Telephone skills part 2
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The document provides tips for improving telephone skills. It discusses maintaining a clear, enthusiastic tone of voice and avoiding mumbling, shouting, or speaking too fast or slow. It emphasizes listening politely, using the client's name, being aware of cultural differences like time zones, avoiding false accents or slang, and not interrupting others on the call. The overall message is to focus on clear communication, be respectful of clients, and follow basic etiquette guidelines.
Telephone skills part 2
- 1. Telephone Skills Part 2
- 2. Tone of Voice The tone of your voice is impacted by: Clear or muffled speaking Your mood and enthusiasm You might think that your voice is loud or clear enough to be heard by others, but this is not necessarily so On the other hand, shouting is just as bad as mumbling and will give the caller a shock
- 3. How You Feel Comes Across… Consider the tone and speed of your voice. Think about what things really annoy you Speaking too fast, Too slowly, in a very loud or quiet voice, Placing too much emphasis on certain tones Tones that are very flat suggest disinterest
- 4. Aim For a Clear Voice Loud enough to be heard without shouting. Lean back and arch your neck up. It is easier to exude enthusiasm in this position. Smile when you answer the phone. The smile will be heard in your voice Try to stay standing up when answering the phone. This enables better because breathing and energy
- 5. No Drinking or Chewing Each of these sounds comes through Other bodily annoying noises to avoid Smacking your gums together Burping Yawning Mumbling or making popping noises
- 6. Excuse Yourself If you have to sneeze or cough, excuse yourself and quickly cover the phone's sound piece.
- 7. Answer and Greet Warmly Give your name and title Example For Inbound calls: A formal example, "Hello, my name is Elizabeth Jones with the XYZ. How may I help you?“ Less formal example, "Hello, this is Jeremy speaking, from “XYZ". For outside calling Hello, my name is Tim Jones from the XYZ.
- 8. Use The Clients Name Use their name to establish rapport Repeat back anything that you think needs clarification. Proceed with the pitch, and insert their name frequently
- 9. Listen Politely and Carefully Really listen to the other person on the line Can continue formally or informally? Mr. or Mrs. – Tom, Mary or Sir or Ma'am Will you need to take a message or pass the phone to someone else. Take a second before each response. When you pause before responding, the other person knows that you've listened.
- 10. A Word on Pauses Don’t become so enamored with the sound of your voice Pause and give the listener time to respond or ask questions Don’t use tech talk or acronyms Take a breath, follow the play
- 11. Cultural Differences What is appropriate for some is not always appropriate for other people, This can cause a fair amount of problems when misunderstandings arise For example, many customers prefer to get straight down to business and value speed and efficiency; Some prefer to chat a little to build a personal connection, before moving on to the purpose of the call.
- 12. Time Zones L.A. - N.J. A major consideration is time zone differences. ? Remember there may be a 2 – 3 hour time difference Interruptions during their sleep, or during meal time may find your call as an intrusion
- 13. Avoid Mimicking Accents Or using slang that is local to your client's area or culture on the other end of the phone. In some cases it can be acceptable and make the person receiving the call feel more at ease, This is actually a very small and rare demographic. Many people find a false accent to be insincere Fraudulent, or copying an accent as a sign of disrespect.
- 14. Familiarity Don't use words you are not familiar with Or attempt to sound more intelligent. This may backfire if you have a difficult time pronouncing the words. Stick with familiar vocabulary and enunciate your words
- 15. Interruptions Refrain from interrupting co-workers or the client on the phone. Find a pause where you can jump in politely but give the person enough time to talk Avoid becoming distracted while on the phone.
- 16. Cross Talk Causes Pain Cross talk is an intrusion to others on calls It offends both Customer and Team Shouting in earshot of another is inconsiderate It can be heard by both the team and receiver equally Inappropriate comments like, stupid jerk or $2#e% make for dissatisfied clients
- 17. Just Follow The Basics Make a good impression with just your conversational skills Practice your pitch until you can say it naturally and professionally. Like the Star Spangled Banner The right lyrics, in key, right order and pitch all will go just fine!
Editor's Notes
- #3: What things impact the tone of your voice?Try to practice your tone of voice with a friend who knows what you're trying to do. Let your friend provide constructive feedback on how you might improve your phone voice
- #5: This enables better because breathing your diaphragm is not squished by sitting. In standing up, you'll have more energy
- #9: Do this as a way of keeping the human connection in place. Name use shows that you've listened
- #10: When in a conversation, most people barely hear what the other person is saying; instead, they're thinking about what they're going to say next. That's really stupid during a phone conversation because nuances are much harder to catch than if you're face to face.
- #18: this voice will most likely work against you