than I do when I am using a landline phone.
As a rule, I instantly answer my cell phone in public places,
regardless of how much physical distance there is between me &
the people around me.
Slide 26
If you responded yes to all 4 statements those who have to
share your working space may consider you rude If you responded yes
to 3 statementsyou may well annoy others when using your cell If
you responded yes to 1-2 statementsyou are more civil than most
cell phone users If you responded no to all of the statementsyou
have mastered cell phone etiquette
Slide 27
Your response to #4 is of particular importanceyou should try
not to answer your cell phone before creating your own spaceby
moving at least 2 arms lengths away from those around you
Slide 28
Tips that will help keep calls on the right track: Plan the
call before you make itrather than improvising while on the line
Write down all ?s/info. to share Make sure you have close at hand
all the info. & resources youll need Calendar Copy of written
materials/files Writing material, pen Logged on to
computer/internet
Slide 29
Avoid calling when you know your client/contact is likely to
feel overwhelmed (busy hours, beg./end of day) Avoid calling 1 st
day back from vacation or being sick Take a break during the
conversation make your point in a concise manner & then give
the other person a chance to talk
Slide 30
Take careful notes during the conversation so that your
customer doesnt have to repeat remarks or provide important
information twice By doing so, youll be demonstrating your
efficiency & attention to detail
Slide 31
Be kind to fellow travelers Modern technology allows us
constant access to the rest of the world Is it really appropriate,
though, to conduct business calls anywhere? We are so used to
phones that many of us forget how serious lapses in telephone
courtesy can be
Slide 32
Many of the most common breaches of etiquette occur on planes
Avoid using air phones to conduct long, non- emergency business
conversations Its expensive (& your business budget probably
wont cover it!) Long conversations during an extended flight is
considered inconsiderate Your phone calls are of little interest to
your neighbors It is unfair to subject them at length to your
business affairs unless you have absolutely no choice Air phones
are best used for emergencies or when there is no one within 3 rows
of you
Slide 33
Watch that beeper Avoid using beepers that sound off Overly
loud paging is noise pollution at its worst & is still used by
many as a conscious, & clumsy, symbol of self- importance To
avoid bothering others, especially in public places, get a silent
beeper that vibrates when you have a call
Slide 34
Set limits to personal calls at your home office Dont allow
friends to assume that just because you work at home, you are free
to take phone calls Say, Its good to hear from you. May I get back
to you this evening? You can also use your answering machine or
Caller ID to screen your calls
Slide 35
Personalize your voice mail Voice mail is, in effect, your
private assistant It is an extension of you & should reflect
the same basic courtesy & regard for others that you would
demonstrate in person Keep your voice mail message updated
regularly This will let people know when you are out of the office
&/or when they might expect to get a call back from you
Slide 36
You may personalize your greeting, but that does mean making it
funny or adding sound effects Your greeting should be professional
& to the point
Slide 37
Example: Thank you for your call. I am at a client site today
and will return to the office tomorrow. If you need immediate
attention, please dial Mary Smith at extension 123. Otherwise,
please leave your name, telephone number, and message. I will
return your call promptly tomorrow.
Slide 38
Learn how to make voice mail work for you Which person would
you rather do business with? This is Joe Smith. Im not available.
Leave a message. This is Mary Smith. I will be in a client meeting
on Tuesday morning, April 23, and will return your call in the
afternoon. Please leave your name, number and brief message.
Slide 39
Dont leave all the details of your itinerary Do leave an
updated & concise greeting for those who must leave a message
for you
Slide 40
Learn to let the phone ring Answer your phone only when you can
talk Most callers would prefer to leave a message than be told you
cant talk & rushed through the call The same principle applies
during meetings
Slide 41
Check your voice mail & e-mail regularly Find the level
that works best for you but check at least 1x/day Get back to
people promptlyby the next day at the latest A 3-4 day lag is
considered unacceptable