Ten Tips for Doing Good Phone

The telephone has been around as a business communication tool longer than you‘ve been in business. So it’s not unlikely that from time to time you might take the phone for granted and relax your communication skills a little when using it. Remember, however, that your ability to communicate effectively over all available channels is the best indicator of how your company does business.

For that reason, here’s a quick ten-point check list to help you ensure that your company is keeping telephone communication professional:

1. Focus on your caller. You have picked up the phone, now the person on the other end deserves your full attention.

2. Maintain a level of formality. Business people tend to be much less formal today, but being overly casual on the phone can seem unprofessional.

3. Greet and identify. Develop a standard answering protocol for your company that includes a greeting and a name. You make communication easier for your callers when they know who they’re speaking to.

4. Answer the phone. Try to pick it up after just three or four rings. The perception of service and availability that this provides will go a long way.

5. Allow occasional silence. Gaps in conversation will occur on the phone as they will in a face-to-face conversation. Don’t try to fill gaps with meaningless talk.

6. Plan outgoing calls. Make a list of the points each phone call must cover. It’s better to be thorough and call once than it is to have to call back soon after.

7. Check on timing. If what you have to say is going to be long or confidential, it’s a good idea to check with the person first to see if it’s a convenient time to talk.

8. Use names. Refer to your caller by name two or three times during the call. This helps you restore some of the warmth that’s lost from a face-to-face conversation.

9. Summarize your points. Before you wrap up your call, repeat the main points that were covered and plan the next step. People remember best what was said last.

And with that in mind…

10. Smile on the phone. Although they can’t see it, people on the other end can hear your smile when you talk. And this makes your conversations sound more attentive and more personal.