The Universal Use of Phones for Business

In a world with skype, email, and g-chat, the phone still sees extensive use among businesses of all sizes and all sectors. It should come as no surprise to learn that learning how to talk over the phone can provide businesses with significant boosts to its revenue. Having proper phone etiquette can help your business with anything from increased sales to better customer service and better customer reviews. For businesses that are more reliant on the strength of their relationships with their customers, this can mean the difference between success and failure.

Need Help Talking Over the Phone?

You should consider these simple suggestions:

• Always have a routine in mind when you answer your phone. Generally speaking, this means that you should start by greeting your caller before asking them how you can help them. For example, something along the lines of, “Hi, this is Jeff. Thanks for calling Jeff’s Auto. How can I help you out today?” is simple but nonetheless effect. After all, the greeting makes your caller feel welcome, the introduction introduces a personal tone to the conversation that should make it easier for you to build a connection with your caller, while the question gets you right to your most important point. Better still, once you have gotten used to your routine, it will give you confidence whenever you use it because you will have had significant amounts of previous experience.

• Manners are extremely important, particularly in the earliest stages of a conversation when everything is balanced on an extremely fine edge. As a result, you should read up about the most common mistakes made in a phone conversation so that you can avoid them as much as possible. For example, you should never answer the phone while you are still talking to someone else because you want your caller to know that all of your time and attention in the moment is dedicated to them. Similarly, you should say the name of your business clearly so that your caller knows that they have called the right number while also striving your utmost to sound approachable so that your caller will not become alienated.

• If you are not sure what you should be doing, you should be prepared to do your best to “fake it until you make it.” For example, if you are having problems sounding warm and welcoming to your caller, put on a smile while you are speaking since that will influence everything else that you say and do. Similarly, make sure to use words that you are sure that your caller will know so that the conversation will proceed as smoothly as possible.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of being a sweet talker over the phone as well as more about phone etiquette, please contact us at your earliest convenience by calling 1.800.591.8675.