COMM322 - INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

1. COMM322 - INTERPERSONAL SKILLS EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ON THE PHONE

2. PURPOSE • SHARE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AND TECHNIQUES! • ENHANCE YOUR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION • PRESENT A POSITIVE IMAGE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION & PEOPLE YOU COMMUNICATE WITH

3. COMMUNICATION • 7% with our words • 23% with the tone of our voice • 70% by the actions of our body and face From Visionus.com 2005

4. TELEPHONE versus FACE-TO-FACE • Face-to-Face (advantages) • Non-verbal communication available • Easy to discuss visual materials • Others cannot avoid giving clear answer • Face-to-Face (disadvantages) • More complex, expensive • Difficult to postpone, re-direct, give run-around • Difficult to say ‘No’ , Kenan BAŞARAN

5. TELEPHONE versus FACE-TO-FACE • Telephone (advantages) • Briefer, cheaper, simpler and more convenient • Easier to say ‘No’ and get others to say ‘Yes’ • Easier to take notes • Allows younger to appear more authoritative • Telephone (disadvantages) • Lack of Non-verbal communication • Difficult to discuss visual materials and objects • May lead to ‘ping-pong’- people only talk to machines • Make the tone of your voice higher pitched than normal , Kenan BAŞARAN

6. 7 MAIN POINTS • BE PROMPT, PREPARED AND COURTEOUS • EMPLOY EFFECTIVE LISTENING • DEFUSE (REMOVE) ANGER OR FRUSTRATION • OFFER PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE • DELIVERING A DIFFICULT MESSAGE • BALANCING YOUR TIME WITH THE NEEDS OF THE CALLER • CONCLUDE THE CALL PROFESSIONALLY

7. 1.BE PROMPT, PREPARED & COURTEOUS BE PROMPT • ANSWER PHONE ON 3RD RING • BE READY TO PAY ATTENTION • USE CONSISTENT GREETING • (Good morning ...) • ALWAYS IDENTIFY THE ORGANIZATION AND YOUR NAME. • (Good morning, Eastern Mediterranean University, This is Ali...)

8. 1.BE PROMPT, PREPARED & COURTEOUS • BE PREPARED: • ALWAYS HAVE PAPER AND PENCIL CLOSE • BE READY TO LISTEN • HAVE ALL TOOLS CLOSE BY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

9. 1. BE PROMPT, PREPARED & COURTEOUS • BE COURTEOUS: • TREAT EACH CALLER LIKE A GUEST • ALWAYS SMILE! – IT CAN BE HEARD! • TREAT EACH CALLER LIKE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED.

10. 2.EFFECTIVE LISTENING • REALLY LISTEN! • TWO TYPES: • 1.COMPREHENSIVE • TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CALLER IS SAYING • 2. CRITICAL • TO EVALUATE AND DETERMINE THE FACTS

11. 2.EFFECTIVE LISTENING • SHOW THAT YOU ARE LISTENING! • BE ATTENTIVE • ASK CALLER’S NAME AND THEN REPEAT IT • ASK WHAT COMPANY THE CALLER IS FROM • EMPATHIZE WITH CALLERS FEELINGS (IF NECESSARY)

12. LISTEN… • L = LET OTHERS SPEAK • I = INTEND TO ‘HEAR” THEM • S = SPEAK WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN • T = TALK WITH THEM, NOT AT THEM • E = ENTHUSIASTICALLY RESPOND • N = NEVER SPEAK WHEN OTHERS ARE TALKING

13. 3. OFFER PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE • ESTABLISH A RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP • ALWAYS ASK HOW YOU MAY HELP • ASK CALLER’S NAME AND IF APPROPRIATE, THE NAME OF THEIR COMPANY. • ADVISE HONESTLY WHAT YOU CAN DO TO ASSIST • BE HELPFUL BUT HONEST AND • DON’T PROMISE WHAT YOU CANNOT DELIVER.

14. 3,OFFER PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE • IF TRANSFERRING OR PLACING CALL ON HOLD IS NECESSARY, ALWAYS GIVE THE CALLER THE OPTION (ASK PERMISSION). • - TRANSFER: ADVISE CALLER WHO YOU ARE TRANSFERRING THEM TO AND WHAT EXTENSION. • - STAY ON THE LINE TO BE SURE SOMEONE ANSWERS. • - TAKE CALL BACK IF THERE IS NO ONE FOR THEM TO TALK WITH (YOU HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP.)

15. 3. OFFER PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE • PLACING THE CALLER ON HOLD. • ALWAYS ASK THEIR PERMISSION • CHECK BACK WITHIN 30 SECONDS • CALLING THE CALLER BACK. • STATE REASONABLE AND ACCURATE TIME YOU CAN CALL BACK. • CALL BACK WHEN PROMISED. • PROMISE ONLY WHAT YOU CAN DELIVER.

16. 4. DEFUSE ANGER AND FRUSTRATION • IDENTIFY THE NEEDS OF THE CALLER • LISTEN - BE QUIET • ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS • ALLOW CALLER TO SHARE • DEFUSE ANGER WITH ATTENTIVE LISTENING AND EMPATHY • LISTEN COMPREHENSIVELY • EMPATHIZE WITH CALLER’S FEELINGS

17. DEFUSE ANGER AND FRUSTRATION • RESPOND TO ACCUSATIONS WITHOUT BECOMING DEFENSIVE • DEFUSE LOUD AND/OR AGGRESSIVE LANGUAGE • OFFER QUIET RESPONSES – GIVES NO REASON TO YELL • NEVER TAKE THE DEFENSE – GIVES NO REASON TO ARGUE • SMILE AND BE REASSURING – THAT YOU WANT TO HELP TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. • TAKE CONTROL OF THE CONVERSATION • ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS • ADVISE HOW YOU CAN HELP

18. 5.DELIVERING A DIFFICULT MESSAGE POSITEVLY • TIPS THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: • DELIVER THE MESSAGE HONESTLY WITHOUT PLACING BLAME. • ADVISE WHAT ACTION WILL BE TAKEN (IF APPROPRIATE). • ADVISE REALISTIC TIME FRAME (IF NECESSARY) FOR ANY ACTION. • LISTEN AND OFFER UNDERSTANDING WITHOUT BECOMING DEFENSIVE. • OFFER AN APOLOGY (IF NECESSARY) FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE. • REMIND THE CALLER OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY THEY NEED TO TAKE. • THANK THE CALLER.

19. 6. BALANCING YOUR TIME WITH THE CALLER’S NEEDS • CALLER’S TIME IS VALUABLE! • EMPLOY EFFECTIVE LISTENING. • TAKE ACCURATE MESSAGE (READ # BACK) • ADVISE CALLER OF ACTION BEING TAKEN. • YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE! • THANK CALLER FOR HIS/HER TIME.

20. 7. CONCLUDING THE CALL PROFESSIONALLY • ALWAYS THANK THE CALLER (BY NAME) FOR THE CALL. • REMIND THE CALLER OF WHAT YOU PROMISED (IF APPROPRIATE). • REMIND THE CALLER OF ANY ACTIONS THEY ARE ASSUMING. • REMEMBER THAT A CLEAR MESSAGE AVOIDS UNNECESSARY CALLS.

21. SUMMARY(7 STEPS) • Be Prompt, Prepared, and Courteous • Listen Effectively • Offer Professional Assistance • Defuse Anger or Frustration • Deliver the difficult message positively • Balance your time with callers needs • Conclude the call Professionally

22. SUMMARY:DOs & DON’Ts of Telephoning • Introduce yourself • ‘Sorry, he’s with an important customer ‘ • Give your name, the date, time, your name and number when you leave a message • Answer the phone as “ who are you ?” • When you leave message say when you will be available • When taking message, repeat and confirm the information. • You can play with a pen while you speak on the phone • Close your eyes and lean back while you listen • Answer the phone within three rings Kenan BAŞARAN

23. Keep your table tidy with a pen, notepad, directory • If you cannot help, transfer caller to someone who can help • Act fast and offer quick fix to the caller’s complaint • Ask questions to understand the problem better • Say ‘ It’s not my fault, you must talk to ..’ • Adjust your voice to the caller • Continue talking while you are picking up the phone • Say ‘ He can come at any time’ • Transfer the call fast and don’t waste time to inform the caller • Say “ Hold on a second” if you need to check some information • Be serious, do not put a smile in your voice Kenan BAŞARAN

24. Anticipate what is the caller going to say • Act as if you are face-to-face • If your boss is not in say ‘ He has not come in yet’ • When you have a better idea interrupt the caller. • Continue working while you answer the phone • Finish the call by saying ‘ No worries honey, see you’ • If you don’t know the person the caller asks, say “sorry’ and hang it up. • Address the caller by his name • Wait for the caller to hang up first. • When you transfer a call, don’t make the caller repeat the same things again. Kenan BAŞARAN

25. CHOCOLATE CAKE • STAFF OF GARANTI BANK – LEASING DEPARTMENT WANTED TO ORDER A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR ONE OF THEIR FRIENDS. • THEY CALLED A NEIGBOURING SHOP, ORDERED THE CAKE AND ASKED THEM TO WRITE ‘ GARANTİ LEASİNG’DEN SEVGİLERLE’ ON THE CAKE. • HOWEVER, THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE HAD SOME DIFFICULTIES TO WRITE DOWN THE MESSAGE THEY WANTED TO BE WRİTTEN ON THE CAKE. SO THEY CODED ‘LEASİNG’ • HERE COMES THE CAKE WITH THE MESSAGE ON 

26. Kenan BAŞARAN

27. THANK YOU!